A Series: 5 was my first computer in the early 2010s, which was soon a 5MX. Three years ago I began aching for a Psion again, and bought myself a Revo Plus. As of now, I'm back to using my trusty 5MX as a personal machine and a newly acquired Series: 7 for writing. Just bought some new cells that should bring its battery life from its current fourish hours of active use to over twelve. Still on the hunt for a battery door for my Series: 3... Needless to say, I'm a Psion man, and no other computer I've used since comes close to the hardware and EPOC32. It's odd to say, but everything Android does, a Psion does better. Apart from making phone calls. Then again, modern phones aren't particularly good at being phones, and not designed to be. Being a pocket PC above all else but without the software nor the hardware compatibility.
In the uk, the PSION series of PDAs far exceed the notoriety of the palm PDAs or apple’s awful newton, PSION were iconic, and still collectible and useful to this day, i still use a 3A I purchased in the 1990s as a password safe and a backup for essential contacts and even a few fallback budget spreadsheets. There’s whole generations of programmers that started out with OPL, which was PSIONs version of basic. These things also paved the way for the success of another uk company, ARM, which in all likelihood is a powering the phone you’re watching this on.
Gotta remember HP had their DOS based units as well during this period. Atari had the portfolio. It was an interesting era the late 80s up thru the early 00s with Palmtops and PDAs. A lot going on. By late 90s ya had Casio, NEC, Compaq and Philips all get into the game. I just recently upgraded from my HP360LX and Casio A-11+ to color units after 20+ years. My eyes were going so it was time to get color that i could read better ;-) I have some videos up on palmtops. Recent ones are of the Jornada 680e and Jornada 690. These are my favorite units overall. From keyboards, screen, connectivity etc. Nice video, well done.
I am glad you enjoyed the video! By the sound of it, it seems there was a whole PDA war happening in the late 80s and 90s similar to the PC Wars of the same time period.
They have reincarnated as planet computers, and i do sincerely hope they make it this time.. they took the best part of the series 5, the keyboard, and connected it to a modern mobile phone.. I remember using my series 5 back in 2000, sending emails while on the middle of a motorway, in a traffic jam, or at work from behind a machine.. transferring files to and from a cnc machine, setting up an excel sheet for noting my valve clearances and then automatically calculating the required shims, which i could then print, and take with me to a motorbike shop, along with the partsfile to order any part i further needed. I also had a database of all the model railroad rolling stock, to chech if i did, or didn't have that locomotive, passenger car ot freight car..oh... and i almost forgot.. did i mention i also wrote a lot of artcles on my mx5, and, with the infraredport, it would not ony connect op telephones and printers, it could als download the complete thelephonebook from your phone. Alter it on a decent keyboar, and shoot it back ink... Since planet computer has launched the successor to the psion 5mx with true wifi connectiviy..i am saving every penney... i want me one of these
This sounds really awesome, I knew that Psion devices were quite nifty little machines but I had no idea that they were as functional and user-friendly as you have described them. I am definitely with you in wanting to buy myself a planet computer device hopefully it lives up to the legacy of the Psion devices :)
@@Tech_History_Channel the "old" Psion series 5 was already a really handy device, and sometimes people were surprised, or even totally gobsmacked by its capabilities. That little device could do anything a laptop could do and even more.. back then we still had dial-up internet, so if your cell phone had coverage, you could go on the internet...how long did it take until smart phones could do the same? Now they can, so include a decent keyboard, and you have the perfect device..
pretty sure planet computers have folded or are now a scam, looking on their website there's the same preorder now page that's been like that for years for the Astro slide 5G which boasts android 11! and a processor from December 2019, and their social medias have been silent for over a year. The indiegogo for the astro slide is over 4 years old with a lot of unhappy backers commenting.
A Series: 5 was my first computer in the early 2010s, which was soon a 5MX. Three years ago I began aching for a Psion again, and bought myself a Revo Plus. As of now, I'm back to using my trusty 5MX as a personal machine and a newly acquired Series: 7 for writing. Just bought some new cells that should bring its battery life from its current fourish hours of active use to over twelve. Still on the hunt for a battery door for my Series: 3... Needless to say, I'm a Psion man, and no other computer I've used since comes close to the hardware and EPOC32. It's odd to say, but everything Android does, a Psion does better. Apart from making phone calls. Then again, modern phones aren't particularly good at being phones, and not designed to be. Being a pocket PC above all else but without the software nor the hardware compatibility.
Wow, you are using a Psion in the present day, that's truly amazing!!!
In the uk, the PSION series of PDAs far exceed the notoriety of the palm PDAs or apple’s awful newton, PSION were iconic, and still collectible and useful to this day, i still use a 3A I purchased in the 1990s as a password safe and a backup for essential contacts and even a few fallback budget spreadsheets.
There’s whole generations of programmers that started out with OPL, which was PSIONs version of basic.
These things also paved the way for the success of another uk company, ARM, which in all likelihood is a powering the phone you’re watching this on.
Psion is turly one of the forgotten pioneers of the modern computing world
Psion was ahead of its time
It truly was!
Nice Vid!
Thanks!
Thanks for that walk down memory lane
I can definitely see why the good old days are called the good old days!
Gotta remember HP had their DOS based units as well during this period. Atari had the portfolio. It was an interesting era the late 80s up thru the early 00s with Palmtops and PDAs. A lot going on. By late 90s ya had Casio, NEC, Compaq and Philips all get into the game. I just recently upgraded from my HP360LX and Casio A-11+ to color units after 20+ years. My eyes were going so it was time to get color that i could read better ;-)
I have some videos up on palmtops. Recent ones are of the Jornada 680e and Jornada 690. These are my favorite units overall. From keyboards, screen, connectivity etc.
Nice video, well done.
I am glad you enjoyed the video! By the sound of it, it seems there was a whole PDA war happening in the late 80s and 90s similar to the PC Wars of the same time period.
They have reincarnated as planet computers, and i do sincerely hope they make it this time.. they took the best part of the series 5, the keyboard, and connected it to a modern mobile phone..
I remember using my series 5 back in 2000, sending emails while on the middle of a motorway, in a traffic jam, or at work from behind a machine.. transferring files to and from a cnc machine, setting up an excel sheet for noting my valve clearances and then automatically calculating the required shims, which i could then print, and take with me to a motorbike shop, along with the partsfile to order any part i further needed.
I also had a database of all the model railroad rolling stock, to chech if i did, or didn't have that locomotive, passenger car ot freight car..oh... and i almost forgot.. did i mention i also wrote a lot of artcles on my mx5, and, with the infraredport, it would not ony connect op telephones and printers, it could als download the complete thelephonebook from your phone. Alter it on a decent keyboar, and shoot it back ink...
Since planet computer has launched the successor to the psion 5mx with true wifi connectiviy..i am saving every penney... i want me one of these
This sounds really awesome, I knew that Psion devices were quite nifty little machines but I had no idea that they were as functional and user-friendly as you have described them. I am definitely with you in wanting to buy myself a planet computer device hopefully it lives up to the legacy of the Psion devices :)
@@Tech_History_Channel the "old" Psion series 5 was already a really handy device, and sometimes people were surprised, or even totally gobsmacked by its capabilities.
That little device could do anything a laptop could do and even more.. back then we still had dial-up internet, so if your cell phone had coverage, you could go on the internet...how long did it take until smart phones could do the same?
Now they can, so include a decent keyboard, and you have the perfect device..
pretty sure planet computers have folded or are now a scam, looking on their website there's the same preorder now page that's been like that for years for the Astro slide 5G which boasts android 11! and a processor from December 2019, and their social medias have been silent for over a year. The indiegogo for the astro slide is over 4 years old with a lot of unhappy backers commenting.
Don't. Their backup and support is nonexistent.
@@clasqm if the device works. like a normal phone would.. you don't need support.. i've never needed support
I recall them pricing themselves out of the market.
If Psion was an American company I reckon it would still be around
Yeah probably!
A further thing thatcher completely fucked up ..