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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Next Best Thing to a Laptop - and it fits in your pocket, July 13, 1999
By A Customer
The first Psion I bought was like a dream come true - it had all the features I was going to buy a laptop for;Large phone and address memory. Downloadable to a P.C., for backup is case of a data crash. Limited, but very useful, word processing.(If you don't mind pecking on a small keyboard.) Connects to Internet, sends E-Mail, and Faxes. Lot's of shareware available on the Internet from fellow Psion users. (I downloaded a chess playing program written by a Psion user in Belgium that only uses 30K - and I haven't beaten it yet.) You can also write your own programs on it (in it's own basic type language.) And it has spreadsheet and data programs that are compatable with your P.C. Another plus - it uses regular 'AA' bateries. Since I use the AC adapter when at my desk, using the batteries only when away, they last over a month! The reasons I traded up to a Psion 5 are: The screen's backlit. It has a bigger keyboard (but still not as easy to use as a full-size keyboard.) It has enough memory to support E-mail, Fax, and Internet connection programs at the same time. The spelling function has many useful features, including showing a full line in spellcheck so you can see the context of the word. AND MOST OF ALL - The touch screen, which is as good or better than a mouse, makes moving between programs, choosing options, zoooming in and out, and highlighting text much quicker. And you can draw pictures directly on the screen with the stylus. To put it simply - I have my whole life on this Psion 5. Since it fits in my side pocket, I always have it with me, and can jot notes while I'm shopping or travelling - times when I wouldn't have a full size laptop with me. Those are the PROS - here are the CONS: (1) Psions have their own language. Everything has to be translated if you want to see it on a P.C. Once you set this up it goes quickly - but you have to be hooked up and the application has to be installed and there's always a chance that some sort of computer clitch will prevent the connection. This does not affect sending E-Mail or Faxes from the Psion 5 itself, which appear as printed text to the addressee. (2) There's a small half-to-one-second delay for some functions to occur, like opening a program. It's not always instant, like a P.C. (3) The screen is a little difficult to read without the backlight. It's better with the backlight, but that uses up the batteries much sooner. (4) (Minor problems) The coating on the case peels, and the stylus tends to slip out of it's slot. (5) The Psion records memos using buttons on the outside of the case, but this uses so much memory I hardly ever do it. However, it would be practical for short notes you erase after transcribing into text. (6) There is a limit to the memory. I've added a few pages of text a day for a year, and soon I'm going to have to move some files permanently to my P.C. - or delete the E-Mail, Fax, or Intenet programs. This estimate is very rough, but gives you some idea of the memory capacity. At this point I should say I am not an employee of Psion, just a fan who uses it every day and is glad to pass on my opinion to my fellow Amazonians. - Marvin Silbermintz
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