I had a Psion 3a, followed by a Revo and then a 5MX.
What was great about them was the ability to quickly flip them open and take notes, or run a command-line program in it's OPL language, pretty much instantaneously.
In the 90s this thing was in some ways more powerful than your regular desktop computer - it had pre-emptive multitasking, SSD storage, ability to use email and connect to the web via IrDA modem phones, as well as a built-in microphone and digital audio. It's Agenda program has still not been bettered in my opinion - giving you the confidence that your appointment is in the right place in the calendar (having just had a reminder come up on my pixel for an appointment meant for this time last year).
I tried to keep the dream alive with the Nokia E90 (which was too app focused and slow, sadly), the N900 (a fantastic machine, hampered by a very limited, tiny keyboard, and again, quite an app-focused desktop/phonetop). After reading online people repeatedly saying that I should just give in and use any modern phone with a bluetooth keyboard, I can now say conclusively that these people had no idea what the Psion was all about.
My hope is that they can make Android or Linux work well with this form factor. The hardware looks perfect (ok I'll admit I would have traded the colour screen for a kindle-like screen for the discretion and battery life), but the thing about the Psion was the speed and ease of operation. I really hope they pull this off!
What was great about them was the ability to quickly flip them open and take notes, or run a command-line program in it's OPL language, pretty much instantaneously.
In the 90s this thing was in some ways more powerful than your regular desktop computer - it had pre-emptive multitasking, SSD storage, ability to use email and connect to the web via IrDA modem phones, as well as a built-in microphone and digital audio. It's Agenda program has still not been bettered in my opinion - giving you the confidence that your appointment is in the right place in the calendar (having just had a reminder come up on my pixel for an appointment meant for this time last year).
I tried to keep the dream alive with the Nokia E90 (which was too app focused and slow, sadly), the N900 (a fantastic machine, hampered by a very limited, tiny keyboard, and again, quite an app-focused desktop/phonetop). After reading online people repeatedly saying that I should just give in and use any modern phone with a bluetooth keyboard, I can now say conclusively that these people had no idea what the Psion was all about.
My hope is that they can make Android or Linux work well with this form factor. The hardware looks perfect (ok I'll admit I would have traded the colour screen for a kindle-like screen for the discretion and battery life), but the thing about the Psion was the speed and ease of operation. I really hope they pull this off!