Sellam Ismail and Ethan Dicks wrote:
>>>I still prefer my Psion though (2 AA batteries ;)
>>
>>If I'd ever seen one, I'd probably jump on it. I've seen Psion
>>accessories in the bargain bin at the local MicroCenter, but never
>>the Psion itself.
>
>
> It is, hands down, the best palmtop organizer ever.
>
> (Don't let the term "palmtop organizer" mislead you. It's actually a
> 32-bit computer with a realtime multi-tasking OS running an ARM processor.
> Linux has been ported to it. I have an Apple ][ emulator written
> specifically for it running on it.)
Even the Series 3 machines were amazing in terms of what had been packed
into the ROM: no Linux AFAIK, but with the SIBO platform, there is
multitasking available as well as a windows server and an IP stack (from
the PsiMail product). These are just examples, see the Psionics files
for more information.
I prefer the Series 3 over the Series 5 because there is no pen. I
always fear leaving scratches on the display...
For the "dumb terminal" topic, there used to be a good VT100 emulator
from a company called Yellow Software for the 3a (also runs on 3c /
3mx). I bought it together with my first 3a and was a happy user of both.
Since then, the need for Telnetting into a host came up, and the trouble
is that Yellow's emulator is not capable of using the IP stack, but only
supports the serial interface.
So, I rolled my own VT320 emulator (I call it "V-Tel"), which has been
tested with VMS, True64, and Linux, and which supports the serial
interface directly as well as through PsiMail's TCP/IP stack. Editors
like vi or TPU do work, MONITOR SYSTEM on VMS is lacking the graphics
character set yet, but all control sequences are interpreted properly.
Perhaps I find the time to add double-width/double-height characters and
the semi-graphics font during Christmas holidays.
It may be a bit late to put V-Tel up as shareware, and it may be a bit
too early for the Series 3 to be discussed here, but if somebody is
still looking for a portable terminal, this solution works very well for me.
--
Andreas Freiherr
Vishay Semiconductor GmbH, Heilbronn, Germany
http://www.vishay.com
Received on Tue Dec 03 2002 - 03:11:39 GMT