I Can't Live Without It! (Psion Series 5mx Pro)

Member Name: uryjm

Product:	Psion Series 5mx Pro
Date:	30/12/01 (194 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Keyboard, Back-up to PC, Ease of use

Disadvantages: Looks Dated, Future v Palm, Expensive Memeory Cards

Where would I be without my Psion 5? I'm not sure, but I'll know where I've been through the Personal Organiser's Agenda, which looks like a little diary. It can be customised to look the way you want it to, and you can view by day, by week or by "To Do" list (the annual view is pretty useless, but is an option.) Or you can combine the "To Do" list to show in your day/week view, which is handy. Entries can be timed, alarmed or can incorprate lengthy memos or reminders behind them. You could even draw a sketch in the Sketch software and attach it to an entry. I use the Agenda function daily, and I'd be lost without it, so it's just as well you can back up the Series 5 to a PC through the supplied Winlink software and cable. This has saved my bacon on more than one occassion.
I also use the Word Processor on a daily basis to keep a diary. You can password protect this from prying eyes, and I find the keyboard quite easy to use. Mae West said "Keep a diary and one day it will keep you", and there's something I find fascinating looking up what I was doing this day five years ago. (Usually I find I was sitting on the bog tapping into my Psion.) Again, you can copy anything you write to a PC and convert it to popular software applications like MS Word or Lotus Wordpro. I've found it to work perfectly every time.
There's also a very basic spreadsheet. If you're an Excel wizard, it will no doubt frustrate you, but I've found it more than adequate for household accounts or working out my fixed odd accumulator bets when they come in (about once a year).
The other application I use daily is the Database, where I store everything from names and addresses to recipes to books I want to read, wines I want to buy, beers I want to try. You can copy and paste from different applications to and from the database, and across all the other functions.
The alarm system on my Psion also wakes me with
"soft chimes" for work every morning (I hear it, the wife doesn't) and because I'm an international jet setter, I use the map function to work out where exactly Oslo is before I land in it (I also use the spreadsheet as a currency calculator). I then record musings on how weird Europeans are on Word.
The calculator occassionally comes in handy, but I don't think I've ever used the Sketch (similar to Paint) application. Bit of a gimmick, I think. I do play the Bombs game, and have downloaded things like Tetris from various internet dedicated sites. I did once try to connect the Psion to the Internet via a modem, but failed. I'm not sure if it's worth the effort to be honest. I simply download stuff to my laptop and then copy to the Psion through Winlink. (it has an infra-red link, but again I've never used it).
Other points? The back light drains power, so I seldom use it but it's good to have this function when you want it. The touch sensitive screen? I wouldn't miss it, and the screen does get messy - espescially if you like crisps.
I had a Series 3 before the Series 5 and the big difference is the keyboard which is a vast improvment on the 3. Seriously, I never leave home without my Psion and can't understand Palm users (although I suppose the newest ones can store dodgy images from the Net. I can understand that!) It's my constant companion and was Best Man at my wedding. I honestly can't live without it.

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