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