Psion Series 5MX Palmtop Computer

I'm a long time Palm user. After two days with the 5mx, I'm a convert. The bad news about the 5mx: It is larger than a Palm III, Palm V, Visor, etc. The screen contrast isn't great. The good news: 1. It has a keyboard. I find input of text much faster and easier than the Palm even though I am fairly experienced with Graffiti. 2. It has 16MB of RAM and is expandable with off the shelf CompactFlash cards. One of the first things I did was purchase a 48MB CompactFlash card. 3. You can program in perl, java, or python on the 5mx. 4. There is a lot of freeware/shareware available. Not as much as for the Palm, but still I find that software is available to duplicate almost all the functions that I used on the Palm. 5. The 5mx can multitask. 6. The built-in Email client can use POP/IMAP/SMTP to fetch and deliver mail to an ISPs mail server. 7. The screen is big enough that web browsing on the 5mx is actually fairly practical. 8. The 5mx runs nethack ;-)

As someone who works in the high tech environment I am exposed to a variety of PDA's with coworkers and clients. I have used a number of different devices and have found all of them lacking. Well now I have what I consider to be the best PDA available, the Psion 5mx. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that this was the best value I could find in today's market. What a delight to enter data with a real keyboard. To be able to download Word and Excel files from my office desk top computer to the 5mx and work on them while I am traveling. Meeting with a client and being able to make changes to a price quote because I have the spreadsheet in my 5mx. Lugging around my laptop was always a pain, the 5mx gives me the access I need to files while I am away from my desk in a neat little package. A great operating system, bullt in programs that are fast and efficient, no longer am I kept waiting for the Windows hourglass. It is expandable with Compact Flash cards, (the same type as you use in a digital camera) so they are much less expensive and easier to obtain than a PDA's manufacturers proprietary card. There is a lot of software available on the net, much of it freeware or shareware. This is a great PDA designed for someone who is serious about having a real business tool without all the marketing hype.

I bought the 5mx and promptly returned it. The Good is this little thing is a true computer-- not just a fancy organizer like the Palm. It's word program is very good. The Bad is the screen contrast is quite poor in my opinion. Without the back light, I had trouble seeing the text even in a well lit room. Also, the key board is small (as expected), but the disappointing part with the keyboard was I had to press firmly (kind of like a small calculator) for the key to register, as opposed to a soft touch like a computer. This really slows down the typing process. So for me, it just did not work out. However, if the screen contrast does not bother you and you are a "hunt and peck" typist anyway, this would be a great buy IMHO. Like I said above, it really is a little computer!

Well, I like to think so, anyway. I spend more time staring lovingly at this thing than at my wife. I've had it for eighteen months now. Really an excellent product. Great keyboard, great memory, great battery life. Synching up to the PC was no problem. Small enough and light enough to take it anywhere. Stands up to the occasional knock. No flaws yet.

The design of the Psion is superior to other designs. The built-in keyboard is a bit small, but compared with other alternatives are to have no keyboard or carry a big keyboard with you to plug in. The 5 MX has been the palm-top of choice for me. I wish there was an updated model.