I have had my sticky paws on my luvverly Psion Series 3c for several months now, and I still rate it pretty
highly. And of course now I finally got it to link in with my PC, my cup runneth over! I was rather irked to see
Psion had brought out a new palmtop, well, more like a mini-laptop really, the Series 5, with
a proper keyboard and even a pen, but the Series 3x have life in them yet, and theres more software around too :)
There is still a growing amount
of Psion resources available on the Web in the form of shareware
and freeware, even electronic books,and I've now added in my own favourite things and where to get 'em. Siena users should find a
version for them in most cases.
Here also are the general links I've found. Although I dearly love my PC, Psions are still easier to carry...
Cool Programs:
Reader
Currently my most-used program, Reader is a way of loading huge text files into the smallest possible
space on the Psion. It comes with a DOS- based compression program,which is a doddle to use, thankfully. I mainly use it to get classic
novels taken from the many Web based e-text sites squished down small to carry around on the Psion. Once the
text is in there, you can control the size and typeface, and whether you have it set to the normal screen width or
vertically; you can add bookmarks and best of all it saves your place for you. I can see it would be useful for carrying
round a manual or even the Bible if you are that way inclined. Shareware. (Also available for the Siena, Kal).
Tetris
Yes, okay, so everyone has a copy of Tetris somewhere, but this Psion version is just as addictive
as any other except it looks better than some of the clones... has 12 levels which should be enough to
keep the average addict happy for a while. Shareware.
Solipeg
Another old favourite, jump the marbles over each other till there's only one left, this version of
Solitaire has a choice of French or plain boards (ooohh!!) but more interestingly comes with a full
library of solitaire problems to solve taken from an original pamphlet
supplied with the physical game decades back. Oddly difficult to put down... Freeware.
Greedy
A monopoly clone, pure and simple (with a few minor tweaks to avoid copyright difficulties), but the author has very cleverly used cartoon characters in place of
streets, so you get to collect the Simpsons or Calvin & Hobbes or the Flintstones etc. You can play against up to 3 computer players, and
there are added twists such as investing money in the bank to get interest next time you pass GO... (well, I've never
come across that idea before anyways). Scrolling is smooth - you get to see about a third of the board at any one time,
the graphics are excellent and the Chance-type cards inventive. All in all
the game plays well, which is certainly another reason not to shell out for the real version! Freeware.
Dungeon
Unbelievably, this is Doom on a Psion. Yes, I did say Doom. And even more unbelievably, it works quite well...
So okay you haven't exactly got the speed and the graphics and the sound and the gore, but it is nonetheless a decent maze type game and
you get to blast away at monsters for what seems like an eternity before the damned things go away. I'm still impressed that anyone
even tried this, plus it looks pretty good too. Shareware.
Background information:
Psion 3c Reviewed
Interactive Tour of the Psion 3c
Other Psion Pages:
Steve Litchfields Psion Homepage
Jelly's Psion Page
The Psion User Group
Shareware libraries:
The Psiontology Software Library
New World Technologies Software Library
Where to buy (UK):
Business on the Move
Widget Software
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