Psion Series 5MX Palmtop Computer

I purchased a psion organiser which i thought was new.What turned up must be 15years old , in fact it is an older version than the one i already have.I was away on business so didnt get to open it till i returned.Guess what to LATE. The only place for this psion is in the trash!

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!

I have had the Psion 5mx for about two months and have found it to be a very usefull machine. It is a wonderfull design and is full featured with very usable software. The case has a nice grey metalic finish, It really feels good in your hands. On the front side of the case you will find buttons which enable one touch voice recording, which is great for meetings. The volume is not that loud due to the small size of the speaker but it serves the purpose. On one end is a flash memory card slot. The machine comes with 16 mg, but this slot allows for upto 128 extra, which is more memory then most people could ever use. Great for storing EBook, Encyclopedias, etc. Also the stylus is stored here, It is three sided, stanless steal, with a plastic coating. It has a sturdy feel. On the other end is a cover for the Lithium backup battery and a soft/hard rest button. On the back of the case is the AA battery compartment, the speaker, and serial port connection. When opened the keyboard slides out to revel a black keyboard and a good sized screen. The keyboard really makes the difference, it has a good resonse. You know when you hit a key. It is hard to "touchtype" but "hunt and peck" works fine. Anyone who has bought a PALM, and then one of those foldable keyboards has bought the wrong machine. The screen is good, not great. After all it is 16 greyscale, not color. But there is an excellent backlit for dark conditions. However this does drain batteries. (I use rechargable and get about 7 hours of normal use) Sometimes there can be glare because of the reflective nature of the screen, but tilting the unit will alleviate this. On great feature is an enlarger/reducer icon. This is like changing the % of a document you want to see. Great for spreadsheets and EBooks. There is also a cut/copy/paste icon which is very handy. All of the major software applications have an icon on the bottom of the screen for quick access. Word and Excel are easily converted to/from your PC. The Psion versions have excellent features. All of the standard formating options are available, bold, underline, outline etc. The sheet has many mathmatical, financial and logical functions. There is also a nice graph feature, PIE, BAR, Line etc. in the sheet software. I have seen Excel on PALM devices but it is not the same. The screen is to small and if you want to WORK with a file you really need a keyboard! Adgenda and contact are standard. There is a regular and scientific calculator. There is a spellchecker/thesaurasis There is a Jotter program, which allows quick entry of notes into what looks like 3 x 5 cards. Great for meeting notes. There is an excellent clock program as well an outstanding freeware program for world views of time. Also included is an "Etch a Sketch" program that allows free from writing/drawing and has many different brush featuresIncluded is a decent clipboard collection which can be copied into any document. This program is very usefull for quick notes, or drawing maps, flow charts, etc.... There are other features such as internet connections, database, infra red printing and even programming on this that I have not even looked at. On the internet you amy easily download alot of freeware/shareware games, software, etc. I really like the EBooks on a Psion, the screen makes a BIG difference when reading. One last thing to remember, because of the keyboard and screen size, the Psion can seem a bit bulky when compared to a PALM device. However I carry it my back pocket or in a suit coat. If could easily fit inside a purse. If you travel alot you do not need to worry about docking stations, all you need is a couple of AA's. All in all a very good computer.

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 purchased th psion 5 mx in July 2000 and have never wasted $500 more effectively. I was unable to back it up on my computer and ot broke and lost all of my data. The customer service for Psion was HORRIBLE- I was passed on from person to person until I was told that there was no way they could replace my flawed computer, they would only repair it. After 2 weeks, I received my "repaired" computer, only to have it break again 3 weeks later. Once again, I've lost all my data. Fortunately, I have been able to back it up. Unfortunately, I don't have a psion on which to back it up and nobody at the Psion company has been of any help. I strongly recommend that anybody considering purchasing this product looks closely at other companies such as Palm and Hewlett Packard where the customer service is significantly better. I do not recommend this product to anyone.