Psion's Series 3 range of palmtops has proved immensely popular over the last six years or so, first with the 3 and then with the enduringly reliable (apart from the occasional hinge or battery lead failure in later life) 3a. The more recent addition, the 3c, was really an evolutionary step up from the 3a, rather than a drastic change. Like the Darwinist transition from ape to human, there were a couple of alterations, but it was basically the same beast.

So it is with the 3mx, Psion's latest contribution to the world of palmtop computing, powered by two AA batteries that should last for approximately two months of average use. The familiar excellent applications are here, including the word-processor, spreadsheet, agenda, calculator, jotter, sound recorder and other useful gubbins, all packaged into Psion's stylish folding case which is silver-grey this time, rather than black. There are the two proprietary RAM/flash disk slots, a monochrome 480 x 160 screen with backlight, an RS232 serial port for the connection of Psion's own modem or a PCMCIA 'hip flask' and an infra-red port. The 58 keys on the keyboard are small but light, making for good thumb-typing while holding the device in your hand (in fact, I'm writing this review on it), and there's a touch-sensitive short-cut bar for the main built-in applications. There's no pointing device, but the EPOC operating was designed to operate perfectly well without one.

One of the main differences between the 3mx and the 3c is that the new machine's processor has been altered to run three times faster. This begs the question 'Why bother?'. The Series 3a and 3c may have had their faults, but speed was not really one of them. Since all the applications are well-programmed and stored in ROM with 2MB of RAM for run-space and data, near instant access has always been a feature of these pocket computers. It's true that for really complex spreadsheets and documents some additional processing time is required, but that's only likely to be a problem for a few people.

Still, if you can make something faster, then why not? There's one very good answer to that question. Part of the appeal of the Series 3 range is that there is loads of third-party software available, much of it shareware or public domain. And much of it programmed without a great deal of regard for the timer interrupt. I've just spent a frantic couple of minutes trying to play Popout, a Breakout-style game, at three times its intended speed on a 3mx. Initially amusing, but ultimately not much fun, so it's fortunate that the new machine has a 'slow-down' feature that helps to a certain extent.

Of course, for business users not interested in games, this isn't going to matter, and the speed improvement will be a welcome modification. But be aware that not all software programmed for the 3a or 3c may work properly with the sleek new 3mx. And the PC/Mac connectivity pack is an optional extra.

Verdict
Psion's stylish palmtop design has lost none of its ergonomic and aesthetic appeal, and the multi-tasking operating system and long battery life make this an attractive alternative to more bulky Windows CE machines. But if you're upgrading from a Series 3a or 3c, check that your favourite applications will work before parting with your bundles of cash.

Company: Psion

Contact: 0990 134224

Tags: psion symbian epoc aa battery read-only memory random-access memory mobile computing psion series 5