The Last Psion | Alex

Keeping the Psion name alive. Hardware and software hacking.

A big focus on SIBO/EPOC16 machines (Series 3, MC range, etc) - I'm on a minor crusade to get the platform open sourced.

I'll cover anything to do with Psion's hardware from the 80s and 90s, from the Organiser to the netBook.

If you have any old source code or documentation, please get in touch!

Public Key

npub1e2c7ma7e3hsxg6h9kszklwx4k26ewmknva2skkzlwnk7jlaxtz0q69np06

NIP-05 Address

thelastpsion_at_bitbang.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsv4v0d7lvcmcrydtjmgpt0hr2m9dvhdmfkw4gttp0hfm0f07n938sf9w0v4

Author Public Key

npub1e2c7ma7e3hsxg6h9kszklwx4k26ewmknva2skkzlwnk7jlaxtz0q69np06

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Last Notes

2024-10-10 18:59:15

Has anyone got any tips on converting #TASM and #MASM code to a more modern assembler like #NASM? Even just between TASM and MASM would be helpful.
I've got a few old bits of #Psion 8086 assembly that I'd like to use with NASM. My aim is to remove as many proprietary tools as possible.
I guess I'm looking for some sort of Rosetta stone for 8086 Small Memory Model assembly.
Books, web pages and video suggestions welcome.
#x86 #Borland #RetroComputing

2024-10-05 17:51:25

I'm regretting not backing @npub13n4…3h2h's #RunYourOwnMailServer Kickstarter when I had the chance. I've been seeing photos of paperbacks appearing through the letterboxes of various fedi users and I'm slightly jealous.
Might have to invest in a digital copy to stop the sad.
https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/product/ryoms-ebook/

2024-04-26 08:05:29

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@npub1fkl…7udr Yes, incredibly considerate of them!

2024-04-26 07:36:41

The "spares or repair" #Psion Series 5 had arrived.
It does not look good.
#RetroComputing
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/112/336/371/537/483/150/original/31990ba5943311b8.jpg

2024-04-16 11:26:07

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@npub1t7d…pqpp I'm surprised more people haven't suggested #HaikuOS. I don't know if it would fit your needs, but it would certainly be interesting. 😊

2024-02-27 22:07:58

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@npub1rp6…wzqe May I suggest...
(Couldn't quickly find an outdoor photo.)
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/112/005/719/873/513/684/original/20ef1746ef87e749.png

2024-02-25 12:33:41

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@npub1fkl…7udr Oh! Maybe it's just cosmetic and it's only in GitHub's activity log? In that case I won't worry. Thanks for pointing that one out! 😊

2024-02-25 12:29:00

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@npub1fkl…7udr Is that the last 5 remote commits? Because the local repo is fine (just shows the one commit), and I don't want to screw that up too.

2024-02-25 12:22:46

Anyone got any tips on how I can fix this #git mess? I just wanted to roll back one previous commit on #GitHub, because I'd missed something in the README.
The local repo looks fine.
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/992/089/332/181/213/original/19b123aa4b5403b7.png

2024-01-22 19:29:58

Me: Free Pascal, I'd like a dictionary class, please!
Free Pascal: Certainly - just add Generics.Collections!
Me: *adds Generics.Collections to uses*
FPC compiler: *takes 5 times longer*
Compiled file: *doubles in size*
Me: Uh... I haven't even written any extra code yet!
Option 1: Accept massive binaries.
Option 2: Rip out the parts I need from the Free Pascal libraries.
Option 3: Reimplement the bits I need from scratch. In which case I might as well have written it in C[++] from the start.

2024-01-02 13:22:51

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@npub1fkl…7udr Yep! The original articles were from the 80s - this is a republishing of some of those. The graphic design inside and outside is really faithful to the period.

2024-01-01 19:47:00

Looking forward to reading this Christmas present.
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/682/408/910/902/546/original/58c4f07f3337c8ae.jpg

2023-12-28 08:12:58

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@npub178h…hyhr Obviously I'm all for distraction-free devices for writing, but this is surely a non-starter. Two lines?! No one is going to be doing any meaningful editing on that.
Even the Amstrad NC100 could show 6 lines on a matrix LCD. Get one of those for £50! (Admittedly the word processor is terrible.)

2023-12-22 10:26:22

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@npub178h…hyhr Really?! Do you just rinse them and leave them to dry?

2023-12-01 06:22:10

Managed to find time to squeeze in an update to #MAME on #HaikuOS. Luckily it didn't need much work, just a version bump and the removal of a patch that is now upstream.
If you're into this sort of thing, it should be in HaikuPorts either very soon or right now.
Compiling MAME gave me a chance to properly test the Xeon in the Lenovo M93p Tiny. It worked a treat, although I should really upgrade the RAM - the 8GB in it was gobbled up by gcc, so there was a lot of swapping going on.

2023-11-04 07:21:50

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@npub14u2…zq27 I guess one other option is to ask 8bitnews if you could write for them? I don't know if they take submissions, but it can't hurt to ask.
And yes, motivation is the big thing! 😂

2023-11-04 06:51:17

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@npub14u2…zq27
1. The only way to get good at something is to do it regularly.
2. Just because something like it already exists, doesn't mean you can't do it too. Otherwise there would only ever have been one computer. Besides, you might do it slightly differently, or better.
I'd say, as long as you have the capacity to do so, give it a go. What do you have to lose? 😊

2023-10-28 15:46:22

Are you into old computers? Can you make it to Cambridge next weekend?
Come see @npub1dd8…xjg0, @npub19a8…lsy2, @npub15gc…kw4t, and others... AND ME!
This is not only the first time I'll be exhibiting my little #Psion collection, but it's actually my first #retrocomputing gathering. I'm quite excited!
I'll be bringing an array of Psion goodies, including an MC400 laptop.
Saturday 4th November: https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/71266/Retro-Computer-Festival-2023-Saturday-4th-November/
Sunday 5th November:
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/71325/Retro-Computer-Festival-2023-Sunday-5th-November/
#vintagecomputing
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/313/397/856/288/447/original/c0755c5b75ab4981.png

2023-10-26 08:09:21

I'm not listed (yet), but I'm going to be showing off the not-disassembled items in my #Psion collection on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th November at the Retro Computer Festival.
I'll also have that #HaikuOS netbook running #MAME for you to try out a few classic #EPOC16 apps and games without risk of breaking the hardware. (Yes, there was a real point to that project!)
If you can get to Cambridge that weekend, come say hi!
#RetroComputing
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/71266/Retro-Computer-Festival-2023-Saturday-4th-November/

2023-10-23 08:37:39

#RetroComputing tool alert!
#deark is a great little utility for extracting information from old files.
In the #Psion world, it will extract resources (such as pictures) from .APP and .OPA/OPO files, and it will convert three-colour .PIC files to PNG!
It also handles #Acorn sprites, #Amiga icons, #MacPaint, #PalmOS bitmaps, #WMF...
It compiles on Windows, #Linux, macOS and #BSD. And, as of about 5 minutes ago, there's a #HaikuOS recipe in HaikuPorts. 'Cos I made it.
https://github.com/jsummers/deark/

2023-10-22 11:07:04

So, this is pretty.
#Microwriter #retrocomputing #80s #oldtech #portable #pocket #vintagecomputing #beige
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/278/323/889/167/616/original/385d55a69144efec.jpg
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/278/329/772/123/609/original/dc9e241274e3ac93.jpg
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/278/330/331/641/204/original/449d0544625c2ceb.jpg

2023-10-18 18:32:19

Well well well, look at what turned up in the post.
This is my first #Psion Organiser II!
This is the XP model, with a Hitachi HD6303X processor, 32KB ROM and 32KB RAM.
There's also a 16KB Datapak in the back.
#retrocomputing #pda #vintagecomputing #8bit #portable #80s
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/257/431/738/568/333/original/8293bd95f53e1066.jpg
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/257/435/715/850/045/original/9e9ef1e6a8ca9ced.jpg
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/257/435/909/640/592/original/cda03559201f6bc8.jpg

2023-10-12 09:32:35

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*chuckles with nerdy glee*
@npub1u7f…dwmj - worked first time, including WiFi!
@npub1ll0…t7nf - because I know you love a bit of #HaikuOS
#Haiku
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/221/340/181/234/170/original/d11d2af112f00279.jpg

2023-10-12 07:55:14

This potato of a laptop fell into my hands recently - an Acer Aspire One D257, running an Atom N455 @ 1.66 GHz with 1GB DDR3 RAM.
I've just popped an SSD in it. I'm thinking about using it only as a MAME machine to run the #Psion SIBO emulation, just for demos.
So... Maybe Debian? Possibly even running 32 bit (it is a 64 bit CPU, but that lack of RAM worries me). A lightweight DE or WM.
I could run Arch, but I really want this to Just Work™.
Any suggestions?
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/111/220/969/304/141/807/original/e758d01380c14547.jpg

2023-10-07 08:25:39

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@npub178h…hyhr Have you heard her version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas? Think it was a B-side to Spark. It's just gorgeous - possibly my favourite Christmas song.

2023-09-09 07:51:39

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@npub178h…hyhr I don't think they are. But surely someone's written some sort of bitmap to TTF converter? Getting screenshots with font won't be hard. I might even be able to extract the font straight from the ROM.

2023-09-09 07:26:35

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@npub178h…hyhr That's doable!

2023-09-09 07:23:24

I feel like pixel art would be a good, era-appropriate look for a Psion-related website.
I've never done it before, so it'll probably be terrible if I do it.
Future goals.

2023-09-02 07:22:07

HIVE MIND: Can you give me some examples of good #retrocomputing documentation websites? Or any doc websites about an entire computing platform.
I'm looking for examples on which to model the #Psion #Documentation Project (https://doc.psion.info/). I want to give it a proper clean-up, formalise the structure somehow, and have some guidelines.

2023-08-15 07:26:01

OK, Fediverse. This is a long shot.
I am looking for the missing parts of the #Psion SIBO C #SDK.
The screenshot (and alt text) shows a breakdown of what I already have, scraped together from the internet and scans from people who still have paper copies.
I'm sure there are newer versions of some of these docs, especially 2-05 and 3-01.
I'm also looking for v1 of the SDK, covering the MC200 and MC400.
Can you help?
#retrocomputing #16bit #90s #programming #dev #digipres #vintagecomputing
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/110/892/361/408/676/130/original/e78bf84c6ef4ac6a.png

2023-08-13 09:33:50

Wrote up a summary of the past year on Hackaday IO (@npub196q…96ja) because it was rattling around in my brain.
OK, *now* I'm going to rest.
#psion #retrocomputing #EDisAsm #sibolib #mame #PsiDrive #epoc16 #pda #vintagecomputing #retrodev #retrospective
https://hackaday.io/project/161291-the-last-psion/log/222163-a-long-overdue-update-pcbs-emulators-and-more

2023-08-12 08:15:38

Every few months I revisit the idea of starting a "legacy IT" consultancy.
Got an old database on Windows 98? No worries, I'll look at virtualising it and surrounding it with security.
Really need to keep the hardware running? OK, I'll track down some ISA card cold spares, image the hard drive and replace it with something newer.
Serial comms to legacy machinery? I'll test RS232 cards and USB adapters.
Or maybe we can make something?
Sometimes maintenance makes more sense than replacement.

2023-08-11 08:01:15

Does anyone have any good examples of projects that use the #PIO feature of the #RaspberryPiPico?
#RaspberryPi #PiPico #electronics #Arduino #PlatformIO #retrocomputing

2023-08-10 16:47:06

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@npub178h…hyhr Royal Institution?

2023-08-07 08:59:23

Every so often, this post gains a bit of traction and I gain a handful more followers. It's currently happening again, so... #introduction time!
Welcome! I love old #Psion kit (especially the #16bit ones, like the Series 3 range) and I'm trying to make more stuff to drag them into the 21st Century.
I'm also very happy when other people unearth old code and docs, or start working on new projects.
These old machines deserve more love and should be used.
#retrocomputing
https://bitbang.social/@thelastpsion/110003883673850146

2023-08-01 14:06:28

Anyone remember the Graphic Adventure Creator?
Originally made for the #Amstrad #CPC, my experience of it was from a #YourSinclair covertape.
Anyway, it's been on my list to attempt porting it to #Psion #EPOC16 for ages. It's not top priority, but the machine is perfectly designed for playing #textadventure games (see @npub19hc…9pfz's escapades with #Infocom).
Be great if it could decompile and play old games, too.
#retrocomputing #Psion3 #adventure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_Adventure_Creator
https://gac.interface1.net/

2023-05-13 17:14:25

The last maintainer of the #OpenPsion project is looking for someone to take over the maintenance of this #Linux distro for #Psion Series 5mx.
If anyone is able to help Adrian out, please get in touch.
#Debian #ARM #ARM710 #EPOC32 #KludgedLinux #KernelHacking #LinuxKernel
https://community.arm.com/support-forums/f/architectures-and-processors-forum/53718/can-anyone-help-me-to-compile-a-modern-kernel-for-the-psion-5mx

2023-03-11 09:14:17

Did you write code for #[0] machines in the #[1] and #[2]?
We're calling for you to open source your code!
I'm working with a group of enthusiasts, building a library of information about the SIBO/EPOC16 platform. Your old code could give valuable insight, as well as encourage people to write new code.
We're especially interested in old C and #[3] #[4].
Upload it to your public repository of choice, and set it free!
#[5] #[6] #[7] #[8] #[9] #[10] #[11] #[12]
https://files.bitbang.social/media_attachments/files/110/003/843/132/596/511/original/475ee0d2562dd184.jpg