1. Series 3 Training

Psion Series 3a Manufacturer Type Retail availability 1993 Media Psion Solid State Disks @ 7.68 MHz Display 480 × 160, 13.1 cm (5.16 in) Input QWERTY keyboard microphone stylus Camera N/A Touchpad N/A Connectivity, 19200 Power 2 × The Psion Series 3 range of were made. The four main variants are the Psion Series 3 (1991), the Psion Series 3a (1993), the Psion Series 3c (1996), and the Psion Series 3mx (1998), all sized 165 × 85 × 22 mm. In addition, a Psion Series 3a variant with factory installed software for the Russian language was called a Psion Series 3aR, and sold a rebadged version of the Psion Series 3 and 3a marketed as the Acorn Pocket Book and Acorn Pocket Book II.

The Psion Series 3 range is regarded by writer as an unsurpassed PDA because of its long battery life (20 to 35 hours), its stable and versatile, and its durable. About 1.5 million Psion 3s were made. The Psion Series 3 models were a major advance on the. They had an original way of managing files: the available program icons are shown in a horizontal line and the associated files drop down beneath them.

Manufacture of Psion 3s was discontinued in 1998 shortly after the launch of the (a Psion Series 4 does not exist, due to Psion's concern of in their Asian markets) and the. Psion's industrial hardware division continue to produce handhelds running the same 16-bit operating system, some 17 years after its introduction on the Psion MC range of laptops and 5 years after Psion Computer's final 32-bit EPOC PDA was released. All the Series 3 variants were powered by two AA battery cells which are easily obtainable, rather than having a specially shaped proprietary battery which might be difficult to replace. They all have an internal backup battery in the form of an easily changed small button cell, which enables the main AA batteries to be changed without losing any of the data files. In addition they all have a DC input socket for optional external power-supply via a mains transformer. The Series 3's innovative clamshell design did have some problems: breakages of any of the four hinges; loss of function in the button bar between the two halves of the clam; and deterioration of the cable linking the keyboard half to the screen, leading to a serious display problem with the appearance of vertical lines. Psion Series 3s have room for two flash-memory cards, which enabled backup of data.

Psion, Acorn and third party software was available loaded onto such memory cards which were available as separate packs. The Series 3 featured a tone dialing feature using a combination of its built-in loudspeaker and dedicated software for generating tones suitable for telephone systems. It could be used to dial a telephone number by holding the device to the mouthpiece of a tone dialing telephone. The tone dialing feature was integrated into the Psion's Agenda, Contacts and Data applications. One unique feature of the Psion Series 3 software package was a built-in programming language, OPL (Organiser/), which enabled users to create their own applications that ran and looked just as system programs. This, along with the rise in popularity of forums such as and, led to a significant scene, (still) archived by and the 3-Lib shareware library, started in 1994. This Psion shareware scene was mirrored a few years later by the shareware scene and both were forerunners of the 'app'-centric mobile world that we have today.

The project has produced a small subset of that runs on the Series 3a. Pocket Book Essentially a rebadged OEM version of the Series 3 with slightly different on-board software, the Acorn Pocket Book was marketed by as an inexpensive computer for schoolchildren, rather than as an executive tool. The hardware was the same as the Series 3, but the integrated applications were different; for instance, the Pocket Book omitted the Agenda diary application, which became an optional install from floppy diskette.

Other programs were renamed: 'System' became 'Desktop', 'Word' became 'Write', 'Sheet' became 'Abacus' and 'Data' became 'Cards'. Psion 3a The most obvious upgrade to the Psion 3a is a larger screen, now 480 x 160. The Series 3a has a NEC V30H CPU (running at 7.68 MHz), a microphone for voice recording, an I/O port (for, printing and PC ), and 256 kB, 512 kB, 1 MB or 2 MB of. The backup battery for the Series 3a is a CR1620. The Psion Series 3a range was revised in 1995 to include models with 1 MB or 2 MB of RAM and additional software was factory preloaded into the ROM. This included a spell checker and thesaurus, Comms software, games and more, though all of these had been available previously as optional extras (or in the case of the Comms software, as a program loaded from the ROM of the 3Link serial connector) for earlier models. Acorn Pocket Book II As a successor to its slightly-modified Pocket Book, Acorn also produced a rebadged 3a named the Pocket Book II.

This added back some of the applications omitted from the original Pocket Book, so was closer in specification to the standard Psion model. For instance, Psion's 'Agenda' application was replaced, although renamed 'Schedule', and a new Plotter application (graph-plotting software) was added. The Pocket Book II came in either 256 KB, 512 KB or 1 MB variants. Psion Series 3aR There was also a modification of the Series 3a for market named Psion Series 3aR, which had software factory installed directly in the ROM for the. All the other Series 3 models had software for the English language factory installed and localization required installation of localization software, which was bundled in the box with the Psion palmtop. Psion Series 3c closed. Note the on the left part of device The Psion Series 3c was the next variant after the Psion Series 3a.

(A Psion Series 3b does not exist). It has a slightly different external appearance to the earlier variants because a redesigned badge is placed centrally on the lid, the lid has fewer undulations, and a is visible. The plastic case is painted matte dark grey. The backup battery for the Series 3c is a CR1620.

The Series 3c, and the later 3mx, have an Easter Egg. In the System Screen, if you display the 'About' screen, then type:!Mrs T Bogan! The English anthem 'Jerusalem' is played, followed by a list of credits. (It is a one-shot affair; if you mis-type, you need to kill/restart the System Screen with Ctrl+Psion+Shift+K before you can retry.).

Psion 3mx The Psion Series 3mx was the last upgrade in the popular 16-bit (SIBO) Series 3 line. Announced in July 1998, after the release of the 32-bit (EPOC), the 3mx is essentially an upgraded Series 3c. The 3mx comes in two models: 1 MB and 2 MB. The Psion Series 3mx and Series 3c have a similar overall external appearance, except the 3mx sports a matte silver metallic paint covering, rather than the dark grey finish of the 3c. The Series 3mx has a faster processor: a 16 bit NEC V30MX (80C86 compatible) running at 27.684 MHz, and a faster RS232c connection, which was boosted to 115 kbit/s. For compatibility with legacy software the processor speed can be reduced by pressing Ctrl + CapsLock. All models of the Series 3mx came with a backlit screen, also some 3cs (mainly for the USA market) had backlit screens.

The screen backlight can be switched on and off by pressing the space bar whilst the special function key is pressed. The Series 3mx takes a CR2025 backup battery which is larger than the CR1620 that is used for the previous series 3 Psion models. Like many other Series 3 models, the 3mx uses an infrared port which can be used to transfer data between two devices. The capability to browse the on the device was also available through, although it was only available for use with an external modem. Due to the black and white screen, this was often not the most practical way of browsing the web. Accessories Software packs.

RAM & Flash: both sides shown The older RAM needed a button cell to keep the data stable in the memory. One button cell fitted into each module. The later memory modules, flash I and flash II, did not need a battery and were cheaper for each capacity (both versions continued being manufactured). The flash modules did have the limitation of needing to be re-formatted entirely to reclaim space from deleted or modified files; old versions of files which were deleted or modified continued to take up space until the module was formatted. This made the RAM modules more desirable for use where the data stored was likely to be changed frequently, as every change with a flash module meant writing a new version of the file into the remaining space. (, 15 September 2009). I can personally verify this durability.

I'm still using the same Psion 3mx I bought in 1998, and have used almost daily since. (Roy K Gillard ) Added August 2015. Retrieved 2007-08-08. 15 July 2011 at the. Retrieved on 2013-12-08. Acorn.chriswhy.co.uk (2008-01-16). Retrieved on 2013-12-08.

Archived from on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-08. (Press release). 2 November 1998. Archived from on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 16 April 2011. External links.

Series 3 Training

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Psion Series 3a Hinge Repair Courtesy of David Kimberlin-Wyer After a few weeks of careful use, I opened the 3a and to my complete horror, the left hinge had snapped off from the display section. I had no idea how this was done, but this kind of damage was very common back in the day and had to be returned back to Psion or a dealer for repair at a very costly sum. As neither of these options are available these days, I decided to attempt the repair. By this time I had an additional 3a from eBay, together with a user guide, programming manual, mains adapter, 3a money SSD and a 128K RAM SSD, all for just over £10. This one has faulty keys on the main board, so I decided to swap the working display/lid with the broken hinge one.

Follow steps 1-18 described in the disassembly guide in the project. Step Screen Disassembly 1 To remove the blue button bar ribbon cable, carefully push up the edges of the connector as shown by the arrows and then gently pull the ribbon cable out. 2 The button bar is removed by pushing one side of the bar so that the small plastic hinge that is connected to the sides next to the battery housing pops out. Repeat on the other side. 3 Push the metal springs off its mounting on the button bar and you should now be able to gently push the bar back through the gap between the two halves of the unit. 4 Removed button bar.

5 Remove the metal springs by pushing in the direction indicated by the arrow. You'll need to wobble it a bit for it to come free. 6 Push both sides of the LCD ribbon cable connector and then gently pull the ribbon cable out. 7 Ribbon cable removed. 8 The next tricky part is removing the small metal pins from the hinge, but you may find that is no problem with one that has a broken hinge as it just falls apart at this stage.

For ones that are still together, you need to try and make a gap between the pin head and the hinge by gently pushing a sharp piece of metal, or a fingernail, but be careful not to damage or scratch the pin head. 9 Once it has been pulled out a small amount, use a pair of long nosed pliers to pull it out completely. I put a small piece of sellotape around the teeth of the pliers as not to scratch the pin while gripping it. 10 Both halves separated. 11 All the disassembled parts, not counting the LCD section. Re-assembly is fairly straightforward, but the button bar replacement can be tricky, so I've listed a few steps here. Step Reassembly 1 Re-attach the two halves together and push the pins home.

If the metal spring requires re-attachment, make sure that it's inserted into the correct hole behind the bezel. 2 Push the sides of the LCD ribbon connector out and carefully push the ribbon home. 3 It's a good idea at this stage to check that the LCD panel is working correctly and the ribbon cable is connected properly by connecting the main board and the keyboard membrane together with the mains adapter. Pressing the Esc key should power up the device and the LCD should display the start-up screen, if not, either the display's faulty, or more likely, the LCD ribbon cable is not correctly connected and needs adjustment. 4 Once the button bar is fed through the gap at the front of the two halves, locate the small plastic dimples on the sides of the bar and insert them into the holes next to the sides of the battery housing. 5 Another tricky part here.

The bit of the metal spring as indicated by the arrow needs to go into the slot at the rear of the button bar as indicated by the other arrow. 6 At the same time the round part of the spring needs to be fitted over the round part of the bar as indicated by the arrows. 7 Then follow parts 18-1 described in the disassembly guide in the project.