NEW YORK -- Looking to secure its niche in the world of mobile computing, Psion
Computers PLC yesterday debuted at PC Expo a new palmtop computer that seeks to keep on-
the-go users connected to the Internet, e-mail and applications sitting on their home
or office PCs.

The $549 Series 5mx, expected to be available in a few weeks worldwide, weighs in at
12.5 ounces with batteries and is 6.7 by 3.5 by 0.9 inches. The 640-by-240-pixel
backlit screen is brighter than displays in earlier Psion devices, according to the
company. Like earlier devices from the company, the Series 5mx runs for a month on two
double-A batteries and offers "instant on" start-up -- unlike larger computers that
require a typical PC boot-up process.

The Series 5mx offers built-in applications including agenda, contact manager, word
processor, spreadsheet and database software. Via a converter library, the device can
exchange files with standard office applications from Microsoft Corp., Lotus
Development Corp. and other companies. Psion's PsiWin 2.3 software lets users
synchronize the Series 5mx e-mail software with e-mail applications on desktop
machines, according to the company.

Ready for Java

One of the main features Psion is promoting, however, is the incorporation of Java
virtual machine software in the device. What this means on a practical basis for users
is that they can surf the Web and take advantage of Java applets, according to Brian
James, director of industrial sales for Psion in the U.S., based in Concord, Mass. Web
sites use Java applets to let Web surfers access a range of services such as the
ability to order products and browse product catalogs, he said.

The Java virtual machine will also allow Java developers to modify their
applications for the Series 5mx, James said. Psion is hoping that this will lead to a
host of new Java-based third-party applications for the device, he added.

But Psion palmtops are getting increasingly squeezed into a smaller niche by low-
cost notebooks, on the high end, and slightly less expensive handhelds such as the Palm
devices from 3Com Corp. on the low end, according to Randy Giusto, an analyst at
International Data Corp. (IDC). Based in Framingham, Mass., IDC is a sister company of
Computerworld.

"I don't think the Java technology is going to really, in itself, attract that many
users," Giusto said. "I think Psion is grasping; they're really losing ground to the
Palm device."

Psion's James defended the Series 5mx against this claim by pointing to the full
complement of applications and what Psion calls the "touch-type" keyboard.

"You really can do typing and all the things you can do on a laptop on this [Series
5mx]" James said. Users typing on the device, however, will find that the keys are
smaller than the average full-size laptop, he acknowledged.

Adapter needed for Web

To connect to PCs, networks and the Web, users can buy an optional PC Card adapter
for less than $100, which will then allow them to use a wide range of modem cards,
according to James, who didn't specify the exact price of the adapter. Otherwise, the
device includes a cable that can be attached to PCs. For wireless connectivity, the
Series 5mx lets users make an infrared connection to Ericsson LH88 mobile phones,
through which users can connect to the Net or other networks.

Other mobile phones will be supported in the future, James said.

The Series 5mx runs on a 36-MHz ARM710T RISC processor and the EPOC
32-bit
operating
system. It has 16M bytes of RAM, and a CompactFlash card slot lets users add up to
another 96M bytes of memory.

www.computerworld.com

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