thelastpsion.com
Psion hardware/software hackery, especially SIBO/EPOC16 (Series 3, etc).
Made #PsiDrive, a USB Psion SSD drive. Slowly rewriting the SIBO C SDK.
⚠️ WARNING: Will sidequest ⚠️
🦣 https://oldbytes.space/@thelastpsion
🦑 https://github.com/thelastpsion
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We're looking into how we can take #plptools into the future. We do have some ideas, but we're taking a considered approach to future development.
#psion #retrocomputing
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The macOS port is already working well. (Look up Reconnect by Jason Morley for a GUI front-end.)
I'd consider working on other ports ( #OpenBSD #IllumOS ) if the interest is there.
The code does mention some older *NIXes, such as AIX, HP-UX and Solaris, but they're, uh, not a priority.
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I've spent some of this week resurrecting the #FreeBSD port and a new #HaikuOS port, both of which have uncovered some interesting issues with both the legacy code and the host OSes.
I'm about to look at the #NetBSD port, too. I've never used NetBSD before, so this should be fun!
#plptools
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I don't remember it being as good in the semis.
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I approve.
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Warm up exercise. Check the batteries on my Psions. I am considering using the 5 more, rather than my phone. At the very least it’ll be a conversion starter.
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40 years ago we were doing the same thing with dyslexia.
"All these kids suddenly getting called dyslexic. We didn't have dyslexia when I was young. Clearly they're just lazy and we're mollycoddling them!"
No, Doris. No.
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When WH Smith bought the shops in 1998.
But that's just the shops. The rest of the business is still going. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menzies...
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Time to put the 4MB Psion 3mx to bed. It's definitely an EPOC16 issue, and disassembling an OS isn't something I want to do right now.
It's a shame, but I'm also relieved. I've got plenty of projects, and having one less is a weight off my shoulders.
oldbytes.space/@thelastpsio...
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Well, from what I've been able to work out, it's in the kernel somewhere, not a separate driver. It definitely gets called in the boot sequence, because the ramdrive needs to be ready before the apps auto-launch.
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2MB ROM for the 3mx, although a lot of that is a ROM filesystem. But you are right. I've just not tried it.
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A lot of info was in the SDK/HDK. We got some scraps from former Psion employees, too, mostly from the MC era (nothing 3a or after). I did a lot of ROM/RAM dumping and logic probing. But @pernod70.bsky.social's work on SIBO emulation has mostly been hard graft on his part, with trial-and-error.
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Unfortunately, Symbian is EPOC32-based, not EPOC16. They're completely different OSes that just happen to share the same name.
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It happens to the best of us! 😂
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I'm pretty sure that was from a recent Cathode Ray Dude video on Microsoft Response Point.
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I mde a poll for this over on Mastodon. I have a hunch that, if I could create a poll here, the responses would be quite different.
oldbytes.space/@thelastpsio...
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I'm back to using these, and I'm not even joking. Only part of it is about the retro; most of it is because they're not crammed with distractive shite that gets in the way of Getting Stuff Done. #Psion
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As I said... Working! #psion #cyberdeck
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I mean, I wouldn't turn it down...
Also, can confirm, @jonveal.bsky.social has done this. Twice!
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OPL definitely won't be fast enough. To get the most out of the Series 3 range you need to use C, Psion's weird OO C, or 8086 (or NEC V30) assembly.
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I agree. I'm all for pushing these old machines to their limits, but that one might be a little too much for the thing!
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Currently no, nothing like that.
I do plan to do something related to 8-bit adventuring for EPOC16 which might involve an adventure creator, but it won't be Infocom. Right now I'm in the middle of other projects, so I doubt it'll be soon!
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Well, it's a 3mx which is ~27 MHz, so I'm getting quite a bit of a speed boost compared to a 3a at 7.68 MHz. It usually takes about 3-6 seconds to move between rooms, at least with this game.