Psion 5mx workflow in 2026

 

A lovely Ericsson MC218 handheld computer - a clone of the gorgeous Psion 5mx.


Some call it "retro". Some call it "nostalgia". I call it "classic functionality".

Here we are in 2026, and I'm still using a Psion 5mx handheld computer from the turn of the Millennium. I'm a doctor working in the field of Clinical Genetics. Surely I should be using the absolute latest technology?

Here's the thing - a Psion 5mx remains (in my opinion) the pinnacle of usability for all sorts of reasons. I can write text on it. I can take notes on it. I can then transfer this to my "main computer" for editing and doing the sorts of things that modern people do with information.

I'll develop this post a bit to explain my rationale for using a fairly ancient device in the here and now, and the workflow I have developed that makes this efficient, enjoyable and effective. Stay tuned!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leadership in a time of Psycho

Image
 I've read quite a few books and articles on Leadership over the years. Some are very good. Some aren't. You do find many themes about leading with care, leading by example, leading from within, living your values, promoting positivity, recognising potential in even the lowliest of others, appreciating and learning from failure, and lots of good wholesome stuff that make you happy to be alive and to Be A Leader. But let's face it - very few of us are actually God or Supreme Imperator of the Universe. We don't have complete control over our environs, nor are we the only "Leaders" out there. There are other Leaders, some of which are in different pecking zones, never mind orders, and nearly all of us are "under" other Leaders, or working in a system where the behaviour of one Leader will influence others. It's like a body, isn't it? All those different parts working together harmoniously towards a shared goal. Bollocks. That'...
Read more

Harking back to simpler times

Image
 It has been MANY YEARS since I have posted a blog post on Blogger/Blogspot. Part of me wants to move away from the Google ecosystem (it being one of the companies chiefly responsible for the enshittification (see below) of the modern internet, but most of the alternatives seem a bit... well, inaccessible.  Cory Doctorow's take on it is that things have got worse on the internet, and much has to do with the growth of gargantuan tech monopolies who have decided to screw both the public and businesses, and they're lawyered to the hilt, too big to fail and too big to jail. You can buy the book and support independent booksellers at the same time , rather than That Gargantuan Company, and help the disenshittification effort. It does seem that the world is a bit crazy at the moment - is there hope? Yes there is , and you can see it in the real, ordinary people you meet every day. So go out there, say hi to your neighbour, try to do some good in the world. The enshittocene is not ...
Read more