It's been a decade since that morning in 1999 -- the morning I took delivery of one of my all-time favourite gadgets.
With its 28MHz NEC V30MX processor, its 2MB of ROM, 2MB of usable internal storage, 480x160-pixel greyscale screen, twin disk drives for adding memory and applications, and juice from a pair of AA batteries, Psion's 3mx was my favourite handheld until the iPhone came along.
The 3mx had a full Qwerty keyboard, a word processor, a spreadsheet application and the ability to record up to two minutes of audio using a built-in microphone. This somewhat limited me to listening solely to Green Day's 1 minute 34-long Coming Clean -- a song that, to this day, reminds me of my trusty 3mx.
Expandable and connectable
You could increase the memory with flash or RAM disks -- flash disks were battery-free, but the volatile RAM SSDs used their own button battery to retain data. Somehow I was sent a free copy of Scrabble on SSD after registering my purchase with Psion, and it's the sole reason I know more two-letter words off the top of my head than anyone I've met since.
The 3mx incorporated a 115,200bps infrared port for talking to the outside world, and while I had to constantly forgive it for transmitting gibberish when attempting to print a document over the connection, it was always meant to be a secondary connection method. The serial port (which ran at the same speed as infrared), could connect to a PC and Mac for document transfer, and to a modem.
I never had the modem, and I feel like I missed out. But nonetheless the 3mx goes down as a personal tech favourite, even if I did eventually sell it to buy a 20-inch Zildjian china crash cymbal.
Did you have a 3mx, or any other Psion from the pre-2000 era? Let me know below and we can have a lovely little moment together.
(Image: Andy Armstrong, CC-licensed)
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 10
Add your comment
Anonymous 27 July, 2010 21:15
I had a Psion 5mx and it was brilliant: the keyboard was as good as anything on a portable device today; the batteries lasted hours and were easily changed (so there was no forgetting to charge it and being stuck without the device, and the addictive "Pac-Man" game, for a day); and the operating system almost never crashed (by contrast my Windows 95 PC, or at least I think it was 95, hardly ever started without the "blue screen of death" getting in the way) . The only flaw was the ribbon that controlled the screen display tended to wear out leaving a blank screen (I lost two Psion's this way, but still have the 3rd in a cupboard somewhere along with the two broken ones).
Anonymous 7 August, 2010 10:28
I still use one and have always one as B/U. Can't do without it and to my mind there is nothing in the market to replace it, despite its obvious disadvantages in today's market.
Still the best thing around
Anonymous 30 September, 2010 10:43
I started out with a Psion 3a a long time ago. It was my trusty companion. Â I wrote everything on that little guy, from high school to early university. Nothing ever came close to replacing it. The whole interface became second nature. But it was also very consistent and fast. The keyboard of my Series 3a eventually wore out. Then used a Revo for a while, then a Series 5, but they all felt less (consistent in usage and user interface). I, for one, didn't like the Series 5 keyboard, especially not the space bar. I also hated the switching between keyboard and touch screen, and some things couldn't be done anymore with the keyboard alone. I longed for the Series 3a in my life. Tried a second hand MessagePad 2000. This one actually came close, especially the agenda. The Series 3a agenda was top notch. Handwriting on the MP 2000 was actually good when printed. Also tried my brother's Palm 3c. But no, I missed my beloved Series 3a. Then came the iPod touch. And finally there was something that I could fall in love with again. Easy to use, good consistent user interface. Everything touch based. No switching between stylus and fingers! Gave it to my brother because he could use it for his study. Finally, the iPad. And I can say that I'm falling for it big time. Yes, it is much bigger than the Series 3a, and is more of a netbook. But I'm enjoying it, typing on it, using it to be productive. While the iPad is kind of a different category than the Psion Series 3a PDA, it is the first time that I am really enjoying a PDA-like device in a long time. It will go with me wherever I go. It's the first time I'm actually not missing my trusty Series 3a.
Anonymous 30 September, 2010 11:11
I started with the LZ 64 with printer and laser scanner. Learned to program using the little spiral bound pocket programming manual. Moved later to the 3 series, designing cables that allowed RS232 connectivity with scanners. The 3a and later 3mx were the best PIMs ever! Their downfall was the syncing with windows which was buggy especially with PsiWin. They just ran out of steam and never seemed to solve the problems. Palm, which was not nearly as elegant, would seamlessly connect and synchronize data, which won the day.
I still have a stack of working 3a and 3mx units. I just can't bring myself to part with them.
Anonymous 13 February, 2011 18:37
My first Psion has been the 3a when the 2MB versin came out. Some years later the broken hinges and screen problems required a replacement. This 3a suffered from fatal hing break some years later. The third 3a was bought second hand via ebay and lasted only half a year until the hinge broke. Then I bought a brandnew 3mx from via ebay. It has been running (and very fast!) for some years now. The hinge has first funny noises, but still works, for the time being. Baclight commences being difficult.
All in all, marvellous machines. Fully compatible with MS Office, including perfect Outlook sync (via an older PC with W97)., only 3 hrd setups in 20 years.
32h working time with 2 AAs at a time when a laptop had a weight near 3kg and no batterie power after 2h30'.
Parallel printer cable or IR link to printers produce documents identical to Word, with only 10% of filesize.
With the 3a, I also had a PC-card adapter which allowed me to use a modem, using the internet (text and links only), our email server and faxes (including company logo letterhead). Again all of this at a time where a laptop had a weight of 3kg.
For the 3a, I also had a very practical desk stand with cable and power connecyons.
And the increcible wealth of free or cheap applications for business and fun, useful in all kinds of circumstances.
I do not understand how these funny palmtops without keyboard have been able to push Psion out of the market.
For the time being, I continue using miy 3mx, although today smaller and lighter devices include mobile phone and email access, as well as other more or less useful gimmicks. Hopefully, there will be replacement available via ebay when (not if) the hinge gives up again.
Anonymous 10 March, 2011 21:41
I'm an road-warrior directly involved with selling and use the 3mx exclusively, even now after 13 years of pretty continuous use and it's hard to fault it's capability of data-capture with the 'instant-on' and text-string retrieval. It knocks spots off a standard Windows laptop for portability & speed but naturally, does not have the bells & whistles of contemporary kit and after cramming so much info into the internal 2Mb disc, I have to relay upon the other two Flash SSD sockets to expand the memory but nevertheless, it is still brilliant for my database & agenda details.
There have been hinge & screen failures of course, but as long as a backup has been made weekly and you have second 3mx as a reserve machine, repairs are a two-day turnaround by POS Ltd and it's still 'business as usual'.
They're an inexpensive yet reliable piece of kit which, if data storage if it's primary function, does the job admirably & British toboot. Shame that Psion are not producing, in this, the 21st century!
Anonymous 16 March, 2011 09:45
I´ve 3: one 3C bought new on 2001 and two 3mx both second hand at PsionEx about 3 years ago. All 3 machines are fully productive. I bought the 2 mx as spare machines, with the perspective to be able and use them during many years. Today, 16th March 2011 there is not in the market any "computer" with the performances of those little machines. They are allways ready to work. For intensive use I plug the mains adaptor (original from Psion. I've also 2 units). But for using them on spot I use alkaline batteries that last almost forever.
I'm a spanish guy living at Barcelona. I'm 51 going to 52 in a few days. So I think that I have enough knowledge of computing (I started when I was 17 with a Burroughs 100, a machine with a much much less potential, memory and many other characteristycs of any series 3; nor to say series 5. Its size was like a very big table with gigantic periferals). Untill today I've owned several palms and pocket pcs, but none of them have the potential of those old Psion stuff.
Just yesterday i did configure my trusty Asus 901 (yes, I love small computers) as a back up machine of my Psions. Through a USB to RSR232 adapter and, also, with a help of a Kensington universal docking K33055.
I need to write. Thoughs, impressions, and many other things. I use a Moleskine and a good 0,5 mm 2B pencil. But for long texts, I prefer Psions. But my worry was how to keep all the stuff that I could create on the series 3. Now I'm ready for so.
I've never learn to correctly write with a keyboard. I've always use between 6 to 8 fingers, and after many years, I write quite fast. After some time I write an the small keyboard of a series 3 as fast as with a normal keyboard. So I find very confortable using a series 3. Even better than with my 2 series 5 mx as the keys are not so soft as the series' 3 (at least by my senses).
For all this reasons I expect to use Psion seies 3 for many years; at least untill there appears on the market something similar, with integrated keyboard, good screen, and, over all, the extremely small consumption of a series 3.
Even if they don't have all the bells and whisels of the actuals smartphones, productivity on the spot was, and still is, the big goal of the Psion small computers.
LONG LIVE TO PSIONs!!!!!
Mr Tynesider 20 October, 2011 11:11
Great memories of the Psion. In it's time one of the best hand held teminals on the market. It was versitile and user friendly for that time the best available.
mijannik 1 February, 2012 00:35
I've used the psions since day one, up to the 3C. Problems inc . broken hinge, broken battery compartment center division. That apart, its been a super m/c and is still my main address book.
anonymous 24 November, 2012 19:32
Fantastic, no-nonsense devices. Shame on Psion Ltd to have stopped this line. I would love to see the same functionality (AA-battery powered long-term productivity tools) appearing again on the market. We get only toys and time-wasters from the Department of Planned Obsolescence, but nothing honestly, seriously and professionally built with the USER in mind. Nah, that is so old school. That is from the Golden Age of technology when these devices were designed by engineers (as opposed to marketing managers and accountants).
There is one crazy (in the good sense) guy still holding up the spirit of "no-nonsense" in Bangkok, the American Barry Keuler (norhtec.com), he made a full-fledged PC (suggestion: run Puppy Linux on it) running on 8 AA batteries... genius.
But NONE of today's "marvels" come even close to the ingenuity of the Psion 3 series. The Series 5 were cool, powerful, intuitive, smart, etc but they caved in to the "touchscreen" hype of the time. Let us face it: you do not need a touchscreen to be productive. Just the opposite. Clever people learn how to use a keyboard correctly and NOTHING beats someone who can type fast and accurately in productivity. The 3-series had the best keyboard in that size class, period. I could, and in fact did, type all my assignments in university on them, watching my classmates in the computer hall doing the same, while I was sitting under the sun outside, sipping limonade. You can imagine their envy...
I remember to have bewondered my first 3a in bed, thinking "this is the most perfectly designed, engineered and manufactured device I have ever seen"... and also thought "I will definitely miss the joy working with it after I die". Now, I think that is my biggest compliment to anything I ever owned. I just wish I could have been on the design team when they designed this beauty.
Which turns me back to my initial point: hello Psion Ltd. (Yes I know, Teklogics or whatever it is called today...) Please resurrect yourself, please pump some LIFE in your veins, and please continue... we intelligent people in the world need you very much. Thank you!