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The Psion series 7 was one of the last PDAs produced by the company, and perhaps their finest product. Released in 2000, there has been little to match it even to this day.

The 7 is something of a hybrid product: Far larger than your typical PDA, it comes in a laptop style design which, when folded, is about the size and weight of a hefty hardback book (let's say, around the size of Stephen King's typical new novel). The exterior, perhaps uniquely, is leather-bound, giving it an impressively comfortable feel to carry.

Unfolded, the 7 boasts a full colour, touch-sensitive 11" LCD screen, and what amounts effectively to a full laptop keyboard. The system runs on Psion's native EPOC Symbian OS, now common in mobile phones, and provides an adequate Windows-style interface. Work is in progress in several online communities to provide a Linux OS. Built in is 16Mb of RAM for storage of programs and documents, and both Flashcard and PCMCIA slot allow the insertion of further flash drives.

The system, like all of Psion's PDA range, uses the Psiwin software to connect to a PC, and works flawlessly. Files can be moved around as if the PDA was another hard drive, and text can be copied and pasted directly to and from the Psion. Easy to use facilities exist to back up any data on the unit, also.

The screen and keyboard make it far superior to the average PDA if you're wanting to work on text documents, read eBooks, or play games. The unit's sheer portability makes it far more convenient on the move when compared to a full sized laptop, plus the battery life of the 7 is far superior. My own laptop can keep operating on battery for a maximum of about 2 hours, the Psion runs for at least 8 on a full charge. The fact that everything runs directly off ROM or flash memory also means instant boot-up/shutdown times; open the Psion, and you're up and running.

I bought my Series 7 on eBay about 3 years ago (about the only place you can find them now), and it's stood the test of time well. I've travelled a lot, and with the 1Gb flash card I've got in it, I've never been short of anything to read while on long flights. It also runs a perfect version of Nethack, which keeps me amused for weeks on end. If you're looking for something a little more beefy than a Palm, but don't want to lumping a bulky laptop about, or don't want to pay thousands for one which is lightweight when all you'll be doing is using Word.

Learn more about this author, Dave Simmons.
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