Psion MC series

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Psion MC series
Psion MC200 (23610703586).jpg
A Psion MC200
DeveloperPsion PLC
ManufacturerPsion PLC
TypeLaptop
Generation4
Release date26 September 1989; 32 years ago (1989-09-26)
Lifespan1989–1991
Introductory price£845 (equivalent to £2,149 in 2020)
Discontinued1991; 31 years ago (1991)
MediaPsion Solid State Disks
Operating systemEPOC16 (SIBO) or MS-DOS
CPUIntel 80C86, 7.7 MHz
Display640 × 400 pixel monochrome LCD
InputQWERTY keyboard
Numeric keypad
CameraN/A
TouchpadYes, absolute
ConnectivitySerial, 19,200 bit/s RS-232C
Power8 × AA battery or 12V AC adapter
Dimensions31.4 cm × 27.7 cm × 4.9 cm (12.4 in × 10.9 in × 1.9 in)
Mass2.2 kg (4.9 lb)
LanguageOpen Programming Language

The Psion MC (Mobile Computer)[1] series is a line of laptop computers made by Psion PLC. They were made from 1989 to 1991, measure 31.4 by 27.7 by 4.9 centimetres (12.4 in × 10.9 in × 1.9 in), and weigh 2.2 kilograms (4.9 lb).

History[]

The A4-sized, elegant notebook had an excellent 640 × 400 pixel liquid crystal display (LCD) and, at a time when Microsoft Windows was still at version 2.11 (without window management, multitasking), a graphical user interface with multitasking. Instead of a mouse, this model has a touchpad. This was uncommon in 1989: the Gavilan SC was the only widely known model with a touchpad, and they were not used again until years later.

The newly developed EPOC16 (SIBO) operating system allowed hot swapping of the flash memory cards in the 4 memory slots, and with the two hardware expansion slots, the device seemed ready for all future developments. But it turned out differently. For one, the prices were quite high, with the MC200 at £595 (equivalent to £1,513 in 2020), MC400 at £696 (equivalent to £1,770 in 2020), and MC600 at £1295 (equivalent to £3,294 in 2020), and the memory cards were very costly. Also, the software was not yet fully developed for market launch: the word processing was disappointing, the Open Programming Language (OPL) was adopted almost unchanged from the Organizer II and did not support the graphics abilities of the device, and professional developers had to wait over a year for the software development kit (SDK). The announced voice compression module was never finished, and apart from a parallel port, there were no hardware enhancements. Further, the press accused the device of incompatibility with the then standard IBM PC compatibles.

Sales were weak, and SIBO Version 2, released in 1990 as a free update, changed nothing, although it came up with a Microsoft Word-like word processor and a significantly improved OPL version. The slimmed-down MC200 version with a blue and white, half as high screen and 128 kB RAM (instead of 256 kB) sold even worse. The MC600 was just as hastily released into the market. This used MS-DOS as the operating system, likely in reaction to press criticism, and had 768 kB of random-access memory (RAM) and a 1 MB RAM drive, which raised the price again. The touchpad was dropped in favor of a function key bar, and the screen resolution was only 640 × 200 pixels according to the Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) standard. The machine was a flop from the start.

Models[]

Psion MC400
Psion laptops - MC400 and MC600.jpg
Psion laptops - MC400 and MC600
ManufacturerPsion PLC
Release date26 September 1989; 32 years ago (1989-09-26)
Discontinued1991; 31 years ago (1991)
MediaPsion Solid State Disks
Operating systemSIBO (EPOC16)
CPUIntel 80C86 processor @ 7.68 MHz
Memory640KB
Display640 x 400 monochrome LCD
ConnectivitySerial port
Power8 × AA battery

Psion MC200[]

The version of MC400 model with lower cost display and less RAM (a 256K memory and a 640 x 200 green-blue screen).[2][3]

Psion MC400[]

The Psion MC400 is a laptop released in 1989.[4][3]

The main power is provided by eight AA batteries, or by an external 12V AC adapter power source.

The MC400 was of the same generation as the Psion Series 3, but it has a larger size screen (640 x 400 pixels).[5] The MC400 could be programmed using OPL much like the Series 3.

Unlike the Series 3, the MC400 has 4 bays for removable solid-state disk drives compared to 2 on Series 3 devices. The serial port also provides PC connectivity if used with the separately available PsiWin software using the lead designed for the Series 3 or 3A.

Psion MC400 Word[]

Psion MC600[]

DOS-equipped version of MC400.

References[]

  1. ^ Wichary, Marcin (18 February 2006). "Psion MC series brochure". GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface Gallery. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  2. ^ Kilpatrick, Richard. "The Museum". Old-computers.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b Rojas, Peter; Block, Ryan (25 October 2010). "All-Time 100 Gadgets". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Psion Mobile Computer MC 400". The Centre for Computing History. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. ^ Smith, Tony (26 April 2013). "Ten ancestors of the netbook". The Register. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
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