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thelastpsion.com
The Last Psion | Alex
@thelastpsion.com
380 followers 87 following 200 posts
#Psion hardware/software hackery, especially SIBO/EPOC16.

Made #PsiDrive, a USB SIBO SSD reader. Slowly rewriting the SIBO C SDK in Pascal.

⚠️ WARNING: Will sidequest ⚠️

🦣 https://oldbytes.space/@thelastpsion
🏔️ https://codeberg.org/thelastpsion
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The Last Psion | Alex @thelastpsion.com · Nov 15
Maybe I should do an #introduction?

I'm Alex and I have a PDA problem.

For a quick summary, take a look at the alt text for these photos and the hashtags below. I also wrote a longer intro here: oldbytes.space/@thelastpsio...

#retrocomputing #Psion #RP20240 #Pascal #HaikuOS #PCB #MAME #16bit
Photo of a fully constructed PsiDrive 0.0.1, including a Raspberry Pi Pico mounted on top. There is a SIBO solid state disk (SSD) plugged into the 6 SIBO-SP pins. A microUSB cable is plugged into the Pico. To the left of the PsiDrive is 128K Flash Psion SSD. A screenshot of a KDE Plasma desktop, running on Arch Linux. The main window in the background is Konsole running an SSH session to a Haiku box, which is running tmux. In the foreground is a Remmina window, connected a VNC session on the Haiku box. On the Haiku desktop, three copies of the MAME-based Psion emulator are running - a Series 3, a Siena and a Series 3mx. The 3mx is running the game "Horace In THe Mystic Woods." A screenshot of KDE Plasma running on Arch Linux. The background window is Kitty running tmux. In the main tmux pane is NeoVim showing some CTRAN-ng source code, written in Object Pascal. In the smaller pane on the right is CTRAN-ng's help output. In the foreground is a copy of DOSBox Staging, also showing CTRAN-ng's help output. Both have been compiled with Free Pascal. My stand at this year's RetroFest at the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge, UK. On the right you can see: an MC400, a GeoFox One, a Siena, a Revo, a Shelly (Revo prototype), a selection of Series 3 machines (3, 3a, 3c, 3mx), a Series 5, a 5mx, two Organiser II units, an HC120, two Workabouts, a Workabout mx, PCBs for the 3a, 3c, 3mx, a 3c (with two gold star stickers) and some SSDs. On the left is an EPOS unit running Linux (openSUSE microOS Kalpa) with three copies of the SIBO emulators, based on MAME. In the middle is a boxed Workabout, a Workabout mx in a dock, a 3mx with a non-working 4MB mod, a working PsiDrive, and some PsiDrive PCBs, dotted around the table are various Psion-branded cardboard boxes.
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
warmtoffee.bsky.social
Did you know that the Complete ZX Spectrum source code has been uploaded to Internet Archive by Timex. It was written by Nine Tiles on Zilog Development Studio and Timex obtained the same software.
A bit dry but there is a FART joke in there. See the last file.

archive.org/details/time...
The System Variable that controls the CYCLES OF ERROR NOISE has been named FART, later RASP, probably because when his parents took him to see what they had been working on he saw a computer that blew a Raspberry when there was an error. This page contains the Z80 code that dumps the display file to the ZX Printer. The editor shown is the Zilog Development Studio as used by Nine Tiles and Timex Computer Corp. Thanks to engineer Lon Hildreth for making this available. Here are messages such as the dreaded “R: Tape loading error” and also “(c) 1982 Sinclair Research Ltd.” This page of source code documents the INPUT command which inputs from stream 1. It loads the accumulator with 1 and then calls subroutine SELECT. It then clears the lower screen which sets the stream to zero again. Hint: Just swap the two instructions.
December 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
thetechknight.bsky.social
I propose a solution to our ongoing RAM shortage:
December 6, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
jayispainting.earthskyart.ca
I'm old.

If you're not, listen to this.

Get a guitar or some drums, or a trumpet. Pick up a brush, a pencil, some clay or a welder.

Just make shit. It doesn't have to be good (eventually it will be) just make music, art or write or whatever.

It's literally never been more important.
November 27, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
gloriouscow.bsky.social
The IBM 5150 motherboard, illustrated.

#retrocomputing
An illustration of the IBM 5150 motherboard with the functions of each chip labelled
November 27, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
jeriellsworth.bsky.social
Stocking stuffer ideas for your retro collector:

-Amtech flux
-Solder braid
-Sharp tweezers
-Flush cutter
-Machined dip sockets 8 up to 40pin
-Ceramic capacitor assortment up to 10uF
-Eye loupes
-Magic erasers
-kynar wire
-DeoxIT with needle dispenser
-Polypropylene safety cap assortment up to 1uf
November 23, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
heredragons.be
Do you think you can beat the high scores? And would you like to win a limited edition badge if you do? (*while stocks last). Then you want to come to Retro Computer Festival at @computinghistory.org.uk this weekend!
November 14, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
polpo.org
Are you ready for #PicoIDE? It seems to be telling me it's ready. Coming soon: ATAPI optical disc emulation and IDE hard drive emulation. picoide.com
A beige computer front with a PicoIDE (also in beige) in the 3.5" drive bay. The PicoIDE has a OLED screen showing the PicoIDE logo, a full progress bar, and the text "Ready!" There is a LED showing a cyan color, up/down/cancel/ok buttons, a microSD slot, and a 3.5" headphone jack.
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
brassicgamer.bsky.social
It's not just Polymatt's ideas that make him a genius, it's also his attitude. He demonstrates a methodology that is centred around the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. The result is that the 'unsaveable' was saved.

Incredible.
polymatt.bsky.social polymatt @polymatt.bsky.social · Nov 8
New video up! Just finished the massive project of restoring/rebuilding @lgr-yt.bsky.social’s destroyed Chaplet Halikan LA-30A. This was a big one 😅. Enjoy!

youtu.be/BilLgXkR_Kw
Restoration or Resurrection? Re-creating a rare 80's laptop from the ground up
YouTube video by polymatt
youtu.be
November 9, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
computinghistory.org.uk
Oh wow, this time next we'll be in full swing! Tickets for the Saturday are close to selling out - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74558/Re... - alternatively, Sunday will be quieter, but still the same wonderful exhibitors - www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/74909/re... - see you all next weekend!
November 8, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
thetechknight.bsky.social
Crunch
October 29, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
bubblepuppers.bsky.social
“I don’t know what’s happening, but you need to stop slacking off and focusing on this, you seem like a smart kid, but you’re cleary not working hard enough…”
October 27, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
sibt65.bsky.social
How far have we come Number One

More Cellar finds. #retro Psion 3mx #retrocomputing #psion

This was released in 1998. No colour or touch screen, external modem at a cost and runs on 2 x AA batteries. Original cost in today's money...£530.

Still works though 👍
September 12, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
cyningstan.bsky.social
I've recently got back into using this excellent little computer, the #Psion Series 3s, and for serious purposes no less. The inclusion of a spreadsheet in ROM makes it ideal for keeping track of the copious amount of meds I need to take as a transplant patient. And it plays Barbarians too.
The Psion Series 3s with built-in spreadsheet, which was an extra on the original Series 3. This is the System Screen, the main interface for its 16-bit multitasking OS. Agenda and Time are shown in bold because they're currently running in the background.
September 19, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
immychan.bsky.social
Spent a good hour removing the rubber coating that was peeling off from my Psion 5, and of course I finished the job with a sticker

#psion #psion5
September 24, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
shaneir.bsky.social
Let's take it to the beach! #psion #ShareTheShore
Psion Siena and beagle on the beach
October 18, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
thelastpsion.com
Sure, the iPhone is all well and good. But can you physically support an entire building with your pocket computer?

The Organiser II was built to last. This LZ64 is in amazing condition.

#Psion #RetroComputing
A Psion Organiser II LZ64, powered on, next to its leather case.
October 19, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
cyningstan.bsky.social
My new game #Barbarians has a long history that predates my current interest in developing for #ibmpc with #cga graphics. Here's a composite image of it running on the #Psion Series 3 (2010), the ZX Spectrum (2012) and #msdos (2025). The MS-DOS version is at cyningstan.itch.io/barbarians-dos
Barbarians, from top to bottom, running on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum (released 2012), the Psion Series 3 (released 2010), and MS-DOS (released 2025).
October 24, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
scipastips.bsky.social
PASTA/80 is a Turbo Pascal 3.0-compatible compiler that generates native machine code for classic and modern #Z80 machines.

#Pascal #programming #pasta80

github.com/pleumann/pas...
PASTA/80. Mascot logo with pasta coming out of a package with the inscription "PASTA/80 – Z80 PACAL TO ASSEMBLY" Graphical demo app written in Pascal with PASTA/80. A game written in Pascal with PASTA/80
October 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
colinhoad.com
Another weekend, another retro event! Here's my little report from ABUG South, October 2025:
youtu.be/B6TegM0ffns
ABUG South - October 2025
YouTube video by Colin Hoad
youtu.be
October 20, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
shaneir.bsky.social
Just upping @thelastpsion.com's post over on LinkedIn - Alex is doing a super (and important) job - #Retrocomputing is not just #Nerdstalgia - it is exploring vital territory in human/tech interaction. #Permacomputing #Psion www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
#retrocomputing #nerdstalgia #permacomputing #checkyourdrawers | Shane McKee
Alex has been doing a brilliant job bringing together people interested in the old Psion machines. Although #Retrocomputing can be thought of as #nerdstalgia, re-exploring the functionality of these d...
www.linkedin.com
October 19, 2025 at 8:08 AM
thelastpsion.com
Sure, the iPhone is all well and good. But can you physically support an entire building with your pocket computer?

The Organiser II was built to last. This LZ64 is in amazing condition.

#Psion #RetroComputing
A Psion Organiser II LZ64, powered on, next to its leather case.
October 19, 2025 at 5:55 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
breakintoprogram.co.uk
Isn’t this Disaster Recovery 101?
Have plans on paper in case of cyber-attack, firms told
Prepare to switch to off-line systems in the event of a cyber-attack, firms are being advised.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 14, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
nanoraptor.danamania.com
ADHD folk. Do you feel you often live at an anxiety level of 2,147,483,647 and then suddenly people around you start panicking and you just cannot, because boom, you've hit panic level -2,147,483,648?
October 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
thelastpsion.com
#HIVEMIND: Passkeys. Worth using?
October 10, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Reposted by The Last Psion | Alex
lockfarm.bsky.social
OK BlueSky network, can we do the six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing? Does anyone know Ian Livingstone or someone in similar tech/tabletop gaming/boardgame area? I've got a tech demo that I'd love to take further, or at least show to people who might 'get it'.

Reposts appreciated.
October 10, 2025 at 7:42 AM