Back in the day, Psion handheld computers were the business. They were the most useful palmtops around - proper handheld computers with keyboards, rather than those stylus-driven Palm devices, which were great, but hugely limited. Psions rocked. This page exists to help you get the most out of your 1990s Psion in 2025.
You can pick up a decent quality Psion on ebay. Visit my "What is the best Psion for me?" page to help you choose your weapon.
We had a little company called Palmaris Medical Ltd, and we wrote medical software for these machines. The one I was most proud of was WardFive (also known as Client_L, which was a terrible name).
I have made all of my files OPEN SOURCE - you are free to take, use, modify etc.
Bullet3a: CLICK HERE
Bullet3a (2025) is the newest app for the Psion 3a - it's a little manager for your topics of interest, projects, shopping lists. You can add Bullets to different slots, and use the SBAR structure to keep track of them. It's designed to work with your visual cortex to unleash your productivity (well, that's the hope!). Try it, and let me know what you think.
Client_L (formerly WardFive; Series 5/5mx/7): DOWNLOAD SIS INSTALLER
I wrote this for the Psion 5mx to help doctors manage their patient lists. It was (though I say so myself) really handy, and has stood the test of time. Like other Palmaris Medical Ltd software you had to purchase a registration code (sorry about that). However, as I'm not developing it any further (it's 2024 - let it go, Shane!), you can register for free. Here is the code: gbh11fmpd4 and the user name is Psion User. Just type these in to the registration screen in Client_L and you should be good to go! If you're using the old WardFive, you can register with the code: DW@O]]REJ\
Before WardFive, there was WardRound for the Psion 3a. You can download it here: WardRnd.zip You can use the code [NWFTTI\AS to register as Psion User. In the files section you will find WARDRND.OPL and WARDRND.PIC which are the source code and icon file respectively. You can use these to modify WardRound for your own needs.
VScroll is an OPL framework for creating a vertical scroll bar for use in your own apps. Download the ZIP file here. - it's a little rudimentary, but kinda cool. It comes with VScrollTest, which allows you to test it, and also acts as a sort-of tutorial as you hack it apart. Enjoy!
This is an app to allow you to design and generate your own "Magic Eye" type stereograms on your Psion. I'll upload the OPL when I find it, but in the meantime, download the ZIP here; follow the readme.txt instructions.
The Blind Watchmaker is a great book by Richard Dawkins, explaining how natural selection can work on genetic variation to evolve complex organisms. In the 59AB book he describes a computer program to generate "biomorphs" - very simple rules can be used to generate a shape, and then via mutations, you can select the next generation and so on, to produce interesting and complex "creatures". So I wrote a version for the Psion 3a. This is the OPL file - you can download it and translate it on your device.
You can run the emulator S3CEMUL in a DOSBOX window - just download the S3CEMULE.ZIP file above to get started. (This emulator has been rather hard to find!) DOSBOX is a DOS emulator that runs on Linux, Windows and multiple other platforms. The S3CEMUL emulator supports faster file transport speeds than the S3AEMUL (Series 3a), and contains some programs from the 3c/mx that aren't available on the 3a, such as Jotter and Files.
The Psion Text Editor app (Editor) is a vital piece of software for editing text files on the device and the Emulator. I've included it here since it can be hard to find on-line. Download Editor zip file.
If there's anything you particularly remember, please add as an Issue or post on Bluesky