At this point, for those like me who didn't know these "psion", I would like to suggest this video where this device is shown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEBnDB79XA
I have to say that in terms of design it's really nice, now the specs are really old, but everything else seems better than today's smatphones.
in the video you can also see very well the mechanism of the keyboard, I don't know how much is possible to reproduce a similar mechanism, but in practice that sliding system could allow the phone to stand on the table, probably adding an expansion battery inside the keyboard, the weight could be sufficient!
Also because I don't know psion, I looked for a photo that would show the layout to analyze it:
![[Image: psion-series-5-keyboard-layout-large-image.gif]](https://www.petervis.com/modern-gadgets/psion-series-5/keyboard/psion-series-5-keyboard-layout-large-image.gif)
Now, maybe I become a bit long, but god layout is really importat and I really hope to get partecipation and attention from others!
1) the first line of keys seems ok to me, I notice that they are precisely 12 so it might be smart to map the function keys on them by pressing fn. I see that many important characters have already been added to this line, so if they already use the fn key, maybe it would make sense to use fn+a modifier as ctrl for the function keys (this should not create multiple pressure problems because it seems to me that function keys are always used standalone and never in combination with other keys). This is wrong, for example alt+f4, so we have a problem with function keys.
2) I can't see back aphostrope (or grave accent ` ), I propose to put it near the apostrophe (single quote) or maybe near esc
3) what is the menu/dial button? in my mind I see 3 possibilities: really the menu button (the one that emulates the right mouse button, and also the most useless one), the meta button (mela, windows and other stupid names), the alt button.
Among all, the most useful one seems to me the alt button that would allow many shortcuts already existing in the software, as well as the combinations with ctrl and tabs, and the gui combination with mouse click
4) the lack of alt-gr, as far as I'm concerned this key is really fundamental, I use it for all accented letters like àá and in combination with another key (usually ctrl right which is also missing, but any other key near it is ok) to compose other characters like ü or ß and also special things like ₈⁸
The use of compose is really mnemonic to the point that I prefer it to the layouts of my proper language, but alt-gr can't be alt because otherwise it would overwrite its standard functions.
I can't find a place on the psion layout, the only one I can find is instead of the right shift that I don't use personally (I always use the left shift) and it seems useless with so few buttons to have the replication of the same button twice instead of including a button that does exclusive things. Please think about it!
5) it is also to consider touch point, but touch point need also mouse button emulation... so i'dont know if it is possible with only this buttons, have you any idea? maybe with fn + replacing "dial" on menu for left, fn + replacing "backlight" on spacebar for middle and fn + replacing "help" on , for right click?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEBnDB79XA
I have to say that in terms of design it's really nice, now the specs are really old, but everything else seems better than today's smatphones.
in the video you can also see very well the mechanism of the keyboard, I don't know how much is possible to reproduce a similar mechanism, but in practice that sliding system could allow the phone to stand on the table, probably adding an expansion battery inside the keyboard, the weight could be sufficient!
Also because I don't know psion, I looked for a photo that would show the layout to analyze it:
Now, maybe I become a bit long, but god layout is really importat and I really hope to get partecipation and attention from others!
1) the first line of keys seems ok to me, I notice that they are precisely 12 so it might be smart to map the function keys on them by pressing fn. I see that many important characters have already been added to this line, so if they already use the fn key, maybe it would make sense to use fn+a modifier as ctrl for the function keys (this should not create multiple pressure problems because it seems to me that function keys are always used standalone and never in combination with other keys). This is wrong, for example alt+f4, so we have a problem with function keys.
2) I can't see back aphostrope (or grave accent ` ), I propose to put it near the apostrophe (single quote) or maybe near esc
3) what is the menu/dial button? in my mind I see 3 possibilities: really the menu button (the one that emulates the right mouse button, and also the most useless one), the meta button (mela, windows and other stupid names), the alt button.
Among all, the most useful one seems to me the alt button that would allow many shortcuts already existing in the software, as well as the combinations with ctrl and tabs, and the gui combination with mouse click
4) the lack of alt-gr, as far as I'm concerned this key is really fundamental, I use it for all accented letters like àá and in combination with another key (usually ctrl right which is also missing, but any other key near it is ok) to compose other characters like ü or ß and also special things like ₈⁸
The use of compose is really mnemonic to the point that I prefer it to the layouts of my proper language, but alt-gr can't be alt because otherwise it would overwrite its standard functions.
I can't find a place on the psion layout, the only one I can find is instead of the right shift that I don't use personally (I always use the left shift) and it seems useless with so few buttons to have the replication of the same button twice instead of including a button that does exclusive things. Please think about it!
5) it is also to consider touch point, but touch point need also mouse button emulation... so i'dont know if it is possible with only this buttons, have you any idea? maybe with fn + replacing "dial" on menu for left, fn + replacing "backlight" on spacebar for middle and fn + replacing "help" on , for right click?
