Psion Organiser II Model LZ

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Psion Organizer II Model LZ

Psion Organiser II Model LZ

Type: Portable Computer
Size: 5.5 x 3 inches / 14 x 8 cm (8.5 in / 21 cm tall when case open)
Date of Manufacture: 1989-90

Accessories:

Comms Link (RS232 adapter)
32K Datapak (EPROM expansion memory)
Finance Pack II (Application Module)
Games Pack (Application Module)
Mains Adapter (External Power Interface)
Maths Pack (Application Module)
Portfolio (Application Module)
Concise Oxford Spelling Checker (Application Module)
Travel Pack (Application Module)

With sliding hardshell case and accessories listed. Fighting it out for the claim to be the world's first handheld computer are the Psion Organisers. The Organiser I came out in 1984 and is about as rare today as an Apple I computer. The Organiser II was a more successful model and was issued in a half dozen variations. The current unit is the Model LZ which has a four line display and 32K of internal RAM.

The base unit includes a number of built in "personal productivity" programs, including a searchable database for addresses or any other information you want to include, an appointment diary, alarm clock, calculator, notepad, and world time clock with (slightly dated) telephone dialing hints. Also included is a programming environment called OPL for "Organiser Programming Language". This borrows from BASIC fairly heavily and if you can program in BASIC, OPL is not difficult to pick up. It may not be all that difficult to pick up, anyway, as the documentation is fairly complete. (At this period in history, being able to write a simple program was still considered part of computer literacy. What happened?)

The reverse of the unit has two expansion slots. These may be used for add-on applications, RAM expansion or EPROM backup storage. Power is a single 9-volt battery or an AC adapter connected to the Mains Adapter or Comms Link.