Gallery of Psion Organiser II models

2-line Consumer Models CM/XP/LA 2-line Industrial Models Organiser Internals 4-line Consumer Models LZ/LZ64 4-line Industrial Models Special Editions Branded Versions

2-line Consumer Models CM/XP/LA

The first Series II models came out in 1986, and had a 2-line display. The model CM had 8K Ram, and the model XP 16K. The XP was almost immediately upgraded to 32K Ram, and although the casing was still labelled as XP, it is often referred to as the model LA.
Versions were made in other languages, in particular French and German. Eventually a multi-lingual version was created on which you could choose which of 11 languages was used for all the menus and prompts.
One of the models shown here has slightly a different design - it does not have a metal cover all around the top but only a flat metal face plate around the screen. It also has a rubber cover over the contrast wheel. This was a later design that was probably mostly sold to industry rather than consumers.

Rom version 2.4

Rom version 3.3

Rom version 3.3
French

Rom version 2.4

Rom version 2.6

Rom version 3.1

3x, Rom version 3.3

Rom version 3.4
German

4x, Rom version 3.6

Rom 3.6, revised

LA Multilingual

Rom version 3.7

2-line Industrial Models

There are several variants produced for use in industry and retail. These variants are normally called POS (Point-Of-Sale) models. When switched on, it does not supply a menu, but instead looks on the packs for a procedure named BOOT and runs it. If no such procedure is found, it displays "PACK?" or "INSERT PACK" for a moment and then switches off. These models often have unusual keyboards.
The P250 is the POS equivalent of an XP(LA) model. The POS 200 is has a numerical keyboard, and the Alpha Pos 200 has an alphanumeric keyboard but without most symbols. The P350 is unusual in that it has 96K of RAM memory. The P296 is a version of the P350 with a numerical keyboard.

POS 200

Rom version 3.6

Alpha POS 200

Rom version 3.6

Alpha POS 200

Rom version 3.6
Marks and Spencer

P250

Rom version 3.6

POS 350

Rom version 3.8

Organiser Internals

Here are pictures of the internals of an organiser. This is a POS350, so it has four 32K memory chips on the main circuit board (1 ROM, 3 RAM). On CM/XP/LA versions some of these chips may be missing. Often the buzzer in the rear casing is connected to the power board with wires rather than the spring connections used here.

Psion II Organiser

Pack Slots

Psion II Organiser

Top Slot

Psion II Organiser

Battery Compartment

Psion II Organiser

Inside view

Psion II Organiser

Inside view

Psion II Organiser

Power Board, front

Psion II Organiser

Power Board, back

Psion II Organiser

Main Board, back

Psion II Organiser

Main Board, front

4-line Consumer Models LZ/LZ64

In 1989 Psion started producing models with a 4-line display. The model LZ had 32K Ram, and the LZ64 had 64K. It looks virtually the same as the older models, except that the screen is slightly taller.
The LZ/LZ64 were later also produced in the revised design with the flat metal face plate around the screen and rubber cover over the contrast wheel.

Rom version 4.2

Rom version 4.5

Rom 4.5, Eng/Sve/Dan

Rom 4.5, Eng/Esp/Ita

2x, Rom version 4.6

LZ64

Rom version 4.4

LZ64

Rom version 4.5

LZ64

Rom 4.6, Eng/Esp/Ita

LZ64

Rom 4.6, revised

LZ64

Contrast wheel cover

4-line Industrial Models

There are 4-line POS models too. The P432 is the POS version of the LZ, and the P464 the POS version of the LZ64. These were produced with normal and with non-standard keyboards.

POS 432

Rom 4.6, Num. keyb.

POS 464

Rom version 4.6

Special Editions

Various special editions of the Organiser were made, to mark special occasions or for use as gifts to business relations or loyal employees. Shown here are:

A black special edition. All the plastic parts of the casing are made from a black plastic, including the battery cover, keyboard cover, contrast wheel, and keys. Even the overlay around the keys is specially made in black with yellow lines and symbols. The one shown below contains the electronics of an LZ64 but the black case was made for the CM/XP, so the screen does not quite fit the metal frame.
A transparent special edition. All the plastic parts of the casing are made from a transparent plastic, including the battery cover and contrast wheel, but not the keys. The keys and the overlay around them is standard grey. It is missing its keyboard cover.
500,000 Issue Organiser II, June 1990. Keyboard cover only. The logo is of the Queen's Award for Export Achievement which Psion won that year.

Black

LZ64, Rom 4.3

Transparent

LZ64, Rom 4.6

Transparent

Rear

500,000th

Keyboard cover

500,000th

Branded Versions

Psion also produced branded organisers for various companies, and some companies rebranded organisers themselves. Here are more details of the organisers shown in the photos below.

As-Tec, LZ with Rom 4.6:
This Organiser has a standard set of keys but has a different overlay around them that shows commands used by its software. That software was for keeping a logbook of driving time and distance. This Organiser has a replacement keyboard cover - its original may have been non-standard.
British Telecom, P250 with Rom 3.6:
This branded P250 was made for British Telecom, whose field engineers used them to track jobs and the amount of time they worked on them. See also Psion News Issue 7, p4 and Psion News Issue 11, p6.
Commercial Insurance Systems, French language LA with Rom 3.6:
This is a normal XP/LA, and only the keyboard cover has been branded with the logo of CIS. I have not been able to find anything about this company, though the organiser seems to have been used in Belgium for calculating taxes and insurance.
Ferret Information Systems, LZ64 with Rom 4.6:
This LZ64 was produced for Ferret Information Systems, who used them with extra software for dealing with the complicated UK benefits system. See also Psion News Issue 6, p2.
Hand Held Products, LA with Rom 3.0:
This LA has a "Hand Held Products" logo on the casing and has been renamed "Advanced Pocket Computer". Even its datapaks and slot covers have been rebranded. Note that its ROM has an unusual model byte ($22) but otherwise seems to be a normal LA version 3.0. See also Psion News Issue 1, p2.
Kistler-Morse, LA with Rom 3.6:
The metal parts of the casing have simply been taped over. It is likely that it has a normal Psion casing underneath.
Measurement Technology Ltd., LZ with Rom 6.4:
This is the MTL611, a special version that has been rated as being Intrinsically Safe for use in hazardous conditions. All the plastic parts of the case are in a dark blue plastic instead of the standard grey. The metal trim is in light blue, like some POS models, except without the coloured line along the bottom and no writing on the front. The rear has writing showing the safety certifications. The datapaks (and some top slot devices) are in matching blue plastic and similarly safety rated.
Prudential, LA with Rom 3.6:
This branded LA organiser has a Prudential logo, but it seems to be a glued on. It may still have a Psion logo underneath, or maybe Psion produced cases without their logo for this purpose. See also Psion News Issue 11, p7.
Rabone, LA with Rom 3.3:
The metal casing has been replaced by a branded version, though the keyboard cover logo is done like the Prudential one. The contrast wheel has a deep notch in it to mark its middle position, which I have not seen on any other organisers. It was used in combination with ultrasonic distance measuring equipment. See also Psion News Issue 1, p2.
Sclavo, Multi-lingual LA with Rom 3.7:
Sclavo is an Italian medical supply company, specialising in blood and blood plasma. This multi-lingual Organiser has the Sclavo logo on the Sclavo logo on the case just below the keyboard, in a place normally covered by the keyboard cover. There is a serial number sticker at the top slot. The keyboard cover has the Sclavo logo printed below the Psion logo.
SDRP, LA with Rom 3.3:
The SDRP Electronic Field Book has a logo stuck over the keyboard cover and at the top of the metal casing. Although the keyboard is standard, it has a different overlay that shows commands used by its software. The most interesting modification is the belt hook, which is firmly attached to a metal back plate inside the back casing. It was used in combination with surveying equipment. See also Psion News Issue 3, p2.
Uniqey, keyboard cover only:
This cover belonged to a CM or XP and was used as part of the system for reprogramming electronic keys in a hotel.
XRay, LZ64 with Rom 4.6:
The metal casing has been replaced by a branded version, which even has writing on the sides. The keyboard does not show most of the shifted characters, though they are available in the normal way. I have no matching keyboard cover for it. It was used by the Dutch company XRAY for valuing second hand cars.