RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

that makes sense.  i do press the central rocker to get access to
the bootloader command line.  i'll experiment tonight.

thanks for all the help,
stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sape Mullender [mailto:sape@plan9.bell-labs.com]
> Sent: 26 June 2002 10:04
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> > one puzzler is that when i reset the ipaq i loose my partition
> > setup (it goes back to the default bootldr and root partitions).
> > the data in them looks fine i can simply reset the partition
> > table from the bootldr and it boots fine but it makes booting
> > standalone impossible.  i do "parameter save".  has anyone seen
> > this happen?
>
> Yes and no.  If you reset the iPaq with the rocker switch held down,
> the reset apparently is more thorough in that it also resets
> the partitions.
> If you merely push in the reset button (through the little hole at the
> bottom), without touching any additional buttons, it should not reset
> your partitions.  If your partitions disappear after reset or
> power cycle,
> then something must really be wrong.
>

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Latchesar Ionkov]

Speaking of PDAs -- anybody porting or planning to port Plan9 to Zaurus
SL-5x00? (http://www.myzaurus.com)

It's arm based, runs linux and has a real keyboard

	Lucho

On Mon, Jun 24, 2002 at 06:38:16PM +0200, Axel Belinfante said:
> Since the first ipaq/bitsy support I heard of, new models have arrived...
> Which ones (series) are supported? upto/including H3800 series?
> I just saw there's also a H3900 series with a different processor
> (400 Mhz Intel PXA250) so I suppose that one is not.
>
> I'm currently sort-of deciding whether or not to buy one, and if I do,
> which one; if there are reasons to buy (or not buy) a particular model,
> I'm all ears (either here or via private mail).
>
> Thanks,
> Axel.
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> i mean the flash partition setup supported by the bootldr.
> from the bootldr command prompt i do
>
> "partition reset"
> "partition define params 0x40000 0x400000"
> "partition define kernel 0x80000 ...."
>
> etc.  "partition save" to save this (somewhere) in the param space.
>
> that works fine.  i can then do "boot kernel" to boot the kernel
> from the "kernel" flash sector.  if i reset and go back to the
> bootldr prompt the saved partition setup has gone.  i have to
> restore it to boot.

List the partitions after you're done (partition show).  Make sure the
bootldr doesn't have any conflicting partitions of its own.

(And you need `params save', not `partition save'.)

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> one puzzler is that when i reset the ipaq i loose my partition
> setup (it goes back to the default bootldr and root partitions).
> the data in them looks fine i can simply reset the partition
> table from the bootldr and it boots fine but it makes booting
> standalone impossible.  i do "parameter save".  has anyone seen
> this happen?

Yes and no.  If you reset the iPaq with the rocker switch held down,
the reset apparently is more thorough in that it also resets the partitions.
If you merely push in the reset button (through the little hole at the
bottom), without touching any additional buttons, it should not reset
your partitions.  If your partitions disappear after reset or power cycle,
then something must really be wrong.

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> one puzzler is that when i reset the ipaq i loose my partition
> setup (it goes back to the default bootldr and root partitions).
> the data in them looks fine i can simply reset the partition
> table from the bootldr and it boots fine but it makes booting
> standalone impossible.  i do "parameter save".  has anyone seen
> this happen?

Yes and no.  If you reset the iPaq with the rocker switch held down,
the reset apparently is more thorough in that it also resets the partitions.
If you merely push in the reset button (through the little hole at the
bottom), without touching any additional buttons, it should not reset
your partitions.  If your partitions disappear after reset or power cycle,
then something must really be wrong.

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

i mean the flash partition setup supported by the bootldr.
from the bootldr command prompt i do

"partition reset"
"partition define params 0x40000 0x400000"
"partition define kernel 0x80000 ...."

etc.  "partition save" to save this (somewhere) in the param space.

that works fine.  i can then do "boot kernel" to boot the kernel
from the "kernel" flash sector.  if i reset and go back to the
bootldr prompt the saved partition setup has gone.  i have to
restore it to boot.

i'll look further into it when i have time.

thanks,
stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 26 June 2002 08:30
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> No.
> What's your partition table?
> What did you do exactly to define and save it?
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

No.
What's your partition table?
What did you do exactly to define and save it?

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

thanks to all that helped.  i now have a booting 9 kernel on
my ipaq with working paqfs.  i've still got some initialisation
stuff to sort out but it all looks fine.  i've had rio and
bitsy/keyboard running.  it feels much more comfortable than
linux (no real surprise).

one puzzler is that when i reset the ipaq i loose my partition
setup (it goes back to the default bootldr and root partitions).
the data in them looks fine i can simply reset the partition
table from the bootldr and it boots fine but it makes booting
standalone impossible.  i do "parameter save".  has anyone seen
this happen?

thanks,
stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 17:46
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> I think I sent this before to 9fans, but
> here's it again.
>
> It's /sys/src/boot/arm/il.s.
>
> Let me know if you have problems with it. I haven't
> compiled it for so long...
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 175 bytes --]

I think I sent this before to 9fans, but
here's it again.

It's /sys/src/boot/arm/il.s.

Let me know if you have problems with it. I haven't
compiled it for so long...

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2007 bytes --]

From: Stephen Parker <stephen.parker@pitechnology.com>
To: "'9fans@cse.psu.edu'" <9fans@cse.psu.edu>
Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 16:56:25 +0100
Message-ID: <E562FCEE3A42D61192880002A5FB43330A6352@kite.pigroup.co.uk>

that sounds plausible.  i'd like to try it.

stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 16:54
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> If you get the `unrecognized magic number command' I can send you
> an alternate 5l.s file that contains the magic number.
> Is that your case?
>

[-- Attachment #3.1: Type: text/plain, Size: 304 bytes --]

The following attachment had content that we can't
prove to be harmless.  To avoid possible automatic
execution, we changed the content headers.
The original header was:

	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=il.s
	Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
	Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

[-- Attachment #3.2: il.s.suspect --]
[-- Type: application/octet-stream, Size: 2268 bytes --]

#include "mem.h"
/*
 *  Entered here from Compaq's bootldr.  First relocate to
 *  the location we're linked for and then copy back the
 *  decompressed kernel.
 *
 *  All
 */
TEXT _start(SB), $-4
	MOVW	$setR12(SB), R12		/* load the SB */
	MOVW	$1, R0		/* dance to make 5l think that the magic */
	MOVW	$1, R1		/* numbers in WORDs below are being used */
	CMP.S	R0, R1		/* and to align them to where bootldr wants */
	BEQ	_start2
	WORD	$0x016f2818	/* magic number to say we are a kernel */
	WORD	$0xc0008000	/* entry point address */
	WORD	$0		/* size?, or end of data? */

_start2:

	/* SVC mode, interrupts disabled */
	MOVW	$(PsrDirq|PsrDfiq|PsrMsvc), R1
	MOVW	R1, CPSR

	/* disable the MMU */
	MOVW	$0x130, R1
	MCR     CpMMU, 0, R1, C(CpControl), C(0x0)

	/* enable caches */
	MRC	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpControl), C(0x0)
	ORR	$(CpCdcache|CpCicache|CpCwb), R0
	MCR     CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpControl), C(0x0)

	/* flush caches */
	MCR	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpCacheFlush), C(0x7), 0
	/* drain prefetch */
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0

	/* drain write buffer */
	MCR	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpCacheFlush), C(0xa), 4

	/* relocate to where we expect to be */
	MOVW	$(512*1024),R3
	MOVW	$0xC0008000,R1
	MOVW	$0xC0200000,R2
	ADD	R1,R3
_relloop:
	MOVW	(R1),R0
	MOVW	R0,(R2)
	ADD	$4,R1
	ADD	$4,R2
	CMP.S	R1,R3
	BNE	_relloop

	MOVW	$(MACHADDR+BY2PG), R13		/* stack */
	SUB	$4, R13				/* link */

	/* jump to where we've been relocated */
	MOVW	$_relocated(SB),R15

TEXT _relocated(SB),$-4
	BL	main(SB)
	BL	exit(SB)
	/* we shouldn't get here */
_mainloop:
	B	_mainloop
	BL	_div(SB)			/* hack to get _div etc loaded */

TEXT mypc(SB),$-4
	MOVW	R14,R0
	RET

TEXT draincache(SB),$-4
	/* write back any dirty data */
	MOVW	$0xe0000000,R0
	ADD	$(8*1024),R0,R1
_cfloop:
	MOVW.P	32(R0),R2
	CMP.S	R0,R1
	BNE	_cfloop

	/* drain write buffer and invalidate i&d cache contents */
	MCR	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpCacheFlush), C(0xa), 4
	MCR	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpCacheFlush), C(0x7), 0

	/* drain prefetch */
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0
	MOVW	R0,R0

	/* disable caches */
	MRC	CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpControl), C(0x0)
	BIC	$(CpCdcache|CpCicache|CpCwb), R0
	MCR     CpMMU, 0, R0, C(CpControl), C(0x0)
	RET

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 258 bytes --]


Yes, AFAIK, they're 3600 series, both 32M and 64M.
Mine is exactly a 3630.

I'm using daily  the backpack with wavelan and a toshiba 2G pcmcia disk.
Didn't try any other extension.

For the keyboard, I use the craddle and type through a con window.

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 3029 bytes --]

From: Axel Belinfante <Axel.Belinfante@cs.utwente.nl>
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 18:10:42 +0200
Message-ID: <200206251610.g5PGAg201800@zamenhof.cs.utwente.nl>

Just to be sure after presotto's, sape's and nemo's replies:
am I right assuming that all bitsy's running plan9 are in the H3600 series?
(at least the bell labs ones are, but does this also hold for the others?)

Hmm... would a H3630 (32Mb ram, 16Mb rom) be useable to play with plan9?
(found some H3630's offered second hand here in nl)

Have people been playing with 'extensions', other than the pc-card sleeve?
(like keyboards or so)

Sorry (a bit, at least :-) to keep bothering you, but better safe than sorry,
Axel.

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Axel Belinfante]

Just to be sure after presotto's, sape's and nemo's replies:
am I right assuming that all bitsy's running plan9 are in the H3600 series?
(at least the bell labs ones are, but does this also hold for the others?)

Hmm... would a H3630 (32Mb ram, 16Mb rom) be useable to play with plan9?
(found some H3630's offered second hand here in nl)

Have people been playing with 'extensions', other than the pc-card sleeve?
(like keyboards or so)

Sorry (a bit, at least :-) to keep bothering you, but better safe than sorry,
Axel.

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[rob pike, esq.]

> this is all with an early 4th edition setup.  have things
> changed much since then?

The earliest release or two of the 4th edition had some pieces
missing.  I assume you've got all the pieces now or you would
be aware of what's missing.  You mention the system can't
find /bin/rc; do you know it's actually present?

I'm not an ipaq expert, just responding to the explicit question
about what's changed.

Aha - sape's response just arrived.

-rob

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

that sounds plausible.  i'd like to try it.

stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 16:54
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> If you get the `unrecognized magic number command' I can send you
> an alternate 5l.s file that contains the magic number.
> Is that your case?
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> the thing that bothers me most is that the paqdisk doesn't seem
> to be acceptable to my local (386 binary) paqfs.  when i run
> paqfs i get the fingerprint printed out ok but as soon as
> i try to access anything other than the root of /n/paq the
> process breaks.  i've some changes to paqfs
> from nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es that i'll try tonight.  the
> arm binaries are in place and mkfs seems happy (it does
> grumble about a few things but nothing that looks like it
> should prevent booting).

Ah, I've seen that.  It's a bug in paqfs.  Pick up a new copy and that
particular problem will go away.

	Sape

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

If you get the `unrecognized magic number command' I can send you
an alternate 5l.s file that contains the magic number.
Is that your case?

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

> One change I discovered is that the Linux boot loader for the bitsy
> now recognizes more than one boot format.  If you create the
> partitions and load a kernel and paqdisk, you should give the
> command `boot flash' to boot Plan 9.

i've tried this.  i seem to recall that i got an "unreckognised
magic number in kernel" type of message.  certainly looking
through the boot loader code it looks as if its looking for
stuff in the kernel image that's not there in the 9 kernel.
i guess i'll probably end up going back to an earlier bootloader
but i'm trying to avoid messing with the boot sector too
much (i wouldn't be surprised if we've got the jtag gear here
but i don't really want to have to try it).

> When the kernel starts up, the first thing it should print is a
> fingerprint of the paqdisk.  If that succeeds, the paqdisk format
> is correct.  If /bin/rc still can't be found, check that
> you've installed
> arm binaries before making a paqdisk.  `mk paqdisk' will take
> many files
> from /arm but will not install them there if they don't exist.
> However, mkfs will complain about missing files.

the thing that bothers me most is that the paqdisk doesn't seem
to be acceptable to my local (386 binary) paqfs.  when i run
paqfs i get the fingerprint printed out ok but as soon as
i try to access anything other than the root of /n/paq the
process breaks.  i've some changes to paqfs
from nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es that i'll try tonight.  the
arm binaries are in place and mkfs seems happy (it does
grumble about a few things but nothing that looks like it
should prevent booting).

i'll do some further investigations and see what turns up.

thanks,
stephen
--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

i'm using the compaq bootldr.  its 2.18.45.

stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 09:03
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> Which boot loader are you using?
>
> PS: I think we could continue this w/ private mail, and
> update the wiki in case we find some problem and the
> way to handle it.
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> i've been trying to get plan9 working on an ipaq (well i spent
> some of last night doing it).  i had some successes and some
> failures.
>
> i can't get the latest bootldr to boot 9 from flash.  it looks
> to me like the boot formats must have changed.  i can boot a
> kernel from ram (using "load ram", "call 0xc....") and it runs
> but the kernel is in an unrecognised format if it tries to
> boot automatically.

One change I discovered is that the Linux boot loader for the bitsy
now recognizes more than one boot format.  If you create the
partitions and load a kernel and paqdisk, you should give the
command `boot flash' to boot Plan 9.

You can set the boot parameter to `flash'
	set boottype flash
if memory serves me (maybe it's boot_type) and
	save params
to make that permanent.

> it looks like the paqdisk that i've generated is broken.  the
> ipaq tries to boot off it but can't find /bin/rc.  if i
> mount the paqdisk locally (paqfs paqdisk) i get a broken
> process whenever i try to access anything other than the
> root directory).

When the kernel starts up, the first thing it should print is a
fingerprint of the paqdisk.  If that succeeds, the paqdisk format
is correct.  If /bin/rc still can't be found, check that you've installed
arm binaries before making a paqdisk.  `mk paqdisk' will take many files
from /arm but will not install them there if they don't exist.
However, mkfs will complain about missing files.

Let me know how you fare.

	Sape

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 166 bytes --]

Which boot loader are you using?

PS: I think we could continue this w/ private mail, and
update the wiki in case we find some problem and the
way to handle it.

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2888 bytes --]

From: Stephen Parker <stephen.parker@pitechnology.com>
To: "'9fans@cse.psu.edu'" <9fans@cse.psu.edu>
Subject: RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 08:59:07 +0100
Message-ID: <E562FCEE3A42D61192880002A5FB43330A634B@kite.pigroup.co.uk>

i've been trying to get plan9 working on an ipaq (well i spent
some of last night doing it).  i had some successes and some
failures.

i can't get the latest bootldr to boot 9 from flash.  it looks
to me like the boot formats must have changed.  i can boot a
kernel from ram (using "load ram", "call 0xc....") and it runs
but the kernel is in an unrecognised format if it tries to
boot automatically.

it looks like the paqdisk that i've generated is broken.  the
ipaq tries to boot off it but can't find /bin/rc.  if i
mount the paqdisk locally (paqfs paqdisk) i get a broken
process whenever i try to access anything other than the
root directory).

this is all with an early 4th edition setup.  have things
changed much since then?  any suggestions on how to deal
with either of these problems?

thanks,
stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 08:45
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> I suposse we'll now as soon as any of the 9bitsies are renewed.
> But in any case, since the boot loader boots linux, I think
> you could try and use linux otherwise. It's just that I'd also like
> to know if Plan 9 runs there too, sorry, :-)
>

RE: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Stephen Parker]

i've been trying to get plan9 working on an ipaq (well i spent
some of last night doing it).  i had some successes and some
failures.

i can't get the latest bootldr to boot 9 from flash.  it looks
to me like the boot formats must have changed.  i can boot a
kernel from ram (using "load ram", "call 0xc....") and it runs
but the kernel is in an unrecognised format if it tries to
boot automatically.

it looks like the paqdisk that i've generated is broken.  the
ipaq tries to boot off it but can't find /bin/rc.  if i
mount the paqdisk locally (paqfs paqdisk) i get a broken
process whenever i try to access anything other than the
root directory).

this is all with an early 4th edition setup.  have things
changed much since then?  any suggestions on how to deal
with either of these problems?

thanks,
stephen

--
Stephen Parker.  Pi Technology.  +44 (0)1223 203438.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fco.J.Ballesteros [mailto:nemo@plan9.escet.urjc.es]
> Sent: 25 June 2002 08:45
> To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
> Subject: Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
>
>
> I suposse we'll now as soon as any of the 9bitsies are renewed.
> But in any case, since the boot loader boots linux, I think
> you could try and use linux otherwise. It's just that I'd also like
> to know if Plan 9 runs there too, sorry, :-)
>

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Fco.J.Ballesteros]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 241 bytes --]

I suposse we'll now as soon as any of the 9bitsies are renewed.
But in any case, since the boot loader boots linux, I think
you could try and use linux otherwise. It's just that I'd also like
to know if Plan 9 runs there too, sorry, :-)

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 1636 bytes --]

From: Sape Mullender <sape@plan9.bell-labs.com>
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 15:00:16 -0400
Message-ID: <4f21f73865a827243301e67b43cf9a5a@plan9.bell-labs.com>

> Since the first ipaq/bitsy support I heard of, new models have arrived...
> Which ones (series) are supported? upto/including H3800 series?
> I just saw there's also a H3900 series with a different processor
> (400 Mhz Intel PXA250) so I suppose that one is not.

At the labs we've only had a number of bitsies from the first series, so
we have no idea whether Plan 9 will run on the latest models.

	Sape

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Sape Mullender]

> Since the first ipaq/bitsy support I heard of, new models have arrived...
> Which ones (series) are supported? upto/including H3800 series?
> I just saw there's also a H3900 series with a different processor
> (400 Mhz Intel PXA250) so I suppose that one is not.

At the labs we've only had a number of bitsies from the first series, so
we have no idea whether Plan 9 will run on the latest models.

	Sape

Re: [9fans] supported ipaq's?

[presotto]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 108 bytes --]

We haven't bought a new ipaq since our original H3600.  No idea
what it would take to support the new ones.

[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 2854 bytes --]

From: Axel Belinfante <Axel.Belinfante@cs.utwente.nl>
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: [9fans] supported ipaq's?
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 18:38:16 +0200
Message-ID: <200206241638.g5OGcGJ22020@zamenhof.cs.utwente.nl>

Since the first ipaq/bitsy support I heard of, new models have arrived...
Which ones (series) are supported? upto/including H3800 series?
I just saw there's also a H3900 series with a different processor
(400 Mhz Intel PXA250) so I suppose that one is not.

I'm currently sort-of deciding whether or not to buy one, and if I do,
which one; if there are reasons to buy (or not buy) a particular model,
I'm all ears (either here or via private mail).

Thanks,
Axel.

[9fans] supported ipaq's?

[Axel Belinfante]

Since the first ipaq/bitsy support I heard of, new models have arrived...
Which ones (series) are supported? upto/including H3800 series?
I just saw there's also a H3900 series with a different processor
(400 Mhz Intel PXA250) so I suppose that one is not.

I'm currently sort-of deciding whether or not to buy one, and if I do,
which one; if there are reasons to buy (or not buy) a particular model,
I'm all ears (either here or via private mail).

Thanks,
Axel.