Robin's new toy: the Linx 8 and Windows 8.1

Maybe you can help me get my old GPS Software, GPSS for full Microsoft Windows, or even GPSSppc for Pocket PC, to work well on the Linx 8, or other Windows 8.1 platforms ?

If so, my email address is on our Contact page. GPSS.EXE and GPSSPPC.EXE are in the GPSS.ZIP download, on our Download page.

My wife June gave me a Linx 8 as a Christmas present. I would never have asked for it, or spent my money on it: my expectations of Microsoft have never been very high :-)

However, I must admit that I will probably find this Linx 8 useful. I've "tidied away" any Aps related to shopping, and expect to use it for things like tracking Snoopy, when away from home.

Here are some outstanding problems I had ( Yes, "problems" to be solved, not "issues" to discuss ) :

I was pleased to see GPSS worked OK with the Globalsat ND-100S GPS Dongle (off ebay at less than 30 GBP). Just the usual routine of plugging it in and having GPSS search for the GPS. See picture on left. Earlier, I'd not managed to get GPSS to work on the Linx with the Bluetooth or USB GPS: Both work fine on a conventional PC. See above picture. I've not yet found a USB/Serial driver for the Linx 8, that enables a Serial USB GPS to be used. Many GPS suppliers use the Prolific drivers, but it seems they are not compatible with the chipset in the Linx 8. Any ideas, such as a link to the required driver ? So far, my Copilot BlueTooth GPS, works with the Linx "Maps" software, but not with GPSS - which just reads GPS data as a standard NMEA text stream.

the text on the Linx screen is a bit too small for my old eyes. If I use facilities in Control Panel, such as 125% larger text, this has unwanted side effects on GPSS titles, etc. However, it did not take too long to find out how to use the Linx Magnifier - see picture on right.

In recent years, as I saw the new mobile 'phone and tablet platforms replace the PC, along with Microsoft Windows being brushed aside by other Operating Systems, such as Android and Apple, I've not been tempted to re-write GPSS or GPSSppc to port onto these other platforms: just not worth the effort. However, if my free GPS software can easily run on Windows 8.1 platforms, such as the Linx, then maybe a few guys will make use of it. e.g. Radio HAMS for Radio Direction Finding or other "Chase" Remote Tracking applications.

June says her smartphone has Microsoft Windows 8.1 on it, but she cannot find the "Desktop" Ap. Surely Microsoft are not selling different OS under the same name ?

Yes, that's my smart 'phone on the left. Anyone know where I can get Aps for it ?

Maybe the next thing to try is getting GPSS to respond to the speech recognition ? YES ! It works !

There is also GPSSPPC.EXE - GPSS for Pocket PC Windows Mobile to try :-)

October 2016 Footnote: GPSS runs under Windows 10 on a Linx 10 !

It seems GPSS will run under Windows 10 on a Linx 10 !

There have been serious doubts, since Windows 10 was released, if it were capable or running old applications like GPSS, compiled with Visual Basic 2 (VB2). GPSS has run on every versions of Microsoft Windows, starting with 3.1, through all later versions, including 3.11, 95, 98, XP, 7, and 8.1 - on the Linx8, at least.

A GPSS folder was copied via USB stick onto c:\gpss in the Linx10, and GPSS.EXE ran nicely, giving a demo. It behaved with the GPS above in the same way, but one worked perfectly :-)

GPSSPPC.EXE ( GPSS for the Pocket PC ) also almost ran OK. Others may wish to experiment.

Click on the picture for a bigger version: it was sat on top of Robin's car :-)