Epoc Web internet browser application.
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Web
Web browsing application, usually supplied on CD. The early Psion 5 and Geofox (Epoc Release 3 and 4) used Message Suite 1.52, Web version 1 which lacked frames, cookies and many other functions.
Epoc Release 5 (Psion5mx, Revo and all other models) provides Web 2, again usually on CD (it is in ROM on the Series 7). This is reasonably functional on simple web pages suitable for Version 2 or Version 3 browsers. It lacks secure connections (SSL), Javascript, style sheets, and some other features of version 5 browsers.
You can use the web browser as a file browser if you wish. After starting the browser, use Menu, File, More, Save as to save the default home page as #Home.htm in the C drive. Next, use Menu, File, Open to open the file #Home.htm Instead of opening the file, the browser will display a list of files in the root directory, together with their size and date. You can then navigate through all the files on the drive.
Psion licensed WEB 1 and 2 from STNC Ltd. This software development company was bought by Microsoft in 1998. Psion have the right to continue using versions 1 and 2 of Web, however it was not being developed further for Epoc by Microsoft. Psion responded by changing to Opera.
You would need to use Opera for banking and similar applications that need a secure connection.
Designing Web Pages for PDAs
My own approach to web page design for PDA friendly pages is to write to HTML version 4 Strict standards as defined by the W3C. I totally avoid frames, and all deprecated elements allowed by Transitional standards. Likewise, I do not use scripting or Java. I validate my pages (when I remember) to ensure they are syntactically correct.
I use cascading style sheets (CSS) to provide a somewhat fancier layout for any web standard browsers capable of using style sheets. Unfortunately, this does not include Netscape 4.x, which has rather broken style sheet support - this is Netscape's bugs, not mine. However my pages are also standard HTML, so turning off style sheets in Netscape works fine.
I keep my HTML fairly plain. Since PDA browsers don't use style sheets, these pages appear totally different in a PDA to the way they appear on a PC browser, however they work on both. Some of my stranger choices are intended to assist PDA browsers or disabled users to access my pages, or to assist search engine spiders.
Unfortunately, I have never found an HTML writing tool that can handle style sheets correctly, so the coding has to be done mostly manually. This is a bad idea, because it is too easy to make errors in the coding.
Opera
Third party web browser, with many additional functions.
The third party Opera browser is also available for Psion. Psion 5 classic (ER3) can only use version 3 of Opera, however version 5 of Opera is available for download for Psion 5mx, Revo and all ER5 models.
Viewing Windows AVI files
Convert Windows AVI files to animated gifs, using Irfan or Paint Shop Pro Animation Shop on a Windows PC, and view them on your Psion with Web or Opera.
Message Suite for Psion 5 (ER3) classic
When upgrading to Message Suite 1.52f using the SIS installation file, the About Email box still shows v1.50(177)
Only some components are upgraded from 1.50. These are mostly an IrDA fix, rather than the application.
The original Psion 5 classic email and web applications were written by STNC, who were bought outright by Microsoft in late July 1999. Psion and Symbian apparently had rights to the source code delivered to date.