Some buy a PDA, to create a fashionable nowadays the idea of "mobile office" because of the need to be constantly "on the line." Someone needs to link with the place of work, someone - access to e-mail, and someone, well, just always needs the Internet regardless of the presence of nearby desktop computer.
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To date, there are several options for viewing Web sites on handheld computers. The most common - the use to download information from a desktop computer connected to the web. During synchronization, the PDA and desktop data is transferred to the Palm, where you can view them. It is very easy to read on the PDA, for example, the latest news while commuting to work. Today, there are a specially adapted for downloading Internet services such as AvantGo or Russian iHand, or just individual programs that fit the web page, normally read on a desktop computer to the small screen Palm. Ideological programs such repeated "offline browsers" that are popular and at "large" computers, for example, Teleport Pro, Offline Explorer, and others. With such access pages downloaded from the Internet for later viewing. Among the applications for the operating system Palm, working this way, we can distinguish also (in addition to the already mentioned AvantGo) iSilo and Plucker. But it does happen sometimes that a desktop computer is not nearby, and connect the Palm to the network, or need actual information, such as exchange rates, stock quotes, or just suddenly there is a need to see some page on the Internet, for example, prices of nearby shops or directions to him. In this case, you need a full-fledged Web browser that lets you view sites as well as with a desktop computer, of course, adjusted by the amount screen. We consider one of the most popular and most "advanced" browsers - Blazer version 2.0, released by Handspring. On this example you can see the general features of such applications.
Handspring Blazer
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Blazer can display color images, has the support of all major modern standards of display pages, can on the fly to optimize for viewing on the Pocket PC HTML-, WAP-, xHTML-and cHTML-content. This browser supports 128-bit encryption SSL, able to work with proxy-servers (without authorization) and has a very convenient system of tabs. On the other hand, Blazer did not implement the desired compound of the CPC site. User gets is a modified HTML-code that is not always good and there is no guarantee that the code will be optimized without loss of semantic information. Blazer does not work with corporate sites on the local network. Also lost independence, and in the case of the "fall" or high load proxy-server Handspring user can not obtain the required information. In fairness it must be admitted that such a decline has not been observed yet not once, but high load central server becomes noticeable only when you connect at high speeds, which is unlikely when using the Palm. Still, most often to connect the PDA to the network using a Palm Modem, or even a cell phone that allows for connection to a top speed of 9600 of the limitations of standard GSM. GPRS is still not very developed, even in Europe, not to mention our country. Blazer can display 16-bit images, which look very nice on the respective displays. It is only necessary to take into account their size and therefore download time.When connecting to 9600 makes sense at all to expose the regime in 4 or 16 shades of gray, so you can quickly find the information, and only then switch to color mode. Very great advantage is the ability to skip Blazer'a text has not yet loaded the page, carrying the resume text and graphics at a time until the user reads a ready-made information. Those pages that require Java to navigation or Java Script, will not be available for viewing on the Palm at all. Perhaps they can work with the browser, which will come in the Palm OS version 5.0 (which is expected in May this year), using the power of processors ARM. In the meantime, Dragonball processor power is not enough to handle the virtual machine, Java. During the operation, I have not found any site whose content would be displayed incorrectly in Blazer'e precisely because of the mechanism of optimization. Of course, complex pages with numerous inclusions and complex design appear on the screen Palm is not so hot, but on the other hand, when surfing the web on a PDA very few people are interested in design - for this is a desktop computer - rather, the information. It can also be found by using Blazer'a almost always. Site navigation, for example, www.hpc.ru or www.palmgear.com carried out without problems. With the Russian language is also not cause any inconvenience. All pages appear perfectly normal, in the case of a content site in the koi-8, you can either switch the crack Palm (I use CyrHack), or - if the opportunity is there - to switch to the desired encoding site. The only thing that can not be read, so it's page in Unicode. Unfortunately, this can not be solved at the browser and will likely not be solved by replacing the system font. And the main thing. Blazer is $ 20. An evaluation version that runs two weeks, you can download on the website or Handspring. Also, it comes free with new communicators Treo, which only appeared in Europe, and GSM-module for handheld computers VisorPhone line Visor. There are several non-English versions of the browser, but Russified, unfortunately, no.
ILINX Palmscape
The main competitor is Blazer'a Palmscape. Despite the fact that it is more expensive - $ 30, fortnight demo version is available at Palmgear and the developer's site - it has many functions Blazer'a.
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Palmscape also supports color images and is able to scale to display on the small screen (unfortunately, no full-function display pictures). He basically works with color devices, but in black and white handheld images look quite decent. Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust the color (and therefore size) of downloadable pictures, you can only disable the downloading of their entirety. This is due to the fact that Palmscape is a full-fledged "right" browser, it loads the original HTML-code, not using a proxy server (although the images still pass through the Japanese proxy server, which actually carries out scale). In principle Palmscape designed for downloading from the web and beyond browsing. In addition, this browser is able to "semi" to update the page, made to your bookmarks. This feature is not present Blazer'a. To synchronize with your desktop PC the company has released a conduit Palmscape Cruiser, which allows you to load the page on the Palm synchronization. Palmscape has the function of network load binary files pdb / prc and installed immediately on the PDA that allows, for example, download a book or program, and immediately use it without access to a desktop computer, it is sometimes useful. Unlike Blazer'a, Palmscape able to work with sites on the protocol ftp. SSL support is planned to introduce in future releases. Originally supports Japanese and Korean alphabet is unlikely to be useful to our users, and Russian-language sites Palmscape displays as well as its competitors.
Qualcomm Eudora
Browser EudoraWeb, which is part of a package of free Eudora Internet Suite, works without a proxy, and therefore does not support graphics. It is rather a complement to e-mail program Eudora. He has a comfortable differences in the form of synchronization with browser bookmarks desktop via conduit, it supports SSL, you can view the page in the boot process. The main convenience is to support programs for Palm'e Eudora Mail on a desktop computer.
Conclusions
The most convenient and technologically advanced internet browser is by far the Blazer. He can not work with ftp, no conduit to synchronize bookmarks with your desktop computer. His dignity is more than outweigh the disadvantages: it is fast, easy to use, has elaborate system of bookmarks, supports SSL and extremely fast works with graphics - so that the viewing of images at the speed of cell phone becomes justified. Unlikely to need to use it in the corporate network without access to internet (hard to imagine a situation in our country), as a proxy Handspring really qualitatively optimizes HTML-code and graphics. His rival Palmscape compares favorably ability to load binary files and support for semi-automatic synchronizing of pages, a function of injection and the subsequent viewing of information. Interface had not so convenient. If surfing the web for you a secondary matter, it makes sense to pay attention to the package Eudora Internet Suite, which includes a mail program and browser. EudoraWeb is free, fast, and although he did not support graphics, to obtain the necessary information it should be sufficient. To read web-mail, view price list, the address and telephone number you want the store (unless, of course, does not need a graphical location map) capabilities of the browser is enough. Does not make sense to work with WAP-browsers for Palm OS. For example, KBrowser'om. All he can do, successfully making the same EudoraWeb, and WAP technology or in our country or in Europe, especially not caught on. In general we can say that the capabilities of modern browsers for handheld computers is limited screen size and the alleged connection speed. Something completely new and comfortable, you may receive only a new operating system Palm OS 5.0, which will operate even at very different processors. The authors, translation: