#12, Browsing the Internet with Pocket Internet Explorer

MobileTrek.Us, The PDF Page (Archives), Search, Site News, Writers, Advertise

#12, Browsing the Internet with Pocket Internet Explorer
How-To James McCarthy | May 17, 2002
Category: not categorized

Beyond the brilliant color screens the Pocket PC also offers a rich web browsing experience with Pocket Internet Explorer. Often called PIE by users, Pocket Internet Explorer is a "show stopper" whether you want to view CNN live with streaming video, or a FLASH enabled web site, PIE will quickly impress the socks off your friends preaching other platforms.

Article 12
Browsing the Internet with Pocket Internet Explorer

continued from introduction above ...

This article describes how to use Pocket Internet Explorer and provides a preview of some of the really cool (and free) "PowerToy" updates that make viewing streaming video to FLASH programs on your Pocket PC, as well as support of SSL, HTML 3.2 and JScript possible.

What You Need
Pocket PC 2002
ActiveSync 3.1/3.5
ISP (Internet Service Provider)
Internet Explorer 5.0/5.5*
Compact Flash Modem or Network connection

Languages Supported
English (and others if applicable)

The Basics of Browsing
Sometimes you just have to see it to believe it. PIE is no exception because in the past handheld browsers have earned the stereotype of creating small, hard-to-read, text-based or dithered graphic environments; WAP or AvantGo may jump to mind. Pocket Internet Explorer is the only handheld web browser that is a true "mini-me" version the desktop Internet Explorer program for Windows®.

Figure 1: left, a screen of the Sunset.com web site. Notice the full table support and sharp images. Right, a screenshot of PIE's default homepage. Notice that AvantGo is accessed through PIE and not a separate program icon.

Similar to Internet Explorer on the desktop pc, PIE also includes a location bar (called address bar on the Pocket PC), navigation toolbar, text-size adjustment (Largest, Large, Medium, Smaller, Smallest), history, page properties, temporary cache, character set options, cookie support, security settings including 128-bit encryption, synchronized favorites as well as content-cached favorites. In addition through an additional free software update you can add JScript support and increase your temporary cache.

PIE is also Connection Manager aware (Pocket PC 2002). This means that you simply tap the PIE icon to launch the program and then tap a "favorite" from your Favorites list and if there isn't a network connection available a prompt to connect to an ISP will appear. Once a connection is established the page you were trying to access will be displayed.

Most of the basic function and navigation in PIE will be self-explanatory to anyone who has used Internet Explorer on a desktop pc in the past. The only option that is handheld specific is the "Fit to Screen" selection under the View menu. This option will reduce the width of images or tables so that they won't be wider than the screen's width of 240 pixels; handy for the mobile Internet.

Mobile Favorites
Pocket Internet Explorer supports the management and synchronization of "favorites" on Pocket PC devices, which are also known as "bookmarks". Saved inside a folder titled "Mobile Favorites" these bookmarks can be created on the Pocket PC device or desktop PC and opened from either platform with the tap of a stylus or click of a mouse.

Figure 2: Left, a screenshot of the "Favorites" listing. By default this option displays the "Open" tab and allows you to tap on the favorite that you wish to open. Right, a screenshot displaying the "Add/Delete" tab. PIE also supports synchronizing folders if they are created inside the default "Mobile Favorites" folder on Internet Explorer for the desktop pc.

The process for creating "favorites" on the Pocket PC is simple whether using your Pocket PC device or desktop pc to initially create them.

Creating a "Favorite" on the Pocket PC
1. Using the "Address Bar" (Figure 1, left screenshot) go to a webpage.
2. Tap the "Favorites" icon on the bottom toolbar (Figure 1, left screenshot).
3. Tap the "Add / Delete" tab (Figure 2, left screenshot).
4. Tap the "Add…" button (Figure 2, right screenshot) and complete the form.
5. Tap the "Add" button. The "Favorites" list will be displayed (Figure 2, left screenshot).

Creating a "Favorite" on the desktop pc and synchronizing to the Pocket PC
1. Using the "Location Bar" with the desktop Internet Explorer go to a webpage.
2. Click the "Tools" menu and select "Create Mobile Favorite …" or click the icon which looks like a handheld device or PDA on the toolbar (shown below to the right of the printer icon).

Figure 3: Menu selection screenshot from desktop Internet Explorer 6.0

3. Type the name of the "favorite" and then select how often you would like this content to be updated, such as "Weekdays at 4:00 PM". By selecting "Do Not Schedule" the link (or bookmark) will be synchronized to the Pocket PC without content.

Figure 4: A screenshot of the "Create Mobile Favorite" prompt. Notice the "Create In >>" button.
By clicking this button the window will expand and allow you to choose a subfolder inside the
"Mobile Favorites" folder to save the bookmark.

4. Click OK

This is the simplest way to synchronize a bunch of "Favorites" (or bookmarks) from the desktop pc Internet Explorer to Pocket Internet Explorer. However, there are also numerous other advanced options when synchronizing Mobile Favorites as well as content-caching.

Synchronizing Content to Your Pocket PC
You can also synchronize web page content to your Pocket PC for offline viewing by customizing the Mobile Favorite. This is similar to what you might have used AvantGo or MazinGo! to do in the past, expect all you have to with the desktop Internet Explorer is select the "Synchronize…" option in Figure 3 from the Tools menu.

Figure 5: Left, a screenshot of the "Synchronize…" Favorites window. Select a favorite and click "Properties" to configure it's options. Right, the options for synchronizing each favorite.

There are numerous options you can set from how many links deep to a hard-disk usage limit to setting up a routine schedule such as "Weekdays at 4:00 PM" or "Only when I select Synchronize from the Tools menu". By exploring these advanced properties for each "favorite" you can quickly create a list of favorite web sites to be cached onto your Pocket PC for viewing when you're not near a network connection or desktop pc.

PIE PowerToys & Updates
What are PowerToys? These are small applications that enhance your Pocket PC experience and functionality. They are not "updates" to the Pocket PC OS, distributed "as-is" and are not supported by Microsoft so they are unable to answer any questions about PowerToys. You can find the download page here, http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/powertoys.asp.

What are Updates? Updates are small programs that essentially patch or replace an existing program on the Pocket PC to add enhancements or functionality. These are available to download from http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/default.asp and are supported by Microsoft®.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Tools for Pocket PCs (PowerToy)

Using the Windows Media Player Control for Pocket InternetExplorer (Update)

Flash Player for the Pocket PC

Other Web Content-Caching Programs?
If synchronizing content to your Pocket PC isn't working then you might try using another web content-caching program such as AvantGo, Mazingo! or the iSilo.

Copyright 2002, Jim McCarthy