EPOC World Beta Releases


Message Suite
I'm getting a few requests for information about the new version (1·50) of Psion's Message Suite. It should be publicly distributed soon, as copies have been available for download from EPOC World for several weeks. I've recently been given access (as a journalist) to EPOC World, so I can report on developments. The new Message Suite has two major changes over version 1·10, namely attachments to email messages, and support for multiple remote mailboxes. The browser is also a bit faster, but there's no support for frames yet. The Beta version comes with an extra file and instructions to make it work on the Geofox One as well, so both machines are catered for.


Multiple Mailboxes

I copied the SIS file to my S5 and Geofox One, and double-tapped it to perform the installation. That simply replaces the old files, while retaining all your configurations and messages. I did back the machine up first just in case, especially as the previous upgrade caused some problems in that area.
New mailboxes can be totally new or based on existing ones, meaning that setting it up to access extra mailboxes is very simple. As you can see from the screen above, I've got mine configured for the three mailboxes on my NetDirect account, and for my CompuServe one. It only takes one phone call to collect mail from all of them, but there's no automatic way of doing it. You have to open one mailbox, deal with its contents, close it, change to the next one, and so on. I've so far not found it possible to avoid dropping the phone line other than by keeping the Web browser open as well, but the documentation implies that it should be possible. That may be corrected for the public release.


Files Attached to an Outgoing Message

Dealing with attached files is very simple, with a paperclip icon allowing you to attach, save, delete or open files. Many can be double-tapped to launch them, so you can read Word, Data, etc. files directly, and if you have Purple's Navigator, ZIP archives can be expanded from the message in the local inbox.

Printer Drivers
There are also some new printer drivers under test on the EPOC World site, and these include several improvements in speed, positioning on the page, font sizes supported, etc. There are totally new drivers for the Canon bubblejet BJ and LQ printers, and replacement ones for the HP LaserJet and DeskJets, the General and Epson LQ models. To use them, you simply copy them into a System\printers directory on either drive, and they'll be available the next time you start any application that supports printing. Please don't ask me for copies of them, as I'm not allowed to pass them on, and like the Message Suite, they're sure to be publicly released soon.

Keep an eye on the downloads section of the Psion Web site for these to be released shortly.


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