MultiIE - PIE on Steroids

bkbroil · #1 04-26-2004, 10:40 AM

MYPDACafe has posted a review on MultIE for PPCs. I use Netfront but after reading the article I'm tempted on trying the 14 day trial to see how it looks on the Toshiba in landscape in VGA mode.

Pocket Internet Explorer is a good basic browser, but there are glaring omissions that detract from the browsing experience. MultiIE fills the gaps.

MultiIE 3.0 adds 2 icons (for Windows Mobile 2003) to PIE. But the features it adds to PIE is staggering
Pros
Small application because it still uses PIE's browser.
Supports hardware buttons.
Interface is intuitive.
Very customisable with MultiIE's macro language.
URL Builder and Address Bar macros offer features usually found on desktop browsers Mozilla and Firefox comes to mind.
Developer is attentive to customers.
Cons
Poor documentation.
Some horizontal scrolling is still required. The only respite is the upcoming Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition with the improved PIE, and on-the-fly landscape support.
Opening multiple windows take up a lot of Program memory. Windows are sometimes closed without warning when memory is low.
No Java support.

ctitanic · #2 04-26-2004, 12:26 PM

MultiIE still use the PIE engine this is why it does not support java. If you use NetFront you are using the best thing you can find out there believe me.

Brad Isaac · #3 04-26-2004, 12:35 PM

Which is faster? I did try Netfront briefly a long time ago but was disappointed for some reason (can't remember why) -- I long for more speed and PIE just drags...

ctitanic · #4 04-26-2004, 12:50 PM

NetFront has to be installed in RAM and it take a big junk of your RAM, that´s one of the reason why people sometime don´t like NetFront. But it´s as fast as PIE, at least I don´t so much of difference. Netfront renders better all page because it has a new feature call smart fit that it´s implemented in WM2k3 SE I believe.
But the biggest difference between both browser is Java. PIE does not work well in java pages period.

bkbroil · #5 04-26-2004, 02:04 PM

I have SmartFit on my Netfront without WM2003SE. But I'm using the Netfront for Toshiba, it may not be available in the other versions. It does a great job of making everything fit in landscape mode.

ctitanic · #6 04-26-2004, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkbroil

I have SmartFit on my Netfront without WM2003SE. But I'm using the Netfront for Toshiba, it may not be available in the other versions. It does a great job of making everything fit in landscape mode.

I´m talking about smart fit included in PIE not NetFront.

Addic · #7 04-26-2004, 02:43 PM

Netfront is king in the handheld web surfing area for me.
- It doesn't require a subscription
- It renders pages very nicely (no horizontal scrolling)
- It supports a huge range of apps e.g. pdf, htm, html etc (if you have them installed)
- It allows you to save web pages/images to the device or storage card
- You can open multiple webpages
- It's relatively quick (on my Ipaq 3970)
- It's fairly well supported by the developer (Access)

- However it does take up a chunk of memory (surely that could be hacked by someone?)
- It won't let me view/browse my advantgo pages

Still it gets my vote.

Brad Isaac · #8 04-26-2004, 05:44 PM

I've been using PIE Plus for 6 months or so. PIE Plus's claim to fame is that it reformats the webpage so it fits on the pocket screen - and allows opening of multi-windows.
But since it sits on top of PIE, it inherits the lag.

jkendrick · #9 04-26-2004, 06:10 PM

Netfront is at least twice as fast displaying large web pages than PIE or PIE with MultiIE. I actually have MultiIE but always use Netfront. Of course, now that my e805 is being repaired by Toshiba right now I'm relegated to me e755 and I definitely will be using MultiIE on that.

bkbroil · #10 04-26-2004, 06:14 PM

I lost track, how are we doing on the 5 day turn around?

jkendrick · #11 04-26-2004, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkbroil

I lost track, how are we doing on the 5 day turn around?

I just sent it today. I got the mailer Friday afternoon but decided to wait until today to send it so I wouldn't lose use of it over the weekend. It's been gone for 5 hours now.
I'm so empty.

Addic · #12 04-26-2004, 06:27 PM

It's kinda like losing a member of the family, Only the device comes back............ eventually.

Brad Isaac · #13 04-26-2004, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkendrick

I'm so empty.

I wish I had some comforting words but it's like walking around for a week without your glasses or something. You have to rely on your memory and paper agian <gasp!!>

hawkmankt · #14 04-26-2004, 08:11 PM

What the hell is paper???

jkendrick · #15 04-26-2004, 08:20 PM

Brad, it's funny you should mention the glasses bit. Now I have to tell you a true story.
A few years ago I was in New Orleans for a convention and a coworker and I took two clients out to dinner at Christian's. Christian's is an upscale Cajun restaurant in a residential area whose claim to fame lies in the fact the building used to be a church before being converted into an eatery.
The ambience in the restaurant is unique to say the least and actually was a little unsettling. Our conversation for the longest time centered around how strange it felt to be sitting and eating in a "church" and at one point I made a joking remark that it almost felt like blasphemy. The next thing I knew half my eyeglasses had fallen off my face! Metal framed glasses had just separated right in the middle of the curved nose piece and the right half of my specs were now sitting in my seafood. The left half of my specs were still on my face perfectly as if nothing was wrong.
It was so surreal and comical that the four of us laughed hysterically for a full five minutes. After the full impact of the event hit us a little later we spent the rest of the evening nervously looking over our shoulders.
I wasn't flying back to Houston until late the next day and having no other glasses with me I travelled blind so I fully appreciated your comment of "walking around without glasses" above.

Brad Isaac · #16 04-26-2004, 08:31 PM

James,
That's a great story.

I am someone famous for putting my foot in my mouth too. Maybe not quite as dramatic as yours, but still embarassing...
Based on the timing, I'll bet it did make you all think twice though.

jkendrick · #17 04-26-2004, 08:39 PM

It's funny but even years later whenever any of us run across one another we can't help laughing uncontrollably. And then we look over our shoulder....

frost · #18 04-27-2004, 01:44 AM

Why not install Jeode plug in?

FaraWay · #19 04-27-2004, 06:14 PM

whats Jeode?

zilla31 · #20 05-03-2004, 10:37 AM

will netfront let you view pages horizontal like? man that seems like a cool feature of thunderhawk (is that what it's called?)

bkbroil · #21 05-03-2004, 11:07 AM

Netfront won't allow you to turn the screen to landscape but it does work in Landscape mode very well.... Does that make sense? In other words, you can't use Netfront to set your screen in landscape....but I use MyVGA to view my Toshiba in Landscape and Netfront looks great. Also WM2003SE will allow you to turn your screen to landscape and Netfront should work well with that.

jkendrick · #22 05-03-2004, 11:14 AM

You can turn your screen to Landscape with Nyditot if you're not lucky enough to have a Toshiba e800. Like bk said Netfront works well in landscape.

zilla31 · #23 05-03-2004, 11:20 AM

cool i'm going to check into this Nyditot. so do we basically feel like netfront is a better overall solution than PIE and the multi add-on?

zilla31 · #24 05-03-2004, 11:21 AM

cool i'm going to check into this Nyditot. so do we basically feel like netfront is a better overall solution than PIE and the multi add-on?

zilla31 · #25 05-03-2004, 11:23 AM

ps OT question - when does this SE version come out? i just got a new 4155 and i should be able to upgrade right? don't want to purchase something like Nyditot and then have it "built in" shotly.

jkendrick · #26 05-03-2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilla31

cool i'm going to check into this Nyditot. so do we basically feel like netfront is a better overall solution than PIE and the multi add-on?

I only use it in VGA so YMMV. But I find NF to be at least twice as fast as PIE. I don't use PIE much at all anymore. I recently sent my PPC in for repair and had to use an older one for a few days and I just used PIE it didn't have a lot of spare memory for NF. I couldn't wait to ditch PIE for NF.
Be aware that Nyditot brings a performance hit but it's minor in QVGA. Also NF takes a lot of memory. You can probably install it to a storage card OK but for performance reasons I don't install any programs to storage cards. Thankfully with 128 MB I don't have to.

jkendrick · #27 05-03-2004, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilla31

ps OT question - when does this SE version come out? i just got a new 4155 and i should be able to upgrade right? don't want to purchase something like Nyditot and then have it "built in" shotly.

That's a good point. SE will eliminate the need for Nyditot for most people. When it will be available is up to HP and they're not saying. The only OEM that's given dates of any kind is Toshiba and they have stated 2nd week in May.

zilla31 · #28 05-03-2004, 11:27 AM

thanks. i guess we can assume HP will release it around the same time so Nyditot is probably not a good investment right now with SE coming out *possibly* sometime this month.

dre · #29 05-05-2004, 11:14 PM

i tried getting the latest version of jeode from the new owners. but am unable to. anyone care to send it my way?