Features : Web browsing

LunaSuite Web

Product Summary
LunaSuite Web is a powerful web browser for your Newton. Seamlessly integrated with Newton, it is designed for ease of use. Connect it to your GSM phone and you can browse the web while you're on the road. Packed with web features such as animated images, tables, cookies, authentication and frames, LunaSuite Web will enable you to view most web pages as they were intended to be viewed.

Display and User Interface

Screen real-estate is used efficiently. LunaSuite utilizes the display to present web page information at its fullest, keeping non-web-page components such as button bars, menus, and Location boxes to a minimum. The only visible components are the title bar and button, scroll arrows, and close box. (The blank area in the page above contains an animated GIF that was part-way through its cycle when the screenshot was taken.)

The button bar is hidden out of the way when not in use. Simply tap the button to show it:

Hidden when you don't need it... ...displayed when you do.

Similarly, further functions are available for a page or image when you need them: hold down the pen for a second or two to reveal a menu of operations.

Integration with Newton

LunaSuite was designed so that, as far as possible, the user needn't be aware of a separate application. Newton features are utilized to their fullest, and examples of this philosophy follow.

Caching On a mobile device, caching is more important than on the desktop. Not only does it speed access to recently-viewed images or pages, it also enables off-line browsing. LunaSuite's caching mechanism is ingenious: it utilizes the InBox to retain cached pages. To keep cached items separate from other documents, they are filed under a folder called "cache". A background process keeps the cache below a pre-set level.

URLs in Name Cards In keeping with the Newton philosophy of integration, URLs for individuals or companies may be stored with their Name cards. To visit their page, simply tap on the world icon. Naturally, when you beam or email your name card to someone, your URL will be sent with it.

 

Forms are fully supported, allowing you to fill-in a form using all the standard Newton text input facilities, including handwriting recognition.

 

 

Setup and configuration There's little setup to do: once the user has an Internet connection, LunaSuite simply makes use of it. Any configuration changes are made through the Newton's Owner and Worksite cards (so you can tailor them depending on where you are, or who is using your Newton), and through the InBox preferences.

Using LunaSuite Web

A web page may be accessed using whichever method you prefer:

• enter the URL you want into Go-To
• select a page from your Bookmarks
• open the LunaRoamer if you prefer a conventional "browser" interface
• open the InBox and select a cached page or image
• tap on the URL in an individual's or company's Name card

Go-To

The most flexible way to enter a URL is with Go-To, which will retrieve a given URL and display it. Buttons containing common words help you to build the URL quickly and easily, or of course you can just write by hand:

The buttons in Go-To are fully customizable.

Bookmarks

The Bookmarks application allows the user to create a personal collection of commonly-visited sites. Bookmarks are stored in folders, and may be accessed using standard techniques familiar to a Newton user. Each bookmark can contain one or more URLs, and editing them is simplicity itself. Selecting a bookmark and hitting "Go!" will retrieve the document.

LunaSuite Roamer

The LunaSuite Roamer is for those who prefer a more "conventional" web browser interface. A single application provides an integrated front end to the web browser and FTP service. Through this application users have access to their Bookmarks and all system wide preferences. Access to the Go-To application is also provided.

The Roamer can hide the standard Newton button bar in order to make even more screen space available for viewing documents.

Integration with LunaSuite components

You really appreciate the benefits of LunaSuite's component architecture when you install the components together:

• It doesn't matter whether a document arrives via the web, via email, or via FTP: it will be converted and displayed appropriately. This is important, as Internet mail applications increasingly send messages as HTML, and you'll need to be able to view them.
• Many web sites point you to an FTP server to download documents (or Newton packages). The hand-over to FTP is seamless with LunaSuite!
• All components use a common framework (for conversion, MIME, and so forth). This means a lower memory footprint, and more space in your Newton for you.

Product Specification

Hypertext (HTML 3.2) Stationery

• Basic elements
• True Alignment of images
• Forms
• Frames
• Tables

HTTP Transport

• Basic operations
• Proxy services
• Cookies
• Authentication is supported for the simple and basic methods
• Cache and thorough cache management

Graphics

• GIF
• Animated GIF
• JPEG

Document Types

• Sound: Basic audio (Sun .au format)
• Newton packages (put away under user control for security)
• Versit vCard

Encoding/Decoding

• UUEncode
• Base64
• Quoted-Printable

MIME

• Multipart: supports mixed, digest and alternate

User Interface Components

• Bookmarks Application
• Go-To Application
• Support for Grayscale and Color
• Off-line viewing of pages
• API and plug-in support
• Configuration UI

Compatibility

• LunaSuite integrates with the Newton 2.0 and 2.1 Operating System, using NIE 1.1
• LunaSuite is designed for use with the MessagePad 2000 and upwards

LunaSuite Application Platform

LunaSuite is an ideal platform for extending a company's intranet to their mobile workforce. A "plug-in" architecture enables third-party developers to build form-mailing, workflow, and electronic trading systems on top of LunaSuite; and support for further systems and protocols beneath LunaSuite.

The support for MIME types can be easily extended by third-party developers through the extensive API.