Microsoft puts hands on pocket web browser

Microsoft announced a version of its web browser for handheld devices at the CeBIT trade fair last week.

Microsoft announced a version of its web browser for hand-held devices at the CeBIT trade fair last week.

It plans to expand on the product to allow users to view Wireless Application Programme (WAP) services.

Pocket Internet Explorer will ship pre-installed on Windows CE devices from Casio, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Siemens and Symbol Technologies and is set to launch in May.

Previously, Windows CE device users have had to rely on third-party browsers to access the web. Microsoft's browser supports HTML 3.2 browsing, enhanced socket layer security, JavaScript and XML. Microsoft said Java applets "may or may not be supported", depending on their complexity.

No public announcement was made about whether or not the devices, dubbed Pocket PCs, would support WAP services. Greg Levin, Windows CE marketing manager at Microsoft, said that WAP support was still an option.

Pocket Internet Explorer includes two noteworthy features: offline browsing, so that Internet or Intranet information can be down-loaded while the device is connected to a network; and read later, which rearranges web pages to fit Pocket PC screens.

Microsoft also previewed the first results of the Siemens/Casio partnership announced late last year. The companies have added Siemens's GSM technology to Casio's Cassiopeia PDA. The finished product is due to ship in the first quarter of 2001.