MultiIE 4.0 Released and Reviewed

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.southwaycorp.net/' target='_blank'>http://www.southwaycorp.net/</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20060725-multiie.jpg" /><br /><br />Internet Explorer Mobile enhancement, <a href="http://www.southwaycorp.net/">MultiIE 4.0</a> includes everything from tabbed browsing to quick user-agent string switching. Werner (a.k.a. <i>Menneisyys</i>) has given the plug-in a lot of hands-on time, so if you're interested in learning all its highs and lows, check out his review <a href="http://www.pocketpcmag.com/blogs/index.php?blog=3&title=review_pocket_internet_explorer_plug_in_0&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">here</a>. For a free trial version or purchasing details, head over to the <a href="http://www.southwaycorp.net/">Southway Mobile Applications web site</a>.

[Menneisyys]

Thanks for the frontpage :)

If you've read my review in the last 3 hours and haven't (yet) noticed the update (on the latest, D71 build), check back to the article for additional info (in a nuthsell: the brand new, D71 build fixes all the bugs I've listed in the article).

[Silver5]

Great! I have been looking forward to this update...I have missed using this program ever since I got my Qtek 9100 back in October of last year.

[adbosch]

And now of course the question: should I go for MultiIE or for PiePlus? What's are the advantages of one against the other?

[efjay]

PIEPlus 2.0 does support WM5 softkeys - its under Tools, Options (Options Plus in 2.1b2), on the Menu tab, Menubar option - Enable soft-key menubar on WM5. Tick the checkbox and the soft keys are enabled.

[Menneisyys]

And now of course the question: should I go for MultiIE or for PiePlus? What's are the advantages of one against the other?

Both are excellent apps. You want to check out my two in-depth reviews (MultiIE 4 , PIEPlus 2.1b2 (along with that of PIEPlus 2.0)) because I've devoted pages to explaining the differences.

As usual, now that the bugs in MultiIE 4 are fixed, the choice between the two apps boils down to personal preferences.

[Menneisyys]

PIEPlus 2.0 does support WM5 softkeys - its under Tools, Options (Options Plus in 2.1b2), on the Menu tab, Menubar option - Enable soft-key menubar on WM5. Tick the checkbox and the soft keys are enabled.

Yup, it's there, as with NetFront 3.3. I've, however, meant assigning not just the usual (as in the basic IEM) Back/Menu functionality to the two softkeys, but much more advanced / more useful ones like the one in MultiIE: toggling the scroll and the full screen mode (the functionality that can also be accessed with the mini-icons in the bottom left and right corners, respectively) upon long-press.

Incidentally, as long as this extended (and useful if you plan to use your handheld in one-handed mode) functionality of soft buttons are concerned, they only work on WM5 devices that have native WM5 soft buttons; that is, for example, on the HTC Wizard or TyTN. On devices that don't have dedicated soft buttons, even if you assign one/two hardware buttons the left/right soft button functionality, long-press won't work inside MultiIE 4 d71. I've tested this on both the x51v (A12) and the WM5-upgraded hx4700. (On the latter, by assigning the softkey fiunctionality to both the default and the long-press keys - that is, instead of the by default "Calendar" and "Rotate Screen" functionality of the leftmost "Calendar" button in turn. Neither of them worked in long-press mode.)

That is, this (excellent) functionality doesn't work with devices that don't have dedicated hardware soft buttons. Hope this will be fixed in a subsequent MultiIE 4 build.

[efjay]

PIEPlus 2.0 does support WM5 softkeys - its under Tools, Options (Options Plus in 2.1b2), on the Menu tab, Menubar option - Enable soft-key menubar on WM5. Tick the checkbox and the soft keys are enabled.

Yup, it's there, as with NetFront 3.3. I've, however, meant assigning not just the usual (as in the basic IEM) Back/Menu functionality to the two softkeys, but much more advanced / more useful ones like the one in MultiIE: toggling the scroll and the full screen mode (the functionality that can also be accessed with the mini-icons in the bottom left and right corners, respectively) upon long-press.



Ok, thanks for clarifying that point.

[Mexico]

I used MultiIE for a long time on my h2215 and was very happy. Then I switched to a PPC6700 and could no longer use it, so I started using something else, thinking once the new version of MultiIE came out I would go back to it.

Well, SouthwayCorp is not getting a dime from me, and here's the reason why.

Any time I register my email address with a company, I create an alias based on that company - in this case multiie@[mydomainname].com. One day I started receiving spam (and I mean SPAM, the nasty kind) to this address. I promptly notified them of this issue, thinking that maybe their system got hacked and their database stolen. I never got a reply from them.

To this day I still receive spam on that alias. Even if they got hacked, or for whatever unbelievable reason that address ended up in the hands of a spammer, the least thing I expected from them was an aknowledgement of the issue and a show of concern.

If they indeed got hacked, and chose not to notify anybody of this, then shame on them. If they sold my email address to a spammer, then may the flames of hell burn their arses for all eternity.

Peace!

Mex

[tivoboy]

yeah, selling names is nothing new and I imagine that is what happened.

If they got hacked, and you purchased anything from them, with a credit card or a bank account and they DIDN'T notify you, they that is a law broken and they could be easily sued.

That said, there have been a number of cases in the past, of employees WITHIN a company and not to the company's knowledge, gathering emails addresses, and selling them to company's that pay .50-10$ for a LIVE address.

[Marcel_Proust]

it's hard to imagine southway would do something like that. odd.

also, i want to thank Menneisyys for all his work and really in depth reviews and so forth. come to think of it, has anyone ever seen Menneisyys and God in the same room together?

[Marcel_Proust]

I used MultiIE for a long time on my h2215 and was very happy. Then I switched to a PPC6700 and could no longer use it, so I started using something else, thinking once the new version of MultiIE came out I would go back to it.

Well, SouthwayCorp is not getting a dime from me, and here's the reason why.

Any time I register my email address with a company, I create an alias based on that company - in this case multiie@[mydomainname].com. One day I started receiving spam (and I mean SPAM, the nasty kind) to this address. I promptly notified them of this issue, thinking that maybe their system got hacked and their database stolen. I never got a reply from them.

To this day I still receive spam on that alias. Even if they got hacked, or for whatever unbelievable reason that address ended up in the hands of a spammer, the least thing I expected from them was an aknowledgement of the issue and a show of concern.

If they indeed got hacked, and chose not to notify anybody of this, then shame on them. If they sold my email address to a spammer, then may the flames of hell burn their arses for all eternity.

Peace!

Mex

ps that's a great idea in regards to the aliases. i should do that. easy to do if you have a hosted exchange server.

[jlp]

The wording/layout on their home page is contradictory:
- at the top they say:
&lt;&lt;MultiIE 4.0 Available Now!

Compatible With:
Windows Mobile 2003
Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC
Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone
>>

implying it works with both 2003 and 5.0 versions of the OS.

...yet at the bottom of the same page:
&lt;&lt;V4.0 supporting Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC

V3.1 supporting these Pocket PC versions...

Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition (incl. VGA)
Windows Mobile 2003 (incl. Phone Edition)
Pocket PC 2002
Original Pocket PC
>>

implying that MultiIE 4.x only works with WM 5.0 and the older version MultiIE 3.x is for previous versions of the OS.

[jlp]

I just sent them an email asking to clarify.

[Menneisyys]

The wording/layout on their home page is contradictory:
- at the top they say:
&lt;&lt;MultiIE 4.0 Available Now!

Compatible With:
Windows Mobile 2003
Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC
Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone
>>

implying it works with both 2003 and 5.0 versions of the OS.

...yet at the bottom of the same page:
&lt;&lt;V4.0 supporting Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC

V3.1 supporting these Pocket PC versions...

Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition (incl. VGA)
Windows Mobile 2003 (incl. Phone Edition)
Pocket PC 2002
Original Pocket PC
>>

implying that MultiIE 4.x only works with WM 5.0 and the older version MultiIE 3.x is for previous versions of the OS.

D71 supports WM2003 and WM2003SE flawlessly. Unfortunately, PPC2k / PPC2k2 arent supported (PIEPlus 2.1 supports the latter.)

[Jason Lee]

I used to use MultiIE but with WM5 i got used to what pocket plus offered. Now I'm not sure i want to go back to MultiIE. I don't think i really need that much functionality. :lol:

I should at least play with it i guess. Very nice to know that it has been updated though. :)

[Southway]

Well, SouthwayCorp is not getting a dime from me, and here's the reason why.

Any time I register my email address with a company, I create an alias based on that company - in this case multiie@[mydomainname].com. One day I started receiving spam (and I mean SPAM, the nasty kind) to this address. I promptly notified them of this issue, thinking that maybe their system got hacked and their database stolen. I never got a reply from them.

To this day I still receive spam on that alias. Even if they got hacked, or for whatever unbelievable reason that address ended up in the hands of a spammer, the least thing I expected from them was an aknowledgement of the issue and a show of concern.

If they indeed got hacked, and chose not to notify anybody of this, then shame on them. If they sold my email address to a spammer, then may the flames of hell burn their arses for all eternity.


Mex,

I assure you we never got hacked and we never sold/sell any email addresses received through our product registration or from any other source, such as enquiries, etc.

Our very long-term term relationship with our e-commerce provider is also based on their clear policy to "not sell or rent your personal information in any capacity to any third party for any reason".

I have looked though our email logs, and I see I did miss responding to your request about this, at that time we were working very hard to finish off the main engine for MultiIE 4. I am not sure what to tell you, I would be as interested as you to understand how this could have occurred.

Regards,

Pete

[Southway]

Please see this post for an example of how to easily do a location based search:

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=410684

Regards,

Pete

[Mexico]

Pete,

First of all, thank you for your answer in this forum, even though it may be a little too late for me to reconsider the use of your software and my small financial contribution to your company.


Mex,

I assure you we never got hacked and we never sold/sell any email addresses received through our product registration or from any other source, such as enquiries, etc.

Nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. After reading your post, I do appreciate that your company did not do this willingfully - but your lack of an answer in the past granted me the right to doubt your business ethics.


Our very long-term term relationship with our e-commerce provider is also based on their clear policy to "not sell or rent your personal information in any capacity to any third party for any reason".

Now that you are aware of my email address being used and abused for spamming purposes, have you contacted your e-commerce provider? The problem may be on their end.


I have looked though our email logs, and I see I did miss responding to your request about this, at that time we were working very hard to finish off the main engine for MultiIE 4.

This explains it (to a certain point) but it doesn't justify it. And I say "to a certain point" because I sent your company not one but two emails regarding this issue - the first one back in October 25th, 2005, and the second one on February 20th, 2006 (I have forwarded the October 25th email to you).


I am not sure what to tell you, I would be as interested as you to understand how this could have occurred.


Without trying to sound apathetic, I am not really interested in finding out how this happened. I simply don't have the time. Spam is a reality we all live with and deal with in different manners. My way: I set up an email alias for each company I deal with. If I receive spam on such account, I notify the company (sometimes twice, like in your case). If I get no answer from the company, I simply assign that email alias to a SPAM account, which gets emptied without verification every couple of weeks or so. This doesn't happen too often at all, but when it does happen, it trully becomes a nuisance, and this is an easy method to get rid of it.

Again, thank you for your answer, and good luck with MultiIE 4.

Manuel

[Menneisyys]

Build D72 has just been released.

[ledpocket]

Peter, great update!

As a long time user of multiie, and a beta tester of v3 (I've been using v3d59 since it's release on my ipaq) I was super happy to see the update to wm05/v4 2 days ago when I finally converged and bought an xv6700 (verizon).

It has dragged me back to posting here (other hobbies have kept me from buying a new ppc, and busy posting on other forums).

I'd like to add a bug report: attempting to sign on to ebay causes a crash. Closing multiie, and going straight PIE works, though.

Thanks for a great app! (especially the free upgrade from v3)

Best,
Led

[Menneisyys]

Make sure you check out http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=411208 – I’ve published a LOT of additional information on the scrolling behaviour &amp; incompatibilities of the plug-in there.