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Introduction [back to top]
AcidImage products provide robust image and fax viewing capabilities for Palm OS handhelds and smartphones.
But before you can begin viewing email attachments with AcidImage, you first need to get your email up and running on your
handheld.
The email application takes care of getting the email and attachments on to your handheld, while AcidImage handles
the actual viewing of the attachments.
If you are planning to use AcidImage or AcidImage Pro to view and send images files via wireless email this tutorial
will serve as a quick reference for getting started with your wireless email.
We also recommend reading the documentation for the email application that you will be using.
Note that if your email has already been set up and is working on your handheld, you don't need this tutorial.
Simply install AcidImage Pro and start viewing attachments. However, you might want to check to see if your email
application supports
email attachments.
What you need to get started [back to top]
Setting up email on your handheld or smartphone is not too different than setting up email on your desktop computer.
You'll need the appropriate hardware, software and service set up in order to send and receive email or download
and view email image file attachments, including faxes.
- Select Hardware
If you need to get email wherever you are, select a handheld capable of wireless email.
Many of our customers are currently using the new Palm OS smartphones such as the Treo 600 and Treo 650.
If you have wireless data service enabled with your carrier, you will be able to receive
email and attachments wherever you are.
- Select Email Account
You probably already have one or more email accounts that you would like to be able to use on your handheld.
If not, or if you'd like a new account for your handheld, you can set up an account with Yahoo!,
or Hotmail,
or Google, etc.
- Select and Install Email Application
There are many Palm OS email applications available (we've listed them below). Most support opening attachments in their native
form by launching third party applications, but some don't. Make sure that the email software you select specifically
states that it can open image file attachments using other software. Just as when you open an email attachment on your PC,
the email application will launch the appropriate software to view the attachment. For example, when viewing a fax, the email application
will launch AcidImage Pro to do the viewing, and when you're done viewing, you will automatically return back to the email application.
Look for statements similar to this:
"SnapperMail fetches emails and delivers attachments to other applications to open" - SnapperMail
"Documents transmitted as email attachments may be downloaded in native desktop format" - Aileron
"Attachments can be downloaded and opened with applications that support the file type" - Visto
- Web based email
Web based email users, such as Yahoo, Hotmail, corporate web mail accounts, etc., can easily launch third party software
such as AcidImage using the Blazer Web Browser 3.0 by Handspring. The Blazer Web Browser is bundled with most Smartphones.
Look for this web browser on your handheld main application screen.
- Configure Your Wireless Email Account
There are various standards for accessing email accounts. Some accounts require "Post Office Protocol", or "POP", usually referred to
as "POP3". Others can be accessed via "IMAP", sometimes referred to as "IMAP4". Some email accounts can use either (for example, Yahoo! email accounts can be accessed via POP3 or IMAP).
Most Palm OS email applications will support IMAP or POP3, but if you choose to use IMAP, double-check the email application - some don't support
IMAP yet. Choose IMAP over POP3 if you can, since IMAP is better suited for remote viewing of an email inbox.
If you are trying to access your email at work, you may need to enlist the help of your system administrator. A company will typically
restrict the ways you can access your work email. You may be able to access your work email via a web browser, in which case you can
use the browser on your handheld to access your email and view attachments.
If your company uses Microsoft Exchange, and you need an enterprise-wide solution for email, you can use GoodLink from Good Technology.
GoodLink is a perfect solution for synchronizing your Outlook email in real time to your Treo smartphone.
The documentation that came with your email application will have step by step instructions for setting up the account
information for your email account.
- Activate Data Service
Activate data service with your mobile service provider. Your mobile phone account must be 'data-enabled' in order to receive
email and attachments. This is a setting that your mobile service provider has to enable for you, and there is usually an extra charge
for data services.
- Install Third Party Software: AcidImage Pro
You'll need AcidImage Pro installed on your
handheld for viewing faxes, and image file attachments. If you don't need to view faxes, you can use
AcidImage Standard to view attachments.
- Start Viewing Attachments
Once your email application is functioning, and AcidImage Pro has been installed, you can download and view attachments.
Most email applications will first download just the text of the email, and then offer you the option of downloading
the rest of the email (the meat of the attachment). The full attachment must be downloaded to your device before it
can be viewed, so double-check the way your email application handles this. If you are consistently getting errors viewing
images, it may be that your email application hasn't downloaded the full attachment. You may have to tell your email application
to download the attachment before attempting to view it.
Viewing an attachment is usually as simple as tapping on the attachment icon in the email you are viewing. AcidImage Pro registers itself
with the Palm OS as an image viewer, so the system automatically knows that it can use AcidImage Pro to view TIFF, fax, JPEG,
GIF or BMP images. After tapping on the attachment, the image will appear on your screen. You can zoom, pan and rotate the image,
and if you have viewed multiple attachments, or a multi-page fax, you can switch pages by pressing Page Up or Page Down on your
handheld (or Up and Down on the 5-way navigator). Tapping in the upper-right hand corner will exit AcidImage and return you back
to the email application.
If you like, you can change the "Receive Prefs" in AcidImage to match your preferences for saving viewed attachments. Normally,
AcidImage will just view the attachment and return you back to your email application. However, you can have AcidImage ask you
if you would like to save a copy of the attachment on your handheld or on a memory card. You can also have AcidImage automatically
save a copy of viewed attachments without asking.
Palm OS Email Applications [back to top]
Not all email programs support file attachments, and those that do won't necessarily support seamless viewing
of attachments. If you need to view email attachments, make sure that your
email program supports the "Palm OS Exchange Manager" for automatic viewing of images. Or, if your email application
will at least save an attachment to a memory card, you can then manually launch AcidImage Pro to view the saved
image from the memory card.
Applications that Support Email Attachments [back to top]
Updated August 2004.
SnapperMail $29.95-$59.95
SnapperMail supports POP3, APOP, IMAP4, SMTP-AUTH, SSL, HTML rendering with URL and phone number linking, unlimited accounts, unlimited sized messages, automatic mail fetching with alerts, very good attachment support including a full memory card file browser, and the option to store nearly unlimited amounts of old mail on memory card. AcidImage has been tested with SnapperMail.
VersaMail v2.5 $34.99
VersaMail supports POP3, APOP, IMAP4, SMTP-AUTH, and up to 8 accounts, filters, and attachments as well as syncing to Windows or Mac desktops. The latest version 2.5 supports automatic mail fetching, HTML rendering, and users that are running Palm OS5.2 will have access to SSL secured mail servers. VersaMail requires Palm OS 4.1 or better.
Iambic Mail v3.14 $19.95
Iambic Mail is a fully featured POP3, IMAP4, and SMS messaging client. It comes with a conduit which can sync with Windows desktops. Full attachment support (requires device with memory card)
Aileron v5.0 $49.95
Aileron Personal Access is an ideal solution for mobile users who can access their mailbox using Internet protocols like POP3 (Post Office Protocol, V3) and IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol, V4), with or without secure (SSL) interfaces.. Aileron Personal Access also interfaces with portals like MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo and AOL.
GoodLink v3.0
GoodLink is a standards-based wireless messaging and corporate data access system that provides mobile field forces with a two-way wirelessly synchronized connection to Microsoft Exchange ServerŪ (enterprise e-mail, contacts, calendar, notes, and tasks) and other critical applications like CRM, ERP and SCM.
Visto MessageXpress $99.99 or $49.99 per year
MessageXpress is available in two versions-one for corporate email (using Microsoft Outlook with or without Exchange, Lotus Notes with or without Domino server, or a POP3 server inside your corporate firewall) and a version for Internet POP3 accounts with outside services/ISPs such as Yahoo! or Earthlink or your telephone or cable company.
Email Applications that Don't Support Attachments [back to top]
Updated as of August 2004.
The following Palm OS email applications currently do not support full, native format email attachments.
If one of your favorite applications is listed here and you would like to use it to view image file attachments with AcidImage, send an email to their developers and ask them to support Palm OS exchange manager.
If you have one of these email applications, you might be able to get it to save an attachment to a memory card. You will then be able
to view the saved attachment with AcidImage, it just won't be quite as seamless as it could be.
Eudora v2.1 Free
Mark/Space Mail $29.95
AOL 3.2.1 $19.95
Basejet MAIL v2.1 $45.00
Inbox To Go v 2.504 $79.90 - $99.90
Sprint PCS Business Connection Software
Help us keep our lists up-to-date.
Send updated information to us at support@acid-image.com
Helpful Links [back to top]
Here are a few links to help you find additional information on how to set up your email application. Most of these links
relate the VersaMail and the Treo 650.
Other reading:
View Faxes with AcidImage Pro
Learn More About AcidImage
Back to AcidImage Home
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