People still using older (pre-NVFS) handhelds will be unhappy to hear that Palm has just disabled the proxy powering the WebPro and nWeb browsers.
Attempting to use the proxy yields the following message:
Attention:
The proxy server required to use this browser has ceased operation.The technology required to operate this proxy server has reached the end of its useful life and cannot be updated.
Please check the version of your browser
* For users of WebPro 2.1 or higher, the browser can still function in a proxy-less mode. To disable proxy support open Menu -> Select Options -> Select Preferences -> Select Advanced -> uncheck the Use Proxy Server box -> Select OK
* For users of nWeb or earlier versions of WebPro, your browser does not support proxy-less mode. Further instructions are available at http://mobile.palm.com/eolkb.html
Visiting the URL leads you to a knowledge base page stating that Palm has disabled the proxy and that proxy-assisted modes will no longer work. People using nWeb, or WebPro versions older than v.2.1 can no longer use their browser. Web Pro version 2.1 and newer will still work, albeit only in proxy-less mode.
Instead of offering a free download of an old version of Blazer or Web Pro 3.5, Palm recommends a five-year old and totally useless browser called PocketLink. The TamsPalm team instead recommends Opera Mini or Web Pro 3.5, which can be ripped out of a Zire 72’s ROM.
Cutting a long story short: Palm REALLY wants to kill off older (pre-NVFS) handhelds and smartphones. Unfortunately, the timing once again proves Palm’s idiocy: with Nova still at least half a year away, users will likely switch to quality PocketPC handhelds like the ipaq x10 series in order to be able to browse the web once again…
P.S. We have sent this article to Novarra and hope to receive a statement from them eventually…
Don’t care for ancient species, do they? Shame, again. But we are used to this by now.
Opera Mini is the choice. But just for people who have backed up the appropriate JavaVM in time …
Why so cynical?
Would you expect Apple, at this current date, to provide support for all of the features from the original iMac, gratis?
While I cannot speak for Palm, I will play the role of a hypothetical critical thinker.
Consider how many people use this service. If the number of users does not match a threshold that makes the service worth keeping around then why continue to pay all of the costs necessary to keep it around?
Palm released Web Pro with the Tungsten T, Tungsten T2, Tungsten T3 and Zire 72, as well as a for pay version of 3.0 (the dual mode version). They were able to offer the browser proxy because they were making money off of the products that contained the browser. Palm stopped selling the Zire 72 three years ago. They are no longer turning a profit on this service. Why continue?
Any company that expects to make a profit is going to have to find some way to cut costs and force its customers onto the latest and greatest. Companies cannot keep the lights on by offering free services (Google does not offer free services, you pay by seeing ads and purchasing the items in the ads) and not making attempts to get customers to upgrade. I find it amusing when people complain about a company making a move such as this, and then complain when the company has to file for chapter 11. The same can be said for “backwards compatibility.”
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this is business.
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The opinions and statements expressed in this comment are mine and mine alone. The statements do not represent opinions or official statements from Palm, Inc. Any questions directed at Palm should be sent to a PR contact: http://www.palm.com/us/company/contacts-pr.html
Just use the old AvantGo browser.
It’s free and has a web browser capability