FAQ
FAQ
General information
Will Opera be free for Symbian OS like it is for Windows?
Definately not. Version 4 and below had to be bought for all platforms, however at the launch of Opera 5 for Windows - the release that introduced sponsored Toolbar adverts for non-registered copies - the CEO of Opera stated that the small screen sizes of most EPOC devices, and the way in which they're used, meant it wouldn't be practical to implement advertisements. As the sponsored ad banner is the only alternative to registering Opera it's unlikely there will be a free version for Symbian OS from Opera themselves, so future releases will continue to have a 30 day trial. Of course, this doesn't stop device manufacturers licensing Opera themselves and bundling copies with their products - just as Psion have done with Opera 3.62 and several of their ER5 devices.
But even for older users, $39 is good value for money when you consider that you're getting commercial quality software with full desktop functionality for your palmtop or Wireless device, and a free upgrade to the forthcoming Opera version 5. There are no contemporary PDA browsers on any platform that support XML, XHTML, Javascript 1.4, CSS2, WML (WAP) etc...
Should I download the ER3 or ER5 edition of Opera 3.62?
When you download Opera, it's important that you install the correct edition for your Symbian device. Opera 3.62 is available for EPOC Release 3 and EPOC Release 5 so, if in doubt, check this table to see which edition is required for your machine:
| Machine | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Psion Series 5 | ER3 | Psion Messagesuite v1.52 must be installed to bring the device up to ER3. Without it, the machine is only ER2 and cannot run Opera. (Messagesuite must not be installed on any other Psion device) |
| Psion Series 5MX/5MXpro | ER5 | The 5MX Executive Pack is supplied with Opera 3.62 on CD |
| Psion Revo/Revo+ | ER5 | The Revo+ is supplied with Opera 3.62 on CD |
| Psion 618C | ER5 + uniFEP | |
| Psion Series 7 | ER5 | Current machines are supplied with Opera 3.62 on CD and older users can obtain a free copy from Psion (Not Opera software) |
| Psion netBook | ER5 | Older machines were supplied with Opera 3.62 on CD however the latest netBook OS images contain Opera 5.14 instead of EPOC Web 2.0. The copies from the Opera Software website are not the same and will give a 30 days-of-usagetrial if installed. |
| Psion netPad | ER5 | Opera 3.62 is currently supplied with this machine on CD-ROM and as part of the standard EPOC OS image. |
| Geofox One/pro | ER3 | |
| Philips Synergy/Accent | ER3 | Opera cannot be used on this device as it has insufficient RAM/disk space |
| Oregon / RISCstation Osaris | ER4 | Osaris Messagesuite must be installed on this machine for Opera to work. Users should then install the ER3 release of Opera, however it will not run on 4MB machines |
| Ericsson MC218 | ER5 | |
| Ericsson R380 | ER5u | Due to the closed implementation of EPOC on this device, Opera cannot be installed |
| Diamond Mako | ER5 | Opera 3.62 is supplied with this machine on CD-ROM |
| Nokia 9210/9290 | ER6.0C | Opera will not be made available for this machine. Users are unfortunately limited to Symbian Web 2.2, a far less capable browser. |
| Nokia 9210i/9230 | ER6.0C/ ER6.1 | These devices include the Communicator edition of Opera 6 in ROM, allowing users to surf the Web right out of the box! |
| Nokia 3650/7650 | Series 60 (ER6.1P) | Update - A Series 60 edition of Opera 6 is now available for phones such as the Nokia 3650, though many 7650 users may find they have insufficient memory available for Opera to run properly (the application is over 800KB). All Series 60 devives come with a very capable Nokia WAP browser. |
| EricsSony P800 | ER7.0 (UIQ) | At the time of writing, Sony-Ericsson intend to ship this device along with an Ericsson browser supporting HTML3.2, WAP2 and iMode (not Javascript or CSS). It's likely, however, that future versions of Opera will include UIQ editions. Whether all P800 owners will be able to upgrade to Opera-UIQ or SonyEricsson ensure it's only made available for subsequent phones (Like Nokia did with Opera 6 and the the 9210i) remains to be seen. |
Will Opera be available for ER6 machines like the Nokia 9210?
Opera 3.62 won't be, however the Nokia 9210i Communicator will include the embedded version of Opera 6. The lack of memory in the original 9210 made it extremely difficult to run Opera effectively, and an early beta testing phase did not result in a formal release. The 9210i will allow Opera to run more smoothly (from ROM) though there are some limitations such as only allowing two windows to be open simultaneously.
Beyond this, Symbian seem set to drop the STNC WTL software, used in ER3-ER6, in favour of the Opera browser in future versions of their platform. Opera Software will continue to market Opera 5 for older ER3-ER5 devices so users can access a wide range of online services requiring Javascript and advanced CSS. If Symbian do integrate Opera with the platform for use in other applications then many new mediaphones should come with an Opera based browser as standard.
What are the RGB colour codes for EPOC 4-shade grey?
Symbian devices with a 16 shade grey screen also have a 4-shade grey mode which, by default, uses the shades as set out in this table.
| Colour | RGB (Decimal) | Hex (8-Bit) | Hex (24-Bit) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 0,0,0 | #000 | #000000 | |
| Dark grey | 85,85,85 | #555 | #555555 | |
| Light grey | 150,150,150 | #AAA | #969696 | |
| White | 255,255,255 | #FFF | #FFFFFF | |
How do I soft reset my Symbian device
How you go about performing a soft reset depends on the device you are using. For the Psion Revo or Diamond Mako, take note of the following advice but actually follow the instructions further down the page. For most other ER1-5 devices, close all files but leave the machine switched on. Open the backup battery hatch and locate the reset hole which should be next to the battery slot. Insert an unfolded paper-clip (or similar) into it gently, avoiding contact with the battery, until you feel a slight click. At this point the machine should turn itself off. If it hasn't then you have not located the reset hole. After using the reset hole, close the battery hatch and turn the machine back on but take care not to touch any other key while it reboots.
You should hear two beeps and after booting all saved data will almost certainly be safe, though any files that were open when you performed the reset will have lost changes and reverted to their previous state. Some System settings such as display preferences, keyboard preferences and possibly Extras bars positioning will also be lost. Extras bars settings can be locked via the Control Panel however the other settings will always be lost after a reset. To automatically restore your System screen preferences you can use third party software such as SysBack.
Psion Revo or Diamond Mako
To reset these machines, close all files and locate the two reset holes on the back of the machine, labeled Hole 1
and Hole 2
. A soft reset is performed by gently pushing an unfolded paper clip into hole 1 until the device turns itself off. Hole 2 is only of use while performing a hard reset so unless you want to wipe all data and restore the machine to a factory state, leave this hole well alone.
After using reset hole 1, turn the machine back on and after two beeps it should reboot and display your Standard folder
in the System screen. As with other Symbian devices, the saved data held on the internal disk should remain intact and you can continue from where you left off.
