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| supported platforms = [[x86]], [[ARM architecture|ARM]]
| supported platforms = {{unbulleted list|[[x86]] {{small|(EPOC16)}}|[[ARM architecture|ARM]] {{small|(EPOC32)}}}}
| kernel type = [[Microkernel]]
| kernel type = [[Microkernel]]
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'''EPOC''' is a [[Graphical user interface|graphical]] [[operating system]] developed by [[Psion (computers)|Psion]] for [[mobile device]]s, including [[personal digital assistant]]s, [[smartphone]]s, and [[subnotebook]]s. It began as a [[16-bit]] operating system for Psion's own [[x86]]-compatible devices, and was later replaced by a [[32-bit]] system for x86 and [[ARM architecture|ARM]]. Psion licensed the 32-bit system to other hardware manufacturers, such as [[Ericsson]].
'''EPOC''' is a [[mobile operating system]] developed by [[Psion (computers)|Psion]], a British company founded in 1980. It began as a [[16-bit]] operating system for Psion's own [[x86]]-compatible devices, and was later replaced by a [[32-bit]] system for x86 and [[ARM architecture|ARM]]. Psion licensed the 32-bit system to other hardware manufacturers, such as [[Ericsson]].


The 32-bit operating system, which is sometimes called EPOC32, was a major departure from the 16-bit incarnation (known also as EPOC16 or SIBO). EPOC32 was developed in C++ rather than [[assembly language]] and [[C programming language|C]] as SIBO had been. In 1998, the 32-bit version was renamed [[Symbian OS]]. After [[Nokia]] acquired the rights to Symbian in 2010, they published Symbian's [[source code]] under the [[Eclipse Public License]]. In 2011, Nokia rescinded the [[open-source license]] for subsequent releases of the software.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/04/nokia-transitions-symbian-source-to-non-open-license/ |title=Nokia transitions Symbian source to non-open license |first=Ryan |last=Paul |date=11 April 2011 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>
To distinguish it from the 16-bit system, the 32-bit operating system was sometimes EPOC32. Technologically, it was a major departure from the 16-bit incarnation (which came to be called EPOC16 or SIBO). In 1998, the 32-bit version was renamed [[Symbian OS]]. After [[Nokia]] acquired the rights to Symbian in 2010, they published Symbian's [[source code]] under the [[Eclipse Public License]]. In 2011, Nokia rescinded the [[open-source license]] for subsequent releases of the software.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/04/nokia-transitions-symbian-source-to-non-open-license/ |title=Nokia transitions Symbian source to non-open license |first=Ryan |last=Paul |date=11 April 2011 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>


==Name==
==Name==
The name EPOC comes from the word ''[[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]]'' (the beginning of an era). The name was shortened to four letters to accord with the names of such software innovations as [[Unix]] and [[Mach (kernel)|Mach]].<ref name="Wood">{{cite book |title=Symbian for Software Leaders: Principles of Successful Smartphone Development Projects |last=Wood |first=David |page=279 |chapter=Annotated Glossary of Abbreviations |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zl-pymj3tuYC&pg=PA279 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-470-01683-1 |via=Google Books |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref>
The name EPOC comes from the word ''[[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]]'' (the beginning of an era). The name was shortened to four letters to accord with the names of such software innovations as [[Unix]] and [[Mach (kernel)|Mach]].<ref name="Wood">{{cite book |title=Symbian for Software Leaders: Principles of Successful Smartphone Development Projects |last=Wood |first=David |page=279 |chapter=Annotated Glossary of Abbreviations |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zl-pymj3tuYC&pg=PA279 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-470-01683-1 |via=Google Books |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref>


Initially the operating system was capitalised as '''Epoc''' rather than 'EPOC', since it is not an acronym. The change to all capital letters was made on the recommendation of Psion's marketing department.<ref name="Wood"/> Thereafter, a rumour circulated in the technical press that EPOC was an acronym for "Electronic Piece of Cheese".<ref name="Wood"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/05/15/colly_myers |title=Wireless Warrior |last=Grossman |first=Wendy M. |date=15 May 2000 |website=[[Salon.com]] |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref> When Psion started developing a 32-bit operating system in 1994, they kept it under the EPOC brand. To avoid confusion within the company, they started calling the old system EPOC16, and the new one EPOC32. Then it became conventional within the company to refer to EPOC16 by its original codename, SIBO, and to use the name EPOC for EPOC32.<ref name="Wood"/> EPOC/EPOC32 was renamed to [[Symbian OS]] some time after the 1998 formation of [[Symbian Ltd.]], a partnership between Psion and the telecommunications companies [[Nokia]], [[Ericsson]], [[Motorola]], and [[Sony]].
Initially the operating system was capitalised as '''Epoc''' rather than 'EPOC', since it is not an acronym. The change to all capital letters was made on the recommendation of Psion's marketing department.<ref name="Wood"/> Thereafter, a rumour circulated in the technical press that EPOC was an acronym for "Electronic Piece of Cheese".<ref name="Wood"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/05/15/colly_myers |title=Wireless Warrior |last=Grossman |first=Wendy M. |date=15 May 2000 |website=[[Salon.com]] |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref> When Psion started developing a 32-bit operating system in 1994, they kept it under the EPOC brand. To avoid confusion within the company, they started calling the old system EPOC16, and the new one EPOC32. Then it became conventional within the company to refer to EPOC16 as SIBO, which was the codename of Psion's 16-bit mobile computing initiative. This change freed them use the name EPOC for EPOC32.<ref name="Wood"/>

In June 1998, Psion formed a [[limited company]] with the telecommunications corporations [[Nokia]], [[Ericsson]], and [[Motorola]].<ref>{{cite book |title=UMTS and Mobile Computing |first=Alexander Joseph |last=Huber |first2=Josef Franz |last2=Huber |chapter=Symbian EPOC |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gqt8wsYzVHsC&pg=PA209 |page=209 |publisher=Artech House |year=2002 |isbn=1-58053-264-0 |series=Mobile Communications Series}}</ref> By buying into [[Symbian Ltd.]]—as the new company was called—the telecommunications corporations each acquired a stake in Psion's EPOC operating system and other [[intellectual property]]. Symbian Ltd. changed the name of EPOC/EPOC32 to [[Symbian OS]], which debuted in November 2000 on the [[Nokia 9210 Communicator]] [[smartphone]].


== EPOC16 (1989–1996)==
== EPOC16 (1989–1996)==
EPOC was developed at Psion, a software and mobile-device company founded in London in 1980. The company released its first [[pocket computer]] in 1984: an [[8-bit]] device called the [[Psion Organiser]]. In 1986 they released a series of improved models under the [[Psion Organiser II|Organiser II]] brand, but the 8-bit era was ending. Psion saw a need to develop a [[16-bit]] operating system to drive their next generation of devices.<ref name="Baxter">{{cite book |title=Product Design: Practical Methods for the Systematic Development of New Products |first=Mike |last=Baxter |page=125 |chapter=Psion Series 3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j6R1nMBL20C&pg=PA125 |year=2002 |orig-year=1995 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |oclc=969884664 |isbn=978-0-7487-4197-7 |access-date=2018-05-23 |via=Google Books}}</ref> First, however, they needed to engineer a 16-bit [[single-board computer]]—something that was extremely difficult at the time. They codenamed the project ''SIBO'', for "single-board organiser" or "sixteen-bit organiser". To develop the SIBO hardware and software, they needed samples of the 16-bit [[microprocessor]]s they would be programming; but it took more than a year to secure the chips, which caused a significant delay.<ref name="Baxter"/>


By 1987, development of EPOC was underway: It was a single-user, [[preemptive multitasking]] operating system designed to run in [[read-only memory]] (ROM). The operating system and its programmes were written in [[Intel 8086]] [[assembly language]] and [[C programming language|C]]. When the operating system started, it opened the pre-installed programmes in advance so that the system could switch between them quickly. To enable users to write and run their own programmes, EPOC featured an updated version of the [[Organiser Programming Language]] (OPL), which was first published with the Psion Organiser. OPL was a simple [[interpreted language]] not unlike [[BASIC]].
EPOC was developed at Psion, a software and mobile-device company founded in London in 1980. The company released its first [[pocket computer]] in 1984: an [[8-bit]] device called the [[Psion Organiser]]. In 1986 they released a series of improved models under the [[Psion Organiser II|Organiser II]] brand, but the 8-bit era was ending. Psion saw a need to develop a [[16-bit]] operating system to drive their next generation of devices.<ref name="Baxter">{{cite book |title=Product Design: Practical Methods for the Systematic Development of New Products |first=Mike |last=Baxter |page=125 |chapter=Psion Series 3 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2j6R1nMBL20C&pg=PA125 |year=2002 |orig-year=1995 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |oclc=969884664 |isbn=978-0-7487-4197-7 |access-date=2018-05-23 |via=Google Books}}</ref> First, however, they needed to engineer a 16-bit [[single-board computer]]—something that was extremely difficult at the time. They codenamed the project ''SIBO'', for "single-board organiser" or "sixteen bit organiser". To develop the SIBO hardware and software, they needed samples of the 16-bit [[microprocessor]]s they would be programming. It took more than a year to secure the chips, which caused a significant delay.<ref name="Baxter"/>


In 1989, Psion released the first 16-bit computers to be equipped with the new operating system: the MC200, MC400, and MC600 notebooks. Each of these had an [[80C86|Intel 80C86]] processor, but differed in some other specifications, such as memory capacity. Among the later SIBO devices were the [[Psion 3]] (1991), 3A (1993), 3C (1996), and Workabout series, as well as the Siena 512K model (1996). The final EPOC device was the Psion Series 3mx (1998).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/19083/Psion-MC200/ |title=Psion MC200 |website=ComputingHistory.org.uk |publisher=[[The Centre for Computing History]] |at=Section: Other Systems Related To Psion MC200 |access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>
By 1987 development of EPOC was underway. It was a single-user, [[preemptive multitasking]] operating system designed to run in [[read-only memory]] (ROM). The operating system and its programmes were written in Intel 8086 [[assembly language]] and [[C programming language|C]]. When the operating system started, it opened the pre-installed programmes in advance so that the system could switch between them quickly. To enable users to write their own programmes, EPOC featured an updated version of the [[Organiser Programming Language]] (OPL), which was first published with the Psion Organiser. OPL was a simple [[interpreted language]] (not unlike [[BASIC]]) that enabled users to write and run their own programmes on the device.


The user interface differed by device. The [[notebook computer]]s had a [[WIMP (computing)|WIMP]] interface. The handheld computers, which had smaller screens and no [[pointing device]], accept input from a keyboard or a [[Stylus (computing)|stylus]].<ref name="Morris"/> On-screen, programmes were represented by [[Icon (computing)|icons]], but on smaller devices a user could also access them via specialised buttons.
In 1989, Psion released the first 16-bit computers to be equipped with the new operating system: the MC200, MC400, and MC600 notebooks. Each of these had an [[80C86|Intel 80C86]] processor, but differed in some other specifications, such as memory. Among the later "SIBO" devices were the [[Psion 3]] (1991), 3A (1993), 3C (1996), and Workabout series, as well as the Siena 512K model (1996). The final EPOC device was the Psion Series 3mx (1998).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/19083/Psion-MC200/ |title=Psion MC200 |website=ComputingHistory.org.uk |publisher=[[The Centre for Computing History]] |at=Section: Other Systems Related To Psion MC200 |access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>


== EPOC32 (1997–2000) ==
== EPOC32 (1997–2000) ==
In parallel with the production of their 16-bit devices, Psion had been developing a [[32-bit]] version of EPOC since late 1994. The move to 32 bits was necessary to remain competitive, but Psion also knew that there was a market for a [[mobile operating system]] that was licensable.<ref>{{cite book |title=Developing Software for Symbian OS: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Symbian OS V9 Smartphone Applications in C++ |first=Steve |last=Babin |chapter=Symbian OS—A Little History |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=thd5DSWn_F4C&pg=PA13 |page=13 |year=2007 |edition=2nd |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-470-72570-2 |via=Google Books |access-date=2018-05-24}}</ref> This meant that the system would need to be more [[Porting|portable]] than their previous efforts.
{{Further|Symbian}}


In parallel with the production of their 16-bit devices, Psion had been developing a [[32-bit]] version of EPOC since late 1994. It was a completely different operating system with a new codebase written in C++. Like EPOC16, EPOC32 was a single-user, [[pre-emptive multitasking]] operating system. It featured memory protection, and encouraged the application developers to separate their programmes into engine and [[user interface]].
For the 32-bit operating system, the engineers wrote a new [[object-oriented]] [[codebase]] in [[C++]]. During the transition period, the old system came to be called ''EPOC16'', and new one ''EPOC32''. Where EPOC16 was designed specifically for the [[Intel 80186]] platform, EPOC32 was built for [[ARM architecture|ARM]], a [[computing platform]] with a [[reduced instruction set]] [[Instruction set architecture|architecture]]. Like EPOC16, EPOC32 was a single-user, [[pre-emptive multitasking]] operating system. It also featured [[memory protection]], which was an essential feature for modern operating systems.


Psion licensed EPOC to other device manufacturers, and made it possible to radically change the [[graphical interface]] of the operating system. (Because of the licensing arrangement, they considered spinning-off their software division as Psion Software.) Psion's own PDAs had a [[graphical user interface]] called [[EIKON]], which was designed for devices equipped with a hardware keyboard.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wichary |first=Marcin |url=http://www.guidebookgallery.org/screenshots/epocr5 |title=EPOC R5 on Psion Revo |website=GUIdebook |access-date=2010-08-12}}</ref>
Psion licensed EPOC32 to other device manufacturers, and made it possible to change or replace the [[graphical interface]] of the operating system. Because of the licensing arrangement, they considered spinning-off their software division as Psion Software.) Psion's own PDAs had a [[graphical user interface]] called Eikon, which was designed for devices equipped with a hardware keyboard.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wichary |first=Marcin |url=http://www.guidebookgallery.org/screenshots/epocr5 |title=EPOC R5 on Psion Revo |website=GUIdebook |access-date=2010-08-12}}</ref>


===Releases 1–4===
===Releases 1–4===
[[File:OsarisOregonScientificEPOC.jpg|thumb|The [[Osaris]] PDA by [[Oregon Scientific]] ran version ER4 of the EPOC32 operating system.]]
[[File:OsarisOregonScientificEPOC.jpg|thumb|The [[Osaris]] PDA by [[Oregon Scientific]] ran version ER4 of the EPOC32 operating system.]]


Early iterations of the EPOC32 were codenamed "Protea". The first published version, called Release 1, appeared on the [[Psion Series 5]] ROM v1.0 in June 1997. Release 2 was never published, but an updated ROM (version 1.1) for the Series 5 featured Release 3.
Early iterations of the EPOC32 were codenamed "Protea". The first published version, called Release 1, appeared on the [[Psion Series 5]] ROM v1.0 in June 1997. Release 2 was never published, but an updated ROM (version 1.1) for the Series 5 featured Release 3.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} The Series 5 used Psion's new [[user interface]], Eikon. Visually, it was a refinement of design choices from Psion's 8- and 16-bit devices.<ref name="Morris">{{cite book |title=The Symbian OS Architecture Sourcebook: Design and Evolution of a Mobile Phone OS |chapter=Background to the Eikon GUI |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2jHKk2LicbUC&pg=PA402 |first=Ben |last=Morris |page=402 |year=2007 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-01846-0 |via=Google Books}}</ref>


One of the first licensees was a short-lived company called Geofox, who halted production with fewer than 1,000 units sold. Another licensee, [[Oregon Scientific]], released a budget device called [[Osaris]]; it was the only EPOC device to ship with Release 4.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}
One of the first EPOC licensees was a short-lived company called Geofox, but they halted production after selling fewer than 1,000 units.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} Another licensee, [[Oregon Scientific]], released a budget device called [[Osaris]]; it was the only EPOC device to ship with Release 4.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}


===Release 5===
===Release 5===
EPOC Release 5 premiered in March 1999. It ran on ARMv4 processors, such as the [[StrongARM]] series.<ref name="">{{cite book |title=Pervasive Computing Handbook |chapter=Symbian EPOC |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5pCqCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA157 |page=157 |first=Uwe |last=Hansmann |first2=Lothar |last2=Merk |first3=Martin S. |last3=Nicklous |first4=Thomas |last4=Stober |year=2001 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-662-04320-2 |access-date=2018-05-24 |via=Google Books}}</ref> In addition to its email, messaging, and data synchronisation features, it introduced support for the [[Java Development Kit]], which made it capable of running a wider variety of programmes. The [[Psion netBook]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Micro Java Game Development}}</ref>
Psion deployed EPOC32 Release 5 on their [[Psion Series 5mx|5mx series]] (1999), [[Psion Revo|Revo]] (1999), [[Psion netBook|netBook]] (1999), [[Psion Series 7|Series 7]] (1999), Revo Plus (2000), and netPad (2001) devices.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geek.com/blurb/psion-teklogix-finally-launches-netpad-546658/ |title=Psion Teklogix finally launches netpad |author=Staff writer |date=1 October 2001 |website=[[Geek.com]] |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref> [[Ericsson]] rebranded the Psion Series 5mx as the [[Ericsson MC218|MC218]], and [[SONICblue]] rebranded the Revo as the [[Diamond Mako]]; like the original devices, the rebranded versions were released in 1999.

In 2000, EPOC's GUI variations were replaced with three reference interfaces: ''Crystal'' was for devices with a small keyboard; ''Quartz'' was for "communicator" devices (which tended to be equipped with a [[thumb keyboard]]); and ''Pearl'' was for mobile phones. Each classification supported [[VGA]] graphics.<ref name=""/>

Psion deployed the release on their [[Psion Series 5mx|5mx series]] (1999), [[Psion Revo|Revo]] (1999), [[Psion netBook|netBook]] (1999), [[Psion Series 7|Series 7]] (1999), Revo Plus (2000), and netPad (2001) devices.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geek.com/blurb/psion-teklogix-finally-launches-netpad-546658/ |title=Psion Teklogix finally launches netpad |author=Staff writer |date=1 October 2001 |website=[[Geek.com]] |access-date=2018-05-22}}</ref> [[Ericsson]] rebranded the Psion Series 5mx as the [[Ericsson MC218|MC218]], and [[SONICblue]] rebranded the Revo as the [[Diamond Mako]]; like the original devices, the rebranded versions were released in 1999.


The [[Ericsson R380]] [[smartphone]], released in November 2000, was the first device to be distributed with EPOC Release 5.1. This release was also known as ER5u; the ''u'' indicated that the system supported the [[Unicode]] system of text encoding, which was an important feature for the representation of diverse languages. Psion developed an ER5u-enabled device codenamed "Conan", but it did advance beyond the prototype stage. The device was intended to be a [[Bluetooth]]-enabled successor to the Revo.
The [[Ericsson R380]] [[smartphone]], released in November 2000, was the first device to be distributed with EPOC Release 5.1. This release was also known as ER5u; the ''u'' indicated that the system supported the [[Unicode]] system of text encoding, which was an important feature for the representation of diverse languages. Psion developed an ER5u-enabled device codenamed "Conan", but it did advance beyond the prototype stage. The device was intended to be a [[Bluetooth]]-enabled successor to the Revo.


==Releases 6–10 (2001–1012)==
===Release 6===
{{Main|Symbian}}
In June 1998, Psion Software became [[Symbian Ltd.]], a major joint venture between Psion and phone manufacturers [[Ericsson]], [[Motorola]], and [[Nokia]]. The next release of EPOC32, Release 6, was renamed [[Symbian OS]]. The fifth release of EPOC32 is sometimes called (in retrospect) Symbian OS 5.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

In June 1998, Psion Software became [[Symbian Ltd.]], a major joint venture between Psion and phone manufacturers [[Ericsson]], [[Motorola]], and [[Nokia]]. The next release of EPOC32, Release 6, was rebranded [[Symbian OS]]. It decoupled the user interface from the underlying operating system, which afforded device manufacturers the ability (or burden) of implementing a graphical interface on their devices.

The final version of Symbian OS to be released was v10.1, and the final update was published in 2012.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{SourceForge|symbiandump|Symbian}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Symbian Platform}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Symbian Platform}}

Revision as of 16:40, 24 May 2018

EPOC
DeveloperPsion
Written in
Working stateDiscontinued
Source modelClosed source
Initial release1989
Latest releaseER5u / 2000
Marketing targetBusiness
Available inEnglish
Platforms
Kernel typeMicrokernel
Default
user interface
Eikon et al.
LicenseProprietary
Succeeded bySymbian

EPOC is a mobile operating system developed by Psion, a British company founded in 1980. It began as a 16-bit operating system for Psion's own x86-compatible devices, and was later replaced by a 32-bit system for x86 and ARM. Psion licensed the 32-bit system to other hardware manufacturers, such as Ericsson.

To distinguish it from the 16-bit system, the 32-bit operating system was sometimes EPOC32. Technologically, it was a major departure from the 16-bit incarnation (which came to be called EPOC16 or SIBO). In 1998, the 32-bit version was renamed Symbian OS. After Nokia acquired the rights to Symbian in 2010, they published Symbian's source code under the Eclipse Public License. In 2011, Nokia rescinded the open-source license for subsequent releases of the software.[1]

Name

The name EPOC comes from the word epoch (the beginning of an era). The name was shortened to four letters to accord with the names of such software innovations as Unix and Mach.[2]

Initially the operating system was capitalised as Epoc rather than 'EPOC', since it is not an acronym. The change to all capital letters was made on the recommendation of Psion's marketing department.[2] Thereafter, a rumour circulated in the technical press that EPOC was an acronym for "Electronic Piece of Cheese".[2][3] When Psion started developing a 32-bit operating system in 1994, they kept it under the EPOC brand. To avoid confusion within the company, they started calling the old system EPOC16, and the new one EPOC32. Then it became conventional within the company to refer to EPOC16 as SIBO, which was the codename of Psion's 16-bit mobile computing initiative. This change freed them use the name EPOC for EPOC32.[2]

In June 1998, Psion formed a limited company with the telecommunications corporations Nokia, Ericsson, and Motorola.[4] By buying into Symbian Ltd.—as the new company was called—the telecommunications corporations each acquired a stake in Psion's EPOC operating system and other intellectual property. Symbian Ltd. changed the name of EPOC/EPOC32 to Symbian OS, which debuted in November 2000 on the Nokia 9210 Communicator smartphone.

EPOC16 (1989–1996)

EPOC was developed at Psion, a software and mobile-device company founded in London in 1980. The company released its first pocket computer in 1984: an 8-bit device called the Psion Organiser. In 1986 they released a series of improved models under the Organiser II brand, but the 8-bit era was ending. Psion saw a need to develop a 16-bit operating system to drive their next generation of devices.[5] First, however, they needed to engineer a 16-bit single-board computer—something that was extremely difficult at the time. They codenamed the project SIBO, for "single-board organiser" or "sixteen-bit organiser". To develop the SIBO hardware and software, they needed samples of the 16-bit microprocessors they would be programming; but it took more than a year to secure the chips, which caused a significant delay.[5]

By 1987, development of EPOC was underway: It was a single-user, preemptive multitasking operating system designed to run in read-only memory (ROM). The operating system and its programmes were written in Intel 8086 assembly language and C. When the operating system started, it opened the pre-installed programmes in advance so that the system could switch between them quickly. To enable users to write and run their own programmes, EPOC featured an updated version of the Organiser Programming Language (OPL), which was first published with the Psion Organiser. OPL was a simple interpreted language not unlike BASIC.

In 1989, Psion released the first 16-bit computers to be equipped with the new operating system: the MC200, MC400, and MC600 notebooks. Each of these had an Intel 80C86 processor, but differed in some other specifications, such as memory capacity. Among the later SIBO devices were the Psion 3 (1991), 3A (1993), 3C (1996), and Workabout series, as well as the Siena 512K model (1996). The final EPOC device was the Psion Series 3mx (1998).[6]

The user interface differed by device. The notebook computers had a WIMP interface. The handheld computers, which had smaller screens and no pointing device, accept input from a keyboard or a stylus.[7] On-screen, programmes were represented by icons, but on smaller devices a user could also access them via specialised buttons.

EPOC32 (1997–2000)

In parallel with the production of their 16-bit devices, Psion had been developing a 32-bit version of EPOC since late 1994. The move to 32 bits was necessary to remain competitive, but Psion also knew that there was a market for a mobile operating system that was licensable.[8] This meant that the system would need to be more portable than their previous efforts.

For the 32-bit operating system, the engineers wrote a new object-oriented codebase in C++. During the transition period, the old system came to be called EPOC16, and new one EPOC32. Where EPOC16 was designed specifically for the Intel 80186 platform, EPOC32 was built for ARM, a computing platform with a reduced instruction set architecture. Like EPOC16, EPOC32 was a single-user, pre-emptive multitasking operating system. It also featured memory protection, which was an essential feature for modern operating systems.

Psion licensed EPOC32 to other device manufacturers, and made it possible to change or replace the graphical interface of the operating system. Because of the licensing arrangement, they considered spinning-off their software division as Psion Software.) Psion's own PDAs had a graphical user interface called Eikon, which was designed for devices equipped with a hardware keyboard.[9]

Releases 1–4

The Osaris PDA by Oregon Scientific ran version ER4 of the EPOC32 operating system.

Early iterations of the EPOC32 were codenamed "Protea". The first published version, called Release 1, appeared on the Psion Series 5 ROM v1.0 in June 1997. Release 2 was never published, but an updated ROM (version 1.1) for the Series 5 featured Release 3.[citation needed] The Series 5 used Psion's new user interface, Eikon. Visually, it was a refinement of design choices from Psion's 8- and 16-bit devices.[7]

One of the first EPOC licensees was a short-lived company called Geofox, but they halted production after selling fewer than 1,000 units.[citation needed] Another licensee, Oregon Scientific, released a budget device called Osaris; it was the only EPOC device to ship with Release 4.[citation needed]

Release 5

EPOC Release 5 premiered in March 1999. It ran on ARMv4 processors, such as the StrongARM series.[10] In addition to its email, messaging, and data synchronisation features, it introduced support for the Java Development Kit, which made it capable of running a wider variety of programmes. The Psion netBook[11]

In 2000, EPOC's GUI variations were replaced with three reference interfaces: Crystal was for devices with a small keyboard; Quartz was for "communicator" devices (which tended to be equipped with a thumb keyboard); and Pearl was for mobile phones. Each classification supported VGA graphics.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the help page).

Psion deployed the release on their 5mx series (1999), Revo (1999), netBook (1999), Series 7 (1999), Revo Plus (2000), and netPad (2001) devices.[12] Ericsson rebranded the Psion Series 5mx as the MC218, and SONICblue rebranded the Revo as the Diamond Mako; like the original devices, the rebranded versions were released in 1999.

The Ericsson R380 smartphone, released in November 2000, was the first device to be distributed with EPOC Release 5.1. This release was also known as ER5u; the u indicated that the system supported the Unicode system of text encoding, which was an important feature for the representation of diverse languages. Psion developed an ER5u-enabled device codenamed "Conan", but it did advance beyond the prototype stage. The device was intended to be a Bluetooth-enabled successor to the Revo.

Releases 6–10 (2001–1012)

In June 1998, Psion Software became Symbian Ltd., a major joint venture between Psion and phone manufacturers Ericsson, Motorola, and Nokia. The next release of EPOC32, Release 6, was rebranded Symbian OS. It decoupled the user interface from the underlying operating system, which afforded device manufacturers the ability (or burden) of implementing a graphical interface on their devices.

The final version of Symbian OS to be released was v10.1, and the final update was published in 2012.

References

  1. ^ Paul, Ryan (11 April 2011). "Nokia transitions Symbian source to non-open license". Ars Technica. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Wood, David (2005). "Annotated Glossary of Abbreviations". Symbian for Software Leaders: Principles of Successful Smartphone Development Projects. John Wiley & Sons. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-470-01683-1. Retrieved 22 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Grossman, Wendy M. (15 May 2000). "Wireless Warrior". Salon.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  4. ^ Huber, Alexander Joseph; Huber, Josef Franz (2002). "Symbian EPOC". UMTS and Mobile Computing. Mobile Communications Series. Artech House. p. 209. ISBN 1-58053-264-0.
  5. ^ a b Baxter, Mike (2002) [1995]. "Psion Series 3". Product Design: Practical Methods for the Systematic Development of New Products. CRC Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-7487-4197-7. OCLC 969884664. Retrieved 23 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "Psion MC200". ComputingHistory.org.uk. The Centre for Computing History. Section: Other Systems Related To Psion MC200. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  7. ^ a b Morris, Ben (2007). "Background to the Eikon GUI". The Symbian OS Architecture Sourcebook: Design and Evolution of a Mobile Phone OS. John Wiley & Sons. p. 402. ISBN 978-0-470-01846-0 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Babin, Steve (2007). "Symbian OS—A Little History". Developing Software for Symbian OS: A Beginner's Guide to Creating Symbian OS V9 Smartphone Applications in C++ (2nd ed.). Wiley. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-470-72570-2. Retrieved 24 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Wichary, Marcin. "EPOC R5 on Psion Revo". GUIdebook. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
  10. ^ Hansmann, Uwe; Merk, Lothar; Nicklous, Martin S.; Stober, Thomas (2001). "Symbian EPOC". Pervasive Computing Handbook. Springer. p. 157. ISBN 978-3-662-04320-2. Retrieved 24 May 2018 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Micro Java Game Development.
  12. ^ Staff writer (1 October 2001). "Psion Teklogix finally launches netpad". Geek.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018.

External links