EPOC32

EPOC32 is a historical name given to the 32-bit edition of the Epoc mobile operating system developed by Psion. Introduced in the late 1990s, EPOC32 represented a 32-bit evolution of the Epoc platform, designed for Psion's handheld devices based on ARM-compatible processors. It featured a graphical user interface, multitasking capabilities, and a software development environment supporting C/C++ and other languages through a set of APIs and libraries. The architecture was intended to provide a robust base for applications ranging from personal organizers to more complex productivity tools, and it included device drivers, a file system, and services that could be extended by third-party software.

Development and evolution: EPOC32 formed the technical core of Psion's later strategy for mobile computing and contributed to the formation of Symbian Ltd in 1998, when Psion joined with Nokia and Ericsson to commercialize Epoc as Symbian OS. In practice, EPOC32's concepts and code lineage informed the early Symbian releases, and the Epoc platform underwent further evolution under the Symbian name, becoming one of the dominant mobile operating systems in the 2000s.

Legacy: EPOC32 is generally regarded as a transitional stage between the original Epoc platform and the more widely known Symbian OS. It helped establish portable application development, middleware services, and a multi-tasking, event-driven environment that influenced later mobile OS designs.

See also: EPOC, Symbian OS, Psion.