Method for Viewing Non-Image Attachments on a Portable Electronic Device

A server process comprising:

• receiving a request to view an attachment of an email message, said attachment having a renderable format;
• building a graph structure within an attachment server representing a map of said attachment, said graph structure including at least one renderable identifier corresponding to a page of said attachment;
• receiving a request to render said attachment, said request to render including said at least one renderable identifier;
• drawing rendering commands corresponding to command types of said graph structure in said rendering library in an off-screen bitmap;
• saving said off-screen bitmap as an image;
• and
• transmitting said image.

A mobile device method comprising:

• transmitting a request to view an attachment, said attachment having a renderable format;
• receiving a server descriptor including at least one renderable identifier corresponding to a page of said attachment;
• transmitting a request to render said attachment, said request to render including said at least one renderable identifier;
• receiving and displaying an image of a first page of said attachment and a graphical indication of any additional pages of said attachment;
• and
• in the event of scrolling over said graphical indication transmitting an additional request to render an associated one of said additional pages for receipt and display.

A mobile device method comprising:

• transmitting a request to view an attachment having at least one page, said attachment having a renderable format including both text and at least one renderable image containing said text for said at least one page;
• receiving said text and rendered image containing said text for said at least one page;
• and
• selectably displaying one of either said text, or a thumbnail version of said image or both
• said text and said thumbnail version of said image.