Palm Announces Separated Software Operations

Eharley writes: "'Palm on Monday announced it has completed the split of its operating system division from the rest of the company. The software unit will now report separately on the financial performance of its licensing business, and could eventually be spun off or sold by Palm.' Yahoo is carrying the story here. Considering that their market share in PDA devices has been slipping, is this a move that will signal the end of the Palm hardware line or organizers?"

Comments

Good move on their part.

[IGnatius T Foobar]

This is a good move on their part. Palm OS licensees are faced with the conundrum that their OS supplier is also one of their competitors. It's the DSL/ILEC thing all over again. Considering that PDA vendors have the illusion of being able to go to Microsoft for their OS instead (I call it an illusion because Microsoft is a competitior to everyone whether they realize it or not), Palm OS needs to make a better effort to appear hardware-neutral. This is a good way of doing it.

Frankly, I think that console mfrs should do the same thing. Sony and Nintendo should license their console OS's to anyone who wants to build the boxes (imagine the variety we'd see!).

Palm biggest problem (The Dragonball)

[Hougaard]

Palm's biggest problem is their processor the "Dragonball" - a special version of the 68xxx series with buildt in LCD display controller.

This processor is OLD !

The competitors are miles ahead (BTW: Cool record !)

EPOC - ARM9
PocketPC - StrongArm
Linux - StrongArm

All 32 bits and a modern OS.

Motorola has several successors to the 68xxx series, but none for the PDA marked, the Coldfire for embedded use and the PowerPC for the desktop, and some embedded powerpc variations.

Re:Palm biggest problem (The Dragonball)

[(H)elix1]

ARM is on the way.... here is a copy of an email from back on the 9th. (Minor changes to get around the lameness filter)
+++
From: PalmSource
To: (snipped)
Subject: Test your app on Prototype ARM Hardware at PalmSource

PalmSource Conference and Expo

Dear (snipped):

The next Palm OS(R) platform with support for ARM-compliant processors is just around the corner, creating new opportunities for Palm OS developers and licensees. PalmSource is the place to get early access to the expertise, information, and tools you need to hit the ground running with the next OS. The conference starts February 5th at the San Jose Convention Center, so reserve your space today and save off the on-site registration fee.

Register before February 1st

Hotels discounts are only guaranteed through Jan. 11th - make your reservations today at www.palmsource.com.

If you have already registered we'll see you in San Jose! Contact palmsource@corp.palm.com if you have questions.

Refer a colleague. Please forward this invitation to your colleagues.

Developer Conference Highlights

Maximize your development investment

Test and tune your code in open labs equipped with prototype ARM-based hardware.

Learn tips and tricks directly from Palm OS engineers.

Gain efficiencies with the Palm OS Platform Compatibility CD.

Network with the best minds in the industry

Hear keynote addresses from industry leaders Tom Siebel and Dave Nagel.

Connect with people who can influence the future of your business.