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PalmOS 5 Turns Gold
Stalke writes: "On sunday, PalmSource (the spinoff from Palm responsible for the development of the PalmOS) announced that PalmOS 5 has gone gold. This latest version of the operating system includes support for ARM processors, Bluetooth and 802.11b, high-res displays (320x320; although Sony already uses even high res displays in its NR70) and more. Products with PalmOS 5 should start shipping in just over a months' time!"
Well, as a staunch Palm user, I guess I should be happy. But what I want to do is grab Palm, shake them, and yell, "it's about goddamned time!" I mean, please...these are features that have been available in Linux for months, if not years!
This is just another example of a closed development model that can't cut it. Open the source, Palm! What are you afraid of?
Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
Isn't about time the Palm OS provided threaded applications? My understanding it that it is build into the OS, but there are currently no APIs. In the Treo, at least, when you are on the phone, you can't continue to use your applications. It seems to me that this will put Palm OS at a disadvantage as PDAs are integrated with cell phones.
Depends if you count OBos BeOS or not...
Ok, you're a luddite.
Not really, though: I see where you're coming from, but I think the real key to Palm's wonderful simplicity is in its UI. Color Palms, for better or worse, don't make tremendous use of color--generally just getting better readability and color icons, and of course allowing games and image viewers and what not to be in color. The UI is the same, and for my money is about as simple and reliable as ever.
Same thing with "more colours, better resolution, more MP3, full feature video": if there are seperate MP3 and video apps, and the UI is the same as always (without CE's "i think i'm a small desktop" mistakes, and "Aqua"-like "enhancements") then what does it hurt?
It's always a set of trade-offs. If you want really robust, really simple, you mighta been happy with one of those old school keyboard/character based PDAs...a few even offer synching to the desktop. Palm needs to keep pushing its capabilities, since eventually those gee-whiz features will be cheap enough (in terms of battery life and usability) to make sense.
Of course, the super hightech feature I'm really jonesing for is a clipboard that can hold an entire memo (and maybe ditch the 4k memo limit while they're at it...) I mean, Microsoft finally made Notepad so it didn't choke on 32K files, can't Palm do the same?
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
The issue is always tradeoffs.
The current generation palms have three outstanding aspects: small form factor, long battery life, simple and reliable data replication. These also are, in my opinion, the must-dos.
If they had meant to make more of a desktop replacement (like WinCE), they would have compromised these goals initially. In time, more features like multimedia capabilities can and should be added to the platform. If they did not, then (1) people would never upgrade their existing palms, and support would be reduced over time; (2) inevitably, a killer application will appear that they will be unable to support.
However, I would be sorely disappointed if these were done in a way which compromises the most important aspects of the system in order to "measure up" to the more ambitious and less successful competition. Nobody can beat Microsoft in an arena of its own choosing.
I'm optimistic, but I'll reserve judgement until I've actually tried some of the units.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
This is not true. Consider the following:
Palm's introduction of the SD Card led Handspring to discontinue the Springboard. Why would anyone want a proprietary "Springboard" module when the industry could standardize on existing technology?
Palm's devices are "whiz-bang" with all the latest gadgets. Have you ever heard of the "zen of Palm"? Palm owes it's success to the fact that they have kept it simple. While it is nice to have streaming video on a handheld, is it worth the extra weight and price? Do you use it that much? If so, then a PocketPC is the right choice for you!
Sharp's Zaurus has a fatal flaw: they require a licensing fee for every application developed. Palm had developers coming from everywhere because they were easy to work with. To develop for the Zaurus, it costs money. While this is not a major obstacle for most people, the majority of Palm developers are lone individuals with very limited budgets. I have developed applications for the Palm, and seriously considered the Zaurus. But I am sticking with Palm.
OS 5.0 promises great new features. I am excited about the possibilities in some of the new hardware due out.
Don't discount Palm because they don't have all the features of your laptop.
An AC wrote:
;)
:)
;)
> Palm's introduction of the SD Card led Handspring
> to discontinue the Springboard. Why would anyone
> want a proprietary "Springboard" module when the
> industry could standardize on existing technology?
1) Handspring is discontinuing the Springboard (and eventually the Visor) so they can concentrate on the Treo.
2) Try sticking a wireless modem or digital camera into a SD card. You can do that with the Springboard. You can do that with the Compact Flash port on the Zaurus. Not too many of those items available as SD cards, even if the format would support them. (The Zaurus also takes SD cards so you can get online and have someplace to put your downloads.)
> Palm's devices are "whiz-bang" with all the
> latest gadgets.
Which explains how I was doing some of the things Palm OS 5.0 introduces on my Zaurus way before Palm OS 5.0 came out.
> Have you ever heard of the "zen of Palm"?
Zen is big on emptiness and simplicity. Not a flurry of whiz-bang gadgets.
> If so, then a PocketPC is the right choice for
> you!
If I put a Godzilla movie trailer on a PDA running Microsoft's OS, I would be in serious trouble. Godzilla kills Microsoft running PDA owners!
> Sharp's Zaurus has a fatal flaw: they require a
> licensing fee for every application developed.
Oh no! I almost wrote a Java app on my Zaurus! Thank you for telling me I have to send money to Sharp first!
Now run over to Source Forge and warn them. Those people are illegally developing applications for the Zaurus! Horrors!
Catch a clue. It's Linux. You can't breath on the command line without accidentally writing a shell script.
> But I am sticking with Palm.
Good for you. I wish you joy of it.
> I am excited about the possibilities in some of
> the new hardware due out.
I've already got a 206 mhz ARM PDA with the best screen in the industry and a built in keyboard. I've been having fun with it for a couple of months now.
> Don't discount Palm because they don't have all
> the features of your laptop.
My laptop is a Mac running OS X. There is no PDA on the market that can equal that. But the Zaurus comes as close as I've ever seen.
What happens when you embrace and extend Godzilla? Nuclear heartburn!
See "Godzilla 2000" (released in Japan as "Godzilla 2000 Millenium") for details.