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PalmSource Talks About PalmOS 6.0

Posted by timothy on from the bits-n-whistles dept.

stevejsmith writes "The Register has released an article regarding PalmSource speaking about their next OS, PalmOS 6.0. The Register says, 'Version 6.0 will be as dramatic a change for the platform as OS X was for Apple, or NT was for Microsoft...', that it will actually include some source code of BeOS, and that will support Microsoft's .NET platform, among other things."

6 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Swappable... by Bobulusman · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Version 6.0 will feature granular, application-level security and pluggable I/O interfaces. Which means that licensees can swap out the Graffiti input mechanism for an alternative,
    That would be welcome upgrade. I know a lot of people dislike it.

    While I like the graffiti on my Visor Deluxe, it would nice if someone could design an interface with all the graffiti symbols that could 'learn' what I mean, the way a speak recognition program does. I have sloppy writing and it's takes me too long to enter in all my assignments.
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  2. hacks by ramzak2k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    its nice to read the lines

    Version 6.0 will be as dramatic a change for the platform as OS X was for Apple, or NT was for Microsoft, and represents the culmination of work from the former Be team Palm acquired last year.

    get a bunch of talented developers, innovations will follow.

    On the other hand, i am interested to know if 6.0 would have any backward compatibility & run the apps i currently have(NT/OS X had little to no support for apps running on previous versions)

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  3. Palm OS 6 - too little, too late? by Mr_Silver · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The biggest problem I can see for Palm is that the world and his dog is expecting what OS 6 will deliver today.

    By the time they actually get around to delivering it, the goalposts will have changed (by the likes of Symbian and Microsoft) and Palm will have to play catch up again.

    On a side note, releasing the Tungstun W (phone one) with OS 4 was a monumentally stupid thing to do. If they're going to commit to OS 5, then they should do immediately - not release two new phones with one running the old OS.

    Go to OS 5. Don't look back. Encourage developers to code for OS 5, encourage users who want the power to upgrade. If they're going to release a trickle of OS 4 PDA's then developers will just stick to OS 4.

    Oh yes, and the Tungstun slidely thing is silly. I'm going to have to spend my entire time opening and retracting it as I use grafitti a lot - which means it'll break quickly. We need to see sexy and desirable PDA's come onto the market to persuade people to upgrade. This one doesn't (maybe Sony will) ... and for god's sake, even with the low memory requirements of apps, 32 meg is peanuts! Your apps may be smaller than PPC's, but the size of your data is going to be the same.

    On a final note, I wonder if OS 6 will actually appear. OS 5 could be make-or-break for Palm. If there is no interest (after all, it doesn't *look* any different and thats what Joe Blow will see) then it'll hurt them very very badly.

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    1. Re:Palm OS 6 - too little, too late? by Mac+Degger · · Score: 3, Insightful

      32 meg is peanuts on a wince machine, but not on a palm. Not only is the footprint for programs smaller, but I still run everything I need (graphing, programmable calculators; doc editor; gameboy emulator; numerous other games; excel compatible spreadsheets; about 6 books; internet browser; phone apps; datebook; agenda) quite comfortably on the 8 megs on my IIIc.

      For more storage, well, that's what the removable storage is for.

      Plus you need to remember that a PDA is NOT a laptop, and isn't meant to replace one.

      And finaly, what I've been waiting for to replace my IIIc is a palmOS, highrez colour screen, removable strorage, wireless (wifi or bluetooth), integrated mobile phone PDA. Looks like Palm is the one to deliver...Kyocera and Treo just didn't get it.

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    2. Re:Palm OS 6 - too little, too late? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      >>>>

      gonna be ready mid 2003. Read the whole article before commenting.

      >Go to OS 5. Don't look back. Encourage >developers to code for OS 5,
      Coding for os5 isnt all that different from coding for os4 beause the api is the same and you are still producing 68k code. You can write "armlets" but not whole arm applications. not till 6.

      >Oh yes, and the Tungstun slidely thing is silly.
      Have you used it yet? I sort of thought the same thing you did but combined with the new powerful disc/button it works really well. I love the form factor. It just has an elegance m$ will never have. its about the size of a deck of cards. I just wish it had virtual graffiti. Then id never even open the graffit slot.

      >>with the low memory requirements of apps, 32 >>meg is peanuts!
      yeh for a bloated pocket pc app. 16 mb is absolutely huge for a palm. i have an app with thousand of records and 70+ forms. the whole things uses 1.5 megs. Besides with cheap/fast flash cards who cares?

      >On a final note, I wonder if OS 6 will actually >appear. OS 5 could be make-or-break for Palm. If
      Remember that palm and palmos are 2 different companies now so who cares if palm dies. someone else will come on board. i guarentee you apple comes out with an os6 device next year.

  4. new and improved by trb · · Score: 3, Insightful
    If they want to improve the PDA, they should concentrate on the following:
    • easier to read display
    • longer battery life
    • more reliable
    • cheaper
    • faster
    • lighter/thinner
    • more memory