PalmSource Ships Palm OS 6

Can you buy it? by nocomment · 2004-01-07 08:37 · Score: 1

I'd like to put it on my handspring. Is there a way to upgrade the OS? I don't see a "Buy it now!" or "Upgrade here!" button anywhere. Will this just go to new devices being sold?

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Re:Can you buy it? by EnglishTim · 2004-01-07 08:43 · Score: 1

You'll have to ask Handspring that, as they license the OS. What this announcement means is that they have now shipped OS6 to the licensees so it is possible that upgrades may appear in a few months time, but you'll need to get them from your device vendor, not palmsource.
Re:Can you buy it? by Kaimelar · 2004-01-07 09:09 · Score: 5, Informative
I'd like to put it on my handspring. Is there a way to upgrade the OS? I don't see a "Buy it now!" or "Upgrade here!" button anywhere. Will this just go to new devices being sold?

First, the reason you don't see a "Buy it now!" or similar button is because this is not a release to the general public, but instead just to licenced developers such as Sony, Handspring, PalmOne, and Kyocera. However, as far as I know the answer to your question is "maybe." Upgrading to Palm OS 6 depends on three factors:
1. Having an ARM processor in your handheld -- older PDAs don't have the capabilities to run the new OS.
2. Having the handheld be capable of flash upgrades of the OS. I know older Palms could do this, and I'm assuming the current ones can as well . . . don't know about HandSpring or Sony devices.
3. Whether or not the hardware vendor releases an upgrade. Since you're upgrading the entire OS by flashing it (including any customizations done by the vendor), you can't simply have a generic image that will upgrade any device running Palm OS.
Hope that helps some. I would hazard a guess and say that ARM-based devices from Palm (Tungsten|T, Tungsten|C, Zire 71, etc) will be upgradable, and that Palm will provide such an upgrade, simply because they've done so in the past. Couldn't say for other Handspring or other vendors.
Re:Can you buy it? by fm6 · 2004-01-07 09:29 · Score: 1

Having the handheld be capable of flash upgrades of the OS. I know older Palms could do this, and I'm assuming the current ones can as well . . . don't know about HandSpring or Sony devices.
Sony yes, Handspring no, at least not the older Visors. I remember the absence of flash memory was a matter of discussion when the first Visors came out.
Palm used to make OS upgrades available for free download as soon as they were released. Then I suppose they got tired of supporting all those screwed-up upgrades and started making them available to developers only. Really, non-developers shouldn't bother, unless there's software they want to run that's dependent on the new release. PalmOS is not like a desktop OS where there are a lot of new goodies that every user can play with. Mostly the upgrade consists of new APIs.
Re:Can you buy it? by dakryx · 2004-01-07 10:07 · Score: 1

Didn't palm buy Handspring?
Re:Can you buy it? by willfe · 2004-01-07 10:17 · Score: 4, Informative

At the very least, the Treo series have flash memory. Of course, Jack Flash and FlashPro appear not to work with it, but I have done the flash memory upgrades they've released (the Treo 300 runs PalmOS 3.x, I believe).

This is one of the few devices I don't want the latest and greatest OS for -- this thing works (well) and I don't wanna screw with it. The *only* thing I would like to see improved is getting rid of that damned "Please Wait" crap when you flip the beast open and launch the phone app -- sometimes takes almost 20 seconds to launch it to make a call.

Then again, if that's the biggest complaint I have about a device, I'd say it's doing pretty good :)

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Read my stuff.
Re:Can you buy it? by EnglishTim · 2004-01-07 11:02 · Score: 1

Yes, but it was PalmOne who bought handspring (Who make the Palm series of PDAs) rather than PalmSource, who make PalmOS.

Speaking of the Palm.... by Ophidian+P.+Jones · 2004-01-07 08:59 · Score: 2, Interesting

What really irks me with the Treo 300 device, and maybe the 600 has fixed this with it's 5-way toggle, is that you need to use the keypad AND a fingernail/stylus to run many apps that require some kind of tactile feedback. I get to the point where I keep the stylus between two fingers and shift my finger position so I can quickly use the stylus while texting. You have to text, because there is no grafitti. I would actually be quite happy with the graffiti area back and no keypad. Who needs a freaking keypad on a Palm? (Well, actually the Sony Clie's that fold out, with the keypads, are perfectly acceptable, since they have both keypad AND graffiti area).

I didn't spend 6 years using graffiti to just throw it all away now!

Re:Speaking of the Palm.... by Cranx · 2004-01-07 09:09 · Score: 1

I was probably the best at Graffiti than anyone else I knew personally, and I still spent WAAAAAY too much time backspacing. It always felt like the sampling rate for it was too slow for my writing and it would only catch random glimpses of what I was trying to write and I had to slow down to get it to read accurately. That really blows. The first time I tried one of those thumb keyboards, I was instantly several times faster with it than I ever got using Graffiti. As much as I dedicated myself to Graffiti, I really can't relegate my speed back down several-fold just because of its "cool factor."

heres to hopeing by Vilim · 2004-01-07 09:28 · Score: 4, Interesting

I hope my Tungsten T will be upgradable. Does anyone know the policy of Palm with regard to upgrading the OS?

--
History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it - Sir Winston Churchill

Re:heres to hopeing by shamino0 · 2004-01-08 03:55 · Score: 1

Does anyone know the policy of Palm with regard to upgrading the OS?
Since the m-series came out, their policy seems to be "go jump off a cliff".
When I had my Palm III, I was able to upgrade it from version 2 to 3 and then to 4.
With my current unit (the m515), it came with 4.1. Palm has never offered an upgrade to 5. They probably won't offer an upgrade to 6.
I feel very cheated. I paid good money to get a unit with flash memory, expecting to be able to upgrade the system software. I could've bougt the much cheaper m125 (which doesn't have flash) if I had known that there would never be an upgrade.
I won't make that mistake again. The next time I need to replace my Palm, it will either be from a different manufacturer, or it will be a really cheap model, since I know there won't be any upgrades available.
Re:heres to hopeing by MountainLogic · 2004-01-08 05:11 · Score: 1

Get real. Your m515m has a 68k CPU and Palm OS 6 requires an ARM CPU. There is just no way you are going to make OS6 work on a 68k. Nor would you. The ARM chip spends most of it's time emulating a 68k so that it can run old apps.
Re:heres to hopeing by millette · 2004-01-09 04:07 · Score: 1
m515 is sort of last of its generation.
- 160x160 screen
- palmos < 5.x
- < 100MHz CPU
- no USB connector
- ...
It's a nice machine for its time, you have to admit :) Actually, its battery life is probably even better then todays more powerful PDAs.
Re:heres to hopeing by shamino0 · 2004-01-12 10:31 · Score: 1

Ummm.... The m515 definitely has a USB connector. It has the universal sync port that all the current models have. I've been performing USB hotsyncs on it for well over a year. Perhaps you're thinking of the m1xx series, which has a different connector.
I understand that this is primitive compared to today's models. But it isn't that old, and it was second from the top of the line when I bought it (only the Tungsten:T was higher-end at the time.) Even so, it's a great device. The exact same unit, upgraded to a 320x320 display, would be close to perfect.
(I've never understood those users who feel their palmtop must be able to do everything their desktop PC does - adding all that processing power doesn't make the device more useful, but it does raise the price and kill your battery life. I figured this out a long time ago, when I was still trying to choose between a PalmOS device and a WinCE device.)
I realize that there are some very good technical reasons why Palm has refused to port PalmOS 5 and 6 to the older devices. But this doesn't change my opinion. They could still have ported the new/optimized bundled apps. Many features (like color themes) certainly don't require a high-end processor. Note also that owners of ARM-based Palm devices can't upgrade either. As far as I can tell, there has never been an upgrade for people to go from 5.0 to 5.1 to 5.2. (And their store no longer sells the CD to upgrade older models to 4.1.)
This attitude is relatively new. When I bought my first Palm (a III), I was able to buy upgrades for versions 3 and 4. Had I known that they were never again going to offer upgrades, I would not have spent the extra money on a model with flash memory. I could easily have bought the cheaper m125, which is effectively the same device, except for the lack of flash and a different dock connector. I won't make this mistake again.
I wrote to Palm. Their answer was "our engineers are working on it". Yeah, right. I might've believed that a year ago. Today, I interpret it as "I would like to tell you to drop dead, but I'm not allowed to say that to customers."
As for battery life - that's never been an issue. I place the unit on its cradle for syncing 2-3 times a week. The battery-level indicator has never gone below 75%. But I usually leave beam-receive, sound, and the backlight turned off. The battery lasts much longer with these disabled. I don't get as much life as my III did on a pair of AAA batteries, but since I've never been away from a charger long enough to get a low-battery warning, it's never been an issue.
Re:heres to hopeing by millette · 2004-01-12 12:36 · Score: 1

Seriously, it doesn't have a "connector" - it has that craddle with a usb interface. It's a difference, when you look at what's available today.
It's not old in age, well, not that much I agree. But looking at it specs, it's easy to see it was surpassed in almost every aspect about 3-6 months after it came out.
It's still the PDA I have, because it satisfies all my needs. It did when I bought it, and my needs haven't really changed that much. But I know if I'm buying a new one, it will be 5 times better in memory, speed, graphics area, etc. I still appreciate it - it's not like it's crashing all the time or anything like that.
Re:heres to hopeing by shamino0 · 2004-01-13 12:12 · Score: 1

Seriously, it doesn't have a "connector" - it has that craddle with a usb interface. It's a difference, when you look at what's available today.
The universal cradle interface is nothing more than USB pins, plus serial port pins, plus power pins (for the battery charger.) You may find this diagram of interest. Note that the only "circuitry" inside a cradle is a bunch of wires, a pushbutton and a resistor.
If you look at what's available today, you'll find that all but the cheapest models (Zire, Zire 21 and Tungsten E) still use the universal-connector and a USB cradle.

The Stylus, whole and nothing but by fm6 · 2004-01-07 09:36 · Score: 1

I agree, only more so. I won't buy any PDA device that has a keyboard. When the main input device is a stylus, I want to do everything with the stylus. I'm bad at Graffiti, but there's keyboards you can use with a stylus.

Re:The Stylus, whole and nothing but by JHromadka · 2004-01-07 09:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

I agree, only more so. I won't buy any PDA device that has a keyboard. When the main input device is a stylus, I want to do everything with the stylus. I'm bad at Graffiti, but there's keyboards you can use with a stylus.
To each his own. My next PDA will have to have a keyboard. Using the older Treos has spoiled me. If the new 600 had a higher res screen, I would own one right now, but as it stands I will wait until Spring before deciding.

--
"The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved." -- John Ashcroft
Re:The Stylus, whole and nothing but by fm6 · 2004-01-07 10:35 · Score: 2, Insightful

To each his own.
A reasonable philosophy, though not popular at Slashdot.
Re:The Stylus, whole and nothing but by fm6 · 2004-01-12 09:43 · Score: 1

To each his own!

Bigger Devices by Anonymous Coward · 2004-01-07 11:10 · Score: 1, Interesting

When is someone going to come up with a tablet pc form factor device that runs PalmOS? Old blind farts like me would like a bigger screen. Black and white is fine, no Windows Start Button (TM) or associated overhead is fine. I just want something big that works.

Filesystem? by cloudless.net · 2004-01-07 14:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

"These requirements include modularity, multi-tasking, memory protection, robust security and state-of-the-art multimedia capabilities. "

After so many years Palm finally built a modern OS, with obvious assitance from Be OS. However I see no mention of the filesystem? Will Palm OS 6 finally get a true filesystem instead of the frustrating VFS?

Re:Filesystem? by Just+Some+Guy · 2004-01-10 02:48 · Score: 1

After so many years Palm finally built a modern OS...
...and that's probably what will kill them. Or, at least, what will keep me from ever upgrading my current Palm. Why? Because I don't want a modern OS on my PDA. I have a desktop and a couple of laptops - the last thing I need is another full-blown OS.
How could that possibly be a problem? Because developers are doing everything that can to make Palm OS approach Windows CE in functionality, but the vast majority of Palm users mainly want quick access to their calendar, phone book, encrypted password lists, and maybe a couple of games. Anything else is almost certain to detract from Palm's primary virtue to date: simplicity.
If I wanted a multitasking system with embeddable objects so that I could have spreadsheets inside a word processor, I'd have bought an iPaq, or I would just take a laptop (with infinitely more functionality) along. I don't. I want my appointments and my contacts, and I want them easily accessible, and I do not want a random background process keeping me from getting into them quickly.
Palm, I really hope you know what you're doing. The last thing we need is yet another WinCE-alike unit. You've made millions by keeping it simple. Forget that, and all bets are off.

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Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?

What's new in Palm OS 6? by shodson · 2004-01-07 15:50 · Score: 1

So what are the new features of Palm OS 6? Why is it better?

Re:What's new in Palm OS 6? by Leroy_Brown242 · 2004-01-07 18:18 · Score: 1

To fill your need for higher version numbers!

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Pretty Pictures!

here l am by kwoff · 2004-01-07 23:25 · Score: 2, Funny

l'm actually reading and replying to th is message from my Tungsten C through a wireless network in the cafeteria at work.. :) (though it's Palm OS 5.2.1, so it's not on-topic)

great, now I'm TWO versions behind by Twister002 · 2004-01-08 05:08 · Score: 1

My Treo 90 doesn't appear to be upgradeable to OS 5. I guess now it won't be upgradeable to 5 or 6. Meanwhile, Palm ISV's keep making OS5 only applications.

It's the windows upgrade treadmill, except portable and you can't just upgrade the software. I have to buy a whole new device to run the latest apps.

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"For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled." -Feynman

Re:great, now I'm TWO versions behind by Aliencow · 2004-01-10 08:50 · Score: 1

Geez look at the change from 4 to 5, different arch. WHAT? I can't run Panther on my Mac IIsi ? THIEVES!

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