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No More PalmOS Instant Messaging?
cloudscout asks: "Palm users are slowly being cut off from Instant Messaging networks. In July of 2002, changes to the Yahoo! Messenger network effectively disabled the service's PalmOS client and an updated version was never released. Now the same fate has befallen ICQ users. Changes to the ICQ network have disabled the PalmOS client. This happened in September and since then, ICQ has responded to all bug reports with an irrelevant form letter. This leaves Palm users with AIM whose official client is a couple of years old, buggy and costs $20. Is there a future for Instant Messaging on Palm? One would think that the growing popularity of PalmOS SmartPhones would make this a priority."
There are Jabber clients for just about everything, and you can set up a server that has gateways to the other networks if you are technically inclined.
PalmOS is a bitch to code for. People while about Windows, because it isn't some POSIX clone, but they've not done coding for PalmOS. More important, they've not tried to port an app from a real OS like Unix, Windows CE, or Linux to PalmOS. PalmOS is a passable OS when you're dealing with 16 MHz m68k, but on much past that it's a sad excuse for an OS.
I'd be more worried about the current state of instant messaging on PalmOS vis-a-vis the lack of multi-tasking. PalmOS 6 will have some multitasking abilities, but those of us with any current model PalmOS device will be SOL, unless they're willing to buy a new device. I've recieved word for a few Palm employees that there is about a zilch chance of Palm releasing a POS 6 upgrade for *any* of their current models, even the Tungsten T3 or C, the two most powerful models.
I had out a Tungsten C for a (relatively short) while. Why even bother with built-in wifi when it's so crippled by the OS? If I opened up an IRC or IM app, I would be disconnected the second I wanted to do a calculation in EasyCalc or grab out a phone number in Addressbook. Then I'd have to go through the whole routine of reconnecting. Yay! Each time I would leave the Web Browser to get a URL out of a Memo or an email, I would lose the page loaded and have to re-negotiate the wifi-connection, reload the page (or multiple tabs if running NetFront), basically starting over again.
I took the Tungsten C back after a couple weeks. I have a Palm m130 on loan which I like more. It is a lot less powerful and has a smaller and crappier screen compared to the TC, but at least so much isn't going to such blatant waste. Perhaps it is better to use the Palm for what it does decently, and then use my Windows CE device (Sigmarion III- 800x480 screen, touch-typable screen) for the real work of doing development, browsing the web, irc, email via ssh, etc etc.
Anyone who says that PDAs don't need multitasking have never used their PDA for anything but the simplest of tasks. The device for which the term PDA was invented- the original Apple Newton- had multitasking before the first Palm Pilot was concieved, and has been capable of doing more than almost any PalmOS model. Perhaps Palm should have thought of a new acronym to call their device, a PDA lite? Expensive Electronic Organizer?
No, there isn't a port of GAIM to PalmOS. But there are a bunch of other IM clients for PalmOS. This story is pretty stupid, like a lot of so-called tech news story posted at various sites, born of ignorance and perpetuated by folks too lazy to do any research, and analyzed by folks who know nothing about the topic.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
I use Jabber client on PalmOS without problems. There are at least two clients, one of which is open source. The specification of the protocol is open, and the system is distributed. Why use AIM or ICQ, when there is Jabber? :-)
-Yenya
--
While Linux is larger than Emacs, at least Linux has the excuse that it has to be. --Linus
It sure looks nice, but... the price is, according to the page, $24.95 for the first year and then $19.95(!) for each following year. Not cheap. Furthermore, in the "Purchase/Service Agreement" it is clearly stated that some protocols may not be functional for some time or even for ever. Refunds are not mentioned, so if your favourite protocol is broken you are out of luck.
And the author is not affiliated with Yahoo/AOL/Microsoft. So anytime protocol changes occur, the client won't work. Just like any other free client. Or like the official clients, only that here is a (slight?) chance they will be working again. Maybe. Someday.
Disclaimer: unfortunately I don't have a Palm that can receive SMS (SMS as a bearer... smart, but possibly expensive), so actually all protocols may be working currently.
My cats ate my karma. They also wrote this comment.
There's plenty of open IM clients available for all number of platforms. Hell, there's gotta be like three in the top 25 list over at sourceforge.
Nobody has taken their own time to port one over to the Palm platform. Development on the Palm is pretty easy compared to a lot of platforms, I'm really surprised nobody has done it just for the sake of having it done. Why expect a commercial company to provide us something when we can build it ourselves? Aren't we Open Source, power-to-the-people, scree evil corporations that force feed us their closed clients?
I'm happily using Agile Messenger on my SymbianOS cellphone. Beats the hell out of 10 cent per SMS messages. I would even pay for the software if they weren't giving it out for free! As soon as they come out with a WiFi and GPRS Palm for under a million dollars, and somebody matches that with a reasonable cell data plan, then I'll switch back.
--D
Score: +1 Troll, but absolutely correct