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Palm Teams With Microsoft for Smart Phone

UltimaGuy writes "Yahoo! News is reporting that Palm Inc. is teaming up with Microsoft Corp. to launch a Windows-based version of the Treo smart phone, marking the first time the handheld computer pioneer will sell a device based on its former rival's software. 'In terms of the level of importance, this would be - in this space - the same thing as Apple announcing they were going to be using Intel processors.'"

5 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Vader's take by DoctorHibbert · · Score: 2, Funny

    Noooooooooooo!

    --
    Arbitrary sig
  2. Actually stable by wigry · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know about you guys but I have developed quite many applications to Microsoft Windows Mobile Smartphone platform and also used the phone quite a lot and it is STABLE and fast. Nothing to cpmlaoin about. The windows that is in the device is huge improvement over their desktop version. As the Embedded Visual C++ is totally free of charge, then it is absolutely logical to develop the program to the smartphone platform. The effect works also oin the other direction: as developers coose smartphone platform, then there are lots of programs available and therefore customers prefer those phones as well. Add to the picture the fact that Microsoft will make the single operating system release for both PDA and Smartphone (Windows Mobile 5.0), the user gets familiar interface and also does developer. By releasing the EVC for free, microsoft basically killed the competition. There is no point to develop to Symbian as the API is totally different and same is with Linux. Smartwhone with timetested Win32 API rules the mobile world, like it or not. I as a developer have experience and I like it. The Windows Mobile is another masterpiece from microsoft, far from what they provide to the desktop.

  3. Microsoft and Smart in the same sentence... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Palm Teams With Microsoft for Smart Phone"
    Doesn't this constitute as an oxymoron?

  4. Glad to see.... by pottymouth · · Score: 2, Funny



    I'm just glad to see that Microsoft has learned it's lessons
    about monopolistic practices......

  5. The end for Palm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I swear, Palm is absolutely on crack.

    First, tons of bizarro name changes. After some years, it's Palm again - what was so wrong with that in the first place that it was worth all the churn and confusion? Why make people who hit the front door of Palm's site choose what company or country they're really trying to reach?

    Next, why make it so Palm has to pay to use its own OS on your its devices (re: PalmSource)? I'm never going to figure that one out.

    Finally, why, oh why can't they put the whole thing in one package? My nice, fast T3 can connect wirelessly to the internet via "Any Bluetooth Wireless Access Point". WTF?

    Took Palm years to come up with the SD WiFi you could already get for Pocket PC. And it works on what, 2 Palm devices? Meanwhile, they actively prevented Sandisk from developing working WiFi for the Palm line.

    And if I want to spend money with Palm and get a nice Treo phone? Can't get one that's anything like as fast or capable as my several-years-old T3. Screen is tiny by comparison. And WiFi? The Treo 650 can "Connect with Bluetooth wireless devices." "That's odd, the lights are on, but there's nobody home!"

    Can't buy an upgraded Palm OS for your older device anymore either. Might as well not matter 'cause each OS upgrade breaks a bunch of stuff that used to work fine, and there's not enough money in PalmOS software for developers to support their products and rewrite for the new OS or support multiple versions (in general). And since you can't upgrade your OS, they will need to support those multiple versions for a while. And as mentioned above, Palm owns a nice new OS that runs on exactly zero devices.

    So now: Linux! NO! WAIT! Windows! NO! WAIT! The Treo 800 will be the ideal embedded controller for nuclear power plants and mission-critical homeland defense applications! And it will connect wirelessly to the internet via any Bluetooth Access Point!

    Honestly, think of the dumbest thing they could possibly do, and I guarantee: it's in the business plan.