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Palm's webOS Root Image Leaks Out
Kohenkatz writes "As noted in PreCentral.net's forums, the 'webOS Reset Doctor' has been leaked. It includes the webOS root image. From the article: 'Code-inclined individuals on the PreCentral forums have already cracked open the ROM and are getting an unfettered glimpse at the Palm's new platform, which, for the layman, means it should open the doors for some crazy Pre hacking and possibly hint, by way of unfinished / unused code, at what's to come for the platform — and, if we're really lucky, maybe someone will be able to look at this and move us one step closer to an unlocked Pre that could jump onto Verizon's network. Amusingly, you also get to see all the comments left by the devs in the code, guaranteeing a few good chuckles from others who can relate.'"
People have already uncovered icons for MSN and AOL, as well as references to the Palm Eos, a rumored successor to the Centro line.
dev mode enabled using the konami code
turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
If we're really lucky, maybe someone will be able to look at this and move us one step closer to an unlocked Pre that could jump onto Verizon's network.
I thought people would eventually learn this after all the discussion of "why can't I move my iPhone to Verizon?" In the US, Verizon and Sprint use CDMA. Each phone has to be developed for each specific network. AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM, the worldwide standard where phones can be "unlocked" and moved to other networks (as long as the phone support the frequencies used by those networks). So don't hold your breath waiting for a Verizon Pre.
"95% of all Slashdot
What does the phone's rom have to do with this? I've unlocked sprint treos for verizon. You just have to reprogram the prl on the cdma chip. No firmware/OS modification involved. Has something drastically changed, or does the op just not understand?
[...] which, for the layman, means [...]
A layman wouldn't know what anything on this website would mean, much less TFA.
The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
Cracking open the ROM is nifty and all (although it might cause issues for you later if you want to develop on the platform), but what I still want to know is where are the Palm Pre Linux kernel sources?.
I've looked all over the Palm sites and even Googled for it, but I haven't come up with anything but speculation. I can't believe that they're using a prebuilt kernel from TI, so what gives?
coding is life
jump onto Verizon's network
Is Verizon really that lovable? I know all the iPhone haters are quick to point to AT&T as the worst cell phone carrier, but is there really so much love out there for Verizon?
For every AT&T phone I've had that supported bluetooth I've never had any trouble moving ringtones and pictures on and off the phone directly from my computer. I had heard that Verizon pretty much always disables features like that in order to force you to use their fee based options. I've never understood how someone who dislikes AT&T could have any love for Verizon.
I totally understand people rooting for the underdog, but loving Verizon and hating Sprint I just don't understand. Every time a new smartphone comes out it seems there's a huge clamor to use it on some carrier other than the one who's got an exclusive deal for the new phone.
Are there really any wireless carriers out there that are super awesome great companies who just unfortunately only offer crap phones?
At the risk of being branded a heretic, if I wanted a crappy computer with a tiny screen and keyboard, I'd buy a Sinclair.
Why does every chunk of plastic in the world want to be my computer?
Doesn't work the same way at all. iTunes produces an XML file detailing the contents of its library. The Blackberry (and, incidentally, Nokia) synchronisation software reads this file. You need to install a separate application from the handset vendor and use it to synchronise your music (iTunes is blissfully unaware of your Blackberry/Nokia). The Pre is a different kettle of fish - it masquerades as an iPod so iTunes will handle the synchronisation with no additional software.
Why is the Pre better? Can you give specific examples?
Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
This could actually be very good for developers versus the iPhone.
The plan is, from my understanding, that the WebOS SDK should allow devs to build capable but high-level apps in a Javascript-style environment (though I'm pretty sure these things are still compiled). Thus a lower barrier to entry than even the iPhone, at the expense of more intensive system-level access.
If Pre homebrew software doesn't require firmware modification like the iPhone does (does the Pre even need to be jailbroken?), that goes a long way toward legitimizing it to a mainstream audience, giving potential Pre developers two possible avenues for development.
Your mind is clear / The things that you fear / Will fade with how much you / Believe what you hear
Me, but only because I saw it mentioned in a book (Code Complete?) as an example of a bad comment.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Keyboard, multi-tasking and a much more open development model. To name a few.
At the risk of being branded a heretic, if I wanted a crappy computer with a tiny screen and keyboard, I'd buy a Sinclair.
Why does every chunk of plastic in the world want to be my computer?
Because you can't put your computer in your shirt pocket and take it with you everywhere you go. It's not about trying to be your computer. It's about having a device like your computer with you at all times.
There is no "I disagree" mod for a reason. Flamebait, Troll, and Overrated are not substitutes.
I assume the root image indicates modifications to GPL source, like Webkit.
Have they published the changes?
WebKit is not GPLed. Their main page states that they are an open source project (their words) with portions available under BSD and LGPL licenses.
Palm doesn't have to release anything if they use BSD code in their software stack. If they use LGPL code then I believe that they have to release their changes and provide a method allowing the end user to replace the LGPLed library with a different library. I'm no lawyer, so I'd suggest that you look at the license for the details.
coding is life
The keyboard, to me, is a wash. Some like it, some like the iPhone's virtual keyboard. It's a matter of preferences.
As for the others, they're potential benefits. Open development model? Linux has that, but it didn't help it take the world by storm. Multi-tasking? Sure, I suppose it would be better in some theoretical sense, but you're making a judgement based on brochure bullet-points. That's why I asked for specific examples. Is it a better email platform? I don't know. Better casual gaming platform? I don't know. Better music player? I don't know. Better development platform? I don't know.
We don't know because it's brand new and we don't know much about it, and certainly don't know anything long-term. The iPhone is a known entity, with a decently long track record, and therefore we know the pros and cons. With the Pre you can assume a bunch of benefits from the bullet-points, but they're just guesses.
I say this as a satisfied Blackberry user, so I'm not fanboying the iPhone.
Potato chips are a by-yourself food.
It's about having a device like your computer with you at all times.
I have a device like my computer with me at all times when I want to be near a computer.
It's my computer.
If people only realized how much crap they've been programmed to "need", there would be riots in the streets, complete with pitchforks and burning torches.
Nobody really cares if you buy an iPhone or anything else as long as it ensures that you'll pay them $50/month forever, for a "data plan".
Just for an example, most of the Northeast US has great water. A lot of it is some of the best water on the planet. We still buy it @ $1+/bottle and it's a huge industry based on nothing except marketing-created need.
Has anybody besides me noticed that the goal of almost every business is to get you to pay them every month for something you don't need and never new you wanted until they decided for you?
I guess you aren't familiar with the iPhone 3Gs yet. Compare that to the Pre in terms of speed. Also, consider real speed an not theoretical (i.e. CPU) speed. The iPhone 3Gs has more than just the CPU doing its processing. At work we have a Pre user. He's now wishing he had an iPhone 3G (not even the newest one) because the Pre is so much slower.
Please explain what you mean by "better memory handling" and try to compare iPhone 3Gs with the Pre, not last year's models.
Isn't the "standard easy to develop platform" Javascript and HTML5 running on Webkit. That's what iPhone 1.0 launched with in 2007! Objective C is for folks who want native speed. That option (native code) is not yet supported for Pre developers.
"Ability to develop for ANY OS"? How is that? If it's Javascript and HTML5 it will also run on the iPhone and Android. So what is special about Pre?
"No big-brother" and "No app kill-switch" are security vulnerabilities that can endanger more than the device itself. It's a shared network. Ever use a PC? Do you like how any there is not way to be sure as where your applications really come from? Let's see how well that works out.
"Ability to synch music to multiple sources" - You can do that with an iPhone if you really want to. The iPhone is a USB mass storage device. Tell us about how the Pre does it automagically.
What do you mean by "Universal search"?
The ability to buy music directly to the handset is part of iPhone 3.0.
Keep going on, please.
Very often, people confuse simple with simplistic. The nuance is lost on most. - Clement Mok
Call me when it has excellent voice and/or thought recognition and a non-intrusive wide-screen HUD with a good refresh rate.
In the meantime you'll... what? Lug around a big-assed laptop (big-assed netbook) that does way more than you need?
If a phone can provide ready access to text-based communication, basic reference materials, and simple knobs on a remote computer (along with making phone calls), it has replaced my need to lug a full computer around. If it can play some games and run some basic apps too, then it's just gravy. If it's only a mediocre phone, it's still miles ahead of a simple phone that does nothing but make calls flawlessly. For starters, only carrying one device is worth it alone. But also, the secondary features have surpassed the ability to make calls as the primary function. Phone calls are practically obsolete in many scenarios. I can go days without even using my phone as a phone, since it has provided me with more convenient forms of communication. (Show me how any of that is because of marketing.)
So let me ask you: Why does a device have to be the second coming of Jesus before you'll consider it? It takes more than saying "I'm not a Luddite" to actually not be a Luddite. It seems to me that you're resistant to the adoption of the non-phone features of these new devices as the primary function of the device. Don't think of them as general purpose computers. Hell, many of them aren't even marketed that way. Instead look at the way they can make your life easer... Starting by helping you ditch that man-purse that you carry your current computing device around in.
Multitasking is a big, big benefit, assuming you're an internet-over-phone user. (And really, that's the target market. Not iphone users, net-phone users.) Right now if I surf the net on my phone it takes 5-10 seconds after I hit a link for a simple page to render and up to 30 seconds for an image laden one. I'm twiddling my thumbs (literally) in the meantime. With the WebOs I can fire up three or four web instances to cycle between loaded content, open up a game or use another app and get the web pages later.
In a concrete example, I can have the turn-by-turn voice navigation system giving me directions while I GoogleMap for restaurants, pull down restaurant reviews, and send messages to friends saying where to meet. (The GSM one coming out later this year will let you use internet and voice at the same time, the CDMA one can't, but that's a technology limiter)
The WebOs will have more open development than the iPhone simply because there is an O'Reilly book on programming for the WebOS that is already in production (http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780596802097), the SDK has been rolled out to a small group of 3rd party developers with more on the way (http://developer.palm.com), and 3rd party apps are around at launch. Compare that to the release of the iPhone SDK (SDK? What SDK? We don't need no stinking SDK. Local apps are redundant. Oh, wait, here's an SDK. And an App store.)
Many of the others that are "better" is a matter of opinion that will have to be determined by person by person (aka the market). Basing it on bullet points and other reviewers, most of the stock apps are about on par with the iPhones. Some are a bit better, some a bit worse. Some, like the PIM, are not quite as good as the older PalmOS in some ways but have other features that trump everything else. E.g. support for synching multiple calendars with color coding identifiers is wonderful, the accordion-fold time compression is another good idea, but not having ways to categorize contacts or memos is a step backwards.
Much of "better" will come down to how well the concepts mesh with the way people work and/or think that they'll use the device.
Note that I am totally jonesing for a Pre but I'm waiting 'til a) my Sprint contract is up in August for the extra discounts and b) Docs2Go is released b/c I have something like 200,000 words worth of text documents I authored on my Centro and the existing memos app won't meet my need.
I've been on slashdot so long I'm starting to get out of touch with the cool stuff if it ain't on slashdot.
LOL. You either do not get it or playing stupid. [...] Now I know you are just putting me on. "Native speed", ROTFLMAO [...] And people still fall for that load of crap.
The only thing I can say for certain, after watching slashdot's Pre/iPhone wars over the past week, is that the introduction of the Pre has not reduced the global number of cellphone-comparing supercillious pricks. In fact, it's created a whole new class of them, to join their Android and iPhone brethren.
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
Let's see, you think that the difference between June 6th and June 8th (or 19th if you count ship dates) is playing "catch up" You must know a lot about product development.
When you don't know an answer to a question your response seems to be different forms of "LOL". Are you nervous and insecure? Moving out of your Mom's basement and getting a job might help your self esteem.
Do you think JS/HTML/CSS means web pages? Well I didn't say that, but what is a web page if not an HTML document with or without JS and CSS? Also, why does WebOS use a webserver these applications or did you miss that part. Also, you don't seem to understand the importance of HTML5 - especially for implementing RIA's that work off-line. HTML5 gives you standards based local persistence among other things. It's kind of important.
Re: native apps and native speed - Do you understand what an Objective C (or C) compiler outputs? It's machine language for the processor(s) that will execute it. That's different from let's say Java which compiles to byte code for a virtual processor. That's even more different than something that interprets(compiled or not) markup language and script. In the later 2 cases you have at least one layer of interpretation between you and execution and you have less access to the OS's APIs. Whatever access you do have will not be portable so it has the disadvantages of interpretation without the portability. Do you know of any hotspot or JIT compilers for HTML or JS?
"Universal Search", aka Spotlight is part of iPhone 3.0. It can do more though since it can access your iDrive too.
Tell me when Pre or Android start running Flash. Tell me why I'd want to.
I doubt that you've ever spent any time using or evaluating an iPhone. I'm not sure you've spent much time in the adult world from what you've written.
Very often, people confuse simple with simplistic. The nuance is lost on most. - Clement Mok
That explains why there's nobody developing for the iPhone, I guess. Oh, wait.
"Oh wait" for what? The iphone is the best device of its kind on the market right now, so its doing well. Nobody denies that. The closed devlopment model still sucks.
What you're describing isn't multi-tasking.
Uh. I didn't describe anything. If you want an example of app that doesn't work on the iphone... how about oh something really complex... like an alarm clock. Sure I can use the alarm clock app that the iphone comes with. But if I were to obtain a 3rd party alarm clock app, unless it was the current app, its not running, and the alarm doesn't go off.
Or maybe I don't like waiting seconds for my stock tracking app to update AFTER I launch it. Maybe I want it running in the background keeping itself up to date so when I flip to it, I don't have to wait for it to startup and connect to the server to download the current data. To me, that few seconds of pointless wait time is a few seconds too many.
I NEVER EVER used the media player in my previous cell phone because it took 5 seconds to start.
The reason I like the iphone is that i push itunes and its there, ready to go. Apple =gets= the importance of multitasking and responsiveness; it just hasn't figured out how to preserve a level of responsiveness while letting 3rd parties do what they want -- why can't it run 3rd party apps with a cpu quota at a lower priority level to ensure the core platform is "always on top and responsive"? for example?
"Open development" and "multi-tasking" will not solely serve as silver bullets to compete with the iPhone.
For sure. I never said they were. I merely said they were more than 'brochure bullet points'. Like 16 scene modes and 14x digital zoom on a camera... features that fillout the spec sheet but add zero real capability.
Open development appeals directly to me as a programmer. That's a real feature.
Multitasking is a real feature too that enables an entire class of apps that 3rd parties simply can't do on the iphone.