Palm is going towards Linux OS

[770d]

Check this out

http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/10/palm-prepping-its-own-linux-based-os/

[Milhouse]

Could the Palm situation become any more farcical? I thought not until I read this announcement!

And while we b1tch about the loss of 770 support (which deserves to be b1tched about) just be grateful the Internet Tablet isn't managed by the same clowns running Palm!!!

[Karel Jansens]

Could the Palm situation become any more farcical? I thought not until I read this announcement!

And while we b1tch about the loss of 770 support (which deserves to be b1tched about) just be grateful the Internet Tablet isn't managed by the same clowns running Palm!!!

No, they're different clowns.

[frethop]

It´? about time Palm did a makeover to the OS. THey´ve been searching for a replacement for a while. All that dallying with WIndows Mobile took them down the wrong road, however. Unfortunately, the article from engadget said they will be continuing this path.

Im interested in the shape the new PalmOS will take. And how proprietary it will be. Time will tell.

-F

[Milhouse]

I think the Windows route was right for Palm at the time - it brought them a lot of market share they otherwise wouldn't have achieved in the Smartphone sector, and they're being fairly pragmatic by continuing this route as some customers want/need Windows Mobile (for corporate reasons) and others are happy with regular Palm OS. Palm caters to both groups.

What I can't believe is how many twists and turns Palm has taken over the last 4 or 5 years, or how they succeeded in selling their OS to Access under the pre-text they would licence it back once Access had ported it to Linux.

Not only did Palm recently negotiate a very generous licence with Access for their old OS (Garnet) for a fraction of what they sold it, but they have now announced they have been developing a new Linux-based OS "for a few years" and will not be using the Access developed OS! Access must be furious and they're looking like total mugs - they've been sold a lemon of an operating system and Palm has now left them without any future custom. If I were Access I'd sue their @rses over this recent announcement.

[TA-t3]

Check this out

http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/10/palm-prepping-its-own-linux-based-os/

From the link:
"Palm has been secretly at work on this OS for a number of years,"

Not so secretly, really. It's been known for the last couple of years or so (I can't remember exactly when I saw it first), because Palm (then PalmOne) has been openly advertising open job positions for Linux developers.

What I don't really get is why they didn't choose to work closer with PalmSource (now Access) with this instead. Now there will be two Linux/PalmOS solutions, which possibly won't be good for anyone.

[Milhouse]

Which would you develop for - the new PalmOS that is distributed by Palm on Palm devices, or the new Access Linux Platform with an old PalmOS compatability layer and precious few hardware customers lining up to ship it?

Bit of a no brainer, you develop for the new PalmOS and Access end up trying to flog their wares to Chinese hardware manufacturers. with probably very few takers as they're already boarded the Windows Mobile boat (or can quite easily knock up their own Linux OS offering). I give it a couple of years then predict Access will write off the PalmSource purchase or restrict their involvement to niche markets.

This ongoing development within Palm may not have been a secret but when PalmSource was created you'd have thought that PalmSource would have ended up owning all the software IP. But since that isn't the case it looks as if Palm have simply created (and sold) PalmSource with the sole intention of supporting their legacy OS, ie. Palm created a corporate entity with an inbuilt limited lifespan while they beavered away on their own replacement, which seems a trifle underhand.

Not that I care, as I don't much like Palm or Access!!! ;)

[TA-t3]

It depends. What Access has, er, access to, is PalmOS Garnet (i.e. PalmOS 5.1.2 and newer), AND also PalmOS Cobalt (aka PalmOS6) which was never sold with any devices but at least demoed on some. Palm has only Garnet, so I can't see that Palm is in a better position than Access as far as PalmOS is concerned. But then again Access may be focusing more on the Asian phone market. On the other hand (running out of hands now..) Palm seems to be all-Treo now anyway, there's no new PDA coming out anytime soon afaik.

I agree with your predictions btw!

[Milhouse]

Access is just a software vendor, they're going to need to get their OS onto devices to make it a success - I suspect they were banking on Palm being the first ALP licensee, but now Palm have done the dirty on Access. The Asian market is probably all Access have left, assuming any Chinese device manufacturers show interest.

Palm negotiated themselves a very generous licence for Garnet which I believe allows them to ship it on future devices, quite possibly as a layer on top of their new Linux-based OS. Here again, Access seem to have been screwed over by Palm by agreeing to such generous terms. Assuming the new PalmOS arrives on time and is successful, the need for Garnet will diminish within a couple of years.

Since both companies need to get loyal Palm developers to move on from Garnet, these developers are faced with taking the ALP route (a new OS which isn't likely to appear on any devices soon, Palm or otherwise) or stick with Palm and develop for the new PalmOS on shiny new Palm devices. Without the backing of Palm, the ALP OS is substantially devalued - any new Palm applications designed for the new Palm OS are unlikely to be compatible with ALP. Glad I'm not Access!!! :)

The PDA market does seem to be pretty dead - Dell apparently dropped the Axim in the last few days (currently there are no plans for a replacement) and as you point out most new devices are smartphones.

[hircus]

It depends. What Access has, er, access to, is PalmOS Garnet (i.e. PalmOS 5.1.2 and newer), AND also PalmOS Cobalt (aka PalmOS6) which was never sold with any devices but at least demoed on some. Palm has only Garnet, so I can't see that Palm is in a better position than Access as far as PalmOS is concerned.


Then again, the main reason Cobalt didn't take off is exactly because Palm didn't want to use it. Oh to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where that happened..