Ed, you just don't get it...
Microsoft Pocket PC and Microsoft Smartphone share some common elements, but the have a completely incompatible user experience paradigm. Its not just a matter of recompiling Pocket PC applications - Smartphone applications actually need to be entirely redesigned.
Our strategy couldn't be more different.
Though we are going forward with two versions of the OS (a low end and a high end, essentially) -- both versions maintain a constant user experience paradigm, and they are for the most part software compatible with each other.
And - BOTH versions of the OS are suitable for and will be used in phones.
This isn't a matter of splitting the Palm OS into phone and PDA versions like Microsoft did. This is a matter of offering our licensees even more flexibility and ability to differentiate by allowing the creation of both inexpensive lower-end devices, and richer high-end devices.
I think Handspring, Samsung, GSL, and Kyocera have all demonstrated just how good of a phone you can build using the current OS.
And it's only going to get better.
- chris
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