All Future Treos To Run Windows Mobile?

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2143406/sight-palm">http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2143406/sight-palm</a><br /><br />Since Palm announced the Windows Mobile 5 powered Treo 700w rumors have been swirling that the "w" on the end implies a "p" or 700p running PalmOS is in the works. This article from IT Week seems to dispute that.<br /><br /><i>"However, it seems unlikely that any further Palm OS Treos will be developed. Current models run an ageing version of the Palm platform, and to extend this to match the 3G network support in Windows Mobile 5.0 may prove costly. If firms will not buy Palm OS handsets, Palm may simply decide to cut its losses and ship only Microsoft-based models once the Treo 600 and Treo 650 reach end-of-life."</i><br /><br />At the most, should a 700p see the light of day in the next year or so, it may just be a 650 with a face-lift. Palm has already done a ton of work hacking up PalmOS 5, also known as Garnet, to run some of the modern radio stacks necessary for high speed internet access. It may be more cost effective to let Microsoft shoulder that burden and focus on applications and user interface features.<br /><br />Of course, many still hold out hope that Access, the owner of PalmOS, will release a PalmOS GUI on Linux. <a href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20051206A8051.html">This article</a> seems to indicate Palm will release a Linux powered phone, but when you read the article, you have to wonder if the journalist is getting PalmSource/Access confused with Palm. Either that, or Palm is going to build its own version of an OS on Linux and shun Access altogether, which doesn't make sense, especially since the CEO of Palm adamantly denied they would go with yet a third OS on the Treo platform.

[Brad Adrian]

You've got me convinced, Ed. But then again, I may be a bit biased. ;)

I just can't see a Linux device making much headway. I mean, we've been hearing for years about how "great" a Linux-based device would be, but they're still not even a drop in a drop in the bucket in terms of market share.

[felixdd]

One thing I don't understand is why no one bothered to license OS 6. It's there, it's available, but no one (not even Palm) is touching it. Why?

[IpaqMan2]

One thing I don't understand is why no one bothered to license OS 6. It's there, it's available, but no one (not even Palm) is touching it. Why?

And that is the million dollar question, and I mean that literally. OS6 is basically what destroyes Palm Source in the since the company put so much resources into developing the OS and than Poof... nothing, nobody would license it. Supposedly OS 6 was suppose to be the OS that made the Palm platform competive again.. but who knows now.. we can just toss that one up with Apple's PDA which they developed and was ready to market but with inweeks or months of it's release Jobs pulled the plug (I think because he didn't to hurt iPods sales a few years back)

As for Linux going mainstrean... I don't know.. IMO Linux is wining more fans each day and someday may seriously compete with Microsoft in the desktop area, but til than it has a long way to go in the PDA area and as for smartphones... it'll just be another user interface for phone.

[Fishie]

One thing I don't understand is why no one bothered to license OS 6. It's there, it's available, but no one (not even Palm) is touching it. Why?

It sucks?

[Prime Steak]

It sucks?

:rotfl:

[gt24]

If you get a copy of the Palm Development Environment then you can run Palm OS 6 yourself... at least in the emulator. Overall, it was certainly an improvement to OS 5 and I was kinda surprised that NOBODY wanted to license it. It certainly is better than FrankenGarnet.

Considering how the platform is earning no money, I am kinda surprised that PalmSource didn't try to port their platform to some devices, allowing users to buy the new OS and install it while also reminding you that you are voiding your device's warantee by doing that... but that you would also get an OS warantee in return. Ah well... OS 6 shall live on in emulation form only.