[alese]

So, a small smartphone player will do another properiatery verison of Linux, that is based on 5 year old OS, no one wants any more, I think we have all the ingredients for sucess here...

And there is also one other thing. Even if they do come up with great OS and subsequently they also create great hardware built around the OS, so what.
Since they are small, Palm will of course be unable to properly support (drivers and SW) and develop (next versions, with new features every 12-18 months) the new platform. Of course Linux gives them some head start, but at the end they will have to invest a lot of resources (that in my opinion they don't have) into support and developement.
They probably hope that somehow there will be a community formed around the platform that will do the work for them, but the problem is that it's just not enough - Sharp and their Zaurus line is an excelent example of such situation...

[alese]

So, a small smartphone player will do another properiatery verison of Linux, that is based on 5 year old OS, no one wants any more, I think we have all the ingredients for sucess here...

And there is also one other thing. Even if they do come up with great OS and subsequently they also create great hardware built around the OS, so what.
Since they are small, Palm will of course be unable to properly support (drivers and SW) and develop (next versions, with new features every 12-18 months) the new platform. Of course Linux gives them some head start, but at the end they will have to invest a lot of resources (that in my opinion they don't have) into support and developement.
They probably hope that somehow there will be a community formed around the platform that will do the work for them, but the problem is that it's just not enough - Sharp and their Zaurus line is an excelent example of such situation...

[mdlsimpson]

I am not excited by the Palm/Linux thing but I am intrigued by it. I currently use both a Palm OS 5 device and a WM 5.0 device and have to say that the WM device offers more to me than the Palm (WiFi, BT, multitasking, security, and others) Don't get me wrong, I like the Palm OS but it hasn't changed for the better in several years..... It needs a Boost!

[RogueSpear]

Originally Posted by Foo Fighter

No one cares about Palm or its former OS anymore.

If Microsoft continues down it's utterly uninspired path, we'll soon be saying the same thing about WM. I STILL have not found a compelling reason to upgrade from my ipaq 3975 running 2003.

[Foo Fighter]

Originally Posted by RogueSpear

If Microsoft continues down it's utterly uninspired path, we'll soon be saying the same thing about WM. I STILL have not found a compelling reason to upgrade from my ipaq 3975 running 2003.

That can largely be said already. Once the iPhone arrives I and many other users will be walking away from Windows Mobile, PalmOS, BlackBerry, and Symbian.

[ADBrown]

Originally Posted by Foo Fighter

That can largely be said already. Once the iPhone arrives I and many other users will be walking away from Windows Mobile, PalmOS, BlackBerry, and Symbian.

And how long before you come fleeing back at the prospect of using only the built-in applications? :lol:

[dommasters]

Originally Posted by ADBrown

And how long before you come fleeing back at the prospect of using only the built-in applications? :lol:

It will run web apps through a far better browser.

[ADBrown]

Originally Posted by dommasters

It will run web apps through a far better browser.

Right, because we all know how great web-based applications are, particularly over EDGE, on a half-VGA screen. :lol:

[dommasters]

Originally Posted by ADBrown

Right, because we all know how great web-based applications are, particularly over EDGE, on a half-VGA screen. :lol:

and because we know how great 3rd party apps are when:
1 they hog resources,
2 they stop you making calls,
3 they soft reset your device,
4 they freeze your device,
5 they wont install,
6 they wont uninstall
7 you can't install them anywhere else

Add to that that:

1. developers wont have to sign their apps
2. or sign up to some lacklustre mobile 2 market scheme or
3. have their hard work hacked in an instant

My latest WM is slower than the one I bought in 2001. It has only twice as much RAM. And now they want to get rid of the stylus and touchscreen for people with just one arm. Great but I'd rather have a touchscreen and a fabulous interface that is intuitive.

This is Apple's first incarnation. I remember Microsoft's. These days it's news on Windows Mobile if a new one comes out in a different color.

How many 3rd party apps have you seen for WM lately ? No not the trailer trash but quality 3rd part apps ?

Here's a comparison; Microsoft's new UMPC line or Apple's new iPhone line. Try them both and see which has had more than 2 minutes thought go into the user interface.

[applejosh]

I welcome it only because I don't look at it as another mobile platform. The Access branded OS won't add up to much (at least in the US/Canada). And the Garnet based OS will most likely be dropped eventually (since I'm relatively certain that the new Linux based PalmOS will run most apps that run on OS5 now, and if I was Palm, I'd want as few OS's to support as possible). And I can hope that the renewed interest in things Palm based will cause all OS's to improve just from competition.

[Jonathan1]

Too little, too late. If this was 3-4 years ago they could have pulled an Apple. But now? Palm is borderline irrelevant for most people. Not all. Just most.