Palm Pushes Next Generation Devices To Mid-2009

[Ed Hansberry]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=14394' target='_blank'>http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=14394</a><br /><br /></div><p>Palm claimed it was going to finalize the new operating system, codenamed Nova, by late 2008 and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/first-palm-os-ii-devices-to-hit-early-2009-is-it-already-too-la/" target="_blank">release devices in early 2009</a>. That <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/22/palm-quietly-slips-next-generation-smartphones-into-mid-2009/" target="_blank">has changed.</a><br /><br /><em>"In a conference call with industry analysts yesterday, Palm's CEO promised that devices running its next operating system would be on the market by the middle of next year. On the surface this might seem like good news, but for many months this company has been committing to having smartphones running Palm OS II out in early 2009. The fact that it has switched its language is a sign that the release of this operating system has almost certainly slipped a bit."</em><br /><br /><img src="http://www.ehansberry.com/ppct/2008/20080927-palmnovaslips.gif" border="0" alt="Lame lame lame lame" /><br /><br />I have to wonder if Palm has done a better job of lining up hardware makers for this OS than they did with Palm OS 6, also known as Cobalt. <a href="http://www.brighthand.com/article/PalmOS6_Coming_Dec_29" target="_blank">Nearly 5 years after its release</a>, not a single device has been offered for sale, even though they were expecting devices within months of the 6.0 release. Of course, 6.1 came and went with no devices either, not even from Palm. We'll see if they perform better this time around, and we'll see if anyone cares amidst the releases of the iPhone, Android and hopefully, Microsoft's own Windows Mobile 7.</p>

[ADBrown]

Ed, Palm isn't going to "line up hardware makers." By their own admission, only they plan to use this platform.

[soho_1]

There are only three openly licensed mobile operating systems today: Symbian, Windows Mobile and OHA (Google). Symbian will probably become a Nokia-only OS and it's going to be down to WinMo vs. OHA in a few years. OHA will be open source and free (as in beer).

Palm's Nova is a Palm-only OS (like mobile OS X or Motorola's Linux).

[mbranscum]

I wouldn't say too much about Palm's timetables in the same breath as Microsoft.

Lets see how long it takes the boys from Richmond to release 7. ;)

[andyb]

Symbian is also going open source, so will likely pick up new manufacturers. WinMo 7 is going to have to be special (and on time) because that is now looking the most vulnerable.

[Pony99CA]

I wouldn't say too much about Palm's timetables in the same breath as Microsoft.

Lets see how long it takes the boys from Richmond to release 7. ;)
I was going to ask if anybody was taking bets on whether Nova or WM 7 would be released first. :cool:

At least Microsoft has released new versions of the OS in the last five years, though.

Steve

[JamesM]

Not to defend Palm's previous delays, but couldn't one argue that "early" 2009 could be considered any time in the "first half" of 2009?

[Ed@Brighthand]

Not to defend Palm's previous delays, but couldn't one argue that "early" 2009 could be considered any time in the "first half" of 2009?
To me, "early" means Q1. I can stretch that to the first part of spring, but by the end of Q2 you're well into summer, and that's mid-year.

Yeah, it's going to be interesting to see who gets the next version of their OS on the market first, Microsoft or Palm. At least WM users will get a bone thrown to them: the new version of IE is supposed to be out this fall.
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