I don't think so. Yesterday I read a Brighthand article (http://www.brighthand.com/article/Palm_OS_Can_Take_the_Lead_in_VGA) claiming that PalmSource had now the chance to pick up and jump ahead of Pocket PC by finding licensees for new and better Palm OS-based VGA handhelds. I think Ed Hardy of Brighthand makes it too easy for himself by comparing technology that currently only runs in an emulator (Cobalt) with technology that has already made its debut (Windows Mobile 2003 SE) in real handhelds months ago.

Instead, Ed should have also considered Windows Mobile 2005, which, among other things, promises better graphic support (Direct3D Mobile built on DirectX), and is only due in a few months. And where is Palm OS by then?

My dream PDA: Cobalt + VGA + made by Apple!

Before Sony entered the PDA game, Palm OS vendors didn't even bother to go beyond 160x160. Unless PalmSource finds a new innovative licensee (NOT palmOne), I am afraid they won't be able to gain a lead again.

Tapwave, the makers of the Zodiac 1 and 2, will probably be the most innovative PalmOS PDA licensee that we will see for a while. IMHO, they're already doing a great job. Just look at the specs of the Zodiac 2 and its price. What a lot of people don't realize is that the Zodaics are really PDAs at heart - they're true PalmOS machines. They're desgined to be held both in landscape and in portrait orientations. I use mine as my full-time PDA and my mobile entertainment machine. Yes, I do have a seperate mp3 player, but for gaming, eBooks, off/online browsing, and many other cool things, it serves my needs. It also has an outstanding battery life for what it does. Compare its' specs with the T3 or even the T5 and see why the Zodiac 2 is an awesome PDA.

P.S. - although it may first come across as a gaming machine, it looks nothing like one unless you are actually playing a game on it. When holding it upright, it looks like a normal PDA. I know doctors who use the Zodiac.

Now it has been revealed that there will be no new Zodiacs until 2006. But that's already less than a year away, and I'm positive that Tapwave will impress us all once again. They're even still updating the original Zodiac 1 and 2. My Zodiac 2 is the best PDA I've ever had - I encourage you all to take a look at them.

As long as VGA can be done without breaking 320X480 apps (by using a 'stretch mode' for older apps), I'd love to see a VGA screen on a Palm device. I'd really love a 4" OLED in VGA.

I agree that Tapwave is now the true innovator on the Palm OS platform now that Sony is concentrating their efforts on the PSP (the real reason the Clie was killed). While the PC Magazine article states that a next-gen Zodiac is a year away, I'd take that with a grain of salt. As Apple found out a few years ago, hints of product announcements and upgrades of existing lines or completely new models can cause people to put off purchases. Most companies would rather have you purchase an existing model out of existing supplies. And as Tapwave has found out the hard way, it's better to under-promise and over-deliver than the other way around.

I'm hopeful that Palm OS Linux will allow for features such as VGA, better Wifi support, and a number of other ways that the sweet spot can be widened in the Zen of Palm tradition.

Brian