So, Palm did bid for Palmsource after all. The question remains: should we be happy now that Access won out? -Alex

PalmInfoCenter - Palm Attempted to Buy PalmSource (http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=8090):

BusinessWeek is reporting that Palm put a bid in to buy PalmSource. However, Palm was outbid by other companies and ultimately decided that the deal didn't make sense.
BusinessWeek - Palm Taps Microsoft (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2005/tc20050920_6583_tc081.htm):

The PDA makers plans to unveil a Treo powered not by the Palm OS software but by Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5. Could be a good move
...
As the only significant licensee of Palm OS, Palm Inc. was widely expected to buy back the software business -- and it tried. But major U.S. and European handset makers jumped into the bidding and drove the price too high.


Related: Q1 FY 2006 Palm Earnings Conference Call (http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/3/59933.html) (live tomorrow at 5:00 pm ET)

I don't want to sound too cynical, but this explains the "premium" Access were prepared to pay. It's a bit of a cold shower for those who believed this was due to the value of PalmSource's intellectual property. It was nothing as lofty as that, just simple market economics.

It's a bit of a cold shower for those who believed this was due to the value of PalmSource's intellectual property. It was nothing as lofty as that, just simple market economics.
At a price level that -according to Palm- made no sense for them to pursue this subject any longer.