Is the Palm OS dying?

RWood · 05-12-2008, 02:52 PM

A recent article in The Washington Post raises a question that has been posed here at MobileRead for some time, "Is the Palm OS Dying?" Written by James A. Martin of PC World, the article includes quotes by several business leaders concerning their views of the future of the Palm OS.

It is interesting that he cites features that are missing from the Palm offerings (other than a long time since the last major update) and also identifies features in the Palm that are not offered by competing devices.

curtw · 05-12-2008, 03:12 PM

As evidence, PDAMill is just one commercial software developer that has already started giving away the Palm software that stopped being commercially viable a long time ago:

http://pdamill.com/prod_palm.shtml

Lemurion · 05-12-2008, 04:01 PM

Much as I like my Palm, it definitely feels like the OS is on life support at best; if not totally dead.

DDHarriman · 05-12-2008, 04:12 PM

To the question posed: Is the Palm OS Dying?

The answer is just one: Yes!

halljames · 05-13-2008, 04:52 AM

I thought it had already died

Ebook lover · 05-13-2008, 06:12 AM

I hope they get into the eBook device business. Maybe that will give them a chance to survive.

electristan · 05-13-2008, 10:18 AM

I'll agree that PalmOS as we know it (Garnet 5.4) is getting there. Palm are working on a Linux based OS for there next series or smartphones (that aren't WM based), I'm hoping this will put them bask on track as i am a fan of there software and hardware.

JAcheson · 05-13-2008, 11:07 AM

Yes, Palm is definitely dying. Once the Google Android phones come out, they are doomed, because they put all their eggs into the smartphone basket and then proceeded to screw that up too.

The light at the end of the tunnel for Palm users is that we may possibly get Palm compatibility on some new platform via ALP. You can already run ALP on Nokia internet tablets, for instance.

mdhuang · 05-13-2008, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAcheson

The light at the end of the tunnel for Palm users is that we may possibly get Palm compatibility on some new platform via ALP. You can already run ALP on Nokia internet tablets, for instance.

That's what matters from a user's standpoint. I don't care about the OS as long as I can still run my apps including DateBk6.

rmeister0 · 05-13-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electristan

I'll agree that PalmOS as we know it (Garnet 5.4) is getting there. Palm are working on a Linux based OS for there next series or smartphones (that aren't WM based), I'm hoping this will put them bask on track as i am a fan of there software and hardware.

I'll believe it when I see it. That Linux-based OS has been in the works for years and years with no release in sight.

Palm could have had something in the Foleo; almost a year after they drop kicked it, Asus is selling the eeePC and Celio's Redfly is getting some positive press in the pilot program. They could have had both, now they have neither.

I can't shake the thought that Palm has been essentially rudderless for past few years, and I haven't seen or heard anything to change that opinion.

DaleDe · 05-13-2008, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ebook lover

I hope they get into the eBook device business. Maybe that will give them a chance to survive.

That would be a really good use for the Palm OS. But I haven't heard any indication that they are heading in that direction.

Dale

cstross · 05-14-2008, 07:16 AM

Palm have been flailing since about 2002. First they spun off PalmSource, then they acquired the dev team from BeOS and announced a new OS, then the new OS tanked, then PalmSource announced they were developing a new-new Linux based OS, then Palm tried to re-acquire PalmSource and were beaten to the post by Access (a Chinese smartphone developer) ... it's an insane mess, with no less than four dead-ends along the way. And that's before we get to the Foleo (right idea, six months too early, too little horsepower, crap marketing plan).

All it'll take to kill Palm will be for Apple to get their second-generation iPhone out in time, with smartphone features like document editing (and it's rumoured that Dataviz are highly interested in porting Documents to Go to the iPhone platform). What it'll take for Palm to make a come-back is rather harder to discern (although I'm not writing them off completely just yet) ...

igorsk · 05-14-2008, 08:35 AM

ACCESS is Japanese, not Chinese. And they develop software, not phones. Their NetFront browser is used in Kindle, BTW.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Co.

MaggieScratch · 05-15-2008, 12:59 PM

I am quite excited to find out what Palm's got in store for Nova. I'm very interested in Android, too, but if Nova turns out to be anything halfway decent, I'm there in a heartbeat. I still love my Treo.

RWood · 05-23-2008, 12:18 AM

I still have my Palm powered Samsung i500 cell phone. I have extra batteries and a spare charger. I even have another whole phone available from a friend who moved on to a Blackberry. It runs the old Palm 4.5 OS. I have Mobipocket, Plucker, and Palm Reader.

05-12-2008, 02:52 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Is the Palm OS dying? A recent article in The Washington Post raises a question that has been posed here at MobileRead for some time, "Is the Palm OS Dying?" Written by James A. Martin of PC World, the article includes quotes by several business leaders concerning their views of the future of the Palm OS. It is interesting that he cites features that are missing from the Palm offerings (other than a long time since the last major update) and also identifies features in the Palm that are not offered by competing devices.

05-12-2008, 03:12 PM	#2
curtw Outside of a dog Posts: 863 Karma: 4457646 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston, TX Device: Kindle Voyage	It's already dead As evidence, PDAMill is just one commercial software developer that has already started giving away the Palm software that stopped being commercially viable a long time ago: http://pdamill.com/prod_palm.shtml

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05-12-2008, 04:01 PM	#3
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Much as I like my Palm, it definitely feels like the OS is on life support at best; if not totally dead.

05-12-2008, 04:12 PM	#4
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	To the question posed: Is the Palm OS Dying? The answer is just one: Yes!

05-13-2008, 04:52 AM	#5
halljames Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 463 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Newcastle, UK Device: Apple iPad	I thought it had already died

05-13-2008, 06:12 AM	#6
Ebook lover NUUT, Cybook Device Posts: 49 Karma: 11 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: O2	I hope they get into the eBook device business. Maybe that will give them a chance to survive.

05-13-2008, 10:18 AM	#7
electristan newbie reader Posts: 102 Karma: 2122142 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Oslo Device: reMarkable, Boox T68, Kobo Mini, Nook STR, Sony PRS-505	I'll agree that PalmOS as we know it (Garnet 5.4) is getting there. Palm are working on a Linux based OS for there next series or smartphones (that aren't WM based), I'm hoping this will put them bask on track as i am a fan of there software and hardware.

05-13-2008, 11:07 AM	#8
JAcheson Tech Writer Posts: 211 Karma: 1745785 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Device: Palm TX, Nook Color, Nook Simple Touch, Vizio Tablet, Nexus 10	Yes, Palm is definitely dying. Once the Google Android phones come out, they are doomed, because they put all their eggs into the smartphone basket and then proceeded to screw that up too. The light at the end of the tunnel for Palm users is that we may possibly get Palm compatibility on some new platform via ALP. You can already run ALP on Nokia internet tablets, for instance.

05-14-2008, 07:16 AM	#12
cstross Cynic Posts: 86 Karma: 514 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Lots, started with a Psion 3 circa 1998	Palm have been flailing since about 2002. First they spun off PalmSource, then they acquired the dev team from BeOS and announced a new OS, then the new OS tanked, then PalmSource announced they were developing a new-new Linux based OS, then Palm tried to re-acquire PalmSource and were beaten to the post by Access (a Chinese smartphone developer) ... it's an insane mess, with no less than four dead-ends along the way. And that's before we get to the Foleo (right idea, six months too early, too little horsepower, crap marketing plan). All it'll take to kill Palm will be for Apple to get their second-generation iPhone out in time, with smartphone features like document editing (and it's rumoured that Dataviz are highly interested in porting Documents to Go to the iPhone platform). What it'll take for Palm to make a come-back is rather harder to discern (although I'm not writing them off completely just yet) ...

05-14-2008, 08:35 AM	#13
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	ACCESS is Japanese, not Chinese. And they develop software, not phones. Their NetFront browser is used in Kindle, BTW. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Co.

05-15-2008, 12:59 PM	#14
MaggieScratch Has got to the black veil Posts: 542 Karma: 2144168 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Device: Kobo Aura One, Kindle Paperwhite 2	I am quite excited to find out what Palm's got in store for Nova. I'm very interested in Android, too, but if Nova turns out to be anything halfway decent, I'm there in a heartbeat. I still love my Treo.

05-23-2008, 12:18 AM	#15
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I still have my Palm powered Samsung i500 cell phone. I have extra batteries and a spare charger. I even have another whole phone available from a friend who moved on to a Blackberry. It runs the old Palm 4.5 OS. I have Mobipocket, Plucker, and Palm Reader.

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