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Excellent topic and continuation of our last discussion on multithreading. I am afraid I am undecided here. On the one hand I would like to have a PDA that is so powerful that it can play my favorite movies, do all daily Internet tasks, and allow me to play games in wonderful 3D gfx with surround sound. On the other hand I don't think this is what the majority needs or wants, which is probably why Palm vendors better think twice before going in the niche of "power" users.
But why does it have to be either - or? With Linux on its side, PalmSource should be in the comfortable position to adjust its operation system depending on the hardware vendor's needs. Sure there has to be a core system, the kernel, which cannot and must not differ too much. Same API calls, same basic routines. But when it comes to multimedia and Internet connectivity it should be made relatively easy to add necessary kernel modules to support "high-end" PDAs, if required. This is the beauty of Linux. You can install it on your Pentium IV desktop, but you can also install it on your TV receiver, your WiFi access point, your coffee machine, you name it. PalmSource's job is to work on the core to make it stable enough, to optimize it for handheld use, and to establish a modular framework allowing to add support for all kinds of devices from the mini cell phone to the tablet PC. At the end, we'll have a lot more hardware vendors (PalmOne watch out!) who'll dare to bring out new and innovative devices, based on PalmSource's software, testing the market and adjusting towards what customers want.
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