News on Palm OS 6

[Alexander Turcic]

According to this article, PalmSource will release the next OS already in a few months. News:

- scalable communications
- a more robust security feature set
- a new multimedia framework with a scalable graphics engine
- interchangeable I/O features (such as the ability to incorporate many different methods of data input)
- a new messaging framework
- full ARM native applications support for developers
- multi-processing/threading features
- web services (XML/SOAP)
- a reference version Java VM
- full multitasking (!)
- some optimizations for ATI's IMAGEON 3200 chip

Also check BrightHand who wrote on the upcoming OS release.

I think I will better wait before I buy my next Palm.

[radleyp]

I agree, in principle, but at some point you must stop and buy. There will ALWAYS be something new in the offing. If you keep waiting, you'll never buy anything. I bought my 615 at the beginning of last year, and I have not seen anything since that told me I must absolutely get a new unit. That's because my 615 does most all that I need at present. Yes, I would like more speed (I keep a lot on my MS) and a better screen with truer colors (the reds and the greens are off), but I continue to do OK without that. I want to wait for OS6 but, remember, OS6 will go out to developers at the end of the year only, which probably means that any new OS6 models are at least a year away. radleyp

[Harpgliss]

I will probably buy one of the OS 6 units(not sure if it will be Palm or Sony).
I had always heard that OS5 was kind of a stop gap and always planned to skip it and go to an OS 6 unit.My T665C does exactly what I need and I just don't have the funds(too many DVDs) to upgrade every three or four months.

Just my two cents.

David

[illustratton]

I just purchased a Sony Clie T665C so any purchases for me would likely be a year from now anyway - but my interest is wireless features.

[dwmartin18]

When Palm OS 6 comes out and if someone will come out with a device in the form of the T665 and with virtual grafiti then maybe I will get one. I had a Palm IIIxe and I loved it but bought an Axim instead of a new Palm OS device because I had so much more screen space available.

[Griff]

I never really understood why Palm came out with OS5. It doesn't really offer that much new that a 4.1 device couldn't (Sony proved this).

I guess one could say OS5 brought faster hardware out, but I don't see the killer app out there for its use.

My guess is that Palm HAD to release something or PPC would catch up with its offerings. I think Palm, and I know I, view OS5 as a bridge release; something to keep people interested in the Palm brand, something to keep technical types happy until they could release the real next generation, OS6.

[dwmartin18]

I completely agree with you Griff. OS 5 never really impressed me. It just didn't offer anything that great. I think they just released 5 to show people that they were still working on the OS so people wouldn't abandon them. I hope OS 6 has some really cool new and improved features. I went to PPC because for a long time Palm seemed to just stand still, not doing much to improve on what they had. I do think however, that that is finally changing.

[brahamt]

Yep, you are all on point, but I'll go a step further. OS5, which I have, is fine, but in many ways is actually worse than 4.1 when it originally came it. This is because it runs 4.x and below apps in some sort of emulation, which required some companies to update their software to be more/better compatible/compatibility. And it runs them slower sometimes, though to my eye, it is not that noticeable.

[Gary]

So has anyone heard about OS upgrades on exisiting Palms?