Opera for PalmOS - participate in a petition!

Alexander Turcic · 03-15-2005, 08:05 AM

Most Palm OS users probably know: their handheld is still lacking a powerful web browser. A few people now had the initiative to start an online petition asking every Palm OS user to sign in hope that the company Opera Software might listen. Opera Software is responsible for the excellent web-browser Opera (a lot of people consider it a better alternative to Firefox), which is currently not offered for the Palm OS platform.

Please sign this petition if you have the wish that Opera will become available for Palm OS.

Alas, I remember an interview (German) with Opera CEO Jon S. von Tetzchner, where he said that his company was currently not considering Palm OS as a potentially lucrative market for mobile web browsers.

flashman · 03-15-2005, 05:17 PM

Can I have Firefox instead?

Looks like we're stuck with WebPro for the foreseeable future, unfortunately.

Chaos · 03-15-2005, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashman

Can I have Firefox instead?

No. Minimo, maybe. Firefox, no. Firefox is sluggish starting on anything under a gigahertz. Can you IMAGINE it on a 400 mhz or less, ARM processor? Minimo might work though, as I said. With heavy re-coding...

Foo Fighter · 03-16-2005, 09:28 PM

Sorry folks, it's not going to happen. Opera isn't holding their browser back to be mean spirited. They aren't offering their product for PalmOS because porting Opera to PalmOS is out of the question...and technically impossible. The same reason why you'll never see Minimo running on palmOS. So the final solution would be for Opera to develop an entirely new browser for PalmOS, from the ground up..which wouldn't be worth the cost of development. People don't quite seem to understand the technical challenges required to build a fully functional version of a desktop web browser for a mobile device.

This is why PalmSource's decision to move its OS to Linux is so vital. It will open new doors and allow developers to bring applications like Opera to PalmOS. Until that happens you're all wasting your time (and the developers) by signing these ridiculous petition.

TadW · 03-17-2005, 06:29 AM

Well perhaps things change once Cobalt hits the market. If I was Opera or a Minimo developer, I would also hesitate to put any work on an OS that is likely to be replaced any time soon!

@Foo Fighter: Nice to see you here around; I really like your site as well!

Laurens · 03-17-2005, 08:06 AM

I think the Minimo developers have also ruled out an OS6 version, but I'm not entirely sure.

The main problem with PalmOS is the totally different API. Windows CE's API is, by and large, the same as that of Windows on the desktop, which makes porting applications much easier. Foo Fighter is right to say that PalmSource should move to Linux ASAP for exactly this reason. God knows how long that will take, though.

Really, if Opera thought that developing an OS5 browser would be feasible, they would've done so long ago.

Alexander Turcic · 03-17-2005, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foo Fighter

Sorry folks, it's not going to happen. Opera isn't holding their browser back to be mean spirited.

Foo Fighter wrote a nice editorial on his page on why he believes Opera for Palm OS is unfeasable.

Chaos · 03-17-2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foo Fighter

This is why PalmSource's decision to move its OS to Linux is so vital. It will open new doors and allow developers to bring applications like Opera to PalmOS. Until that happens you're all wasting your time (and the developers) by signing these ridiculous petition.

Indeed, there is already an ARM Linux (Qtopia only, though) version of Opera 7.55. It's the de-facto standard browser on the Zaurui.

03-15-2005, 08:05 AM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Opera for PalmOS - participate in a petition! Most Palm OS users probably know: their handheld is still lacking a powerful web browser. A few people now had the initiative to start an online petition asking every Palm OS user to sign in hope that the company Opera Software might listen. Opera Software is responsible for the excellent web-browser Opera (a lot of people consider it a better alternative to Firefox), which is currently not offered for the Palm OS platform. Please sign this petition if you have the wish that Opera will become available for Palm OS. Alas, I remember an interview (German) with Opera CEO Jon S. von Tetzchner, where he said that his company was currently not considering Palm OS as a potentially lucrative market for mobile web browsers.

03-16-2005, 09:28 PM	#4
Foo Fighter Pocketfactory.com Posts: 3 Karma: 78 Join Date: Mar 2005	Not going to happen... Sorry folks, it's not going to happen. Opera isn't holding their browser back to be mean spirited. They aren't offering their product for PalmOS because porting Opera to PalmOS is out of the question...and technically impossible. The same reason why you'll never see Minimo running on palmOS. So the final solution would be for Opera to develop an entirely new browser for PalmOS, from the ground up..which wouldn't be worth the cost of development. People don't quite seem to understand the technical challenges required to build a fully functional version of a desktop web browser for a mobile device. This is why PalmSource's decision to move its OS to Linux is so vital. It will open new doors and allow developers to bring applications like Opera to PalmOS. Until that happens you're all wasting your time (and the developers) by signing these ridiculous petition.

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03-15-2005, 05:17 PM	#2
flashman Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Device: T3	Can I have Firefox instead? Looks like we're stuck with WebPro for the foreseeable future, unfortunately.

03-17-2005, 06:29 AM	#5
TadW Uebermensch Posts: 2,583 Karma: 1094606 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Italy Device: Kindle	Well perhaps things change once Cobalt hits the market. If I was Opera or a Minimo developer, I would also hesitate to put any work on an OS that is likely to be replaced any time soon! @Foo Fighter: Nice to see you here around; I really like your site as well!

03-17-2005, 08:06 AM	#6
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	I think the Minimo developers have also ruled out an OS6 version, but I'm not entirely sure. The main problem with PalmOS is the totally different API. Windows CE's API is, by and large, the same as that of Windows on the desktop, which makes porting applications much easier. Foo Fighter is right to say that PalmSource should move to Linux ASAP for exactly this reason. God knows how long that will take, though. Really, if Opera thought that developing an OS5 browser would be feasible, they would've done so long ago.

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