06:57 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

MobileRead.com is very pleased to continue presentation of this exclusive interview with two of the key leaders at PalmSource… the Chief Competitive Officer, Michael Mace, and the Director of Product Marketing, John Cook, who were kind enough to sit down with me at the recent PalmSource Mobile Summit and DevCon 2005 in San Jose, CA to share their views on the direction and future of PalmOS.

MobileRead: Competition is heating up, of course, in the mobile space. It's a hot topic. And Microsoft just came out with Windows Mobile 5. They are continuing to upgrade their platform. But the PalmOS ecosystem remains strong. What do you see as the key advantages to building and buying devices with the PalmOS?

Michael Mace: Well, there are probably four...

I think first of all, flexibility, which goes in a couple of ways. We are much less restrictive than most other companies in terms of what we let licensees do. Things that we let them change in terms of form factors, screen sizes, stuff like that. To give you an example, Magneto nails support for square screens. However, it only supports 240x240 or 480x480, which is a little frustrating to the hardware companies because all the volume is in 320x320 and that's where the glass is inexpensive. Whereas, what we say is, "We need a screen." We kind of require a screen, and we don't require a lot more. We really don't care.

The devices need to pass a compatibility test in terms of running the apps and in terms of being able to exchange data. As long as they can do those two things, almost everything else is open to being altered. So we give a lot more flexibility which results in more diversity, more freedom of choice for customers, and makes the licensees more comfortable because it gives them more scope for innovating and not being commoditized, which they don't really like.

Flexibility also extends to the number of applications available. We have the largest base of third party apps and they virtually all run on all PalmOS devices. So there's none of this confusion of trying to figure out "do I have a Windows Mobile 2005 Smartphone edition, or do I have a Windows Mobile 2005 Pocket PC Phone edition?" which changes utterly the range of software applications that are available for the device. So users on PalmOS have a much easier time finding the software they need and customizing it for their particular needs.

Secondly, ease of use and user interface. Number of taps and things like that. I think we just do a better job of that than the other folks.

The third piece is data protection. In particular, every time we do a sync, we do a full backup of the internal memory of the device. We do that because we built this really nice database architecture where we can track what changed. So we can go and back up everything that has been altered. That isn't how synchronization works on the other platforms. Sync is something that coordinates the data files across certain selected applications. Backup is a separate function. Have you tried to do a backup? It's not the sort of thing you are going to do every time you put it in the cradle. In fact, most users are not even aware that they're not backing up when they do a sync. So what happens is they assume they are getting a full backup when they synchronize. And then the device goes dead, or they lose it or it breaks. And they find out that a bunch of their data hasn't been preserved and it's a very big deal.

And then fourth is compatibility. We work really, really hard to be standard agnostic and support all of these standards. So for instance, in email... we're working with RIM. Our licensees work with Exchange. We work with Exchange, we work with Good. We're not trying to force any particular email solution down everybody's throats, which makes the operators a lot more comfortable because different ones are pushing different types of email. We work with Office and Microsoft products. We work with Oracle, we work with SAP, we work with IBM. We are neutral in all of those things, so we are not viewed as someone who is trying to come in and force a particular agenda. So as a result we do a really good job on compatibility.

I'm really looking forward to getting a Magneto [Windows Mobile 5] device. I want to test the improvements that they've made to Pocket Word and Pocket Excel and see how that measures up against the PalmOS solution. Our early results look like there are still some pretty significant problems.

MR: How do licensing costs compare between, for example, Windows Mobile and PalmOS?

MM: Our license fees are negotiated individually with each licensee based on what they're asking us to do and what they're bringing to the table in terms of innovation. So we don't release that information. Microsoft doesn't release its fee schedule either. I know what Symbian's is. I have a feeling most of us are roughly in the same ballpark. What's going to be interesting is in the phone space (when we're starting to do more voice-oriented phones) we can get down to significantly lower price points. Especially, since we're doing a lot of that development in China. And that's an area where phone vendors are not comfortable paying $10 a copy, which is what you have to pay for Symbian, for a phone that they're going to be selling to 20 million users. They really don't like that idea, so I think with our Chinese operation, we can profitably get down to price points that are going to be very hard for a company that does its development in Sweden and London to match. But we'll see.

MR: Are device manufacturers and licensees generally price shoppers?

MM: Price matters to them a lot, but they also want to see the features and business relationship and flexibility that they need. They also are very anxious not to be caught in anybody's proprietary trap, which is why Linux is very attractive to many of the licensees.

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This interview will continue with the remaining installments…
..Part One
..Part Two
<Part Three>
..Part Four
..Part Five

Special Note: Please note that while we encourage a lively discussion of these topics, we require that the discussion remain polite and on-topic so the discussion can remain profitable for all. We will moderate heavily if necessary. Thank you!

10:18 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

The first part of a multi-week LifeDrive review is now available from Shaun at PDA24/7. This will be handled sort of like a journaling of his experiences with the LifeDrive and should be an interesting read.

This introductory article is all about the arrival of the device. Shaun has been using a Loox 720 Pocket PC recently, so that should allow him to provide an even more interesting perspective.

This should be worth keeping an eye on!

09:34 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

The first Podcast on behalf of PalmAddict has been released by Tyler Faux (developer of SharkCache).

More over at PalmAddict!

05:17 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Smartfeed.org has released a beta version of a Podcast client for Pocket PC, claiming to be the first "Podcast Receiver, or "Podcatcher", to bring podcasting to both the Smartphone and PocketPC."

Personally I would prefer my favorite RSS reader (NewsBreak) to integrate podcasting capabilities instead of having to use a separate tool.

[via WindowsForDevices]

05:09 AM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Formats | Workshop

OverDrive's ReaderWorks Standard 2.0 is a free tool which allows you to convert MS Word, HTML, and TXT documents into MS Reader .LIT e-books. Not that anyone sane in his mind would want to do that given all the better alternatives out there (Plucker, ...).

[via PDA247]

04:42 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Who would have thought that my Dell Axim might run Linux before PalmSource manages to bring its first Cobalt devices on the market. Thanks to Aximsite for a pointer to the following Slashdot entry: The guys at handhelds.org have managed to boot the linux kernel on a Dell Axim X50 handheld, the project is at alpha stages, you can grab a copy of the from from handhelds.org or fisherss.com."

A further look at fisherss.com reveals:
6-14-2005 First Linux booting on DELL X50. We finally succedeed. The serial output of this alpha kernel version is available here. For this testing kernel, you can get output through serial cable only. After the penguin appeared for about 20 seconds, you can see some kernel mssages at the LCD (that means the framebuffer driver works), but the font is too small, so they can't be recognised. and then it stops there. That's not a problem, making GUI work is more and more easier than making kernel work I just tested it one my x50 (416) machine, so I don't know if it will also works on x50 (512) or x50v. If you have tested it, please tell me :P The necessary files can be downloaded here: haret.exe zImagex30s default.txt initrd NOTE: This kernel version is just for debugging, you can't see GUI at this time . And it will destroy all your data in ram, so make sure you have backed up you data. Make a copy of your rom image is also recommended, it is safe on my machine, but I am not so sure if it will be on yours.

07:54 PM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

MobileRead.com is very pleased to continue presentation of this exclusive interview with two of the key leaders at PalmSource… the Chief Competitive Officer, Michael Mace, and the Director of Product Marketing, John Cook, who were kind enough to sit down with me at the recent PalmSource Mobile Summit and DevCon 2005 in San Jose, CA to share their views on the direction and future of PalmOS.

The interview is being presented on MobileRead this week as a five-part series, and it continues today with the second installment, covering PalmOS for Linux and Cobalt.

MobileRead: With the implementation of PalmOS for Linux, PalmSource is going to be competing world-wide in the cell phone market, not just as a platform for the top-line communicator smart phones, but now also for a larger range of phones. So PalmSource is in the middle of a very big transition. What do you see as the keys to success?

Michael Mace: I'm the competitor guy, so I worry about the competitors a lot. But frankly, the issue for us is not that somebody is kicking us in terms of market share (Gartner and the other guys aside). I track really closely, for instance handheld sales in the US, and our market share is the same as it was in 1999. It is not an issue of share, it's an issue of the handheld market not growing. So we need to support our licensees in exploring new categories of handhelds like PalmOne is doing with the LifeDrive, and we need to make sure we really help them with that. And we need to get after this phone stuff. There are lots of open doors for us in the phone space, especially because of Linux. There are a lot of companies that want to work with Linux and are now willing to have conversations with us that wouldn't talk to us before. But we've got to deliver the goods. It's good in the sense that our fate is in our own hands, but it is about execution.

MR: What would you consider some of the major obstacles to overcome in terms of that transition?

MM: One of the trickiest ones is that there are so many directions you can go, and it would be very easy for us to overload ourselves. So we're working really carefully to understand really carefully who are the best partners to work with, what are the best targets to go after first. You know if you do something first it doesn't mean you ignore the others, you're just prioritizing. Exactly how can we make sure we don't get ahead of ourselves, how can we make sure we don't over promise?

You know, one of the things you'll notice is that we're not hyping the PalmOS for Linux stuff the way we did PalmOS Cobalt. That was a very deliberate decision. At the time that we started talking about PalmOS Cobalt, a number of our licensees said, "We're going to ship really soon" and we kind of took them at their word and then they changed their plans. And so, okay, we learned, and in the future we're not going to hype stuff heavily until the actual physical shipment of the hardware.

John Cook: One thing I heard Michael mention the other day which I forget, too, being down in the guts inside of it, is that we have to do our technical due diligence. Our engineering work, our testing and integration. And then we deliver it to a hardware vendor who then in turn has to build it into their project, get qualified by a carrier and then eventually ship a product out here some time after we're done. That could be 18 months or two years later.

It's a much different paradigm than working at a typical consumer electronics company where you say "Stay tuned" and six months from now you'll see a product come out the door. So part of the keys to success hit down to the internal focus and Michael's point about not getting ahead of ourselves. One of the other things we are doing, which is very significant, is as we've moved from our traditional technologies we knew and said we want to build this thing on Linux (effectively what we've done is taken out the old engine we had and put Linux underneath), it's given us the opportunity to review all the various technical standards that we've chosen to support in the OS. You don't often get that chance. Most of the time you build it, and ship it and you keep on building on top of that. So through that introspection, if you will, I think what we've managed to do is evaluate -- Did we make the best decision or is there a better opportunity?

And now we're also at a point where we can leverage more of the open source community. So going through the Linux world, going through the open source community, I think they'll help keep us on the path. But they're also gatekeepers to see how successful we are. So there's an internal challenge, if you will, to do the right things, and we're certainly up to that. And then the external success you'll see when you see devices running on this stuff.

MR: You mentioned the Linux community. How do you expect to win the hearts and the time of the Linux community?

JC: We want to be very good Linux community citizens, and there are some well established rules for being able to do that. One thing is to make sure that if you take, you also share and give back. We've made some small contributions already. I don't want to over hype those because they're small things, but for example in the Linux world people often think all Linux is created equal, and it's not really. Particularly for the type of devices that we've been going after. They're based on the ARM processor family. And that's where some of the work in ARM support for Linux has actually been one of the laggard areas because most of the effort has been on desktops and servers. They haven't been thinking about mobile devices. And even in going through the process of doing the [PalmOS for Linux] demonstration that we did yesterday, we found some pretty interesting things for the ARM kernel which we in turn uploaded and gave back to the community. So you want to participate in the right forums, you want to join the right discussion groups. We want to have a good understanding about how the licensing aspect works for our licensees as well as for our developer community. I think we kind of understand how to do the right things. But as much as anything it's being a good citizen. It's not saying "Okay, we're here now, and we'll take care of it." Instead, it's really saying, we have respect for the fact that there's 200 people out there working on the Linux kernel, which is really a big advantage to us.

MR: I think a lot of people are looking forward to that kind of participation in the Linux community...

JC: Yes, we've seen a lot of interest. A fair number of people I've run into in the course of this conference have come out of the Linux community and are kind of here because this is an interesting opportunity for that. I'm hoping that one of the benefits of doing this is that we'll get some more interest out of Linux developers looking more closely at PalmSource and platforms we can offer for them to work on.

MR: I have to ask the question -- When are we going to see a Cobalt device and what's holding it up?

MM: I am out of the business of predicting hardware. It's driven by too many things that are outside our control. The devices will ship when they ship. A number of licensees have said that they're working on Cobalt stuff, and I know that they are, and it will be out there when it's out there.

You know the other thing I should add is (and I'm not saying this to be disingenuous, this is the truth), most users don't give a flip about the version of the operating system. There are people who care, but for instance, Symbian is on Symbian OS9. Symbian OS8 shipped in a total of one Symbian phone. Most Symbian licensees are still on Symbian 7. A number of them are still using Symbian 6. There a couple of new products that were just built with Symbian 5, I believe.

It is normal in the mobile marketplace, especially in phones, to have enormous lag times in the adoption of different versions of operating systems. That is routine. It happens because there is an enormously long development and carrier approval chain that has to happen. In that development and carrier approval process, often products get killed that you never even hear about. And so it's not like PCs, where a new version of the operating system comes out, and everybody upgrades, and all of a sudden the hardware flips over. The licensees use whichever version of the operating system they happen to want to use. And people have to get used to that.

So, you know, I'm not meaning to denigrate the customers who do care about this stuff and who track this stuff. I can completely understand that. It's a very, very legitimate perspective. But folks have to understand that for the vast majority of customers, they don't get versions of the OS. They don't understand it and they don't particularly care. They care about what the device does. That's clearly true, otherwise nobody would be buying a Symbian 7 device when Symbian 9 was just shipped.

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This interview will continue with the remaining installments…

..Part One
<Part Two>
..Part Three
..Part Four
..Part Five

Special Note: Please note that while we encourage a lively discussion of these topics, we require that the discussion remain polite and on-topic so the discussion can remain profitable for all. We will moderate heavily if necessary. Thank you!

06:01 PM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Sunrise

Here is a quicky for all Linux fans among you. Laurens has just released the first version of Sunrise for Linux. He only tested it with a Knoppix Live-CD, so make sure to drop some feedback here in case you encounter any glitches or crashes.