First official photos of the Treo 700w
It’s official: the new Treo 700 will be running Windows Mobile and be released with Verizon Wireless. Apart from all the standard marketing yada yada in the press release, it also summarizes some neat features that were demonstrated at the press conference.
During the press conference, the companies demonstrated the Palm experience now brought to life on Windows Mobile. The audience saw a sampling of Palm’s award-winning hardware design integrated thoughtfully with a rich Palm software suite, including the ability to:
– Contact someone quickly from the Today Screen and choose between home, office or mobile numbers, or select email or SMS. With only two letters entered, a customer can find a record from among thousands of contacts;
– Reach people most often called via photo speed dials visible as a band of images on the Today Screen;
– Decline a call with a friendly SMS, signaling “In a meeting” or “Talking with the boss” instead of simply ignoring the call; and
– Rewind, delete or fast-forward through work or cell phone voicemail with familiar and consistent on-screen icons.
Full product details will be disclosed when the product is available for purchase in early calendar 2006. No plans were revealed for additional mobile operators. Palm indicated that a Treo smartphone using Windows Mobile based on other wireless technologies was not anticipated to be released earlier than the second half of 2006.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Why does the PALM name apear above the windows logo.
April fools day has come and gone!
Wonder if we can hack PalmOS to run on it? ;)
Hmm, maybe because palm made the phone?
The #1 reason that I bought a Treo was for PalmOS.
i already hate palm os
Anyone got specs?
If its better than the 650 enough, will there be a simular PalmOS version?
I wonder if developers will get an emulator via the PluggedIn program?
Step Backwards for PALM… welcome to the Windows Virus/Instability world…
how compatible will this be with OS X? that’s my main concern. so disappointed :(
Hack - its windoze - do you need to ask?
So much for Palm OS updates :(
It is not GSM!!
Dissapointing all arround:
1. No Wifi
2. 240 x 240 screen and it looks like they put in one of those yellowish tinted screens used by HTC on HP models and HTC Blue Angel.
3. Verizon- Who has 45 dollars a month to pay for EVDO??
I am strongly disappointed with the general reaction to a new development. Although I am a Treo600 user myself, and a lover of the PalmOS, I find a lot of the concern over the upcoming choice OS is not justified.
People must realize that Windows Mobile is a very well developed platform with a lot of strong developers in the community. This version of “Windows” is in many ways not even related to the Windows that we know all too well. Windows Mobile IS equally compatible with OS X, if not more-so. In addition, unlike it’s traditional “Windows” counterpart, the Mobile version is actually MORE secure then PalmOS.
http://search.securitytracker.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl?lastq=palm&query=palm&opt=exact this shows 12 hits, and a bunch of them directly related to password security and remotely exploitable flaws…
When searching for “Windows Mobile,” we get 4 results:
http://search.securitytracker.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl?lastq==“%22windows%20mobile%22&query=windows%20mobile&opt=exact and you may notice the vulnerabilities only ever apply to the 2003 Pocket PC edition.
I can personally think of a lot of flaws with the PalmOS, but i live with it out of a love for the OS. There isn’t even one exploit available for Windows Mobile 5.0. And updates/patches can be downloaded more often then not.
Palm has almost completely abandoned its development of PalmOS, and PalmOne split away from it’s original Palm environment. Granted it is a shame to see such a great platform go away, it is good to see an evolution and modernization in hardware as we know it. Technology is not improving nearly as quickly as it once did, and maybe Windows and PalmOne might be able to bring a little more innovation to the market.
That is just my two cents…
Palm and Windows?? Thats a strange combo? Maybe Bill wanted a better product so He thought lets put Palm on it ;-)
Windows?! Sigh - Might as well have loaded the operating system on an Etch-a-Sketch; It’d have less bugs. Give us back our friggin’ Palm OS, Microsoft! Money grubbin’ world dominating jerks…Someone buy a 700 and load Linux on it :)
Palm on Windows! Apple on Intel!
What’s next? Carl Rove campaign manager for Hillary Clinton-2008?
Doomed to failure. World doesnt need another windows based phone. The only reason we buy Treo is that it is on PalmOS otherwise forget it.
The Aplicationes for palm can be run to the new Treo??? Why palm use “Windows Mobile OS” this is very idiot
Bunch of babies, if you don’t like Windows your in the minority and need to just grow up and get used to new/better products. The only thing wrong with windows is the users that don’t know how to patch security issues, but I guess you can’t expect much from the majority of the population that walks around only using half their brain.
A must buy. would be great for work and business meetings.
I have to say that for the first time I am looking forward to getting OFF Palm OS. Versamail is a POS and I’m tired of having uncommanded reboots every 2nd or 3rd sync with email. Makes Windows look positively UNIX-like in its stability.
…if you like what Palm did to Multimail (now Versamail), you’re gonna LOVE what they do to Wince/Winmob…
I threw away my 650. It’s the most faulty phone I’ve ever owned. More alarmingly, my lcoal Cingular sales office said they’ve had much trouble with the 650 but hush hush….. Palm going Windows….It’s another sign this company has lost it’s way. I would sell my Palm shares or the company if I owned both. This is precisley what has happened to Palm. The company got off to a good start in its early years but its dying. Has anyone tried using the appalling slow Palm Life Drive? It takes ages to bring its hard drive to LIFE when using the darn thing….
So what does a Win Mobile device sync to? Is there something like the Palm Desktop app? Or, do you sync to Outlook?
Erik
Well, congratulations for your new product!!!!
But the only very very bad news about the best smart phone in the market is that it incorporate the worst operating system in the market, when I spected you to support Linux your bad desicion to push the customers, like me, to use the bad thing called “microsbugs” and make us dependent of a company (microsbugs) who likes to spy and try to monopoly all the world! I ain’t see the advantage on that.
I recive your note and go sad very sad about your choice of OS but I´ll wait for better option because I belive there are better choices on OS´s not only in phones.
“In a world without fences who needs gates and windows?”
But I belive that your phone is the greatest, but with this, I rethinking that and I do not buy it because a “windogz” flag button really botter me.
lets just have the best of both worlds
and give me a dual treo!!!!
I cringe every time someone says Palm OS is so much better when they don’t explain _why_! Fact is, I have yet to find one advantage palm has over windows mobile.
The reason people buy the treo isn’t because of the OS, its because they want a smartphone PDA that can fit in a pocket (and not a 5″ x 3″ pocket, either) Other Windows mobile phones are big and bulky.
That was the moral of the press conference on Monday. Palm did hardware well, but software crappy. Microsoft does software well. Put them together and you have a better device.
So long Palm OS. I’m tired of my phone rebooting every time I do a damn sync.
People….
PALM CANNOT USE PALM SOFTWARE RIGHT NOW!!! (Ed: this is not true but I left the comment here anyway)
Palm sold off their software division temporarily to outside investors so that the hardware division could get some love (that’s the short version of it), though when they did this, the stock rose so high on the software division, they couldn’t buy it back when they needed to… Hence the need for a different OS on a Palm built piece of hardware. Though, they did have the choice to put Linux on it, methinks they got lazy and just went with Windows because it was easier.
So what does a Win Mobile device sync to? Is there something like the Palm Desktop app? Or, do you sync to Outlook?
Erik
I shall reserve judgment but i feel a blue screen of death coming on.
Althought having said that the SPV M1000 (not sure what it’s called in the states) uses Windows mobile and appears to be very stable and does have a lot of addons.
Unfortunatly windows comes with so many holes that you have to keep patching the bloody thing (which can cause more issues,XP users refer to SP2 incompatability list) which in my opinion defeats the object of userbility.
But palm does have it’s issues and as Treotrevor said palm seem to be abandoning there phone market so this my be there way of a gracefull exit from the market.
Bottom line is Palm needs to get into the corp world and they won’t be doing that with a Palm based Treo and they know it. So they should have and finally did get a clue on how to get more business. Treo for WM is the best step. Now they need to get the other side of the brain working and offer PDA’s. If they innovate so much as Palm users claim they should be able to innovate the best WM PDA. By the way I have owned alot of Palm devices but the Treo was limited for sometime by the carrier of choice. This is the only thing that will bring me back to Verizon.
I read an article about the 670 going over to linux, now i love windows but i do enjoy linux to an extent and for memory ussuage and open source availability it seemed like such a good direction for the palm to head. It was still going to be called palm os just like osx went over to unix base. Dont think im tooting a trumpet for mac either. Hate it, but anyhow it was a smart move and so was linux for palm. To bad, this just didnt seem like a market for the tech savy user to settle for windows. But i suppose for the user just interested in basic multimedia function this was a good move:( Oh sorry and one comment about the virus thing everyoines concerned about, the only reason windows has been hacked so much is just because it is a market dominator. If the “unhackable” mac osx was a market dominator it would be the worst hacked piece of software on the market. The more its out there the more tempting and more likely people will be to hack it, and write viruses for it.
lol one more question, are the recent patent lawsuits going to keep this product from being released and will this product be avialble to sprint or cingular? Ok really im done this time and shutting up.
When are Palm going to get rid of that stupid antenna?
This synergy is great palm for users. It allows the shift in technology to a platform less laden with unexpected reboots and a broader category of SW. I think this is the beginning of some bigger changes we can expect in the near term. All others, grow up!!!!
Windows will ruin Palm just like its ruined every other device its ever been installed on.
As for the suggestion from one user that Windows is only bad because its users dont know how to patch security issues, that may be true in part, but it certainly does not make windows a good piece of software.
Even if you ignore the poor security, the coding is messy. Programs far larger than they need to be. Write in Machine and see the difference. Very neat = very fast.
Guess I’ll be sticking with my Treo 600 though :)
re: Woodrow
Fortunately Woodrow, the half that is working is more functional than the part the Windows world is using. We chose systems that don’t require constantly applying security patches. Do you also prefer to buy a car that you have to constantly repair? Sort of makes sense to buy one that was better designed, no?
PFF: Sounds like you’ve got some conflicting software, i have never had an issue with Versamail syncing. Use snappermail if it really bothers you that much. The palm os is about options. and you have several.
Woodrow: How are palm os lovers in the minority here? Have you forgotten what website your on?
Windows is an overweight pig. it’s buggy. you dont have near the software options that you do with palm. plus, im sick of looking at their shitty 240×240 screens. how could i possibly enjoy a dvd on my phone if it looked like a streamed mpg?
Honestly, what the hell is the upgrade here? i can overclock the processor to 468mhz on my 650…whats the 700 run at? will this take a 4gb sd when it becomes available? the only thing that would make the 650 better is WI-FI, updated bluetooth, EV-DO capabilities, and tho not necessary, a higher resolution screen. it cant get much better than it already is. i hope this is a major flop, maybe then palm will realize how moronic switching os like that is. I will NOT buy a windows based POS such as the sure-to-be way over-priced 700. The 650 is def. the better option.
Woodrow: No one uses half their brain. smart guy. New and better would be anything but windows. Worked on a mac lately???? OS X tiger is a godsend and a slap in the face to mr. gates.
I own a Treo 650 w/ Cingular. It’s the Best Phone/Organizer I have ever owned. I’m a former sx56 Siemens owner.
A friend just bought a PPC-6700 running Windows Mobile 5.0. I warned him about the boat load of problems WM has. It’s really not a phone AND an organizer. It’s just a organizer that you can make calls from.
Here’s the problems (so far) his WM5 has, many of which haven’t been fixed/solved from wm2003:
- Resets unit 3 to 4 times a day. Freezes solid.
- Data is slow as sh*t.
- Data has priority over voice, so if you are on the net, you miss the call.
- 25% Lost calls.
- Missed SMS messages
- Can’t use one handed.
- can’t use unit without stylus to lookup contact
- can’t use the web without stylus
- Loses files off of SD card.
- Has to recharge nightly.
- Active sync freezes constantly.
- Poor sound quality. Incoming and outgoing.
- speakerphone sounds like a a tin can.
- wav or mp3 file used as ringers causes unit to lockup keyboard.
- misses calls while video or mp3 is playing.
- He also can’t send an sms while talking on the phone.
Trust me, Palm will drop WM5 like a hot rock. That sh*t isn’t ready for prime time.
To help some of you to undestand WHY so many hate Microsoft software with a passion. I feel I need to quote the following joke:
At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the
computer industry with the auto industry and stated, “If GM had kept up with
technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that gets 1,000 miles to the gallon”.
In response to Bill’s comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull over to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you can continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your
car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive, - but would run on only five percent of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be
replaced by a single “This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation” warning
light.
7. The airbag system would ask “Are you sure?” before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.
10. You’d have to press the “Start” button to turn the engine off
Just bought my 650, despite the announcement of the 700w. Been a palm os fan forever (except for a few days after they discontined Palm.net service, but I got over that), and I needed the functionality of this phone sooner than next year.
I have had zero problems with the 650. As far as I can tell, this device is perfect. Not only that, using VersaMail I can pull messages from many, many accounts with NO problems, and in less time than it takes to boot any of my pcs or macs (I am a power user on both platforms and MUCH prefer OS X)
I was mystified by the switch to Windows until I talked to a good friend of mine who is a current 600 user and who plans to buy the 700w. His reason? His office network is windows based and he ASSUMES that the 700w will be “more compatible” with his desktop. And this is a fairly smart guy. I predict he’s going to be buying a problem, which he will no doubt call me to help him fix.
At any rate, I plan to stick with the 650 as long as possible. Not much to be improved here…
hey im not sure what to think about hte switch i was just getting ready to upgarde fromm the 600 to the 650 then i hear all this talk about 670, 700 etc…if u ever had the 600 you know the blue on the cam suck ass…low resolution sucks, plus no flash…but why does every one keep calling my phone a blackberry…lol ,,,i just want a reliable phone that wont restart itself occaionally, sd card wont pop out when in my pocket…screws untightend them selves just from being an old phone… i was thinking about upgrading but i guess ill have to wait…ive seen the new HTC and herd its laws back to the audiovox…i no i dont want linux on my pc or my phone…had UBUNTU the updates for it are terrible(cant install with out uninstalling) so know i dont have a computer…grub loading error 22,,,,this is really not funny….
working on getting MacOSX only because required for my major GRAPHIC DESIGN….other than that id have windows because ive tried linux..and SUDO dpkg -i sucks…*******so all debian and linux users kiss my ass.********.why cant there be a .exe file to do it all for u..instead of .config, make file , make install…….i have no problem with MAC because im only on it for photoshop and web nothin else..but windows is my life beside mac…from pc games to warez,limewire and Ares…so if i can afford a pda based on windows i think ill take my chances with it more than i would with LINUX….etc..as for the switch i like it because it means a longer lasting treo series, just get the phones out……
o yea i think MacOSX, should be torn apart and made to be compatible with othe hardware, so i can purchase a
Vaio with Tiger???
So many comments to respond to..
#1) To the person complaining about Windows saying “data had priority over voice”.. This is the same with palm. Right now on a palm powered phone, when you are on the net, calls are forwarded to voicemail. This isn’t a windows specific issue.
#2) Jokes dealing with the auto industry and software coding still leave the issue of _why_ Palm is better than Microsoft unanswered. I’m still waiting for someone to give me one valid reason why Palm OS is better than Windows Mobile.
On a side note, as I am an engineer for Siemens VDO (automotive industry, of course) Perhaps if GM were as smart as you make them out to be, their yearly numbers would be black and not red. Perhaps we should ask Toyota’s opinion on the matter.
At least Microsoft releases Windows every 2-3 years. Last I checked, GM releases new versions of the same car every 1 year.
#3) There is no Wifi because it is not value-add. This phone is being marketed to businessmen who _can_ afford $45 for EV-DO. Why is it you people shell out $299-$499 for a phone, as I did, and yet complain that $45 is too much to pay.
#4) As far add adding Linux to a 700w: Why pay $400 for a phone so you can compile code, cross your fingers, pray it works, and be left with a ghetto and buggy operating system. Part of the money you are paying for this phone is a “it just works” factor.
There is no added value for putting Linux on a treo.. I repeat, Linux is NVA (on a treo)
#5) My Palm powered Treo 650 reboots every time I sync. If there were a windows powered smartphone on the market that wasn’t the size of a brick, I’d have already switched. So don’t tell me Palm is more stable! I invite anybody and everybody to watch my palm device spazz out every Hotsync any day of the week.
#6) Has anyone even confirmed the 240×240 resolution? Can you notice a difference in the pictures? I challenge anybody to prove 240×240 is the resolution. Why is it the people with these prototype devices don’t have the intelligence to produce a screenshot and confirm such a rumor?
There are plenty of Windows Mobile Smartphones smaller than the Treo - the HTC Magician and the HTC Typhoon to name just two.
Don’t the Palm fanboys slating Windows - I’ve owned both in many incarnations. WM has been extremely stable since 2003 and gets better every release. Palm OS has been crash happy since v5 and gets worse with every release - just read any Treo forum. And that without it trying to do any proper multitasking.
#6) Has anyone even confirmed the 240×240 resolution? Can you notice a difference in the pictures? I challenge anybody to prove 240×240 is the resolution. Why is it the people with these prototype devices don’t have the intelligence to produce a screenshot and confirm such a rumor?
A backward step I’d agree, but not a rumour - WM only supports 240×240, 320×240, 480×480, and 640×480. There aren’t any devices with small 480×480 screens (yet).
woodrow - while i’m sure you’re right in thinking that all palm users are idiots and all win m users geniuses, it’s still worth… oh, never mind.
for the rest of you: both systems have their +’s / -’s. they’re both great, and they both suck. i just hope that whatever happens the incredible interface of the palm phone isn’t compromised, because there is NO better, faster or more intuitive smartphone interface on the market. anyone know how it will be affected?
Sounds like a bunch of Jealous OF Bill Gates and MAC–IN-TRASH owners are posting warped comments! Face it,–>Windows is the most successfull OS. Windows is number one! Glad to see STANDARDIZATION. Thank you, Bill Gates!!! (((Trash the MAC-IN-Trash)))
Is Apple looking….. maybe it’s time to bring back the Newton, minaturize it, mate it with a quad band GSM phone, slap on a mobile Aqua GUI on it and bring the smartphone to the mainstream like they did with mp3 players.
Forget the video iPod for now….this is a niche market that has just been vacated. PDAs and Smartphones for Mac users.
(Ed: haven’t you seen the new iPod phone?)
Sir,
I have a CDMA Mobile Phone Connection of
Reliance Infocomm Ltd. - India.
I wish to know wether I can use the CDMA
Version of the Treo-700W with my above
CDMA Connection
–or–
Is Treo-700W Compatible with the Reliance
CDMA Network which is widely active in India.
Thanks.
Regards/Deepak.
(Ed: since the Treo 700W is still only a prototype it’s impossible to say for sure)
Wow, what a lot of doom and gloom. I currently own a Treo 600 and a HP iPAQ hx4700. Believe it or not boys and girls, my Treo spontaneously soft resets itself FAR MORE than my iPAQ. Love the Treo form factor, but the Palm OS is adequate at best in my opinion.
Will the 700 support multiple bluetooth connections? The 650 only accepts one connection at a time and this has always put a dent in my techie plans. For instance I can’t use my hands free bluetooth car kit and TomTom5 bluetooth GPS at the same time.
Windows is junk food. It looks could but it isn’t. M$ always makes their product that way: “If you can’t make it could, make it look good!”.
I had Windows based Mobile Phones. All are the same as soon as you install anything the system slows down dramaticly and is getting slower and slower. Even with a 400 Mhz CPU in a phone! But without that add-ons the system is not worth using. That’s why the Hardware-Companies love M$. The users always need faster machines.
And try to uninstall anything. You can’t! You can try, but you can’t! Something always stays in the Registry or Windows-Directory, etc. and slows out your system.
Syncing…junk. It takes long time, but time consumption is normal with M$-Products. If you have to make a Hard-Reset, what with windows you definitly have to make once or twice year, it takes many hours to restore your system the way it was! With Palm it takes a few minutes!
I don’t want to talk about security because everybody knows it. But they just look away and they think that nothing will happen if they ignore them… Yes, you will find security bugs in other systems. But not as in M$-Software. They have holes like buckets and the keep fixing them with tea-spoons. And when? About 1 year after everbody (I’m talking about the public; Hackers know them long before that) was informed that they exists. So Hackers have a lot of time to use the holes. Other companies fix them in very short time.
Conclusing on MS-Operation-System:
- Slow
- Time-consuming
- Very hard to uninstall anything (always left-ofers)
- Insecure (open to everybody)
- Unreliably
Why does everybody use it? Because they are wearing blinders like horses and they are not open minded. They only use what there friend or neighbour is using it.
Regards,
P.S.: People open your mind and eyes see that are many other great operation systems out there.
I have a treo 600 and the screen resolution is bad!!!! But I used to have a pc pocket device and a cell phone and I found out the hassle of having to carry both devices. So I love the idea of only having one device with the limitationes of the palm OS. I’m wainting to get a 650 and hope that the screen resolution is better. And from time to time my 600 re-starts.
Ummmm well, I think Handspring designed the unit. I could be mistaken.
what are your problems with hotsync, my 650 is filled up with apps (i bought them) and i have never had a restart at all. i´m going to buy some more 650-treo´s for the rest of my life…….so so sorry Bill , but i´m addicted to my treo with palmOS.
can i upgrade the 650 for the 700?
Unreal, I have become both more informed but feel less inteligent from reading some of these postings…
There are some serious, (and you know who you are) MS Brainless Cattle out there… Like anything MS puts out you believe in because it is bigger and more people use it? Are you serious? You’re probably one of those people that line up for the next release of windows… sucka!
Lets talk cash alone… I have purchased approximately 15 (windows) PC computers for my office network with an average of 4 pcwork stations running at all times in the last 4 years. that means I’ve had to replace my office pc’s almost every year… In contrast I have purchased a mere 4 mac’s in the last 6 years with an average of 2 Mac workstations runing, and since one of my mac replacements was due to a fixture falling on a laptop that doesn’t really count… solid machines put them to work they never stop…
Friggin PC’s are a money pit…
The fact is that as far as my experience goes anything that runs windows is ruined by windows, as far as palm goes, I hold it in the same regard as MacOS, Palm has been my solid PDA for years and has only been replace by my Treo 600 which has crashed a wopping 3 times since I got it…
I bought the first Kyrocera Palm Phone years ago took it back in a week (all Palm no phone) I have been waiting for a phone like treo for YEARS! Treo is the shit, the new 700w better have a good replacement warranty cause windows is crap, and will definately taken the value out of these phones!
I’m so glad I’ve purchased the 650 before it was no longer available and the only choice was WM5 on a 700. It’s a real bummer to see the choice of the Palm OS go away.
Hoping my 650 runs for a very very long time!
I’m a Treo 600 owner and had planned to skip 650 and wait to upgrade to post-650 Treo. However, after Palm/Windows announcement, I decided to go with 650 anyway because:
1. I have several of apps that I use frequently and feel the Palm OS Treo serves me very well. Moving to Windows I will have to find the equivalent apps (spend more $), learn to use them and may even be disappointed if they don’t perform as good or as easy as the Palm one.
2. Resolution: 320×320=102400, 240×240=57600. More pyxels. More to see. Think spreadsheets, pictures, movies. I use 15″ laptop with 1920×1200 and love it.
3. The next Palm OS Treo may not be out until another year or so and the 600 feels old since I played with someone else’s 650. I am still counting on Palm (or other vendor) to make the next generation Palm OS PDA/phone. If they don’t make one, then I switch to Windows or Linux or whatever will be the sensible choice 2 years from now.
As far as I can tell, nobody answered the question as to how Windows CE syncs with your computer. There is an application called Microsoft ActiveSync that comes with the PDA/phone that works in a similar fashion to the Palm Desktop but isn’t quite as user friendly, IMO.
I had a Windows PDA for about two weeks and took it back, replacing it with a Tungsten T5. I didn’t think the Windows PDA was nearly as stable and it was definitely slower. Not to mention that it was heavier. MUCH heavier. That matters when you are already carrying 25 pounds of equipment around your waist and you need a place to put the device.
I’m not a techie, just a heavy user, and I definitely prefer the Palm OS, if for no other reason than I don’t have to read the instruction manuals. It’s more intuitive than Windows CE, IMO. And I get to keep all the old programs I bought back in the good old days when I had an m130 that sucked batteries like a mosquito sucks blood. Maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places, but it didn’t seem like the selection of programs for Windows was as good as Palm’s.
I have a Cingular Treo 650 now (which for some reason keeps showing up with a Sprint splash screen when I turn the phone on) and I love it. It does everything I need it to do, and it doesn’t have bells and whistles that I don’t need and/or don’t know how to use.
Guess I’ll be keeping it until it dies. :-(
I used both Palm Treo and O2 Mini, user interface from Treo is still much better.
Moving forward to Treo 700 using Mobile Windows OS, from Palm OS user view point, there are lots of improvement needed, e.g build-in a wi-fi (not via SDIO) is a rational must for year 2006 for any products.
I believe that the worst problem is that it uses windows, not because reboots, slowness or security, I could cope with that. The problem is that Microsoft is already big enough. I don’t like the fact that every web page shows through their browser, that every spreadsheet, every document all the time is written and viewed with their software. Now with msn messenger being so popular even what you talk with your friends or coworkers. And their software is constantly upgraded, meaning I have to allow them to execute new things in my devices every day. Maybe they will only do things in the best of my interests, not theirs. Maybe if Bush or anybody else pays them to spy on you they will refuse. I just don’t trust them -wouldn’t trust anybody in the world- to have so much concentrated power. That’s the reason I bought palm. Too sad.
Man…I didn’t know there were so many people who resentes Microsoft the way the people above seems to.
I’m not a programmer or a die-hard gadget freak. I own a treo 650 for personal use and the company that I work for provides an iPaq to me for work-related tasks. Between Plam OS and Windows, I must say I gotta give it up to Palm for keeping it real with focusing on essential PDA stuff.
On the other hand, I love the inegration between WM and Xp! Outlook connection is awesome, and I don’t have to boot my laptop while waiting in, say, the airport, if I wanted to go over numbers in an excel worksheet.
I kept the treo on my waist becasue it was smaller, but I reached into my briefcase for my iPaq to get some work done.
I’m excited to see the marriage of Widows OS to the Palm form factor.
I deal heavily with database management and report building using primarily MS Office applications (excel & access) and SQL Server Analysis Services. I can’t say I experience crashes as often as some of the other people say in this bulletin. Nor do I experience any re-boots on my palm when I hot-sync - and I do so twice a day, with avantgo and epocrates as well as the outlook link.
Lastly, dude - for reals - if you were Bill Gates, you’d be up to the same things… there’s noting worng with wanting it all… that’s he beauty of capitalism.
Can we put Linux on it :)
Not another Win platform!!! I had managed to stay away of windoes at work, my lap top, my enterteiment system (using Myth TV) and my PDA… now I have to look for another PDA that doesn’t run Windows…
I currently own a treo 600….
It is great - except that it resets itself on odd occasions… Any suggestions on this please email me.
Otherwise - I would stick with palm over windows!
I, for one, like the Palm OS “Look & Feel”. We have FOUR Treo 600’s and are all satisfied with them (except for the camera resolution but the pics get the idea across). Sure it crashes every now and then, but get over it, my PC crashes and it is usually harder to recover from, especially when my hard drives refuse to operate for a few hours after the crash. If you backup faithfully (we do daily) then there is usually nothing lost that can’t be recovered/rebuilt. We can port all our info from the Palm to the PC (it was a great shift from a Palm IIIc) and NOT lose anything. We like the games, we like the ease of operation and “mobility” through the screens. The BEST part about the Palm OS is its simplicity. It isn’t much different to go from version 3 to 4 to 5 from the older Palm handhelds to the Treo. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to try to figure out why the apps have to change not only their operation but their visual functionality. I have NEVER understood why I needed to go back to class and learn how to use Windows all over again. Sure some changes are subtle and more efficient…but WHY change so that we have to take hours hunting for the way things operate so we can use them again. Take Outlook 2003, what the HELL is that? Why couldn’t they leave the visuals and stuff alone and just add features? I PREFER the Palm OS and I like the apps that were developed for it, like “Silver Screen”, “Pocket Tunes”, “Docs To Go”, “Acrobat to Palm”, “AvantGo”, all the games you could dream of, etc. I could go on forever, but I think you understand, I am VERY comfortable and will NOT “upgrade” until I ABSOLUTELY have to!!! Nuff said!
I use the Treo 600 because it will sync all my contacts and calendars everytime without problems. I won’t upgrade to the 650 because it seems to have problems doing this on OSX. The problem with the Treo is it is rubbish as a phone, switching itself off, buzzing etc. If the 700 arrives you might end up with a device that is not the best for phone calls and well Windows Mobile - does anyone need this?
What we want is a reliable phone for making calls (Nokia standards) rock solid OS with no crashes (Apple OSX standards) and supported with lots of software and the ability to sync everytime with either Windows or Macs.
This phone causes me no joy because it does not answer the points above, mabee they have sorted the call quality, but judging by the 650 I doubt it and Windows Mobile isn’t really Mac compattible.
I would much rather Palm concentrated on fixing the basic issues of call quailty and reception, and then making sure that they put Palm OS back on the menu and co-operate with MS and Apple to get the syncing working. The whole world is crying out for a rocksolid phone, for goodness sake people buy Blackberrys!
Don’t bitch about Micro$oft, vote with your cash - buy a MacMini or Linux for desktop, and stick with Linux or Palm on your pda/phone (I hear nokia are bringing out a linux phone/pda - and the next PalmOs will be on top of Linux)
Its silly calling people who buy Micro$oft idiots, they are after getting what they deserve
Do you think it will run StyleTap?
????????i have a treo 600 & a tunsten T3 also got a mac G4 laptop and i can not seem to sync the treo at all I have tryed so many times but it dosent work and is the same with the T3 i just use blue tooth to get my files across! i wanted to invest in a Treo 650 but i know it will be a wast of money? or can u tell me different!???????
regards,
romesh.
I hope they get soon some sense and reconvert it back to a palm os.
Are we also getting active stink??????
Well, the only reason I purchased a Treo 600 was PalmOS. If I have to move to Windows Mobile, loosing all my SW applications and trying to migrate all my data to the new platform, there are surely much better GSM smartphones on market. As a palm device, Treo 600 is great, as a phone, any Nokia is better.
this is just another way to suck the life out of loyal palm customers. the 650 is barely out of the closet. if perfected it would make a great phone. no way is the 700 going to be any better, only better at sucking more life out of you! quit playing with your phone and get out and get some exercise!
I’ve had my Treo 650 for 4 months. It’s absolutely the best device I have ever owned. It’s so simple to use and it’s totally reliable. I certainly wouldn’t swap or trade it in for any Windows device. When you’re on a good thing - STICK TO IT!!!
The treo has been a great invention that was poorly made in its 180 and 270 versions. I have very few complaints about my 600 provided it keeps working. I have to compliment palm on their service which has been excellent. I like palm operating system so i hope it carrys on
I can’t believe that someone could sum up MS’s virus and hack problems to the fact that they are “just more popular” to hack???? Because they are the “biggest”. Someone needs to do a little more research. Microsoft is in fact the biggest which inherently gives them the responsibility to be more security conscious. But in there mad rush to keep the money machine going they release almost beta quality junk and patch it as people loose millions of dollars in information theft and downtime due to ther OBVIOUS vulnerabilities. Oh, and by the way MAC OS is based on BSD (Unix) wich was created probably before this person could spell computer. Therer are literally millions of UNIX based server installations. How come we don’t here about all their security problems. Better OS I guess.
Thanks for listening,
Bye for now
Greg
I bought an unlocked Treo 650 GSM the first day it was released and plugged my T-Mobile card in - worked great from the get-go. I guess I was lucky because I was very careful when setting the phone up. I made sure it was a clean install that didn’t migrate any of my old Tungsten T’s apps over during the first HotSync - just the contacts and calendar information (search the Palm forums for instructions how to do this). The first programs I loaded were FileZ, Uninstall Manager and BackupBuddy VFS. These programs are must-haves for keeping the Palm OS clean and crash-free.
After using this unit for over 6 months now I can confidently say that the ONLY reason for the lock-ups I was experiencing at the beginning is wireless data-related. I have the T-Mobile unlimited data plan ($20/month - eat that, Verizon ;-) and I love it - I got 132Kbits/sec in Las Vegas and in Rhode Island (measured using DSLReports). Inside my office in NYC when I step near the window I get the same speed - faster even than my friend’s Verizon 650 (only 128KBit/sec).
The bad part is that I live in a hilly area and T-Mobile’s service there is spotty. Walking around my house makes me constantly lose connections. And this is where the “freezing” occurs. I’ve determined that if the GPRS connection is On and the phone goes in and out of wireless range several times within a short time period it WILL freeze up. My solution? Turn GPRS off after using it. I’ve had zero “freezes” since.
BTW, going in and out of the subway (which kills the wireless connection) doesn’t seem to have the same effect on the GPRS. I guess it’s the quick succession of ins/outs that does it.
I’ll be sticking with this 650 until something REALLY good comes up - whether Palm OS or WM. My advice to all you fence-sitters out there: buy a 650 now that the price is dropping - it will remain the best smartphone out there for a long, long time.
Video conferencing would be a nice addition to the suite of applications.
I own and love my treo 650. Most of what I see on here is how horrible windows is, how great Palm is…. Bill Gates this .. Blah Blah Blah..
I love my palm.. BUT, Straight outta the box, with only a email connection and NO OTHER applications this thing would reboot like crazy. I found this out because I finally stopped putting any apps on the phone, did a hard reset and letft it clean.. IT STILL reboots.
Lets talk about updates. Palm never does updates? What kinda crap is that. Until the Recent ROM update, this was the most horrible phone I have ever owned!!! Since the rom update it has been much smoother and I have been able to add more apps now.
Final Thought: To say that the PALM OS is SOOOOO perfect is very ignorant. To say that the WM5 is soooo perfect is also pretty assanine. To be realistic, ALL operating will continue to have problems at the rate the electronics industry is growing. If you don’t want to deal with the bumps in the road, get a rotary phone and deal with it. We are in a time when we can get information across the world ina split second… Do you think that became available over night? Exactly!
Oh alright!!!! I cannot believe the babies out there…I own both a windows platform for my office and the Treo 650 for the home. The bottom line is that it is not the OS, it is not the manufacturer or the problems associated with either one, and it sure as hell is not the fact that one reboots more than the other one….It all comes down to what do you want to do with it, how you are going to use it, and what kind of technical expertise you have. I run several computer networks, setup and maintain many Cisco devices, and I am responsible for our office’s IP Telephony system. All of this does not qualify me to reprogram and recompile my Treo 650 OS. To those that do not understand what I am saying…Quit F@CKIN with it and it will probably work just fine. I can guarantee that if I had not loaded a single app on either platform and left them both as they were out of the box, I would have two almost identically stable phones.
As I said, I am no computer dummy, but smart-phone troubleshooting is not my forte. For this reason, I have not proclaimed myself to be the incarnate of all things smart-phone related as so many of you freaks on here have claimed. I do enjoy that the Palm OS is not quite as buggy, and that it is a separate entity from the all-inclusive Outlook, but I also have my issues when my windows smart-phone blows up the Outlook Sync manager.
I have no qualms admitting that it is probably MY FAULT in improper setup and that I will just have to deal with the problems that I might have created or figure out a way to fix it. I do not blame Bill Gates or Palm OS for the fact that their OS is only doing what I TOLD IT TO DO!!! Think about it guys, these Smart-phones are only so smart. They can’t yet figure out that what you REALLY meant to do was to install the application where it best ran (in RAM instead of to the removable SD card.) and now that you did this, it should know what you meant to do in order to fix the F@CK UP that you told it to do. Don’t blame the phone for your ignorance.
Both platforms have good characteristics, and both have bad characteristics. They would not be in business if there were absolutely no merit either way for either product. I am not here to change the opinions of the right or left winged freaks out there. Quite frankly, there is no help for the ignorant ID-10T, but for those of you that are reading, and not quite so (shall we say) freaked out that someone might just make you aware that there is life after palm, or that the world outside of your windows might just be sunny and clear, I urge you to draw your own conclusions. GO to the store, TRY all the different platforms, ASK questions, and always REMEMBER that you usually have 14 - 30 days to return the phone and cancel the plan.
There is no substitute for trial by fire and using the phone in your own environment.
If your’e not happy with the direction of this new device…. don’t buy it! I will continue to use my 650 for the next 2 years (at least), and maybe by that time a better solution will hit the market.
Well, I’m a computer tech and I don’t think much of the switch to windoze. The reasons Palm OS beats the crap out of most of the other mobile operating systems are:
1 It turns ON instantly, generally doesn’t need a PATCH to fix an error the programmers knew about BEFORE release but the marketing types and bean counters ignored…
2 It’s smaller tighter code that hasn’t doubled in size with every single new version.
3 It can be compatible with almost all of the desktops out there… with a little effort from the end user, not so with windows versions that wont even TALK to EACH OTHER on a network.
4 It hasn’t lost any of MY data with the few reboots that happened due to unstable app install. Windoze likes to take the harddrive with it because it has hundreds of files open for no good reason.
Linux might have been a better choice if they were just trying to get multitasking on the phone without rewriting Palm to multitask.
I might use Windoze on my desktop, but I don’t want it on my phone, I cant put a firewall on my phone, and I can’t put a hardware firewall between it and towers either.. can on the desktop..
The main reason windoze gets hacked as badly as it does isn’t entirely that it’s the most popular, it’s that they never paid much attention to security or sanity check in the software and let it get so bloated with reduntant code and unneccessary options for everything that it IS swiss cheese.
I for one will probably stick with my T600 or maybe upgrade to the 650 when it’s price drops far enough.
But if Palm switches to Windoze without putting more palm powered ones out, then I’m likely to switch away on the next phone I HAVE to buy, I like Palm OS and the stability I’ve had with it. It only crashed/rebooted once when I installed something from someone else.. or froze when I had it shooting video and it ran OUT of ram. Neither of those problems are FROM the operating system.
Windoze crashes without installing anything else.
Heck don’t try letting windows run for more than 127 days.. it will autocrash….. uptime issues.
Just a quick comment. If you read the press release they refer to this phone as the Treo 700w , which to me implies a Windows version of a Treo 700. They very may produce a Treo 700 (without the w) that runs a version of Palm OS.
As for if this phone will be good or bad, I have a Treo 650 on Verizon, and love the service (not so crazy about the cost) and if they actually do this right, I might consider upgrading as the Treo 700w should support the EVDO high speed network, and WiFi via add-on card. Both of these are very good.
I can see the appeal to a corporate IT department for a single OS to support, but generally I would prefer the Palm OS version. I will wait to see the phone to reserve final judgment.
As usual only time will tell.
The main reason I bought the Treo was for the Palm OS.
Anyone know of a good technical article detailing the pro’s and con’s of both OS platforms and compairing with Symbian?
Where does one find developers for these platforms? Has an industry certification been created for Apps. Dev for this devices?
it is for real .. http://www.palm.com/us/company/?creativeID=RFB|windows_20050927
(Ed: of course it’s for real, palm and MS announced it officially last week!)
I hate the Palm OS, so I can’t wait for the new 700 to come out. However, as a 650 user, I don’t see getting it. I want WIFI. When that comes out for it, without a card, then I’ll purchase it. Otherwise, I’m going with the iPaq Phone, which is really nice.
WHY ASK?
Why demand an explanation for why some people think Palm is better than Windows… Why Complain about everyone else’s Complaints that the 700 will have a Windows OS?
I’m glad to see everyone’s opinions… I appreciate the rebels and the skeptics lol… without them we would be screwed blind on a daily basis. When people start automatically accepting things without question or resistance… THEN I’ll worry and ask why.
I guess the furthest I’m going down the treo evolution line for now is the 650. And to answer the question… I prefer the Palm OS on my pda phone for the simple fact That It Is Not WINDOWS. I use windows at home, work, and school - I think that’s more than enough.
Yeah, now my treo will have a blue crash screen too everyday… and I can imagine soon all those patches trying to solve what was supposed to be well tested before released.
Man, if you want to kill Palm OS, why don’t you try Linux or mac? anyway Windows is allways behind mac’s technology, let’s face it.
And trust me, if compatibility were not a problem, I would have trown away windows since Win95.
But…. I guess we’re gonna have to give you one shot on this, anyway you never asked us about it before doing it, only sales will tell.
“Heck don’t try letting windows run for more than 127 days.. it will autocrash….. uptime issues.”
My palm reboots every day. I’d take 127 days of uptime on my phone any day of the week!
The Treo 650 has done everything I want and more. Why not work on fixing the bugs on the 650, rather than put notoriously unstable windows on an already imperfect 650… and make it even better??
Ok, I’m done - I own a Treo for 2 reasons, hardware and the Palm OS. Without the Palm OS I won’t own a Treo so if management of Palm listens to its customers they better continue to release PalmOS versions of the Treo and support the PalmOS fully.
Otherwise, I’m just going back to Motorola and I’ll carry a real cell phone and seperate WinCEMENT PDA piece of junk.
Geez, you could have at least had the fortitude to choose Linux, QNX or some other embedable OS over Microsoft’s monopolistic offering.
Well, I’m quite happy with my Treo 650 and Palm OS.
I’m using my Palm w/Sprint Service. Although I like VerizonWireless for their service connection reach & stability, I’m a little leary about getting a Palm with VzW after discovering that they don’t give full support to the Bluetooth capabilities of Bluetooth enabled phones.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1751567,00.asp
I concer with Amiroo: “Anyone know of a good technical article detailing the pro’s and con’s of both OS platforms and compairing with Symbian?”
Having a choice is ok, but will the Palm OS continue to be supported with upgrades & decent software…?
For those of you whom have the Treo 650… It rocks if you get the latest firmware updates. Originally, Versamail was a POS, but they fixed it and it is bullet proof.
I tried the ppc-6600 and what a POS, could never get Active Sync to work with my Exchange Server after two days of trying, got my palm to work in 5 mins.
With the Sprint rep standing their telling me it couldn’t be done. PPC is like watching TV and not being able to change the channel.
Forget the Operating System, why would I pay for a new model Treo with no substantially improved hardware and a lesser-quality screen?
The 650 will be discounted once the 700w goes on sale, it holds data and makes calls. Why pay more than you have to?
windows???
Ah f****Ck!!!
Ladies and Gentlemen we have been shown the death of Palm! Palm is not the company it used to be. There is not dedcation to the quality of the product, and no dedication to improvement of the OS (Ed: Palm don’t own the OS and haven’t for a long time, they are a device manufacturer now like any other). The move from the 600 to the 650 said everything, they didn’t plan carfully for the upgrades, causing many users (like me) to lost contact info, and to be forced to spend countless hours trying to correct the disasters that ensued. As we all know, they didn’t include enough memory on the device, making installing the upgrade patch another nightmare. And did anyone notice the change in transfer cables? The new ones often don’t connect properly because the connecting points are so feeble (and because they are so small they easily get compromised by dirt and dust).
Their tech support has been moved to India, where the service people work strictly based on scripts, and couldn’t care less about the company they are providing tech service for.
Let’s not forget that (on the 650 at least) the Palm OS has been VERY unstable (at least on the GSM phones). I have had to reboot at least once a week.
So I ask you, my fellow Palm devotees, what have we left? Not the great service of the once venerable Palm, not the once great and stable operating system, not the forward thinking planning for upgrading and improvement? And not even significantly improved hardware (has anyone noticed hwo the 650 is slower to respond to every command than the 600 was?)!
Let’s not forget that Palm OS is also not especially great at multi-tasking either, ergo one of the main drivers to move to Windows.
I have the Treo 650 with Cingular now and never have the problems with rebooting or sync’ing that other people have talked about. One thing to note for the 650 is that there are so many apps out there and many are not compatible with each other (yes the same thing can be found with Windows) and having them installed can cause the resets some people have complained about. After you install a program you work with the unit for a while to see how it responds and if there are issues, you remove the app and move on. Windows has the same issue but you rarely get people to say, hey I want to make this registry hack, install these 6 games, make a couple more hacks and then install office and check my email all without rebooting AND expect all programs to work not only then but to not cause problems afterwards. It seems as though some people ahve accepted rebooting windows all the time and dealing with incompabitle hardware software, but when it comes to Palm NO WAY! Thats rediculous, you can’t abuse an OS and then wonder why its not stable… but then again thats what keeps people like me employed.
I like the Palm OS, Windows has lot of security issues, however, there are patches available very frequently. And as someone else mentioned, since Windows dominates the market thats what hackers attack, simple logic. There are goods and bads to both platforms.
All I can say though is when I saw WM for Treo I instantly thought “I could run pcAnywhere from this phone!” that is the one main thing I can’t do from a palm. Sure there are apps for Terminal services but pcAnywhere is the one that I really need.
Oh well, the 650 is very stable (if you use logic and don’t just do a bunch of hacks and install many apps without testing them one by one) and I’m happy with it. I did consider getting a WM phone but decided on the Palm. The main reasons…
WM has an interface that everyone is used to and quick to get from application to application (lets fact it, many of the launcers even try to simulate this behavior so there must be something good behind it)
BUT… when actually in each application, the Palm performed faster with less keystrokes for things like entering a new calendar event. Opening and working in Word was faster on Palm that WM.
I am not a kill all MS person, in fact I have Win2k on my computer and make a living by supporting, testing and software design on the Windows OS. So, bottom line is… both have positives, neither is all bad but neither is all good either. There are considerations and compromises for both.
Being a techno geek, I’m sure I would give it a chance once/if the Cingular version comes out. I remember it took me a while to get use to the palm apps when I first got a palm, so it may be an easier transition to the windows mobile version for myself and for those individuals that haven’t used palm before.
Great..here we go again, Bill just won’t stop until he has control of everything. I guess that I can just throw out all of my palm apps too. Well I’ll give it a chance, but I had better not end up with viruses and the blue screen of death on my phone! By the way, my 650 works fine..I’ve had it for five months now and not a single problem!
ok so almost everyone is bitchin about the switch to windoze, my biggest gripe is with the hardware.
my treo 650 is the first phone that I have owned that did not have built in voice recognition, think about it for a second, with my old sanyo, samsung, kroycera, all i would have to do was press the call button, when the cutsey voice said “who would you like to call” I would say “laura or bob or work etc” with my blue tooth head set it would be simple, now crusing the xway at 70, what do you have to make that same call, take it off my belt unlock the phone hunt for the contacts and finally push the button to make the call, I do not have voice recognition, but I do have a built in camera, that will take pictures of my crash. (yeah I know there is software for voice recognition, tried it, forget it)
one other gripe why can’t there be another led to let you know you missed a call or have mail?, here is another one for you treo engineer folks, put another led on top, red blink, you missed a call, green blink you have a message or email no blink, nothing, simple right?
another thing, this is the first phone that i have ever had to buy a battery for in less than a year, got my 650 last december when they first came out via sprint, as a matter of fact this is the only phone i have had to buy a battery for, and I have been a sprint customer since 1995 changing phones every three years.
here is another one for you treo folks if you are reading these rants, USE a standard charger jack, you know the round ones that look like headphone jacks,I realize you are probably makeing money, licesing, your little square jacks, but think of the consumer, I have to play with the charger to get it to charge the phone because one of brass tangs broke of the end, months ago,, and one other thing, you would not have to paint the little white arrows on it.
will I get the 700 I don’t think so, I’ll wait for the 750, or 800, and hope that it has voice recognition.
as far as palm vs windoze, I really don’t care cause I use them both.
As an IT proffesional, I get the pleasure of using the 4 major OS’ on a daily basis.
To the user who refered to nthers not liking Windows because we can not patch it. Well, my main reason for not liking Windows is BECAUSE I have to patch it!
I always saw PalmOS as a good alternative to a Windows Mobile, which is why I got my Treo 600. Palm my not be so advanced as Windows, but that is because it is not such a large corp. body like Microsoft. I think Palm would grow in stregnth if it got more support from the IT world rather than being knocked about as a third rate system.
If Palm wanted to move away from PalmOS for a short time, then they should have developed a Linux version that would support PalmOS programs. Unfortunatly, they have gone for the more industry conforming route and have probably signed the tombstone of PalmOS by doing so.
I personally, will be sticking with my Treo 600 and hope that developers wil keep working with PalmOS long ater it has gone. It won’t be long before we see the Windows logo on the Treo instead of Palm, after all, Microsoft get their claws into everything they work with one way or another.
Now we just need to wait for PalmOS to become open-source. Then we might be able to keep it alive.
I certainly won’t be purchasing one.
Japanese software maker Access has agreed to acquire PalmSource for $324.3m in cash.
PalmSource is the maker of the Palm OS operating system used to power mobile devices such as the Palm Treo smartphone and Garmin iQue PDA. Access develops the NetFront browser for mobile devices.
The deal gives PalmSource a “lifeline”, according to Kevin Burden, programme manager for mobile devices at analyst firm IDC.
“PalmSource has been ripe for acquisition for the past year or two,” he told vnunet.com. ” One of the big worries was how long PalmSource was going to be able to survive.”
The software maker has had trouble finding licensees for its mobile operating system, after Sony left the PDA market altogether.
Earlier this year PalmSource sold the rights to the Palm brand to PalmOne, maker of Palm-branded PDAs and smartphones, for $26.7m.
PalmSource planed to use the funds to develop a new version of its operating system based on Linux rather than the current proprietary software. A first version is scheduled for release in the summer of 2006.
Access said that it would continue development of the mobile Linux version, and plans to combine its browser with the operating system.
The acquisition of PalmSource by an Asian company was not a big surprise, according to Burden. Enterprises in the region have a strong interest in using the Linux operating system for mobile devices.
I just wish everyone would get a spellchecker… or a GED, something.
i love mij treo 650
and i don’t have great fealing
about the 700w i don’t thing windows is a goed thing for mobilething the must stik to pc’s
i am keeping mij 650 for now !!
If they cut the dependancy of the stylus out, and clean up the OS, IE-it doesn’t black hole regularly like on my 2002, it could be cool if you like WM. I still think Palm is the