Back at 3GSM, Access, the owners of PalmSource, unveiled the new Linux version of Palm OS, which really, at least at that point, had little to do with Palm OS as most people know it. The new Palm OS, labeled the Access Linux Platform, promised to in some way bring the antiquated software up to date, and at the time, the company said it would never bother to release Palm OS 6, which was announced in, oh, February 2004, and was outdated then.
So, fast forward 6 months, to Palm (the device maker) saying that Access has missed development milestones, which could delay its future products. That’s not good news for Palm OS fans, but never fear: “However, Palm will continue to release new products running the current version of Palm OS, it said.”
So, more meaningless Treo upgrades with an OS that still can’t multitask or run Java. Sounds great. The Palm OS was pretty good, once upon a time, and its UI really shone. But give it up, Palm — quit living on past glories, commit to a new UI, and do it soon, even if it’s Windows Mobile, and use some UI expertise to make it better. Don’t let the lack of possibilities in your outdated OS hold you and your developers back, and figure out how to grow your business beyond the fanboys. The market for email- and messaging-centric devices is pretty hot at the moment, you know?
[tags]mobile, palm, palmsource, palm os, treo[/tags]
The problem Palm has isn’t indecision or lack of will to make the leap to Linux. In fact, it’s my understanding that they’ve been very dissatisfied with the current version of Palm OS for quite some time and have been quietly building their own Linux successor going back to the time they started exploring Windows as a platform. Judging by their hiring, those Linux plans were moved from the skunkworks into production development a year ago–around the time that ACCESS initiated its acquisition of PalmSource.
The problem is that Palm never should have split into two companies in the first place. Now they’re furiously hiring Linux talent and negotiating with ACCESS to expand their development and distribution rights for Palm OS (presumably so they can keep backward compatibility in their new platform). It’s a sad state of affairs.
The only good news is that mobile Linux is finally taking off like so many of us predicted and looks poised for a great ride. If PalmSource ships ALP in early 2007 and Palm ships next-generation Palm OS next year (as I’m told they will) they won’t be too late to the party and there will be plenty of room for two good Linux platforms.
It’s a long, difficult wait for Palm, though.