Is the Palm OS really dead ?

skylab · 10/09/2006, 10:46 PM

HI All,

have a read at this article, and please do share your thoughts with me.

http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3350

with the release of the new (no-wifi) treo running Windows OS, and yes, there is going to be another palm 680 (but with not many impressive specs), it's hard not to give this article a second read.

your thoughts please.

whatever7 · 10/09/2006, 10:59 PM

Since 700p is already running on an "Access OS" you can say there is no more "PalmOS".

gadgetluva · 10/09/2006, 11:22 PM

I believe it is. The article makes some very valid points. POS hasn't been updated for years now. Each device that comes out with it seems to be buggier than the last. More and more people are switching to WM5 or symbian devices. People don't seem to be switching to POS. The POS seems to be grossly outdated.

patrickj · 10/10/2006, 12:43 AM

I don't think I'd say it's dead, but sure has a lot of ground to make up right now. It is outdated compared to WM, and seems to have less momentum in terms of new devices and geenral buzz than both WM and Symbian.

Maybe the new low-end (680) Treo and a rumored new non-connected handheld to be released before the end of the year will help a little - but they won't feature a new version of the OS so probably not a big impact.

gadgetluva · 10/10/2006, 11:32 AM

POS 6 was rejected by Palm and other ODMs. Development on the POS as we know it is over, there will be a brand new OS with some backward compatibility (which I'm expecting will cause some significant conflicts) which won't be out til late '07 from what I've read.

noodle · 10/10/2006, 11:45 AM

As much as I hate to say it. The palm os as well as its development community is dying. The OS/software 1st and 3rd party is not keeping up. It feels like everyone is stuck in the 80s/early 90s. The hardware is moving at a snails pace(excluding the treos). Even though I feel a lot is left to be desired/improved upon. The software is overpriced and boring. The palm developer community just spend their time bugfixing limitations of the OS and reinventing the same old crap over and over with no innovation or vision. I love my treo and I really hate to say this, but this is the truth of how I feel. It is a sad state of affairs and someone needs to grab hold of the helm and turn this ship around before it turns into a ghost roaming the seas looking for lost souls to trap.

esatyawan · 10/10/2006, 11:49 AM

Outdated but still performs more friendly for me than WM5

CGK · 10/10/2006, 12:09 PM

Well Palm OS does not run the 3g network (and is unlikely to ever do so for a mixture of licensing and technology reason) so in regards to the treo as Palm's big in europe - yep it's dead.

The Phone Diva · 10/10/2006, 03:53 PM

It is on it's last legs, yes. Unless they release something next year, we're seeing the last of Palm OS on the 680. No 3G support will place it out of the market within the next year.

skylab · 10/10/2006, 09:41 PM

that's what i fear too.

always been a palm OS supporter, and a believer in the Zen of Palm, simplicity in efficiency.

but the lack of 3G, WiFi, other features, man.. how are they going to compete head on with WM5 and Symbian now?

product management has to ensure that the product steers toward the needs and demands of the market. is Palm doing this right? who knows what all the other smartphones will be developing to when Palm OS finally gets up to date with 3G and WiFi in their devices.

oalvarez · 10/10/2006, 10:21 PM

well, lets just say that it isn't really "alive."

CK1 · 10/11/2006, 01:35 AM

Well I gotta tell you that I'm new to this site and I never had such a problem deciding which device to get. I have been a dedicated user of POS and I found that it was all I needed. BUT, with these rumors going around about the OS going the way of the Dodo, I find myself looking at the WM5. I still think the POS is simplier. When I finally decide, I hope not to switch phones in a year. I want to keep it till I run it into the ground or run over it.

You gotta ask yourself, what is Palm thinking tho?

tirk · 10/11/2006, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Phone Diva

It is on it's last legs, yes. Unless they release something next year, we're seeing the last of Palm OS on the 680. No 3G support will place it out of the market within the next year.

Broadly I agree with that. In the UK it may be a little further away, as the ridiculous cost of data from most carriers means 3G data use is impractical, but that surely must change.

surur · 10/11/2006, 04:39 AM

Palm wasn't really in the UK market to start with, and any serious data user has probably already migrated to cheaper networks offering the same WM devices, such as T-Mobile or Orange.

Surur

esatyawan · 10/11/2006, 05:46 AM

Which one would you rather be " SLOW OS + HIGH SPEED INTERNET " i.e 750V
OR
"FAST OS + LOW SPEED GPRS" i.e 680

The Phone Diva · 10/11/2006, 05:52 AM

I HATE slow internet!! And a slow OS is annoying too, but WM isn't really that slow if it has enough RAM.

CGK · 10/11/2006, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tirk

Broadly I agree with that. In the UK it may be a little further away, as the ridiculous cost of data from most carriers means 3G data use is impractical, but that surely must change.

The carriers are starting to come around - "web and walk" which is 2gb for £7.50 is more than enough for most users*. Orange and Vodafone are rumoured to hit back soon with better deals.

* Unless you want to stream TV all day - I am checking emails and surfing the web all day, plus updating apps and I've never matched to get over 200mb per month.

Quote:

Which one would you rather be " SLOW OS + HIGH SPEED INTERNET " i.e 750V
OR
"FAST OS + LOW SPEED GPRS" i.e 680

I've not tried the 680 but I have not noticed much of a difference between the 750v and my old 650. I think the general user is never going to know the difference.

surur · 10/11/2006, 07:14 AM

If you want to stream, t-mobile is now offering a 10GB package for £22, in which they officially sanction streaming and VOIP. They will even sell you the data plan without any voice plan at all.

Surur

Antoine of MMM · 10/11/2006, 11:47 PM

Another perspective:
The PalmOS has entered a second life. Not so much a stage where its initial developers are working at it to improve it so much, but where the platform has been effectively maxxed out and now developers are able to work on and develop on a relatively static platform. Does it mean holes and inefficiences are there, yup. But it also means that much like a classic car, it can continue to be refined as long as there is sufficient interest and a nice installed base of people/companies who would use those apps and enhancements.

In terms of being an effective modern OS for both consumer and carrier, PalmOS dead. Which is a shame, because the holes in the OS were in part on the OSes ability, and the other part on developers not pushing it enough (yes thousands of apps, but not thousands of apps that made the hardware creak).

ToolkiT · 10/12/2006, 03:25 PM

I'd say POS has gone in retirement, it is still around but not actively anymore..