Palm OS: Final R.I.P. (Essentially)

M

mind reader

New member
This might be too far off-topic for this wing of the forum, but I thought it would be appropriate to mention it here anyhow.

Just read this post at the PreCentral blog:

We’ll let MotionApps’ blog post on the matter do the explaining:

We are sad to announce that Palm has removed Classic’s ROM from the new webOS 2.0 device ROM which will result in Classic not working if utilized with Palm’s new webOS 2.0.

This is contrary to our agreement with Palm and was done without our approval or consent. Based on this action, MotionApps will immediately stop selling Classic. However, as a courtesy to our clients, we will continue to support existing Classic customers on webOS 1.x for the immediate future.

MotionApps is also giving the source code for Classic to Palm, since it’s of no use to MotionApps anymore they’re giving it to the folks in Sunnyvale so they can “can do what they want to do with Classic and make it available with webOS 2.0.”

Well! That was a short marriage! I'm sure there'll be debate whose idea it was & all, whether Palm will actually do anything with the source code, and so on. Personally, I think it's toast.

When it became apparent that I'd have to switch my business to a different mobile platform, I did some long, hard consideration. Platform would have to be rich in applications, and have a stable future (as much as anyone can guess that!!:rolleyes: ). Looked toward Windows mobile. Then, I hesitated, changed my mind, and backed off.

Then, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7. Boy, am I glad I changed my mind.

I had somewhat considered WebOS & Pre. Classic would run Granet apps, so very little learning curve; but the Classic "screen" was soooo small for my reading-glasses eyes, and Palm just did not seem to look very stable.

Glad I didn't go that way, either:rolleyes: :D

This weekend I plan to completely migrate over to my iPod touch 4G. I won't go on and on, but it's just super.

Now, it could be said that Palm OS isn't totally dead yet, I guess: there is that one company that had Samsung make a whole bunch of Palm Pilots runing Garnet for businesses to keep runing their very profitable programs (I'm sorry, but there is such an irony in that).

But otherwise, I think it's safe to say "Rest In Peace, Palm OS. You were a good one".
 
I still have a three devises that run the old palm os. Palm can do what ever they want but I will never purchase anything else from them. I will purchase a devise with Garnet on it. I use my hand held devises for tools. I always liked the old palm software but never liked the battery life or the low quality hardware for a high price. This will know change with the other garnet devises I will purchase.
 
Don't you think you'll run out of used Palm hardware to buy off the web someday? If you're doing anything critical with Garnet right now, better think ahead. Someday that source will really go dry….

Sent from my iPod;)
 
Palm does not own Garnet and it is a good thing that they don't. Access is still selling the software to other companies that produce hardware. My TX and E2s are still in good shape. I am looking at Aceeca They are producing products that are more rugged. I like the idea of a better screen and longer battery life. I use my PDAs inside and outside allot.

Aceeca.com :: Rugged Palm Powered? Handhelds
 
That's the company (Aceeca) that I was referring to. Boy, that's interesting: the MEZ1000 - Motorola Dragonball 33mhz processor, 160 x 160 pixels display (greyscale, of course), 16MB RAM, and amazingly unattractive to boot, all for $399. Such a deal! Maybe they're confident in that price because of the nostalgic geeks waiting to snap 'em up. An interesting thought, reincarnating Palm Pilots. If it works for you, go for it. Personally, I'm still gonna move on.

I must say, though, I stand (somewhat) corrected: Palm OS isn't quite dead yet (perhaps in the same way that from some viewpoints Latin is not a "dead language").

Sent from my iPod (via the very slick Apple bluetooth keyboard:))
 
ArGiEs: I sent a link that should have directed you to all of there products. I guess your hardware does not have the ability to pickup on it. I am looking at the PDA32 which is one of three new devises they are coming out with. You will shortly be able to purchase it for around $230 with stereo, IR, Bluetooth class1 and wifi b/g It has a 400mhz processor. All of the specs are there if you use a modern enough devise to look at the info such as a computer or a palm TX or maybe even a windows mobile or any number of devises.

Aceeca.com :: Rugged Palm Powered? Handhelds
 
Well, in my protracted hesitation about a possible move-on from Palm OS, here's one more nail to the coffin. Palm, and I reckon most probably under the HP guidelines, is kicking Classic off. Clean bootprint in its behind. I WAS considering the Pre/WebOS platform. Now the most attractive option to me seems to be Android.
 
No...... Hal, No..... Don't get assimilated! (Droid) Come over to iOS! :D

I looked at the acela (sp?) web site. It's hard to justify the $400 monochrome device with the pda32 sitting right next to it. I went to "add to cart" and the only options it would let me choose were audio and iRDA. No wifi... yet. But this does provide somewhat of a safety net for those who choose to stick with Garnet. I wonder how long that company can stick around with such a niche market?
 
They are not being made for the consumer market, they are aimed at vertical markets like manufacturing and are probably customized as needed by the ordering client. Bet not many of those customers want wifi, and thus wifi might not even appear.

I loved Palm OS for the 4 years I had my TX, but I have no regrets moving on. Yes, it was a learning curve and yes I had to adapt to different ways of doing things, but I would never go back (my TX works just fine).

That's just me. I'm not suggesting what anyone else should be happy with.
 
It's been probably two months since my little brother got a new laptop (Lenovo G560, Pentium dual-core) and he's had so many problems with iTunes he gave up trying to sync it. Every time he hooked it in, it wanted to erase it. He finally fixed that, but it breaks every time iTunes updates, and iTunes eats his album art.
My dad updated his iPhone 3GS with iTunes (it took about half an hour on an Athlon XP 2600), and it lost most of his settings. He had everything categorized into folders, but it dumps everything out of the folders and deletes the folders whenever he syncs. It also has the habit of being clueless as to what apps are whose, so it synced a bunch of my little brother's stuff to my dad's iPhone, which though some complicated turn of events triggered some security feature in my little brother's account we had to call Apple had get a rep to fix, as the nearest Apple store is almost 200 miles from here.
My mom hasn't even tried syncing hers.

AT&T's also so pathetic as far as data service goes that $15/mo is way too high. It's slow enough (when it connects, that is) you'd be hard-pressed to even use 200MB.

Meanwhile, my dad and I are the only ones who've had problems with our PC's, and his was caused by the 20-pin power being loose (the system was 6 years old, has a thick blanket of dust on the inside, and has a loud power supply with a slightly unbalanced fan that vibrates the case and everything in it) and mine was caused by a faulty stick of Crucial RAM that failed twice and flakes out under stress even if it's underclocked (DDR2 667 vs 800). If I take the front panel off my case and touch the RAM sticks (PC off, of course), the two G Skill sticks and the Kingston stick are fairly cool, being about 6" from a 12cm fan, but the Crucial stick is typically too hot to touch. Frustratingly, most of the reviews and reports of failure were posted after I already bought it. :mad: We seem to have the opposite problem r0k does: Microsquish works and Apple doesn't. :rolleyes:
 
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