VisorCentral.com - Will 3.5 or 4.0 be the last Palm OS on Visors?

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-- Will 3.5 or 4.0 be the last Palm OS on Visors? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=12979)

Posted by bookrats on 03-13-2001 11:17 PM:

Given all the discussion about Palm OS upgradability on Visors, I was wondering if (and when) Handspring might decide to stop using the Palm OS. I don't desire this -- as a developer, who wants to have two platforms to write for? And all the people writing for a single OS means a larger selection of software.

But given the talent that the Palm founders brought over to Handspring with them, I'd be surprised if Handspring's SW team wouldn't like to take the drivers seat, design-wise, and be able to steer the Visor in directions other than those dictated by the Palm OS team.

If so, the question is when: at what version of the Palm OS would Handspring abandon it? A few initial thoughts:

4.0?: A lot of posters on this board have complained that Palm OS 4.0 adds very little to Palm OS 3.5 -- at least from the user's view. However, it appears OS 4.0 has built-in support for BlueTooth wireless communication -- and BlueTooth-enabled Springboard modules could be extremely useful.

5.0?: As I understand it, Palm OS 5.0 is not going to run on current or older Palms or Visors -- it is aimed at PDAs using the ARM processor, instead of Motorola Dragonball processors. Current Palm software (i.e., written for Palm OS 4.0 and earlier) will run on Palm OS 5.0 using a software emulator for backwards compatibility. (E.g., like the WOW component -- Windows on Windows -- that runs Windows 3.1 16-bit software on 32-bit Windows systems. (Hopefully OS 5.0's emulator will run better than WOW.))

Given this, Palm OS 5.0 would be a logical point for Handspring to break all ties with Palm, i.e., start using their own OS -- as long as they, too, have an emulator for current Palm software. (Maybe that's all they license from Palm.)

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My own suspicion is that Visors this year will be released with Palm OS 4.0 (e.g., "4.0H" -- altered for Springboards), so that BlueTooth modules/software can be used on the Visor. But I could really see Palm OS 5.0 be the point where Handspring decides to get off the Palm OS train.

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Posted by D ev R ay 4Real on 03-14-2001 12:43 AM:

I personally hand no idea when theyre going to switch to their own OS. But it seems pretty obvious to me that they will soon because of the slow growth of the Palm OS.

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Posted by miradu on 03-14-2001 01:26 AM:

In differnt Articles, Jeff and Donna have always said that they would like to keeep there options open. They have 3 years left on there liscence with Palm, before they choose to renew it. in 3 years, OS 5.1 should be difinantly out So I think HAnd will at least until 2004 have Palm on there deivces, but they might introduce a PPC device..

Remeber some problems. Al lspringboards have Palm OS programming on them. Now if springboard's code wer eall done in a language similar to java, than handspring would jsut need to right a different runtime, and therefore springboards would be cross compatiable.

PPC is godo for multimedia, and it looks liek half of the springboards are going that direction, while the other half are going wiht more bisniuss things that the palm OS better handles. (VisorPhone)

Handspring is a great company. There killir product is the Springboard slot. The Visor is a awesome handheld, but it's the springboard slot which makes handspring unique.

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Posted by bookrats on 03-14-2001 04:35 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by miradu2000
Remeber some problems. Al lspringboards have Palm OS programming on them.

I don't think that would be a significant problem, if the Palm software emulator is enabled to execute code from Springboard modules. I.e., just as current Palm software would be run on a ARM-based Visor using an emulator, software on current Handspring modules would be recognized and run using the same emulator.

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"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."

Posted by septimus on 03-14-2001 05:23 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by bookrats

I don't think that would be a significant problem, if the Palm software emulator is enabled to execute code from Springboard modules. I.e., just as current Palm software would be run on a ARM-based Visor using an emulator, software on current Handspring modules would be recognized and run using the same emulator.

What makes PalmOS so neat is its speed, and I think an emulator would slow that down...

I gotta say, I'm dreading the day 5.0 comes out. If that emulator isn't supafly, then we've got slower devices (at worst) or platforms that are a pain to share (at best).

...Let's just say I hope Palm puts enough thought into the design and compatibility of 5.0. If it does, then I think HS should stick with it (emulator and all). If it doesn't.... Lord I don't know. These handhelds have to be able to talk to each other, or it all becomes a confusing mess that new people will avoid.

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Posted by homer on 03-14-2001 07:57 PM:

I don't think they's stray from the Palm OS for a number reasons, the least of which is simply market penetration. People are VERY reluctant to switch OSs, regardless of the merits of a newer one.

Besides, they make much more $$ selling hardware than software. Why mess with that?

What I would like Handspring to do is perhaps enhance the OS. Stick to the basic philosphies of the Palm OS but take it from there.

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Posted by Brent Dax on 03-14-2001 11:56 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by dietrichbohn

What makes PalmOS so neat is its speed, and I think an emulator would slow that down...

I gotta say, I'm dreading the day 5.0 comes out. If that emulator isn't supafly, then we've got slower devices (at worst) or platforms that are a pain to share (at best).

From what I've heard, the beta emulator on ARM runs faster than a native DragonBall device. And that's not even the final version...

Palm and Apple are the two companies that have always made excellent emulators. Have you ever used POSE on a desktop? If you have a fast enough processor, it has no problem keeping up with even the speedy Visors. I have faith in Palm's ability to build an emulator that'll work fine.

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I wish I could post from AvantGo...

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Posted by Matthew Nichols on 03-15-2001 12:13 AM:

I want my color Edge with v5.0 & 32mb of RAM now!

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Posted by bookrats on 03-15-2001 05:54 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by homer
I don't think they's stray from the Palm OS for a number reasons, the least of which is simply market penetration. People are VERY reluctant to switch OSs, regardless of the merits of a newer one.

Agreed; but for all intents and purposes, moving from Palm OS 4.0 to Palm OS 5.0 is a change in OSs. It's a different OS, not a recompile of the Palm OS for an ARM processor, requiring an emulator to run current Palm software.

For developers, Palm OS 5.0 will present a decision point: continue to compile it for Palm OS 4.0 or earlier, and have it run on Palm OS 5.0 models in emulation; or rewrite and recompile it for Palm OS 5.0. Until units with OS 5.0 start to become a significant part of the installed base, compiling for the earlier OS 4.0 seems pretty safe (unless you require the OS 5.0 features); or do both.

I don't know if Handspring should or shouldn't break from the Palm OS. My main observation would be that if they do split, Palm OS 5.0 would be a logical point to do so.

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