Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Midland, Texas
Posts: 231

One issue that I have seen tossed around for a reason not to get a Palm IIIc is that the apps will likely grow to "CE" sizes because of coding for color.

Well, now that the color apps are rolling out, we find the catch is that the color apps are appearing as "one size fits all." In other words, the same app functions on both color and non-color machines. Therefore, we Visor users are stuck with a bloated app without the added functionality that caused the bloat.

One such example is the popular app BugMe!. The Nov. '99 release was 39K, and the recent release -- now in color of course -- is 70K. Granted many of the current color releases add nothing but color to the existing app, (and are this not intriguing upgrades for us non-color havers) but future releases will likely be worthwhile at the expense of what? An app double the size of the app that currently resides on your Visor? This is not exciting.

Thoughts?

tyler

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Sunrise, FL
Posts: 20

One of the reasons I love the Palm OS is because it reminds of the old DOS days when apps were lean, programmers wrote tight code and the world was a better place.

The pathetic part of it all is that it still takes me just as long to write a letter today in Word 2000 as it did using WordPerfect 5.2 15 years ago.

Microsoft seems intent on porting this pig, gluttonous notion of how to improve an OS (and make life more productive (sic)) to PDA's in much the same way it was shoved down our throats with Windows.

I don't know if anyone remembers a little known GUI called GEM. It was a great environment - much faster and better then Windows and utilized a whole lot less RAM, etc.

The best products don't always capture market share. In Microsofts case, I truly hope the DOJ sees to it that they get what's coming to them for killing good products by unfair and illegal business practices.

I'm not opposed to advancement in technology - but for christ's sake give me something tangible for that so-called advancement.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

What you describe is worse than what some of us predicted.

However, the platform does need to evolve, and I accept (not like!) that program bloat is probably going to be a part of the price we have to pay . . .

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 195

quote:

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Originally posted by yucca:
the platform does need to evolve. . .program bloat is probably going to be a part of the price we have to pay . . .

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The Visor is my first PDA, so I'm not sure how my "usage" will evolve, but after three months, I'm not sure how much more it needs to. When it comes to the essential PIM needs, ActionNames, Address+, DiddleBug, BigToDo, provide me with more than enough flexibility to operate in various combinations - just as they are. Will I really NEED to "evolve" into using "bloatware?" My understanding with the platform was that Handspring didn't make it upgradeable because the OS essentially doesn't need to "evolve" but rather follows a hardware upgrade path. Had I wanted color, I would have spent $500 and gotten color. I figure that by the time I WANT color, the prices will have come down but, until then, what I've got will do me just fine. I'm not anticipating that I'll have all my color-ready apps at that point.

BTW - do you think that developers might release color and non-color versions of "significant" performance upgrades? Given how easy these things seem to be to develop (from what everyone says) I wouldn't think it would be that much of a problem, and it would keep everyone happy!

PS: I work significantly faster and more creatively on the current word processing programs than I did on the old DOS ones!

[This message has been edited by VoxDei (edited 04-03-2000).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

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My understanding with the platform was that Handspring didn't make it upgradeable because the OS essentially doesn't need to "evolve" but rather follows a hardware upgrade path

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Provo, UT
Posts: 64

VoxDei,
I have downloaded a couple of application upgrades that included both color and non-color versions. Hopefully that will be the norm.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

When I referred to the platform evolving, I was thinking that the hardware and the OS need to embrace new technologies, or at least implement older ones as they become feasible in this form factor. I'm talking about a year out and beyond that . . . And these new capabilities will result in fatter apps due to incremental feature creep (time will see to this even if OS is frozen), support for the new tech, and mass market programing practices.

For example, I doubt anyone would complain if the screen resolution were increased. In fact, the OS needs to evolve to where there are no limits on screen resolution, memory, etc. This will enable Palm and its OS licensees to further diversify the platform. How about a Palm OS ultra-light laptop with a XVGA screen? Too big? How about a Palm OS device the size of a pager? It has no screen, but uses a wireless eye glass display and voice recognition instead.

True multitasking, and support for at least one other CPU would also seem like prudent moves over the longer haul. Then there is the need to incorporate new communications technologies (Bluetooth and MIR/FIR/VFIR). Some of this can be done via Springboard Modules; but few, if any, third party apps will support Spingboard Module features. I'm wrong if Palm licenses the Springboard slot, but that doesn't look likely . . .

In any event, the challenge for Palm, Handspring and the Palm OS development community is to increase capabilities without losing the simplicity and utility that makes the Palm platform superior to the glitz that is promised in the Pocket PC.