Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 18

The springboard is an open standard meaning companies other than Handspring can create and sell products for the springboard.

But does this apply to PDA companies wanting to add a springboard slot to their PDA? How open is the standard?

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-Cyrus
[email protected]



[This message has been edited by Cyrus (edited 12-14-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

Handspring does charge a fee for PDA companies who want to add a springboard slot to their PDAs.
The fee is supposed to be "reasonable", whatever that means.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA
Posts: 255

I'm sure there's gotta be some sort of tech. workings inside with patents (pending?). I doubt you can just throw in a slot in the back of your PDA and have it function as a Springboard (meaning using the same modules) without getting ripped a new one in court.

Maybe companies have to license the slot, kind of like Nintendo. For the original nintendo anyone could really make a cartridge to fit inside of it, but only certified ones had the seal of approval on them (remember tengen? They didn't). Handspring will either collect royalties, or if they were smart, wouldn't do anything and would allow the format to flourish, which would be in their own best interest. Market share is everything.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 10

Handspring will not require vendors to license Springboard modules (like the example given of Nintendo). Whoever wants to release a Springboard will be able to, without permission from Handspring.

With incorporating the Springboard SLOT onto another PDA, I seriously doubt that Handspring will let anyone do it. This is their innovation, their ticket to success. If they do allow others to incorporate it, you can bet it'll be expensive to license.

Just my .02
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Kevin Mitchell
[email protected]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 18

It would be interesting to see a Palm Computing PDA with a springboard in the future. If the handspring takes too much a chunk of their sales and there are many modules available, they may consider adding such a feature to compete with the visor.

Of course, this all depends on the openness of Handspring's springboard standard.


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-Cyrus
[email protected]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 56

I actually doubt if palm will continue in the hardware biz. It looks right now like palm is moving toward licencing the OS. The only people that are putting Hardware inovation into the device are others like Handspring and TRG. Case in point: Since Donna and Jeff left Palm, Palm has not come up with any hint of a significantly new hardware device (the PalmV was all Jeff/Donna). Palm is coming out with color, but this to was begun by Jeff and Donna. Who knows? I would expect Handspring to begin licencing the Springboard to other hardware companies since they get a piece of the pie for every device (their or not) sold with a springboard.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 18

Bolson said:
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I actually doubt if palm will continue in the hardware biz. It looks right now like palm is moving toward licencing the OS.
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Don't count on it.. PalmOS has a 12mb maximum. Palm, TRG, Handspring and others using PalmOS will soon have to switch to something else.

Handspring will stop using PalmOS later on for their new products. The only reason they're using it now is because they wanted to use a tried and tested OS and wanted to create a product people were already familiar with.

I doubt that even if Palm does create a new OS (without they're head innovators, good luck..) that Handspring will even consider using it. Most likely Handspring is already creating a new OS of their own.


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-Cyrus
[email protected]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 15

Cyrus-

I have read alot of trash on the internet, but you take the cake. If you truly believe that the Palm OS is going the way of the dinosaur, you are out of your mind. Handspring uses the Palm OS, not only because the founders are familiar with it, but because it is the best product out there.

I'm not sure if you said it just to bash Palm, but whatever the reason, this is the OS of the present and the future.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

Cyrus has a good point about the 12 meg limit. I wonder how difficult it would be to make an extended PalmOS that could access more memory and NOT break every single PalmOS app currently in existence.

Several months ago some of the magazine reviews made an off-hand mention about how 3Com was interested in licensing the Springboard slot. But I haven't heard anything recently, especially after new broke about the 3Com/Sony aggreement.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posts: 195

I think the correct statement is "the current Palm OS is limited to 12 MB." Saying "The Palm OS is limited to 12 MB" is like saying "Windows is only a 16 bit OS." That's true for Win98, but not for Win2000. But they're both Windows.

But here we get into semantics - what defines an OS? If Jeff and Donna come up with a new OS, will it be truly a new OS, or just a new version of the Palm OS? See what I mean? We're just talking definitions here, and who cares? Whatever the case, the next PDA will most assuredly be running either a new version of the Palm OS or a new OS that looks very much like the Palm OS and is inspired by and based upon it. You can't deny the overwhelming success it's had. Why try to reinvent the wheel?

[This message has been edited by ChrisB (edited 12-15-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 56

As I understand it the 12 MB limit is not the fault of the OS. I remember reading the specs on the Motorolla Dragonball EZ and it can only access 12 MB of memmory. So, the OS can only be programmed to handle 12 MB of memory. As soon as they switch to a processor that handles more than 12 MB of memory then I am positive there will be PalmOS support for it. As for Handspring not using PalmOS in the future-I seriously doubt it. Instead of having their market already in place they would have to create and ENTRIELY NEW MARKET! that is why win98 still is DOS based. DOS sucks for a 32-bit OS, but there is such a big DOS market that still exists that MS cannot just abandon it.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 18

The current PalmOS is limited to 12 MB, but previous versions have been too. V1, v2, and v3 all have the 12 mb limit. They haven't fixed the problem so far but that may be because there hasn't been the need. I'm not sure about the Dragonball being the cause of this limit but this is not what I've heard...

And no, I'm not trying to bash Palm. Since PalmOS is the most popular handheld OS around (because of many reasons) it will probably be incorporated in some way into the next OS used by Palm/Handspring/etc.. but there will be some major changes. Sort of like the change between Windows 3.11 and Windows 95 -- there are many similarities, but also many differences. It would be nice to see a 32-bit multitasking OS in a handheld from Palm/Handspring (like EPOC)...

But this is all speculation of course. I reread my previous message and I should have used more "may" and "possibly" because that is what I meant.

It's just that I believe Handspring will eventually cut it's OS ties with Palm and go it's own way. They are working on 3 other big projects other than the Visor. Only time will tell what they are and what OS they use...


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-Cyrus
[email protected]



[This message has been edited by Cyrus (edited 12-15-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 56

The latest DragonBall EZ now used in PalmVx's can access 16 mg of DRAM

From Motorolla's Manual

DRAM Controller
...2 banks of EDO/DRAM ... 8MX8

In previous palms with the lower processors this reads
...2 banks of EDO/DRAM ... 6MX8

This means that only the PalmVx is capable of accessing 8M of DRAM in two banks for a grand total of 16M

In previous Hardware version (Visor included) it can only access 6M of DRAM in two banks for a grand total of 12M

you can see it for yourself at
http://www.mot.com/SPS/WIRELESS/pdf...MC68EZ328PB.pdf
page 5 for the specs on the 20 Mhz Dragonball EZ that is in the PalmVx's

I don't think it was worth palm's time to revamp the OS to access the total 16M of RAM allowed by the processor b/c that would be a lot of work for nothing (the Vx is only an 8M unit)

So go talk to motorola and encourage them to up the Dragonball to more than 16M

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

The visor MUST be a 16MB unit.... why?

The deluxe model has 8MB onboard in slot 0.
If it were a 12MB limit, then it would only be able to have 6MB in one slot. From the technical manual(s) and reports that I've read, the springboard slot has access to slot 1, which makes possible the 8MB flash card springboard. With the 8MB onboard and 8MB flash, the system must be capable of handling 8MB on each slot, for a total of 16MB.

Also, this *IS* a processor limitation. They'll find a new processor or Motorola will have to upgrade the Dragonball... again.

Not to worry... 16MB on a PalmOS device is like 20GB of hard drive space using Windows.

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William