bits.blogs.nytimes.com— Palm, which essentially invented the smartphone category, is a shadow of its former self. Sales have plunged and Apple’s iPhone and Research in Motion’s BlackBerry have stolen market share.
Jan 8, 2009View in Crawl 4
Oh, no not another one. Unfortunately for them, Palm is last in this race developer race (whatever that means). They can't possibly win here. I'm pulling for Google's Android hoping more people develop for it and it gets Flash first.
@G001 RE: "According to Ars the developer platform is really good..."Interesting that the comments on the article are not happy about the developer platform :"I’ve been a Palm OS developer since the Palm III, but at first glance, the new Palm webOS doesn’t look very enticing as a new platform.The problem is the new HTML/CSS/Javascript/AJAX development model that they’re touting, which is completely incompatible with the C/C++ development model that the old Palm OS used. I have a large code base that runs on Palm, Mac, Windows and iPhone — but it doesn’t look like it will run on Palm webOS....I don’t think they can really count on bringing their previous developers along for the ride."and :"There “was” a very large, very loyal Palm developer base a few years ago. Unfortunately for Palm, they destroyed that long standing relationship they had with their developers by releasing device after device with buggy software...Many of the developers that are writing successful applications for iPhones and Blackberries got their start writing Palm applications, and I can’t imagine them being interested in going back to developing software for a company that until recently, considered innovation to be shipping the same Treo smartphone with a new color scheme."
Now if only Palm can take this an get back in the PDA market. Some people don't need yet another phone. A Wifi PDA with this OS would be more useful for this segment of the market.
As an app developer, I can say that I'm about to jump to javascript + gears along with my app base PHP/PostgreSQL/Linux. Javascript + Gears works on all desktop platforms, and Windows Mobile. Give me gears and Palm gets my support out of the gate. Javascript sucks as a language, but like x86, it has the political resources to become a clear platform!
Palm's WebOS could do the job Windows Mobile and Symbian failed to do for their lack of simplicity and reliability: beat iPhone's OS just like Windows took over Mac OS for PCs.If Apple repeats history with obsessive control over proprietary hardware (earphones, Bluetooth accessories) and software (itunes, video audio formats), it's just a matter of time one of (WebOS, Andriod or even Windows Mobile and Symbian) catches up with it.I can't wait.
...but if you notice, the article was not comparing Palm to ONLY the iPhone. It was questioning whether it could regain distinction while being surrounded by the iPhone on the consumer end, BlackBerries on the business end, and with Android picking up notice and WinMo going to go through it's own sizable upgrade while retaining their current PDA/office/app platform.I'm worried about Palm's lack of SDK as well, but mainly I'm worried about their lack of direction. They effectively squandered their early lead and waffled on platform support, so... how many developers will put faith in their new gameplan when it seems like Palm was clinging to Windows Mobile as a liferaft, and in some ways their classic OLD platform, which still has a dependable core of users, and talking up absolutely nothing of THEIR future in the meanwhile. How many will think Palm's onto something while noting huge, abandoned distractions from the likes of the Foleo in the meanwhile?Unfortunately, I don't think they have quite enough vision or business savvy to keep from getting smothered from all sides at this point.
...or your BlackBerry, or that upcoming Android device you've been eyeballing, or riding out your current WinMo smartphone until the next one comes out and you don't have to abandon what you're used to and the apps you've already picked up...
there's nothing to google. you just open the file and it installs (on winmo and palm OS). if the only smartphone you've ever used is an iphone then you really can't comment on the alternatives.
marshallpeckJan 9, 2009
Oh, no not another one. Unfortunately for them, Palm is last in this race developer race (whatever that means). They can't possibly win here. I'm pulling for Google's Android hoping more people develop for it and it gets Flash first.
drlhaJan 10, 2009
I would guess than PalmOS has been tossed for the Pre.
davidroolsJan 10, 2009
PalmOS, WinMo, and Android have an app store called the internet.
mrbitchJan 10, 2009
@G001 RE: "According to Ars the developer platform is really good..."Interesting that the comments on the article are not happy about the developer platform :"I’ve been a Palm OS developer since the Palm III, but at first glance, the new Palm webOS doesn’t look very enticing as a new platform.The problem is the new HTML/CSS/Javascript/AJAX development model that they’re touting, which is completely incompatible with the C/C++ development model that the old Palm OS used. I have a large code base that runs on Palm, Mac, Windows and iPhone — but it doesn’t look like it will run on Palm webOS....I don’t think they can really count on bringing their previous developers along for the ride."and :"There “was” a very large, very loyal Palm developer base a few years ago. Unfortunately for Palm, they destroyed that long standing relationship they had with their developers by releasing device after device with buggy software...Many of the developers that are writing successful applications for iPhones and Blackberries got their start writing Palm applications, and I can’t imagine them being interested in going back to developing software for a company that until recently, considered innovation to be shipping the same Treo smartphone with a new color scheme."
captjcJan 10, 2009
Now if only Palm can take this an get back in the PDA market. Some people don't need yet another phone. A Wifi PDA with this OS would be more useful for this segment of the market.
toejamzJan 10, 2009
As an app developer, I can say that I'm about to jump to javascript + gears along with my app base PHP/PostgreSQL/Linux. Javascript + Gears works on all desktop platforms, and Windows Mobile. Give me gears and Palm gets my support out of the gate. Javascript sucks as a language, but like x86, it has the political resources to become a clear platform!
dunhateJan 10, 2009
Palm's WebOS could do the job Windows Mobile and Symbian failed to do for their lack of simplicity and reliability: beat iPhone's OS just like Windows took over Mac OS for PCs.If Apple repeats history with obsessive control over proprietary hardware (earphones, Bluetooth accessories) and software (itunes, video audio formats), it's just a matter of time one of (WebOS, Andriod or even Windows Mobile and Symbian) catches up with it.I can't wait.
cthellisJan 10, 2009
...but if you notice, the article was not comparing Palm to ONLY the iPhone. It was questioning whether it could regain distinction while being surrounded by the iPhone on the consumer end, BlackBerries on the business end, and with Android picking up notice and WinMo going to go through it's own sizable upgrade while retaining their current PDA/office/app platform.I'm worried about Palm's lack of SDK as well, but mainly I'm worried about their lack of direction. They effectively squandered their early lead and waffled on platform support, so... how many developers will put faith in their new gameplan when it seems like Palm was clinging to Windows Mobile as a liferaft, and in some ways their classic OLD platform, which still has a dependable core of users, and talking up absolutely nothing of THEIR future in the meanwhile. How many will think Palm's onto something while noting huge, abandoned distractions from the likes of the Foleo in the meanwhile?Unfortunately, I don't think they have quite enough vision or business savvy to keep from getting smothered from all sides at this point.
cthellisJan 10, 2009
...or your BlackBerry, or that upcoming Android device you've been eyeballing, or riding out your current WinMo smartphone until the next one comes out and you don't have to abandon what you're used to and the apps you've already picked up...
davidroolsJan 12, 2009
there's nothing to google. you just open the file and it installs (on winmo and palm OS). if the only smartphone you've ever used is an iphone then you really can't comment on the alternatives.