Comments on: Is Palm OS Done, Linux Or No? http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/08/01/is-palm-os-done-linux-or-no/ Russell Buckley and Carlo Longino on mobile technology. Tue, 22 May 2012 09:13:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Beers http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/08/01/is-palm-os-done-linux-or-no/comment-page-1/#comment-22097 David Beers Wed, 02 Aug 2006 01:46:49 +0000 http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/08/01/is-palm-os-done-linux-or-no/#comment-22097 The problem Palm has isn't indecision or lack of will to make the leap to Linux. In fact, it's my understanding that they've been very dissatisfied with the current version of Palm OS for quite some time and have been quietly building their own Linux successor going back to the time they started exploring Windows as a platform. Judging by their hiring, those Linux plans were moved from the skunkworks into production development a year ago--around the time that ACCESS initiated its acquisition of PalmSource. The problem is that Palm never should have split into two companies in the first place. Now they're furiously hiring Linux talent and negotiating with ACCESS to expand their development and distribution rights for Palm OS (presumably so they can keep backward compatibility in their new platform). It's a sad state of affairs. The only good news is that mobile Linux is finally taking off like so many of us predicted and looks poised for a great ride. If PalmSource ships ALP in early 2007 and Palm ships next-generation Palm OS next year (as I'm told they will) they won't be too late to the party and there will be plenty of room for two good Linux platforms. It's a long, difficult wait for Palm, though. The problem Palm has isn’t indecision or lack of will to make the leap to Linux. In fact, it’s my understanding that they’ve been very dissatisfied with the current version of Palm OS for quite some time and have been quietly building their own Linux successor going back to the time they started exploring Windows as a platform. Judging by their hiring, those Linux plans were moved from the skunkworks into production development a year ago–around the time that ACCESS initiated its acquisition of PalmSource.

The problem is that Palm never should have split into two companies in the first place. Now they’re furiously hiring Linux talent and negotiating with ACCESS to expand their development and distribution rights for Palm OS (presumably so they can keep backward compatibility in their new platform). It’s a sad state of affairs.

The only good news is that mobile Linux is finally taking off like so many of us predicted and looks poised for a great ride. If PalmSource ships ALP in early 2007 and Palm ships next-generation Palm OS next year (as I’m told they will) they won’t be too late to the party and there will be plenty of room for two good Linux platforms.

It’s a long, difficult wait for Palm, though.

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