GSPDA says they'll be the first with Palm OS Cobalt

We'd been wondering how long it was going to be until someone took the plunge: Group Sense PDA (aka GSPDA) has confirmed that they'll be the first manufacturer to introduce a handheld running on Cobalt, the latest version of the Palm operating system. This is encouraging news mainly because it doesn't look like palmOne is going get off their increasingly sorry asses and do this themselves anytime soon—they've already more or less made it exceedingly clear that they have no plans to introduce a Cobalt-powered Treo or Tungsten this year.

All of which makes you wonder what the hold up is. Is there something wrong with Cobalt? It's been about a year since PalmSource first gave Cobalt to its licensees, so it's not like they haven't had enough time to sort things out (there was an even update released a few months ago). For its part, PalmSource isn't waiting around and are in the process of porting everything over to Linux in order to attract more smartphone licensees.

[Carmi @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

I think your post nails it: the delay in Palm releasing Cobalt on its own hardware can be attributed to its updated roadmap that clearly points the organization toward a Linux-based platform architecture.

Having a licensee release Cobalt-running hardware serves two purposes for Palm: it sends the message to the market that OS6 is indeed alive and well, and it frees Palm to focus its internal resources on the next-generation platform.

I nagging voice in my head suspects they realized midway through the OS6 project that the emerging smartphone market necessitated a feature set that no follow-on to the legacy PalmOS architecture could muster. The speed with which the market moved from dedicated PDAs to converged devices likely sealed the deal for them.

Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Carmi used all those words and said nothing. Is that a skill? By "Palm" do you mean PalmOne or PalmSource?

Actually I think PalmOne looked at Palm OS 6 and asked themselves, how does dealing with this help us? The answer for them was it doesn't, it's a big waste of resources to invest in it. Even PalmSource has effectively admitted this by "porting" their os to linux. How does one port one OS to another?

[StuBee @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

I agree with James...Carmi must be a Director.

I think most people wanted PalmOne to come out with a Cobalt OS upgrade for their higher-end devices(ie T5,T3,TC) because it would feel like Palmone is actually doing something...heck anything.
They have been focusing on the smartphone market and have done almost nothing for their standalone PDA's. (except for the lackluster T5 release which was really a rebranded E2)

[jmg_bt21 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

I have little hope left for a non-converged PalmOS device... Pa1mOne lacking any kind of vision and who knows whom PalmSource is trying to get to license their OS... I am just hoping my CLIE NX70 lasts me a longer while... or I can get a TH55/E...

There are some neat devices THAT won't be coming Stateside...

[superpixel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:10AM]

Palm (both of them) stand at the edge of the precipice. Apple stood there, didn't blink, made the jump, and they are better for it.

I'm not talking Linux here, I'm talking strategy. Dump the legacy and begin a new age? Keep dumping garbage on the consumer? Hm, what to do?

There STILL is no Flash player for Palm. Look at the passion of Newton holdouts-- when I got my first Palm nearly 7 years ago it held such promise... Now look at the smoldering dung heap that has become two twin mountains of tech-waste.

The Treo is an exception because it was purchased from Handspring (essentially), and it just does what it says. It ain't perfect, but a far cry from their messy PDA lineup. Kinda like OS X was Next-- it still ain't perfect either.

How many people want to figure out what POINT release OS they are running? Hm, the 5.3.1 is good, but the 5.2.4 has this, then there's 5.4.3, which has feature X but not Y... What's that iPaq over there?

Get with it twin Palms. Quit playing with yourself.

Or hire me to tell you what to do (that's a joke).

_victor
http://davincinotebooks.blogspot.com