PalmSource switching from HotSync to SyncML

This is gonna be really good news for anyone who has a Palm but not a PC—PalmSource is abandoning HotSync, the synchronization software they've been using for years and years, and replacing it with SyncML, a more open sync standard that should make it easier to build software for syncing Palms with computers running on other operating systems besides Windows. PalmSource pissed off a lot of Apple types when they announced last year that they were dropping support for Macs in Cobalt, the next version of the Palm operating system, and this seems more or less like their way of offering a compromise.

[Via Brighthand]

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

This also fits with Palm's longer-term strategy to migrate to a Linux-based OS. Another analogy I can draw would be Microsoft's move from proprietary file standards for Office documents to XML. Over time, all major vendors - even the commercial ones who have traditionally feared anything remotely reminiscent of open-source - will introduce a greater degree of open standards into their fundamental product architecture.

This latest move by Palm should do much to maintain the brand's credibility as a cross-platform choice. The firm may not have had the resources for supporting Macs in Cobalt. Of it might have decided the market was too small to justify the conversion project. Switching to a more open standard lowers the investment required of them - and of third party vendors - to make their products work in a wider range of environments. Smart move all around.

Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com

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

This also fits with Palm's longer-term strategy to migrate to a Linux-based OS. Another analogy I can draw would be Microsoft's move from proprietary file standards for Office documents to XML. Over time, all major vendors - even the commercial ones who have traditionally feared anything remotely reminiscent of open-source - will introduce a greater degree of open standards into their fundamental product architecture.

This latest move by Palm should do much to maintain the brand's credibility as a cross-platform choice. The firm may not have had the resources for supporting Macs in Cobalt. Of it might have decided the market was too small to justify the conversion project. Switching to a more open standard lowers the investment required of them - and of third party vendors - to make their products work in a wider range of environments. Smart move all around.

Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com

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

This will be great if they can support continious synchronisation. One of the major reasons I like the PocketPC is that I can unplug the PDA _at any time_ and know that the changes I recently did to my diary are on there.

With the Palm, I had to make the changes, manually hit the "Sync" button and wait for it to finish - not only was it extremely annoying and time consuming but it meant you couldn't just grab your PDA at any time and know you're completely up to date.

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

I have used Palm-based products for more than 7 years. Every year the hardware and software (from Palm, not third-parties) has gotten progressively less impressive to the point now that I use it as a tool, but never recommend as I used to. They blew it, in my book.

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

They may have dropped support for Macs, but Markspace INSTANTLY came out with a solution.

The issue was more of a support issue than anything - a disportionate number of Apple people were apparently calling in then they could handle - this happened with Intuit a few years back, then they saw just how many people that had Macs used Quicken/Quickbooks - so they started producing both again.

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

Palmsource's implementation of SyncML had better be as fast and trouble-free as Hotsync. Hotsync is great compared to Activesync and Symbian.