First Palm OS II devices to hit early 2009, is it already too late?

We wish we were kidding. Palm is sticking with its early-2009 projection for the upcoming Linux-based relaunch of the Palm OS -- possibly codenamed Nova. That means this date isn't exactly a surprise, but we've really been hoping that this 2009 business was some sort of bad dream, since it's abundantly clear that Palm needs a new OS yesterday. To clarify further, Palm's Stephane Mass stated that Palm expects to wrap the OS late in 2008, and get tool to developers in time for devices early in the next year. Palm plans to keep offering Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices, and to make Centro the heart of its 2008 lineup.

[Blake Bowen @ Jan 14th 2008 10:56PM]

I don't know who over at Palm has managed to keep it afloat after half a decade of horrible technical decisions, but kudos to you sir.

[Kurian @ Jan 14th 2008 11:53PM]

You see those tecnical desicions were made presuming that the people who use palm still use Windows 98. i.e. people like our parents who cant change or upgrade or accept anything new.

[skulldriveshaft @ Jan 15th 2008 12:46AM]

Sorry to crash the party

but I think Palm SHOULD be shutting down all other BS, and AVOID patent lawsuits in the future.

I can only imagine that could be the biggest reason they can't come out with anything, the least of which is a Linux based OS that can integrate properly with Enterprise services.

That is like climbing the North Face of K2, possibly deadly.

If PALM didn't address the needs of smaller ventures for this long, and retain their core customers, they have survived on miracles alone.

Too bad the upcoming year is going to be a tough one for many tech companies that are going through a metamorphosis at a difficult time.

The OS could be limited, but as long as it integrates with Enterprise systems, it's a lock for adoption. They just have to survive until then.

[Jeffrey A. Katz @ Jan 15th 2008 8:29AM]

Who here can say "Fire Sale"?

[Eric @ Jan 16th 2008 8:49PM]

I can understand why people are saying bad things about a Palm, but as a former Palm user (now iPhone). I will say this...

I believe Palm to be a very wise company in holding off their new OS system. What i miss most about their OS system was that it was reliable. iPhones system had quite a bit of updates, and i'm still hoping for more. But what Palm has is 3rd party programs & reliable OS.

Sure they could use a new facelift... but the truth is we don't see too many problems with their system. Because unlike Apple they worked out the kinks before they released it.

[MrKEEE @ Jan 14th 2008 11:01PM]

Palm Who?

[austin @ Jan 14th 2008 11:02PM]

pilot

[Nando @ Jan 15th 2008 9:45AM]

olive.

[Gamer90 @ Jan 14th 2008 11:05PM]

**tumble weed slowly blows by** Nobody cares Palm, you needed to bring this OS out no later than this year. People have already lost hope in your OS. All you CAN do is keep making WM devices.

[JTM @ Jan 14th 2008 11:40PM]

I agree that Palm OS is dead though I don't think WinMo is the only ticket in town.

I would be quite happy for palm to scrap their OS and join the Open Handset Alliance. They'd still have a Linux based OS and wouldn't have to do any of the programming . If they focus all their talents on creating truly innovative software, Palm could win back some of their old fans.

[raven @ Jan 14th 2008 11:05PM]

They're so digging their own grave atm, they should liquidate themselves and save the embarrassment...

I loved Palm, LOVED it to bits.. and guess what... it's all in bits now... It's soooo old... that OS is grandma compared to the new skins they're stuffing it into, it's rotting inside out...

[Student Driver @ Jan 15th 2008 10:59AM]

Indeed. Sadly, I was a Palm fan back in the day but current stuff seems like a minor update.

Palm, please lead the way for HD-DVD and die gracefully. Or, team up with another group (such as Android being thrown around here) and get back in the game.

[Kalen @ Jan 14th 2008 11:05PM]

My feeling is that unless they have developed some multi-touch holographic facial recognition DNA biometric device they are toast. If Palm's next handheld does not innovate enough, I sense bankruptcy

[Isaac @ Jan 14th 2008 11:10PM]

Why do I feel like Engadget cares more about palm then the CEOs do?

[DT @ Jan 15th 2008 12:20AM]

Engadget cares about gadgets (and the original few Palms and Treos were GADGETS). The CEOs care about their paychecks.

[Tom @ Jan 15th 2008 2:15AM]

If the CEOs cared more about their paychecks than they did Palm, trust me - they would have done something different. They could have gone into waffles. People love waffles, and will pay money for waffles. Palm Pilots and Treos..... not so much.

[Andrew @ Jan 14th 2008 11:18PM]

Currently I'm really upset with Palm.
Damnit, I TRY to like them and support them, but tomorrow I'm going in to get my fourth Treo 700wx replacement. That is totally unacceptable.

[Sam Winter @ Jan 15th 2008 5:10AM]

Thats a terrible device. I have one sitting on my desk right now giving me the 'eye. I bought a Ipod touch a few days ago and it just blows me away. I feel like an old man seeing a new whiz-bang toy.
Seriously that Treo has to go.. move on.. NEXT!

[EArroyo @ Jan 14th 2008 11:21PM]

They missed the boat! Just tap out and walk away.

E

[Alex Padilla @ Jan 14th 2008 11:22PM]

they've really been pushing the Centro. I see commercials for it (and Sprint) all over the television. hopefully they market their new OS as much as they do a new device running ridiculously old software

[scotjo @ Jan 15th 2008 1:26AM]

If they really want to push the Centro, they need to get some other carriers on board. Some people don't like Sprint.

[robinsmad @ Jan 15th 2008 2:23AM]

scotjo: Sprint exclusivity just ended. Expect to see it very soon on AT&T and supposedly even T-Mobile.

[Matt @ Jan 15th 2008 11:52AM]

Bah, that Sprint commercial claims that Sprint designed the Centro. Anybody else catch that bit? Not that the Centro is some kinda design award winner but COME ON!

[JAmerican @ Jan 14th 2008 11:25PM]

I was a dedicated Palm OS fanboy back in the CLIE days and even with the TX. I luckily got a WM Dash for $50 and was surprised how much Palm was behind. Multitasking alone just makes WM feel like an advancement. I am never going to downgrade to Palm OS ever again. Next stop for me is a Everex Cloudbook UMPC.

JAmerican

[Kev @ Jan 15th 2008 2:29AM]

Hi there JA!

Palm OS sure is old, yet the WM UI just doesn't work for me.

If there is something with the POS UI and WM functionality, it'd be great, yet that doesn't exist.

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 14th 2008 11:27PM]

how i wish
how i wish you were here

[diablojota @ Jan 14th 2008 11:27PM]

I don't think Palm will be around by that point. They've become ever more irrelevant, and another year will be simply too long. Their sales are declining and profits have been eroded. They'll be lucky to survive the next release. Perhaps they know that as well, thus not promising anything until next year. Bankruptcy protection?

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 14th 2008 11:28PM]

palm used to be good
i remember the palm m500 series
they were only a few mm thin
they remind me of the iphone, to be honest, but in black and white.

[JozJonlin @ Jan 14th 2008 11:32PM]

I LOVE my Treo 700P. Is it perfect? Not by a longshot. However, I'll still take it over almost anything out there, if only for the almost unending selection of software available to me. I don't know of any other mobile OS with that kind of software base to work from.

I want something with a screen the size of the iPhone, yet with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. Give me Bluetooth, WiFi, 5 MP cam (at least), 16-32 megs of memory, SDHC slot, and a much faster processor. Also, make the OS backward compatible with most of my huge catalog of Palm programs.

If Palm doesn't at least match, or even exceed the iPhone in some specs, they might as well close their doors.

Come on Palm, what are you waiting for? Give your long time customers some real love for a change. The Centro isn't an upgrade, but a downgrade. What a slap in the face!

[Zoesch @ Jan 14th 2008 11:51PM]

What Palm needs is...

MORE COWBELL!!!

[Gamer90 @ Jan 14th 2008 11:52PM]

Um last I check WM had a ton of Apps probably as many as POS.

[billybob @ Jan 14th 2008 11:32PM]

am i the only one who likes palm os?

[College Guy @ Jan 14th 2008 11:59PM]

I like the Palm OS too but they are really dated.

[- @ Jan 15th 2008 2:12AM]

I have to say I like it too.... though I'm not representative of the users in here. I have the Centro, which is the first PDA device I've had since the US Robotics PalmPilot Professional back in the '90s. I don't want a Windows device and my phone plan with Sprint is too good to triple my monthly bill to go with the iPhone.

[Arthur Nonamiss @ Jan 15th 2008 9:08AM]

I had a USRobotics Palm Pilot 5000 in 1996. Since then, I've always carried a PDA and used it in my daily life. I tried a Windows Mobile smartphone for a year, (2005-2006) and while it did some things better, I went back to a Palm (Treo 700P) because it did the things I wanted it to do better than WM. DateBk6 is better than any calendar app for WM. (I used both Agendus and Pocket Informant.) There is no (good) Windows Mobile equivalent for TealAuto. Also, the smartphone features were not well integrated into the device. While I have lots of stability problems and many quirks with my 700P, I think that, as of today, I would still replace it with a Palm device if it were to fail.

Now, with all the talk about "open" phone development I think 2008 will shape up to be the most interesting year for mobile phones in a long time. My contract is up in October, and I think that by then, things should be much more exciting.

[Jonathan @ Jan 14th 2008 11:32PM]

We've been waiting since 2002. What's another year?

[Jonathan @ Jan 14th 2008 11:33PM]

[sarcasm]

[Justin B @ Jan 14th 2008 11:34PM]

Way too late...I really dislike my 650.

Make something better and fast.

[Robert @ Jan 14th 2008 11:45PM]

I'm going to go out on a limb here. I think they may make it. They *appear* to have stopped incremental development and work on dumb stuff (yeah folio). On the business side they are marketing the heck out of the one area that they may have a chance (low end - centrio). That might bring in enough $$$ to see them through to launch of the new platform.

*If* they really are going all out on this new platform, they might have a chance.

Remember many had written off Nintendo too.

[Al @ Jan 15th 2008 12:03AM]

Just ask Sprint the Centro is actually doing pretty good for them at $99.

[bdkennedy1 @ Jan 14th 2008 11:56PM]

I'm afraid Palm is going the way of Netscape. There are too many companies leap-frogging them right now. They would have to come up with something super-modern, and with their history of "good-enough" designs, they won't recover.

[cruci fiction @ Jan 14th 2008 11:59PM]

Despite its flaws, PalmOS is STILL more advanced than the iPhone ignoring the eye candy. If you skinned the PalmOS to be a flashy POS, it would provide a whole lot more functionality than your $600 "new" technology that cannot send an MMS or cut and paste. I would rather have something with hokey icons that works well and does everything I want than glossy widgets. A smartphone needs to do a lot to be more useful then a flip-phone and flashyness cannot make up for a lack of real features.

[JayC3 @ Jan 16th 2008 7:50AM]

Palm OS more advance than iphone OS? Let me check Garnet again: multitasking OS? Nope. Memory protection? Nope. Can support UMTS/HSDPA? Nope. Simultaneous support for BT, WiFi and GSM/CDMA radio? Nope. MMS support? Hell yeah ! Cut & Paste? Sure do! I therefore conclude that having MMS support and cut & paste function makes the Palm OS more advance than the iphone OS!!! Yahoo!

[Sam Winter @ Jan 15th 2008 5:20AM]

flashyness? you mean like a BSD Unix based multi-tasking OS with industrial strength code libraries? Or how about the 650mhz ARM with 3d graphics accelerator? H.264 decoding chip? Real zooming web browser ? 11mm aluminum shell? Wifi?

But because a multi-touch based cut and paste or MMS isn't implemented yet, that makes your piece of shit Treo better? HAAHAHAA. Yeah I wish I still had my underpowered, non-multi-tasking 4" thick, 3.5lb 1" screen Treo 700P that I used to have to reboot 15x per day.
You've got to be kidding me....oh and btw, I don't own an iphone.

[insertAlias @ Jan 15th 2008 11:12AM]

I do, and I'll say that you're both right. No need to get insulting about it. Some people want different things, and thats why there are choices out there. I love the web browser on the iPhone. Thats one of the main reasons that I bought it. Also, the media player is second-to-none on a mobile phone. But sure, I wish I could cut and paste. I don't care about MMS, but lack of Exchange support is a pisser.

I'm not going to pretend that the iPhone is the most functional smartphone in the world. But its not a POS either. Thats it, I'm tired of talking about this.

[Randavance @ Jan 15th 2008 12:04AM]

This OS better cut my lawn for me and give me foot rubs.

[haracas @ Jan 15th 2008 12:05AM]

Cues the bell toll of death.

[labrats5 @ Jan 15th 2008 12:18AM]

Palm now reminds me of Apple in the mid-nineties: running an old outdated os, making crummy business decisions, expanding into nonexistent or illogical markets (think the Pippin, or in Palm's case the foleo) which they couldn't afford or support, and altogether forgetting everything that made them Apple in the first place. Luckily Apple had Steve Jobs to bring them back from the brink. Who does Palm have?

[jsaint @ Jan 15th 2008 12:19AM]

I have owned palm's and handspring's Clie's still have m100 in a drawer with a box of add-ons and a TX with a BT/GPS and TomTom I use my TX for video playback but hate the speaker. i would love to use my bluetooth headphone to listen to music but I can't I just don't want to give up on palm but I just won't give them one more year. Dear Palm, Its just too late to fix tis relationship.

[Michael @ Jan 15th 2008 2:34AM]

This might help you. It's beta software which I have not tried, but claims to make a Palm work with stereo bluetooth headphones.

http://mytreo.net/downloads/softick-audio-gateway,965.html