Palm emulated on the iPhone: finally we can leave that IIIc at home

StyleTap, the folks behind the CrossPlatform Palm emulator for Windows Mobile have built a proof of concept version of the software for the iPhone / iPod touch. They're not committing to releasing any such product, and aren't releasing the software as a beta or anything like that at the moment, but the video demo of the software in action is certainly promising. All the apps are rather responsive, the device benchmarks a good bit faster than the Tungsten | T, and Apple's keyboard is even integrated into the proceedings quite nicely. Video is after the break.

[Via TUAW]

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:44PM]

Now you ARE tempting me to get a Touch...

The main reason I don't like Apple products is that they look good but their functionality sucks relative to other products....

If this works well, it basically leaves that problem totally out.... sexy device with functional software

Let's see what happens

[Sam Winter @ Feb 24th 2008 3:55AM]

PalmOS having functional software?? HAHAHAHA. You are joking, right?

"The main reason I don't like Apple products is that they look good but their functionality sucks relative to other products...."

Really, so the functionality of the iPod Touch I have sitting here "sucks". I could have sworn it was the most powerful, advanced "communications device" that's ever been able to fit in my hand. But what would I know, I've only owned or used 5 palm devices, including two treos, and just about every PocketPC/Smartphone that's been made in the last five years including most HTC models, Nokia N-series, etc.

I don't own any other Apple products at the moment, but their MacBook Pro is incredible and their Mac Pro is probably the best mainstream workstation money can buy.

But yea, their functionality "sucks". Could you possibly be more of an idiot?

[Surur @ Feb 24th 2008 5:33AM]

I could have sworn it was the most powerful, advanced "communications device" that's ever been able to fit in my hand
............

Shows how much you know. Have you tried to connect to a bluetooth GPS receiver yet? Have you tried sending an MP3 via bluetooth to some-one else's phone? How about push e-mail support from some-one else other than yahoo? Can you edit documents?

Your standard for an "advanced communication device" is pretty low.

[vcx @ Feb 24th 2008 6:47AM]

Sam Winter:
All the Palm devices have a much more powerful calendar application than the touch or the iphone.. you would know that if you had ever tried to create a recurring appointment. I guess you were probably too technically challenged to notice that. I feel sorry for you.

The only area in which the touch has clear superiority is the internet browser.

[webon @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:47PM]

oh yeah, finally this is so good news
want

[Sean @ Feb 24th 2008 2:56PM]

I think the most important question here is WILL IT SLING?!?!?!?!? PLEASE PLEASE

[matt @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:48PM]

i swear my old palm wasnt as rubbish as that.

[Backlin @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:50PM]

Man, might as well rip a hole in the universe.

[ShogunMaster @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:56PM]

I didn't care for the Palm emulator in my ACTUAL Palm devices...

[Pastry Chef @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:56PM]

This is great news! Whatever apps aren't available for the iPhone natively can be filled in with this. I hope they release this!

[ChillyWilly @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:47PM]

This may be the effective Treo killer that may push some of us owners over to the iPhone... or at least an iPod touch.

One of the main things that keeps me on the Treo is the apps... I use quite a few of them each day to keep me organized.

I know it's just a proof of concept at this point, but it's cool to see.

[Flashpoint @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:58PM]

I never liked PALM at all. I owned a Palm IIIxe. Waste of money.

I'd gladly take the Windows CE products over Palm products - I got so much enjoyment out of my HP Jornada 525

[Khris @ Feb 23rd 2008 7:58PM]

Oh look, it's the new Apple SDK!! Look at those 3rd party apps fly!

[Argot @ Feb 24th 2008 6:45PM]

Oh look it's delayed...

[Greg @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:02PM]

does this mean i can connect to my slingbox with my iPhone?

[Jake E. @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:27PM]

Isn't that an iPod Touch?...

[Reid B. @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:43PM]

That is some way old shit Palm stuff but good news. Let's see it work and fully sync Documents to Go and Pocket Quicken and THEN they'll have some good shit!

[brad @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:43PM]

thats like buying a Porsche and then putting go-kart wheels on it...

[melloncollie @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:12PM]

No, no it's not.

[austin @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:05PM]

more like buying a porsche, adding all kinds of stuff to make it better, then painting it an ugly color not liked by society

[Abuzar @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:22PM]

No it's like buying a Porsche with no engine, and then putting a Corolla engine in it.

[Jeff @ Feb 24th 2008 2:07AM]

I'd say it's like buying a Porsche and the removing the interior and replacing it with the interior from a ford taurus.

and also slapping on a few stickers, crappy intake, crappy exhaust and hubcaps from Autozone.

[DT @ Feb 24th 2008 2:34AM]

But remember....you can always go back to it being a regular Porsche.

[Windzilla @ Feb 24th 2008 1:45PM]

This is like having a Porsche that can turn into a 4WD utility van with the flick of a switch, its freaking fantastic!

If this can run palm based medical software they will have a sizable new market thats been waiting for something like this to come along. Go back compatibility!

[Kasona @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:48PM]

wow, so the iPhone can actually be a smartphone now! Hmm, this suddenly makes the iPhone a viable option for me now...

[Ryan Karolak @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:49PM]

This is good news, but does this emulate an ARM or 68k Palm? Wether it's a PalmOS 3 or 4 device or PalmOS 5 makes a big difference. If it's PalmOS 5 and runs at the speed then that's great!

[Kurian @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:10PM]

The chess game in that image is only for the new ARM processors on Palm OS 5.

[jason johnson @ Feb 23rd 2008 8:53PM]

Best news ive heard all day! no really, the day this is released is the day i get an iphone...if i havent got i ipod touch by then...

[Joshua Walters @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:16PM]

I had so much fun with my Palm3. I miss that little thing.

Those were the good 'ol days.

[len @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:30PM]

Holy crap, now the iPhone has copy and paste! And Graffiti!

If they had done this fifteen years ago it would have saved the Newton.

[James Yopp @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:58PM]

Umm. The Newton had copy and paste of limitless proportions -- you would drag highlighted text to the side of the screen, where it hung out until you needed it. It also had Graffiti, a (I think $20) shareware app by Palm, Inc., long before the Pilot even existed.

[Blake Bowen @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:41PM]

I thought the iPhone had better performance than that. My old Lifedrive got 686%

[Abuzar @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:24PM]

It's because it's emulating it. Of course in the end it makes no difference, it's still slow.

[Blake Bowen @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:47PM]

I thought the iPhone had better performance than that. My old Lifedrive got 686%

[CraziestGadgets.com @ Feb 23rd 2008 9:53PM]

Now all someone has to do is create a stylus holder for the back and sloooow down the processor to palm speed.

[DarkLightConnection Unbanned @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:06PM]

WTF? A actual palm is faster than that...

Not that the processor is actually faster, but that this is a system running inside a system...

Just like your 3.2GHz computer can't emulate a 733MHz XBOX (and no, I'm no comparing apples with oranges, both your computer and the XBOX are x86)

[Taylor @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:11PM]

He weighs 166kg?!

[austin @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:19PM]

66cm too! he's DENSE!

[oZone @ Feb 24th 2008 12:12AM]

You mean 166lbs? It was in Imperial, not Metric. :hsugh:

[Bernhard @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:18PM]

And to complete the ridiculous cycle, load Pocket Tunes on it.

[Brad Green @ Feb 24th 2008 12:12AM]

With an iPod Classic skin...

[DT @ Feb 23rd 2008 10:31PM]

One less reason for me to stick with the Treo. I need my Palm-based medical apps. The other reason (and a lot harder to overcome) is that I'm on Verizon (along with the rest of my immediate and extended family) and I can't give up that VZW free in-network calling.

[Aaron G @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:29PM]

Thats a iPod touch dude.

[Chris @ Feb 23rd 2008 11:30PM]

actually considering how awesome ZiPhone is verizon and any other provider isnt really an issue every recent firmware is cracked, and from what i've seen zibri is wicked at cracking

[Ayle @ Feb 24th 2008 12:03AM]

The iphone is gsm; verizon and sprint use cdma... No mather how much hacking you do you won't be able to use the iphone on anything other than gsm.

[Chris @ Feb 24th 2008 1:15AM]

LMAO sorry man didnt realize it was cdma im in the caribbean :(

[Xavier @ Feb 24th 2008 1:58AM]

You can "install" TCPMP and be able to watch all common/popular videos format (avi, mpg, etc...)
COOL!!

[freakmarket @ Feb 24th 2008 2:17AM]

This is all lame and pointless ... as Palm has become ... if Apple ever releases the SDK we'll have software to make the iPhone and Touch very powerful tools.

Palm o/s? can we make it even more state of the art like with DOS?

Palm is obsolete and dying.

[Joe @ Feb 24th 2008 2:26AM]

My palm is hairy

[Harry Wagstaff @ Feb 24th 2008 10:22AM]

That'll be all the iTouching.