Palm throws Virtual Developer Lab doors wide open

For the legions of developers anxious to use their talents to build for Palm (yes, all four of you), listen up. By partnering with DeviceAnywhere, Palm has opened up its Virtual Developer Lab, which enables devs to remotely access actual Treo / Centro handsets in order to test out software, capture screen shots / video of processes, create an audit trail through the capturing of keystrokes and share data / collaborate with colleagues online. If you're swearing up and down that this stuff isn't new, you're not (entirely) crazy -- DeviceAnywhere has been offering up this remote demo access on a variety of handsets for quite some time. Palm's just making the extra effort to ensure you and your three pals know about it.

[Via CNET]

[dan @ May 22nd 2008 7:24AM]

im here

[Kspraydad @ May 22nd 2008 7:45AM]

I love my palm.


:)

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 22nd 2008 9:07AM]

I'm sure your Palm loves you back at every opportunity. ;)


I keep saying that Palm devices should not be called old-looking. They're considered retro. Retro in all ways.

[HydePark @ May 22nd 2008 7:47AM]

Palm devices look so old today

[AA @ May 22nd 2008 7:55AM]

It's not free-there's a free trial.

[tcc3 @ May 22nd 2008 9:14AM]

What does Palm have to offer anymore? They dont have a current OS, and their last good design was just an improvement on a Handspring model.


RIP Palm. ill have fond memories of your easy to use and capable OS back when you were a good company.

[Frank @ May 22nd 2008 9:26AM]

I have been hearing this RIP palm and Palm is dead since 2002!

As long as people keep purchasing their devices they will be ok. Look at the sales of the Centro.

The average consumer does not even know what OS their phone is running neither do they care.

Also remember that Palm makes Windows Mobile based devices not just Palm OS ones.

[John P @ May 22nd 2008 9:44AM]

The funny thing about engadget is that they really really love to rip on palm. Even when palm does something like this, which I think we can all agree is not a bad thing for Palm users. Sure, it isn't their new OS, but what were you expecting today? Seriously, so it isn't an iPhone or a blackberry, we get it. So lay off the bias for just a bit, kthx. They either develop their new OS or they don't, and as Frank said above, most users really do not care one way or the other which operating system is on their phone. The few thousand people on this website are in no way representative of most cell phone users.

[tcc3 @ May 22nd 2008 10:03AM]

I'm harsh on Palm because I used to be a big fan of theirs. I remember when the company wasn't hamstrung by poor management and actually still had some good ideas and engineering talent.

I wasnt expecting their new OS today John. I was expecting it 5 years ago. I was expecting their second new OS (after scrapping Cobalt) 18 months ago. They never should have spun off the OS division, especially not when their devices are so uninspired.

[Aquen @ May 22nd 2008 9:50AM]

I agree with Frank. Most people have no idea what OS their phones use (Look how many people use Verizon's crippled phones) nor do they care. As long as their phone has 1 or 2 features they like, and it seems pretty fuctional, people will buy it. Of course their is always the fashion aspect (the iPhone aspect haha) of purchasing a phone, but the Centro is a pretty small phone, and people like that. These huge WinMo phones out there look archaeic to the average user.

[Frank @ May 22nd 2008 9:38PM]

Thanks.

Absolutely right. Remember the RAZR that when it came out sold out like hotcakes?

It was running a crappy propietary Motorola OS that most people hate and is more archaic than any smart phone OS. And regardless of that people bought it.

One think to keep in mind when analizing the Centro is that at the price point it is not competing with the iPhone or other smart phones. At $100 a pop the centro is competing with regular "dump" phones and compared to the average regular phone OS the centro is more advanced.

[Shane @ May 22nd 2008 9:56AM]

I know I'm not the only one with these sentiments I absolutely still love my Treo 650. It just works. It does exactly what I need. Nothing more, nothing less. The OS is clean, easy to use, and overall it has been reliable despite the abuse it gets. Maybe once it finally kicks the bucket and my contract is up I'll replace it with something newer but I'd have to weigh the options.

I guess Palm is one of those things you either love or hate. The only thing I wish my Treo had was EVDO. I can tether to my laptop with bluetooth and get 128 kbps. That's plenty for casual E-Mail and web surfing. I'm not trying to play Crysis with it for goodness sake...

[clicclic @ May 22nd 2008 11:56AM]

The easier Palm makes developing apps for it, the better. This is great news for everyone.

Besides, the Centro is way easier to use than my Nokia N73, which has a bootiful screen but is kinda annoying (it hangs/resets/slows down all the time).

Stupid phone, no cookie!

[XDS @ May 22nd 2008 12:05PM]

Unfortunately it looks like the actual devices anywhere studio itself will only work on windows with the latest jre, someone correct me if i am wrong.

[XDS @ May 22nd 2008 2:42PM]

It ALSO looks as if the trial will only allow you to try out only a few apps at a time , and other restrictions that are well.... restrictive :)

[Justin @ May 22nd 2008 2:24PM]

Motorola had a service like this three years ago. Don't know if its still around, though.

[peachin @ May 22nd 2008 7:08PM]

You are turning into the "Larry Kudlow" of Electronics Reporting.

I'm sure, you don't know who Larry Kudlow is and I'm very sure he doesn't know who you are.

[LG @ May 22nd 2008 9:15PM]

I recently picked up the Centro on Sprint. Fine little device. Surfs the web gives me news, weather, showtimes and email for a dirt cheap price. That's what 90% of smart phone users need and want. Nuff said.