StyleTap's Palm OS emulator officially coming to iPhone and iPod touch

In a move of unsurprising proportions, StyleTap announced today that it will be bringing its Palm OS emulator to the iPhone and iPod touch... officially. This basically means that every one of those precious Palm apps you couldn't live without will now be easily accessible via Apple's devices, thus seriously threatening the argument for keeping your Treo 600. Gregory Sokoloff, CEO of the company, said that the response to a video posted in February of a demo version of the software convinced them to take the plunge. Palm, now might be a good time to stun us with your new OS.

[D K N Y @ May 30th 2008 7:19PM]

So does this mean I can finally watch my slingbox on my iPhone?

[Seth A @ May 30th 2008 7:23PM]

I can only hope we get a native version and not have to load up an app inside an app. I mean, if Orb can do it, a company thats revenue is completely based on ads. Then why can't Sling do it? A company that sold me a $200 box, yet I don't have Flash based web streaming, PS3 streaming, ect. ect. ect. I mean, come on Sling. Its not a crime to create a native app for jail broken phones. I guess at this point its only a week or so before the official SDK, but lets hope a Sling app is available on day one, and doesn't come at an outrageous cost.

In other news, I can't think of any app that I used on my old palm that hasn't been or will be pushed over to the iPhone natively. Always nice to have the option though, I imagine it will be used by many.

[MacVicta @ May 30th 2008 7:39PM]

Sling Media was one of the companies that received an early iPhone SDK. Developing a native SlingPlayer app that makes it through the approval process probably depends on whether or not Apple has their own streaming media idea(s) for the iPhone/iPod touch that Sling might interfere with.

[Ken @ May 30th 2008 7:18PM]

last nail in the coffin?

[Franchesca @ May 30th 2008 9:29PM]

LOL I have been hearing this same thing since about 2002.

First: Palm branded phones are available in Palm Os and Windows Mobile, if palm os dies it does not means Palm the company is over, they will simply keep making winMo phones!

Second: The centro is selling like hotcakes. As long as palm keep selling products they will be fine. And to be frank most people buying the centro don't even know or care what OS it is running.

Remember the MotoRAZR, it sold millions despite having a propietary non-smart os. people did not even knew the RAZR had an OS LOL.

[Kurian @ May 31st 2008 6:00AM]

@Franchesca
There are always enough ignorant, indifferent morons do support any crappy product. Whether a product is well designed from a programmer's point of view is largely irrelevant.

[Byzil Mystwing @ May 30th 2008 7:18PM]

Well that's useful, I suppose

[iEye @ May 30th 2008 7:20PM]

This is why the iPhone is revolutionary, it can replace inferior products by emulation... thanks to the capacitive touch screen...

A blank slate that can be reprogrammed to fit the needs of the individual, as a superior mobile device should. Not the other way around.

[mphayvanh @ May 30th 2008 7:33PM]

If the iPhone can emulate WM--I would pick it up in a heartbeat. Eventually....but even crappy WM5 can emulate the Palm OS eons ago.

[bob @ May 30th 2008 7:47PM]

but with WM desperatley trying to 'emulate' iphone why emulate the emulation?!?! ah ah.. ;)

[p3t3b2 @ May 30th 2008 7:44PM]

This isn't revolutionary at all, WinMo devices have been there done that, nice try Apple!

[ZekeSulastin @ May 30th 2008 10:36PM]

Nothing to see here, just one more over-zealous Apple fanboi who is there to give the general Mac user a really bad name ...

I wonder, could you run, say, Phoinix (Palm OS 3/4 GB emulator, used it on an m105) or the HP-4x emulator I ran on my Clie SJ-33 (Palm OS 4) then use it as an example of how the PDA is clearly superior to the devices emulated? Or use the emulator to emulate the emulator ...

[DWells55 @ May 31st 2008 12:08AM]

He's not a Mac fan. Check his previous comments, it's clear he just wants to promote anti-Mac user stereotypes. Seriously, this guy is nothing but a troll and should be banned.

[Geqxon @ May 30th 2008 7:21PM]

Correct me If I'm wrong, but doesn't this make the iPhone the fastest Palm on the market?

[Lein @ May 30th 2008 7:25PM]

Something like that, so long as words-per-minute doesn't factor in to the equation.

[Fred @ May 30th 2008 7:37PM]

I am so getting an Ipod Touch now....... :)

I'm impressed, very impressed.

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 30th 2008 7:43PM]

Isn't this like taking a Formula One racer and filling the fuel cell with diesel oil.

Well, at least the iPhone/Palm emulator will make the iPhone the best Palm smartphone ever made. Saying that it's nothing to boast about. But basically what this means is that once this emulator is available, there'll be a glut of dumped Palm devices and Palm's stock price will collapse.

I doubt that there will be a charge for SlingPlayer for iPhone. They are going to have apps that are for free. As a SlingPro user, I honestly think that the SlingPlayer app is integral for the use of watching remote shows and should be free. Well, that's my take, anyway.

[Dorv @ May 30th 2008 8:14PM]

Except for the fact that Sling has always charged for their mobile apps once they've gotten out of beta.

[t3_slider @ May 30th 2008 11:54PM]

Go away. No one wants you here.

[Kent Pribbernow @ May 30th 2008 8:48PM]

God yes, this was badly needed. How long I have waited to run a geriatric operating system from 1998 on my 2008 iPhone.

[John @ May 30th 2008 8:55PM]

less than 6 months, apparently

[Kent Pribbernow @ May 30th 2008 9:07PM]

Six months? Your math is a bit off. The iPhone is one year old, and PalmOS (Garnet) is now 5+ years old.

[Zorque @ May 30th 2008 9:19PM]

The OS may be old, but it doesn't make the wealth of continually-developed programs for it any less useful. There are plenty of programs you'd be hard-pressed to find on any other mobile platform, especially web-based platforms and programs for people working in different fields, and discounting them due to the age of the OS they were built for is ignorant.

[Bob S. @ May 31st 2008 1:00AM]

Well, your iPhone *is* running OS X... which dates back to '99. So it's roughly a wash.

[darkstar @ May 30th 2008 8:51PM]

im really curious how u would input text on this!

[Brian @ Jun 1st 2008 12:14AM]

The same way you input text on other Palm devices, by writing.

Oh, that's right... Treo users have been used to keyboards and did not know that Palm has used handwriting since it's inception.

[kookoobirdz @ Jun 3rd 2008 10:02AM]

yes Brian, but the iPhone has no stylus. Darkstar is wondering how we will approximate that kind of input. Draw big letters with your finger? He's asking because he doesn't know. No need to be sharp.

[Tired_ @ May 30th 2008 9:06PM]

How come Palm can make this kind of software, but Sun can't (for Java)?

[Joachim Bengtsson @ May 31st 2008 5:49AM]

I think this breaks the license just as hard as Java would, so I also find this a bit dubious.

[Teddy @ May 30th 2008 9:08PM]

Did Apple improve the displays on the Touch (as good as the displays on the iPhone) ?

[Franchesca @ May 30th 2008 9:13PM]

This in fact could be good for the Palm OS. This will increase the
number of people using Palm OS apps and motivate software developers
to update their Palm OS programs.

[gyffes @ May 30th 2008 9:47PM]

I finally got a Touch 'cause my Clie' died but I milked that Palm-based system as long as I could b/c all my eBooks are in Mobipocket format and I have many other Palm-specific apps I do not want to do without.

This will explode iPhone/Touch sales within the medical community, as well, b/c there is no OS that has as many MD-oriented programs as Palm.

And it's an insanely bogus argument to say this is like putting a Pinto engine in a Porsche. It's merely like driving that Porsche in 2nd gear because that's what you need to do to navigate the backroads where you happen to be. Get back on the highway, ramp it back up to 150mph.

But at least it allows you to travel those bumpy back roads.

[Ender Wiggin @ May 30th 2008 10:41PM]

Good call mentioning the medical field. I know at least one doctor who will seriously consider getting an iPhone if he can get his "doctor apps" working on the iPhone.

[exNewt @ May 30th 2008 10:14PM]

My 650+ beer-rating database that has migrated from the Newton to the Palm via FileMaker can live on!!

[MAOP @ May 30th 2008 10:40PM]

Palm still has a number of "loyal customers". In my point of view what keeps them there is a mis of:

(1) Old time users (I personally use palm for the last 10 years)
----> NOSTALGY EVENTUALY DIES
(2) Some applications that are important to our day to day lifes
----> IN MY CASE LOTUS NOTES SYNCH
(3) A large number of apps available
----> If a credible alternative appears - like a robust emulator - outside of PALM for app emulation combined with hot new platform like the iFamily, that's history

Outside of that, PALM is a 2nd class hardware company that provides 3rd class service and does not listen to their users (their first wifi enabled phone still to be lauched!?!?). They are a 2nd class WinMO platform or does anyone think they are a match to HTC?

bye bye PALM

[Aron T @ May 30th 2008 11:31PM]

Fairly certain the Palm Lifedrive had Wi-Fi...

[t3_slider @ May 30th 2008 11:57PM]

The LifeDrive is a phone now?

[NG @ May 30th 2008 11:09PM]

if only the iphone was available on cdma networks -- then i would get it at the drop of a hat

[p3t3b2 @ May 31st 2008 12:07AM]

That is where the Samsung Instinct comes into play, it does everything the iphone does plus+++.

*NOTE* It has SDK as well! ;-)

[OziD @ May 31st 2008 1:09AM]

instinct is yet to be seen.

they aren't doing anything revolutionary and it doesn't look wide enough.

i hope it proves me wrong, i'd like to see more phone companies trying to do more than the iphone, rather than just doing what the iphone does, plus everything the iphone missed that other phones do.

[p3t3b2 @ May 31st 2008 2:24AM]

From what the reps (who have the final version) are saying the Instinct is amazing, I would call it revolutionary due to the fact it is running a new OS which has never been used on a phone. As a poster said above the iphone runs on an old OS. I like the fact that the Instinct isn't wide, after all who wants to carry a hard drive in their pocket. When it -(Instinct) becomes available go take a look at it, you will be amazed as well.

[Kizorblade @ May 31st 2008 4:53AM]

Wow, new OS... who cares?
If it's well designed, sure. But just because it's "new" doesn't mean it's good. In fact, for all we know, it could suck so badly.

[lanejasper69 @ May 31st 2008 5:39PM]

Yes, the Lifedrive had WIFI. and no it's not a phone! duh.

Faslane

[Brian @ Jun 1st 2008 12:18AM]

"New OS" is a TERRIBLE feature. No one wants a "new OS". Everyone wants an OS that can run any of the gazillion apps that are already out there for some already existing OS, be it Palm, WiMo, iPhone, Nokia, Symbian, etc...

[Baz @ May 31st 2008 6:32AM]

Its great that all those programs built by Palm enthusiasts and commercial companies (and for a device/intent Palm itself has forsaken) may acquire a second life on the iPhone, but it does border rather on having Leopard capable of running Win3.1

Still, until such time as Apple allows for unfettered and free creativity and access for its iPhone users (ha, ha, ha), the option of borrowing from another OS's fan base is next best option.

[js @ May 31st 2008 12:02PM]

Most of you don't care because most of you use a phone/OS for how "pretty " it is, or how it "just works" which is fine and dandy if your an IT guy or whatever 99% of the dudes on this site are...but from a med student's POV this is awesome because I can now run my skyscape programs on my iPhone, therefore combining the hotness of the iPhone with the practicality of having a Palm device to run my medical software.

[Brian @ Jun 1st 2008 12:19AM]

I think it's the "IT guys" that DON'T want the "pretty" OS, unless it can run all of their real apps.

[Armen @ May 31st 2008 2:26PM]

> Palm, now might be a good time to stun us with your new OS.

New OS? What new OS?

[TooMuch @ May 31st 2008 9:29PM]

It's called Nova while in development. Look for it in 9 months.

[Armen @ Jun 1st 2008 3:53PM]

Ah! You mean the "new" OS which was due years ago! I've already switched to PocketPC, iPaq 210 awesome device!