Palm's done with PalmOS, plans to get Pre on other carriers in 2010, speaks to patent issues

In a talk with investors Palm CEO Ed Colligan dropped a whole ton of previously undisclosed facts about Palm and the Pre. First off, he mentioned that other than the Centro making its way to other carriers, there will be no more PalmOS devices from Palm; they're concentrating completely on webOS and Windows Mobile. They also clarified that they have partnerships with carriers in Canada, Latin America and Europe for the Pre, and that they plan on expanding in the US to carriers outside of Sprint in 2010. As far as patents go, Palm doesn't sound too worried, citing 15 years of patents in the bank, a desire to respect intellectual property, and the fact that no action has taken place between Palm and Apple in that department.

[skyblaze @ Feb 11th 2009 1:52PM]

but can he run crysis?

(idk your comment made no sense so neither will mine)

[DP @ Feb 11th 2009 1:53PM]

lol Wrong blog fella. Ike Turner...

[a ham sandwich @ Feb 11th 2009 1:47PM]

goody! i wonder if they've added any new features since the unveiling.

also, no shock on the dropping of palm os. they'd be crazy to keep pushing forward with it now that they have the bombshell webOS...

[a ham sandwich @ Feb 11th 2009 2:22PM]

as a side note, i have visited this article three times and all three times there was a different picture. :P

[Andrew @ Feb 11th 2009 2:32PM]

Maybe it's been mentioned before, but the most important of TFA for me seemed to be:
"Not only will Palm have an app store at launch, they're not locking down the device so you can only install apps from their app store. You'll be able to "side load" apps directly over USB or over the air from any provider."

So, the Pre isn't locked down to an app store, a'la the iPhone. I'm not sure it'll be as open as Android, but this seems like a step in the right direction.

[tom @ Feb 11th 2009 2:37PM]

+1, time is money.

The longer it takes Pre to get into the market, the more they will stay behind. This just gives time for competitors to catch up. Apple is rumoring a new iPhone later this year and BB is getting Gemini and Storm2, touchscreen bold. By the time, Pre releases is GSM version, it would have been obsolete.

PalmOS is done...It's about freakin' time.

[From My Cube @ Feb 11th 2009 1:47PM]

palm pre 2 on VZW in 2010

[psp @ Feb 11th 2009 1:53PM]

From the likes of palm, if they come out with a pre 2 then it will most likely come to sprint
just like the 700wx, centro and the pro

[o29 @ Feb 11th 2009 3:44PM]

I'd gladly take the first Pre on Verizon. A year isn't going to make it obsolete. If nothing else, it'll probably get a few software fixes by then to make it even better.

[luv_carrier_branding_:) @ Feb 11th 2009 1:47PM]

But what about Windows Mobile!? Does Palm plan on making phones w/ other OSes like WinMo or Android?

[B3astofthe3ast @ Feb 11th 2009 1:55PM]

RTFA

[luv_carrier_branding_:) @ Feb 11th 2009 1:58PM]

oops, i skipped the WinMo part in excitement of the news

[Rogue_Genius @ Feb 11th 2009 2:18PM]

After I RTFA: "...there will be no more PalmOS devices from Palm; they're concentrating completely on webOS and Windows Mobile. "

[joshua @ Feb 11th 2009 9:49PM]

I'd rather have PalmOS than windows mobile any day. However, they have been talking about a new OS for years its about time. If WebOS does run linux under the hood I am hoping more advanced users can get access to it. I want to be running ssh on this thing along with all the other cool features.

[mugupo @ Feb 11th 2009 1:47PM]

They should add more feature when it release next year for other carrier, like 5 mp camera etc..

[ProfessorDex @ Feb 11th 2009 2:35PM]

GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE!! MORE MORE MORE!!

Typical consumer mentality. It's no wonder the economy is where it is right now.

[Flaystus @ Feb 11th 2009 1:48PM]

Can we change the name of patents to just "dibbs"

[Templarian @ Feb 11th 2009 2:22PM]

Then in law cases a lawyers can say, "My plaintiff clearly called dibbs on _______ back in 2001."

Refer to the "Apple's dibb on multi-touch" I think this is a clear and cut case".

Yea, it could work.

[Loonie @ Feb 11th 2009 2:38PM]

A masterful idea.

[Ellianth @ Feb 11th 2009 3:33PM]

I hereby patent and call dibs on the process of calling patents dibs in the future.

I also call dibs on the process of breathing (I'm gonna be rich!!).

[CJ @ Feb 11th 2009 9:59PM]

I call dibs on the concept of existence.

I win!

[B3astofthe3ast @ Feb 11th 2009 1:48PM]

But will the Pre still be relevant in 2010 when the G3, iPhone 4th gen, etc. are gonna be out?

[MaX PL @ Feb 11th 2009 1:52PM]

no but the Pre 2 will be.

[B3astofthe3ast @ Feb 11th 2009 2:33PM]

Ouch..All I'm saying is not many are going to buy a year old phone....not dissing on palm or anything.

[ProfessorDex @ Feb 11th 2009 2:36PM]

@ MaX PL

You ASSUME there will be a Pre 2. Look how long it took Palm to come out with the Pre. By the time they come up with a successor, they only name they'll be able to rightly call it is "Post".

[Aaron @ Feb 11th 2009 2:44PM]

@ProfessorDex
So you're telling me that you can't work out WHY the Pre took so long to develop?

In-case you seriously can't, it's because they had to write a software platform from scratch. Now that it's written, they can spin off new products at will with only minor updates to the underlying OS. Of course there will be more WebOS products in 2010.

[kangbp.nyc @ Feb 11th 2009 5:48PM]

wow.. r u serious? people buy a year old stuff all the time. a year old ipod, macs, and iphones. then apple comes out with new versions, and those people who bought the year old product only days ago gets screwed over

[B3astofthe3ast @ Feb 11th 2009 3:02PM]

Yes, but by the time the Pre is out on other carriers, all the new stuff will be out already. why would they screw themselves over?

[ProfessorDex @ Feb 11th 2009 3:18PM]

@ Aaron

I know exactly why WebOS took so long to develop. Remember their new revolutionary new OS called "Cobalt" or OS6? FLOP! Then there was "ALP", Access Linux Platform.......unless WebOS is a derivative of that, FLOP!

Third time's a charm? Let's all keep our fingers crossed and watch with baited breath as the release date slips. In time for the Christmas rush perhaps?

[Jonyah @ Feb 11th 2009 3:20PM]

by the time apple releases the iphone on a decent carrier my kids grandkids will have grandkids.

[grull27 @ Feb 11th 2009 3:47PM]

People always find out how to make any post an iPhone fight.

[scootinger @ Feb 11th 2009 5:20PM]

When will all this carrier BULLSHIT end? Going past obvious barriers (ie GSM vs. CDMA) there is NO FUCKING REASON that I shouldn't be able to go to a store, buy a phone, and use it on WHATEVER FUCKING CARRIER I WANT. Seriously! The way phones SHOULD be sold is that you go to the store, buy an unlocked phone, then get your service elsewhere (ie maybe just pop in your carrier's SIM card if it's a GSM phone). Seriously! Furthermore, I don't understand why crap like this isn't illegal under antitrust laws.

This is 2009...they way that they do business today is like how they did business in the 1960s when the telco forced you to rent a phone from them. And it's been revealed that AT&T has been exploiting the elderly by continuing to charge them for "rented" landline phones today....they even have retentions departments that try to convince them that they should rent a phone for a few bucks a month rather than go to the store and buy one for $5-10.

[crashcarstar @ Feb 11th 2009 1:49PM]

@Ike What the hell are you talking about?

[DP @ Feb 11th 2009 1:51PM]

Q2 2009 let's go!

[Neil @ Feb 11th 2009 1:55PM]

I have no interest in changing carriers, so I'm really looking forward to a GSM version of the Pre.....or hell just about any phone with Palm WebOS running on it.

[Miguel @ Feb 11th 2009 1:55PM]

Well.....So much for Sprint Having an Exclusive Device..........I dont See The I-Phone coming out on any other carriers anytime soon and its Been out what 2 years already? So So much for having that same "Exclusive To Carrier" like that At&T has. And i dont see the G1 going anywhere for more than a year on T-Mobile or the Storm Going anywhere else but verizon fort he forseable future.

And im talking relevant Carriers in the Us...(At&t, Tmobile, Verizon & Sprint)

[Shea @ Feb 11th 2009 8:19PM]

didn't AT&T land a deal to get the iPhone for 3-5 years dependent on meeting sales targets?

[tekd @ Feb 11th 2009 8:25PM]

But it *is* exclusive to Sprint, at least for a year or so, and there's nothing wrong with that. Palm usually releases to Sprint first and then rolls out to other carriers, so if it's a hot new phone it's still beneficial to Sprint to get it exclusively for the first x number of months.
Especially with hot-seller smartphones getting it early is definitely a big plus for a carrier.

For example, if T-mobile offered a first generation iPhone, it'd still be worse off siince AT&T would have a newer iPhone. As long as Palm keeps rolling the newest stuff to Sprint they'll be fine.

And they should probably do as much, since without Sprint Palm's market share probably would have been even more pathetic.

[Darius @ Feb 11th 2009 1:55PM]

RIP palm. you were good in your time.

[decypher44 @ Feb 11th 2009 2:42PM]

And you'll be great in '09.


/I'm a poet

[maveric101 @ Feb 11th 2009 8:52PM]

but you don't know it.

[psp @ Feb 11th 2009 4:07PM]

I noticed you changed the image from a pre to a old palm.
That was quick

[16-bit @ Feb 11th 2009 2:01PM]

Bring it to Verizon... in 2010

[Wayne @ Feb 11th 2009 2:04PM]

Great they're bringing it to Canada... *another* smarthphone with a service fee that's too expensive.

It's what we do here.

[Taylor @ Feb 11th 2009 2:05PM]

I want it on AT&T in 2009!!!

[Blu-Sam @ Feb 11th 2009 2:19PM]

I'm afraid to ask.. would I able to transfer from Palm 5 on contact listing to WebOS???

[Flaystus @ Feb 11th 2009 2:20PM]

Hint: it requires linux and a red brick

[Gonzalo @ Feb 11th 2009 2:29PM]

Pleeeeeeeeeease, more info on those deals on Latin America!
I got a Palm Centro, and the contract ends this november, if I can get the same data plan, I'm doooooone!!!

[Brian @ Feb 11th 2009 2:33PM]

Time to dump my 755p. :-( Can I load Android on it?

[ProfessorDex @ Feb 11th 2009 2:37PM]

Yes, right after Windows 7.