Palm finally manages to bore us to tears with webOS Mojo SDK tutorial

We knew this day would come, and at last we've been faced with 56+ minutes of webOS-related video that we could barely keep our eyes open for. Palm Software CTO Mitch Allen did a rundown for an O'Reilly webcast detailing the structure and paradigms of webOS, and then went ahead and built a simple little app using TextMate and Safari. While we're sure some JavaScript fanboys out there will have a field day with this, there weren't too many juicy tidbits in there for us mere mortals. It did seem like Palm's still working on the whole app DRM situation -- exacerbated by the fact that webOS apps aren't really executables -- so it sounds like Google isn't the only one. What is clear is that the barrier for entry to app development here is stunningly low, and we suppose we'll all find out soon enough exactly what sort of awesomeness and terror that will mean for us end users. Video is after the break.

[Via Palm Pre en español]

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 1:54AM]

I'll watch it when I have nothing better to do for an hour.

I hope there's gaming potential in webOS... that processor is too good to not be used for gaming.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 2:18AM]

They seem to be supporting HTML5. If they go 'all the way', then the tag might be exposed. This allows for javascript to draw lines, arcs, and bitmaps, with alpha transparency. Having used in firefox and chrome, I can imagine something like raiden or r-type being pretty easy.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 8:19AM]

This phone is looking very appealing since I already have an iPod touch. I just hope it will be as good as the demos and the stats on papers

[Berserk87 Posted Feb 27th 2009 2:40AM]

I actually listened to that whole thing...

would of been easier as a text list.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 2:43AM]

Fucking Palmm, I hate Palm !!!
Very ugly phone :-(

[SHEAesthetic Posted Feb 27th 2009 7:22AM]

Fucking trolls, I hate ignorance !!!
Nobody likes you :-(

[Suomaa Posted Feb 27th 2009 3:35AM]

So WebOS is not actually a smart phone OS? Only thing that you can do is some widgets and theses programs are actually widgets? What a waste of good CPU.

[BeeksElectric Posted Feb 27th 2009 4:12AM]

Why do people see "web app" and instantly think "widget"? Have you seen stuff like 280slides.com and other incredibly polished web apps? AJAX, CSS, and HTML5, when put in the hands of a talented programmer, can easily create a desktop-class application, complete with full offline access and persistent storage, that runs entirely in a web browser. webOS is just this idea taken to its absolute furthest possible conclusion.

Sure, games might be a bit harder to program (although, with Flash due to be coming by the end of the year, that will change), but any non-3D app that is available in the Apple App Store will be 10x easier to develop on the Pre, and will be able to offer a great deal more functionality. This is a dream platform to develop for, and as a programmer looking for a fun side-project, I cannot wait to sink my teeth into this sucker.

[Freakin Ijit Posted Feb 27th 2009 6:23AM]

WebOS is a browser/"web server" and your "application" is a web page. Engadget discusses "DRM" up there almost as an aside - that appears to be a fairly significant stickler - you as a developer write a WebOS "application" that runs on the Pre (or whatever device) and the source for your application is viewable?

That's going to encourage developers, huh?

[Dubb Posted Feb 27th 2009 9:32AM]

@Freakin Ijit

I agree, if the phone is the web server and the application resides on the phone then, the app code is completely viewable and redistributable, I really hope they address this before release. The only way I can see around this is if they store all OS data in some sort of encrypted image with no possibility of viewing files in the OS's file system.

[Freakin Ijit Posted Feb 27th 2009 9:40AM]

Palm mentioned the current solution to this - have your application use servers out in The Cloud where all your proprietary code can be kept private with only the viewable-code User Interface on the device.

I'm scratching my head about how many different type of server-based applications would be available for WebOS whenever it's released and how many PHONE users are going to want to use them (as opposed to, say, desktop users).

[Dubb Posted Feb 27th 2009 10:14AM]

@Freakin Ijit

That's all your scratching your head about? If what you say is true then either the developer or Palm has to host the source code on a remote web server? That sounds awful.....

We need more detail Engadget, hook it up.

[wicketr Posted Mar 3rd 2009 8:52PM]

I would imagine that they would have a security layer on the application file. After all developers will to have to package the app for deployment on Palm's site. That packaging system will most likely be a proprietary Palm encoding mechanism so that only your phone will be able to open the application file and get to the contents/meat of it.

[looselycoupled Posted Feb 27th 2009 8:03PM]

Yes, basically.

No matter what way you cut it, it is JAVASCRIPT AND HTML. There are many articles going in depth about this when the iPhone first came out if you are interested in the details of what can and cannot be done..

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 4:27AM]

I am still hoping they will include a PalmOS emulation layer, or at the very least, HotSync.

[looselycoupled Posted Feb 27th 2009 8:05PM]

PalmOS emulation??? Are you ******** out of your mind?

[Freakin Ijit Posted Feb 27th 2009 7:48AM]

O'reilly sent out emails to all "webinar attendees" telling them about the availability of the archived webinar. They also "plugged" 4 books they consider related to the webinar. Three about Javascript and one:

>>>"...iPhone SDK Application Development by Jonathan Zdziarski
>>>
>>> This practical book offers programmers the knowledge and code they need to create
>>> cutting-edge mobile applications using Apple's iPhone SDK..."

Lol!

[hungarianhc Posted Feb 27th 2009 9:27AM]

I'm prepared to be underwhelmed by the apps that can be developed for WebOS. Remember how pissed everyone was about the iPhone / iPod Touch's first year of "web apps"? Isn't that just what the WebOS apps are? With maybe a bit more hardware access?

[krische Posted Feb 27th 2009 9:36AM]

Although programmed with javascript, css, and html. The webos apps will be different from the iphone's original web apps. One thing we know for sure is that on the palm pre, the apps will be stored locally, which they weren't on the iPhone. Also, Palm has stated there will be the ability for some hardware interaction such as accelerometer, gestures, etc.

[Freakin Ijit Posted Feb 27th 2009 9:42AM]

I thought the iPhone's original "webapps" (widgets to the rest of us) were Java based, not Javascript based...somewhat of a difference...

[icecreamsocialist Posted Feb 27th 2009 10:52AM]

No, there has never been Java on the iPhone. The Web-based apps are Javascript+HTML.
And technically, since the iPhone supports HTML5, you can make pretty complex applications that ARE local. That doesn't mean it's been utilized much, but see: http://ajaxian.com/archives/html5-features-in-latest-iphone-application-cache-and-database

[Fry Guy Posted Mar 2nd 2009 6:18PM]

I thought the iPhone's original "webapps" were Visual Fortran Dot Net based, not Javascript based. Somewhat of a difference.

[Freakin Ijit Posted Feb 27th 2009 11:27AM]

Apparently, "Objective C" is the correct answer to "applications" while Javascript/HTML is the correct answer to "webapps".

[macserv Posted Feb 28th 2009 6:04AM]

Specifically, the objects in the "Cocoa Touch" frameworks are the building blocks of Applications. Objective-C is an excellent language, but it's not worth much to you without the frameworks.

[johdaxx Posted Feb 27th 2009 11:28AM]

The thing that sorta worries me is the massive quantity of really crappy iPhone apps out there - if it's that much easier, what quagmires will we have to wade through to get a really good WebOS app?

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 27th 2009 3:37PM]

Most of these comments display a lack of understanding of what Palm is offering. Either they are Apple fan boys or totally clueless dumbos.
I like this approach is pretty novel. What I am concerned is how will Palm takes care of people who need more low level support (either for performance or other reasons?)
I would love to see the low level API that their WebKit port is using to be exposed. Are they using a GTK port of WebKit by any chance? I read somewhere that they are using GStreamer for HTML5 video.
The other big issue is that Javascript performance by using a JIT (WebKit's Nitro/SquirrelFish) seems to use more memory to get decent performance. Does Palm even use a JIT? Webkit/Nitro only works on an x86.

[ananimus Posted Feb 27th 2009 5:22PM]

Palm's commented that lower level access is something they're looking at "for future SDKs."