Pre homebrew has certainly come a long way in its short but happy life -- and now it's just gotten another little notch in its belt. Apparently, with the release of
webOS 1.3.5, Palm has included a software library called SDL (or Simple Directmedia Layer) which allows developers low-level hardware access -- like the kind needed to tap into accelerated 3D graphics. With a little bit of elbow grease, webOS hacker extraordinaire
zsoc was able to put together a port of Doom which can be run within a card in the OS, and completely functions (including keyboard controls). You've got to get your hands a little dirty with the Terminal app to make things happen right now if you want to try it for yourself, though the experimenters promise an easier solution in the coming days. Exciting stuff for webOS users hungry for a little more horsepower... now let's see if Palm puts this into play come
CES.
Update: PreCentral has a video of the app in action -- check it out after the break!
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted December 31st 2009 11:01AM
@Mister
alos android is ok but doesn't even compared to the web os experience. Had the moment for about 25 days didn't like it at all os really buggy got the message android needs to force close about 3 times a day it reminded me of windows mobile. As for the droid is still kind of buggy and slow already used it for about 13 days and even though it was a lil bit better than the moment still doesn't match the pre software wise but i gotta say the only thing I liked better about the droid and moment was the better keyboard.
Actually, going with Sprint was a good move by Palm. Here is the reason:
When the Palm Pre was released at Sprint, there was no application store (called the App Catalog). The webOS software was new and needed to be optimized.
With the release of webOS 1.3.5, the battery on my Palm Pre now lasts about 3 times longer. I can literally browse the Internet for 8 hours continuously before needing to recharge. The battery now lasts about 24 hours with moderate usage - that is, playing hours of music and other things. I can now go days without charging the phone if all I am doing is using the basic phone features.
The hardware performance (i.e. application speed) of the Palm Pre is now between 3 to 10 times faster. And now we are starting to see sophisticated 3D games on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi.
So when Verizon customers experience the Palm Pre, it is going to blow them away. The Palm Pre is going to be Verizon's version of the iPhone. I think Verizon knows that the enhancements have been so significant, that is why they are calling the phone "Plus" as in Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus.
I just installed it, had 4 instances running in separate cards...then replied to an email ..Now that's multi-tasking..:)
@mistaox
I'll see your 4 instances and raise you 1.
Good stuff. Homebrew team just all need to be hired by Palm.
Eitherway, CES should be awesome.
I hope that this grows into a full Doom Engine. That way I can copy the game files from Doom2, Heretic, Hexen, Hexen 2... You get the idea.
@tavisjohn ? if it can run Doom it can run Doom2 and Hexen, the only diffrence was the wad files. I'm not sure about Hexen 2...but probally
lol "wad files"...i used to like saying that a lot
@SirNoDroin
In theory yes. However are the coders in this case coing to setup a menu in the begining so that I can choose between those games on a whim? If they do, then I will have to have this on my Pre.
@tavisjohn well, IMHO, John Carmack himself ported Doom to the iPhone, and he is a guy I respect and adore, has he embraces the porting of Doom to other platforms. But, if any porting of Doom based games are to be done, it should be with his blessing, and of course, profit him and the other original designers of these classic games.
vid was cool, the touch response seemed slow though.
I loled at the commentary...
The Pre's battery life was already horrendous before Doom came along... how many minutes will it last now?
@TareG
After WebOs update 1.3.5 ive been able to got 18 hrs on a single charge with moderate use of texting, music and web.
fix the goddamn random shutdown and then we'll talk, i'm so close to return my pre because that.
@(Unverified)
Um, fix your shit before you start your blabbing. I've had my Pre since launch and I've never once had it randomly shut off.
@(Unverified)
The battery fit problem was fixed months ago. Shame you didn't get the word. If that's not your problem you should have replaced your Pre long ago. if that is your problem you should have replaced your Pre long ago.
This is awesome. I've been regretting my decision to get a Pre for the last 3-4 months, but since the 1.3.5 update and now this, I'm starting to think I made a good choice.
@Turd Ferguson
By the way, it makes it a lot easier if you make a shell script with the three lines you need:
cd /media/cryptofs/apps/usr/palm/applications
cd org.webosinternals.sdldoom
./doom
Then save it as "doom" on the USB drive.
Then go into terminal on your Pre and type:
mv /media/internal/doom /var/home/root/
Then when you want to play, just open the Doom app, open terminal, and type:
./doom
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4230705609_91f54f794e.jpg
Lets see an iphone do that lol :-)
QUOTE FROM USER CASHEN FROM PRECENTRAL...
Why is WebOS so freaking cool you ask?
Because I can have 4 Doom cards open at one time!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4230705609_91f54f794e.jpg
The controls look like they take a little getting used to but I have say that DOOM on my Pre would be pretty damn cool
Good job!
Android is for engineers.
Web OS is for engineers that wear sunglasses.
@nickyP
what are you talking about? For as locked as the iPhone is the Pre is even more locked up- When was the last time you've seen a hack that created a whole new theme on the Pre?
@Mentat clearly the subtleties of sunglasses are lost on you.
@Mentat what exactly is "locked up" about the iPhone? or is that something you just regurgitate from what other people like to say?
@Mentat You have NO idea what you are talking about...there are HUNDREDS of themes for the pre and a way to download all of them from the phone. You were so busy thinking of something cool that the ever so elite iphone has that you didn't realize the pre had it too!
I think they are both open phones in their own right but having been an owner of both, I have to say that the pre is much more open than the iphone, the iphone just has a larger user base and therefore can do more with what they have. Palm is constantly opening doors for the homebrew community whereas apple is, at best, doing nothing for the jailbroken side of the iphone user. If palm had the user base of the iphone I think you'd see just how open the pre really is, and with the verizon launch imminent, while i'm not sure if palm can reach "iphone" numbers, they will approach that number in the coming years.
@Mentat preware.
The difference is Palm enjoys and approves of and promotes the work of its fantastic homebrewers, while Apple is running around trying to plug up every hole jailbreakers put in it, as they have with all their products.
@Mr Smiley
people that hate other peoples opinions are annoying
so who sold more phones in 2009? Pre or Android?
Android outsold the Pre for sure, but not everyone can rock sunglasses...
@Mr Smiley
Yes, that's exactly what we need! A touchpad on a hinge, attached to our cellphones! Apple should hire you!
Damn we have come a long way. It seems like just yesterday (14yrs ago) I was playing Doom on my shitty SX386 w/4MB of ram and a 80MB HD.
And look at us today. Still playing the same game on today's hardware.
@slipdisc Of course, today's hardware weighs 3 oz., fits in your pocket, makes phone calls, and has a faster internet connection than you had 14 years ago (and 100x as much storage space too!)...
no matter when your playng it, doom is an amazing game. all of them. but if they got doom 3 onto the pre that would be amazing-er
@(Unverified) Agreed, as they'd would need to obtain the source code or translate x86 machine code to ARM.
You are definitely accelerating towards doom with Palm hardware.
@TonyRockyHorror
you spend too much time fondling your pocket god if you think Apple is the only nice piece of smartphone hardware out there
@cswright You take postings on the internet way too seriously.