Palm's webOS PDK beta adds Pixi native development, PDK'd apps will hit the Catalog mid year
By Paul Miller 
posted March 9th 2010 7:12PM
posted March 9th 2010 7:12PM
We just sat down with Palm here at GDC and fished out a few more details on the PDK beta front. Firstly, and most interestingly, Palm has confirmed that the PDK now works on all of its handsets (instead of just the Pre and Pre Plus), which means Pixi buyers can stop hating themselves pretty soon. Apparently the level of performance degradation should be comparable iPhone 3G vs. 3GS, which doesn't sound too horrible. This is functionality that wasn't available even to Palm's early PDK partners like EA and Gameloft, so we should be seeing versions of existing games make the jump to the Pixi when the time for PDK beta-developed apps to hit the Palm App Catalog. When will that time come, you ask? The "middle of the year," or "a few months," whichever sounds more promising to you. Palm's not saying whether this new era for the App Catalog (anyone being able to release PDK apps, and those apps working on the Pre and the Pixi) will accompany a full-on webOS update, but it seems logical to us.On a more technical front, we're told the PDK supports the Linux standard SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) to ease in porting and development (Unreal for Linux runs using SDL, for instance), and that developers could even build apps like an audio processor that rely on PDK components but don't show up in the UI at all, or OpenGL-empowered things that aren't necessarily games or in 3D. Also, existing developers have only been able to do "full screen" games that rely on PDK components alone, but the PDK beta lets you mix and match webOS UI with PDK elements. Currently there aren't many PDK games that use the extra Palm hardware like the QWERTY keyboard and the gesture area, but we're told that's all exposed to the developer, along with any other element of webOS that Mojo SDK users have access to. One notable plugin hangup is the fact that Flash only works in the browser, and can't be embedded into a regular webOS app, PDK or no -- though we have to assume this is something that's in the works.
Will the games be as stable as the Pre?
@jlowery354 They already are. I bought Need for Speed Underground for my Pre back in January and it runs perfectly, it even auto-pauses when I multi-task.
But, more importantly, WTF is a "PDK"?
Once again, Engadget trots out the pointless abbreviations over and over but doesn't define them.
@Information Central
http://developer.palm.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1989&Itemid=331
"The Plug-In Development Kit (PDK) is a new component of the webOS SDK that lets developers use C and C++ alongside the web technologies that power the SDK, and even mix them seamlessly within a single application."
Ah Google you are so great.
I don't think it is Engadget's job to hold your hand through all of this.
Whatever Palm. You need a buyout. I'm getting tired of you like I'm tired of Apple.
they just started....excluding palmos
Now all Palm Needs is some serious Hardware..I"m talking Snapdragon flaming 4" screening Web-OS Beasts!!
@Android4Eva BOOM! Exactly.
@Android4Eva Agreed, just imagine something like an HD2 running webOS
@scots79 *just jizzed*
@Android4Eva Or why not a 1 GHz version of the OMAP3430 they have now, the OMAP3640 ? The cpu performance is pretty much the same as the snapdragon, and it has better graphics performance.
Or even better, a TI OMAP4430/4440, dual-core Cortex A9 at either 720 or 1 GHz+ speeds respectively, with better graphics.
@Android4Eva
The only thing I don't understand about this argument is that this hardware is the exact same as the iphone 3GS, but there isn't such a large calling for the iphone to get better hardware, and I never seem to see people saying they wouldn't buy an iphone because of the software, yet webOS is well ahead of the iphone OS.
It's like people who voted for gadget of the year made the comment that the pre wasn't worthy because of the hardware, yet it runs the same hardware as the iphone but better software.
@Joe the Plumber
The issue it typically the enclosure. It has a smaller screen (it's only a tiny bit smaller, but due to the way WebOS uses the notification bar, it feels even smaller) and that they've had a lot of hardware issues. I'm currently on my 3rd Pre after 2 touchscreen deaths. Replaced for free by Sprint. I love WebOS, but if their next phone has similar issues, Android will likely overtake them pretty fast.
Hopefully AT&T won't pull a Backflip and stop this from coming to their version.
Perhaps it's just me, but that picture reminds me of "I am Rich."
@thejdude The difference is that the sample code is 100% free :)
Plus that shape rotates.
Go Palm!
I just told my friend that pixi couldn't do 3d games. Gah, good timing palm now I look like an idjit to a grl..
@IcerC I still might not, as the processor is slower and lacks video acceleration. So 2D games, and maybe very simple 3D, but I doubt it'll run anything more than that :/
Now all we need is WVGA OLED hardware with GSM and THEN Palm will have a chance.
I would like to jump in to dev, but shame on Palm for no USA GSM hardware and still HVGA.
@NuShrike
I wouldn't want OLED until it can work in sunlight.
@krische super amoled ftw!
@krische
They need to make a phone that isn't tied to any carrier. Just let whoever wants the phone buy it. If they had done that with the pre then they'd be in better shape.
A pimple on the ass of defeat.
@Ariel Bender Will there been enough interest in Webos phones by the time these 3d games hit. For Palm I hope they arrive before Windows 7 phone series or its "game over"
@TheGr8t1 WebOS ALREADY has 3D games, Gameloft, and a Laminar Research have been porting over all of their iPhone games since December, and they've been in the App Catalog since January. They run just as well as the iPhone too... perhaps better since you can still multi-task with them...
This is great news. Pixi owners rejoice.
I would like an OMAP4 based PRE2 plz.
It looks like you guys are working on I Am Rich 2.0! I'll buy two copies when you're done.
PalmInfoCenter sez - "Palm is demonstrating new games from early PDK developers in its booth at GDC"
Hands ons coming?
I love hearing about the harware access... That's what I've been waiting for!!!...Yes!