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UPDATED: Palm doesn't confirm Nova launch at CES, but they may as well have
Use a Palm phone? Like the idea of Nova? We hope so, because the company revealed in its earnings call yesterday that it'd be transitioning its entire lineup over to the new, homegrown platform, though it'll continue to market Windows Mobile-based devices like the Treo Pro to businesses. Speaking of the Treo Pro, Palm mentioned that it'd be bringing its top-of-the-line WinMo device to a US carrier this quarter -- we think we know which one -- but the big news is unquestionably Nova, which will be released on a range of all-new hardware starting in the first half of '09. It claims that carriers who've seen the platform are "universally excited" about it, which we suppose is a good start -- but the real trick, of course, is to get consumers universally excited about it as well.[Via Phone Scoop] Update: Sascha Seagan of PC Magazine wrote in to let us know that Nova's unveiling at CES wasn't actually confirmed on the call -- but in light of the buzz they've been drumming up, it seems certain that it'll happen. What Palm did reveal is that Nova is already in the hands of some of its development partners (anyone want to send us pictures?) and that traditional non-phone PDAs -- that is, the foundation upon which Palm was built -- will not continue to be developed as Nova comes into play. We still love the Palm V after all these years, don't you?
Palm introduces Software Store for WinMo / Palm OS devices
Apple's doing it. RIM's doing it. Google's doing it. Heck, even Microsoft might be doing it. As the peer pressure mounts, Palm has finally decided to cave and introduce its very own applications market place, which is simply being christened Software Store. Oddly, it looks as if Palm farmed out the production of said store to one PocketGear, but we're assured that the app will hum along just fine on over 25 Windows Mobile / Palm OS-based Palm devices. Available for download as we speak, it offers up over 5,000 apps and games, 1,000 of which are completely free. Hmm, we wonder if Palm's keeping a Nova-compatible version in its back pocket?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: Palm pinged us to say that this is actually the very same software store that has been around, it's just a sweet looking veneer to make accessing it easier.
Palm OS "Nova" -- and first Nova device -- look like a lock for CES
New-ness, anyone? BusinessWeek is speaking in rather authoritative terms that we'll all be treated to the next generation of Palm OS -- Nova, as it were -- at a grand unveiling next month in Vegas. Details are still sketchy to say the least, but word has it that the company's engineers are super stoked about whatever it is they plan to unveil -- and considering the breadth and depth of the engineering team Rubinstein has managed to assemble over there, that's saying something (hopefully). The pub pegs Nova's commercial release for mid-2009, which jibes with the latest we've been hearing, promising to deliver a platform for meeting the needs of the "fat middle" of the market that lies somewhere between the buttoned-up BlackBerry and the media-rich iPhone (and no, we didn't just call you fat). The company apparently wants to create devices that "make smarter use of data about you," but until we have a Nova-powered phone in our soft, supple hands, that little gem of marketing doublespeak really doesn't mean squat to us. Just a few more weeks, ladies and gentlemen.
Palm's preliminary quarter-end results show drooping revenues, bleak outlook
Remember when we used to write about Palm in order to talk about its devices and / or operating system(s)? Man, those were the days. Now, it just seems like one sadness-filled report after another, and just days after hearing that it would be cutting an undisclosed amount of employees in order to trim operating expenses, in comes even more doom and gloom courtesy of its preliminary Q2 (fiscal year 2009) results. The company is expecting to record revenues ranging between $190 million to $195 million, far short of the $331 million Wall Street had been counting on. The shortfall was blamed on "a difficult economic environment [which had] greatly intensified the negative impact on product sales." Of course, the visionary Ed Colligan (CEO) still maintains that by reducing its cost structure it can "launch next-generation products as planned," but seriously, why should we believe that line now? Time to put up or shut up, Palm.[Via CNET, image courtesy of PalmFocus]
Palm's Treo Pro gets its first update: Bluetooth improvements promised
Aw, isn't this cute? Palm's unlocked Treo Pro has just received its very first software update, and we're happy to bring along the obligatory balloons and party foods. As of today, users of the Treo Pro can download a Bluetooth Update which reportedly resolves an issue with multiple calls sometimes getting twisted and diverted to voicemail and / or an operator on Pluto. In other words, this update will eliminate those conversations you keep having with extraterrestrial beings, so it's probably worth installing. Got it? Good.[Via Palm InfoCenter]
Analyst confirms Apple slid past RIM to become number two smartphone vendor
So apparently Apple knew what it was talking about after all. Research firm Canalys says that Apple stole the rug out from underneath RIM in the third quarter to become the world's number two pusher of smartphones, taking a hearty 17.3 percent market share compared to RIM's 15.2 percent and Windows Mobile's 13.6 percent. For what it's worth, the firm says RIM could very well bounce back in the fourth quarter with the Bold, Storm, and Pearl 8220 all ramping up in time for the holidays, but either way, number one platform Symbian needn't sweat any time soon; Nokia's baby managed to lose 21.5 percent share year over year, but they're still sitting pretty with 46.6 percent.How'd Apple manage to steal so much BlackBerry thunder (pun painfully intended)? Part of the evidence might lie in J.D. Power's just-released 2008 Business Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study, revealing that suits adore their iPhones, like their BlackBerrys just alright, and despise their Palms. Amusing to us was the iPhone's rating of a 5 out of 5 in the Features category -- the only contender to get a perfect score there -- despite the fact that virtually every other smartphone platform continues to outstrip it for raw capability. Usability, though, well... that's arguably another story altogether.[Via AppleInsider]Read - Apple outsells RIMRead - JD Power rankings
Verizon's Palm Centro receives ROM update, minor improvements promised
Don't cancel your election party to get to this or anything, but Verizon Wireless' Palm Centro has just received a teeny, tiny update. The newly released v1.03 ROM update is dubbed "a minor tune-up that may improve device usability in certain situations." That's about as indistinct as it could possibly get, but you know you're still going to pull the trigger. It's ready to be installed right now via Hotsync or SD card, and as always, we'd recommend backing up your interoffice love letters just in case something goes awry.[Via Palm InfoCenter]
Sprint's Olive Green Palm Centro gets pictured
You may have missed it, but Sprint's two newest Palm Centros just hit select retail locations a few days back. The cats over at PalmInfoCenter managed to get their hands on the Olive Green unit, and lo and behold, that bad boy is green. The silver accents and the spread of white keys on the keypad add a hint of "style," and the soft touch finish looks just lovely from here. Check the read link for a smattering of crystal clear shots, but you may or may not want to strap those sunshades on first.
Access debuts ALP 3.0 and ALP mini, a scant 20 years too late
Leave it to Access to completely underplay the debut of one of the most anticipated mobile operating systems of the decade -- anticipation that's certainly waned, but we're sure somebody's at least a little excited. ALP 3.0 and ALP mini are about ready for mass consumption, with ALP mini available to licensees immediately, though no word yet on when ALP 3.0 will hit. From the sound of it, ALP 3.0 concentrates on a fancy, transition-filled smartphone OS, while ALP mini is more stripped-down and ready for featurephone use. Both operating systems are Linux-based, with some strange amalgam of Palm OS-ness, though ALP mini drops Garnet compatibility and can't run native Linux apps like big brother 3.0, which is LiMo compatible. NTT DoCoMo is planning ALP phones in the second half of 2009, that Edelweiss ALP phone for Russia has been outed, and we're still struggling to care.
Is the Palm Treo Pro coming to Sprint?
Back in late August, we heard whispers that a CDMA Treo Pro could be in the works. Since then, we haven't heard a peep on any progress.... until now, that is. The eagle-eyed mobile mavens over at WMExperts happened to notice a peculiar "Sprint Treo850e" sucking down 160kbps with .229s of latency on the spcsdns.net network while checking out mobile speed tests. No surprise that the Treo 850 is better known as the Treo Pro, but finding that one is sneaking around on Sprint somewhere is. C'mon Sprint, how's about a joint release with the Touch Pro?
Sprint unwraps Olive Green and Vibrant Rose Palm Centros
Maybe someone forgot to mention to Sprint that the traditional colors associated with Christmas are red and (darker) green, but it's coming awfully close to getting in the holiday spirit with its pastel-splashed Centros. The two "new" Palms (which were leaked last month) will arrive in Olive Green and Vibrant Rose for $79.99 on a 2-year contract, but that's not all -- they'll also boast a "soft-touch finish that feels smooth and comfortable in the hand," 128MB of RAM (twice that of the original Sprint Centro) and a microSD card slot. Have a look at the new duo as early as October 19th at select retail locations and beginning on November 2nd in Sprint Stores, consumer and business sales channels, and online.%Gallery-34448%
Palm quietly slips next generation smartphones into mid 2009
Not that many of you are still paying attention, but for you Palm die-hards we've got more news (bad of course) regarding the next generation OS. Dubbed Nova or Palm OS II, Palm's execs have routinely called for the OS to be running on handsets sometime in early 2009 following the end of the 2008 development cycle. Handset delivery was subtly changed to "first half" of 2009 during an analyst call with Palm's CEO last week. Now given the history here, it's pretty safe to call that a delay. Good luck to you Palm, hopefully for your sake someone does notice amidst the onslaught of Android-powered smart- and feature-phones from LG, Samsung, HTC, and others we expect to be flooding the market at that time -- you can't say we didn't warn you. [Via The Register]
SDHC driver released for Palm OS devices
It looks like those still hanging onto a slightly aging Palm OS device now have a new option that'll let 'em breath a bit of new life into it, as one Dmitry Grinberg has released a driver that adds SDHC card support to a whole host of the devices. That includes the Tungsten T, C, E2, and T5, the LifeDrive, the Palm TX, and the Zire 31 and 72 -- support for other devices, including the Tungsten T3 and, yes, even the Tapwave Zodiac, is also promised. That boost in storage doesn't come free, however, but we're guessing there's at least a few Palm loyalists out there that'll gladly accept the $21 price tag to get a taste of what 32GB of storage is like.[Via TamsPalm]
Sure sign of success: Palm to bring Centro to Sprint in two new colors
Nothing quite says "these puppies are selling well, and we'd like to ride the wave a bit longer" than reformulating an existing device in new colors -- a strategy Motorola played to the extreme, bitter end with the original RAZR -- and Palm's circling back to Sprint's Centro lineup to add a couple more (it's not getting out of hand with the Centro yet, Palm, but we're onto your game). It seems that the new shades will be "rose" and "lime," both of which sorta speak to the Centro's approach as a personal -- not business -- oriented smartphone. If the rumors hold up, these snazzy new shades should be hitting late next month.[Via Palm Infocenter]
Palm OS 2 slipping from "early 2009" to "first half" of next year?
The New York Times has a little puff piece on Palm to accompany the launch of the Treo Pro today, and buried between the fawning references to Jon Rubenstein's former gig at Apple and how that's affected his management style ("He made them redesign the battery panel on the back so it didn't squeak. And he asked for fixes to the software so it would lock up less frequently." -- solid work, homey) there's a little tidbit about how Palm OS II and a single new device to run the new software will arrive in the "first half of next year." Two things interesting about that: first, that's a much wider timeframe than the "early 2009" window we've been hearing for a while and could signal even more delays, and second, it's a little odd that Palm is going to debut the new OS on just one device. Launching on a single device is pretty Apple-esque, so we'll cut Rubes some slack on that, even if we don't think it's the best idea -- but at this point the only real info we're hearing about Palm OS II is news of delays, and that's not exactly out of the Jobs playbook -- remember, real artists ship.
Palm looses 700p / 700wx ROM updates for Verizon / Alltel
Funny story -- these guys will be one in the same here in just a few months, but until then, you'll have to pretend there's absolutely no relationship between Palm's 700p (Verizon) and 700wx (Alltel). Jibber-jabber aside, those still rockin' either Treo may be interested in sucking down what's apt to be the final ROM update for both handsets on these carriers. As predicted, Palm didn't go into great detail about what all the respective Radio Patches were, um, patching up, but you know you can't walk around without the latest and greatest on your phone. That being said, tap the links below (choose carefully!) to get your download on.[Via PalmInfocenter]Read - Palm 700p (Verizon) updateRead - Palm 700wx (Alltel) update
Verizon turning the lights out on the Treo 755p
Here's an interesting factoid to chew on: the cycle between the first rumors that the Palm 755p was coming to Verizon and its launch was longer than the window of time between launch and sunset. Just think about that for a second. Seriously. Verizon has reported to Palm Infocenter that it's officially decommissioning the Palm OS-based smartphone -- the only in Verizon's lineup with strong ties to Palm's old-school industrial design -- in favor of the Centro, a smaller, friendlier, more consumer-oriented device. It seems like Big Red might be at risk of alienating some Garnet-loving business customers who aren't interested in carrying a device with a keyboard as small as the Centro's, and honestly, doesn't it feel like the 755p has at least a few more months of life yet? Or are we crazy?
Sprint's Centro gently nudged with "software tune up"
Does that tired old Centro feel like it could use a little freshening-up? 'Course it does, and Palm's Johnny-on-the-spot with a hot new firmware build fresh out of the oven -- if you're on Sprint, that is. The new update is ten bullet points strong on Palm's support site, with updates and fixes ranging from better Bluetooth support to support for My Location in Google Maps (that's sure to be a crowd pleaser right there). Head on over to Palm to pick up the goods, but beware, they say you ought to "allow an hour" for the process to complete.[Via The Official Palm Blog]
Palm's electric blue Centro in the flesh
Yeah, sure, it's just a dummy, but the live model will look the same -- albeit with a slightly more functional display, hopefully. Our contact tells us AT&T stores will have these bad boys ready to sell on Monday at the freshly-dropped price. Click on for the spellbinding backside![Thanks, Kal]
Palm's Treo 800w being received, hands-on pics to prove it
Last we knew, a 436-page Treo 800w manual popped up from deep within the confines of Sprint. Fast forward a few days, and a few diehards are already trumpeting the receipt of their precious new Palm. Yep, that handset you see above is indeed the 800w, and if you care to ask some early adopters how things are going, feel free to hit the read link and surf on over to the forums.
