Friday, May 17, 2002
So begins the long road for Palm's OS5 conversion
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "THOUGHT" @ 04:18 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/05/16/palm.checkup.idg/index.html
I debated as to whether this is Off Topic or a Thought for about 3 seconds before not caring anymore and posting it as a thought. I know that there are many former and current Palm users reading this site and I want to hear what you think. "Palm users worried whether their favorite applications will run on devices with the next version of the handheld's operating system may get some reassurance from an expanded compatibility program announced Monday." Microsoft took from 1995 (late 1992 if you count the start of Win95 development) to 2001 to move from a 16 bit platform, Windows 3.x, to a fully 32 bit platform for everyone, Windows XP. I know about Windows NT and personally used it almost exclusively starting in 1996, but there was a lot of hardware and software that wasn't usable by the mainstream user due to a reliance on 16 bit drivers. Palm won't have quite that big of a problem because they won't let OS5 run on older Dragonball devices and there aren't near as many Palm applications and accessories as there were for Windows 3.1.
Still, this is no small undertaking. Palm has already said most hacks, which represents about 20% of the software available for Palm OS devices, won't work. Given many of them were to simulate multitasking like PopUp Names that allow you to open your Contacts without switching from your current application. Palm has created an OS5 logo that will ensure your applications run if the vendor passes the certification, but all OS4.1 compliant apps must undergo this testing or you are on your own as to whether your application will work. "Because Palm 5 will run older apps by emulating the 4.1 OS, about 80 percent of apps that are certified for 4.1 should not have a problem, he says. However, the Palm 4.1 certification program does not distinguish applications that are properly written for the Palm 4.1 application programming interface from those that weren't properly written. The programs that use hacks may run perfectly well on Palm 4.1, but run into trouble when they attempt to run in emulation mode in Palm 5."
"If even a fraction of all Palm apps are submitted for compatibility testing, Quality Partners will have its work cut out. PalmGear, the leading online store for Palm applications, stocks some 13,000 programs, Mace says." And then there is all the hype around OS5. It won't allow the user to multitask yet and requires all new hardware, so it is doubtful too many of the 13,000 apps Palm has now will be rewritten to really take advantage of OS5 since that would 1) leave 100% of existing OS3 and OS4 users out in the cold and 2) be very expensive and time consuming. I would expect it to be 12 months minimum before you start to see a significant number of OS5 exclusive apps that are designed to take full advantage of the operating system. Sort of like buying a new Mac OS X computer the month it came out. You could run Internet Explorer and other included apps, but not much else without launching Classic.
What do you think? Think OS5 will be a smooth transition? Think the average person will care? Is OS5 more marketing than substance, i.e., what you could do versus what you will really be able to do, at least for a year or so. I tried to include a poll but there are just too many ways people could feel about this so decided against it. Click the "Add your Thoughts" below and let us know your thoughts on the subject.
I debated as to whether this is Off Topic or a Thought for about 3 seconds before not caring anymore and posting it as a thought. I know that there are many former and current Palm users reading this site and I want to hear what you think. "Palm users worried whether their favorite applications will run on devices with the next version of the handheld's operating system may get some reassurance from an expanded compatibility program announced Monday." Microsoft took from 1995 (late 1992 if you count the start of Win95 development) to 2001 to move from a 16 bit platform, Windows 3.x, to a fully 32 bit platform for everyone, Windows XP. I know about Windows NT and personally used it almost exclusively starting in 1996, but there was a lot of hardware and software that wasn't usable by the mainstream user due to a reliance on 16 bit drivers. Palm won't have quite that big of a problem because they won't let OS5 run on older Dragonball devices and there aren't near as many Palm applications and accessories as there were for Windows 3.1.
Still, this is no small undertaking. Palm has already said most hacks, which represents about 20% of the software available for Palm OS devices, won't work. Given many of them were to simulate multitasking like PopUp Names that allow you to open your Contacts without switching from your current application. Palm has created an OS5 logo that will ensure your applications run if the vendor passes the certification, but all OS4.1 compliant apps must undergo this testing or you are on your own as to whether your application will work. "Because Palm 5 will run older apps by emulating the 4.1 OS, about 80 percent of apps that are certified for 4.1 should not have a problem, he says. However, the Palm 4.1 certification program does not distinguish applications that are properly written for the Palm 4.1 application programming interface from those that weren't properly written. The programs that use hacks may run perfectly well on Palm 4.1, but run into trouble when they attempt to run in emulation mode in Palm 5."
"If even a fraction of all Palm apps are submitted for compatibility testing, Quality Partners will have its work cut out. PalmGear, the leading online store for Palm applications, stocks some 13,000 programs, Mace says." And then there is all the hype around OS5. It won't allow the user to multitask yet and requires all new hardware, so it is doubtful too many of the 13,000 apps Palm has now will be rewritten to really take advantage of OS5 since that would 1) leave 100% of existing OS3 and OS4 users out in the cold and 2) be very expensive and time consuming. I would expect it to be 12 months minimum before you start to see a significant number of OS5 exclusive apps that are designed to take full advantage of the operating system. Sort of like buying a new Mac OS X computer the month it came out. You could run Internet Explorer and other included apps, but not much else without launching Classic.
What do you think? Think OS5 will be a smooth transition? Think the average person will care? Is OS5 more marketing than substance, i.e., what you could do versus what you will really be able to do, at least for a year or so. I tried to include a poll but there are just too many ways people could feel about this so decided against it. Click the "Add your Thoughts" below and let us know your thoughts on the subject.
