Thursday, May 6, 2004
Crazy Rumour Department: A palmOne PDA Running Windows Mobile?
Posted by Jason Dunn in "THE COMPETITION" @ 12:00 PM
"Microsoft's Windows Mobile software running on a palmOne handheld device or smartphone? It might sound far-fetched, given the longtime Pocket PC/Palm rivalry, but Pieter Knook isn't ruling it out. Asked about the possibility yesterday during a discussion with Seattle-area reporters, the senior vice president in charge of Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices Division called such a scenario "perfectly feasible."
The development that made it feasible was last year's decision by Palm Inc. shareholders to separate it into two independent companies, one for hardware and another for the Palm operating system. The hardware company, known as palmOne, was bolstered at the same time with the acquisition of Handspring, the company behind the Treo line of smartphones."
Another interesting thing to speculate on, isn't it? Keeping in mind that palmOne is just a PDA vendor that happens to be using the Palm OS, and also keeping in mind that in most markets the Pocket PC OS has now reached parity with the Palm OS, if you were palmOne and you had years of experience in hardware design, this is something you just might consider. I've liked most of the palmOne hardware designs - I got a chance to play with a Zire 72 yesterday and was impressed by the hardware (other than the silly writing area). I'm willing to bet that once unleashed from the constraints of the Palm OS, palmOne would be able to make some very interesting hardware. And let's not forget that with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, square resolutions are now possible. And who's got the most experience in designing square-screen PDAs? Speculate away my friends...
The development that made it feasible was last year's decision by Palm Inc. shareholders to separate it into two independent companies, one for hardware and another for the Palm operating system. The hardware company, known as palmOne, was bolstered at the same time with the acquisition of Handspring, the company behind the Treo line of smartphones."
Another interesting thing to speculate on, isn't it? Keeping in mind that palmOne is just a PDA vendor that happens to be using the Palm OS, and also keeping in mind that in most markets the Pocket PC OS has now reached parity with the Palm OS, if you were palmOne and you had years of experience in hardware design, this is something you just might consider. I've liked most of the palmOne hardware designs - I got a chance to play with a Zire 72 yesterday and was impressed by the hardware (other than the silly writing area). I'm willing to bet that once unleashed from the constraints of the Palm OS, palmOne would be able to make some very interesting hardware. And let's not forget that with Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, square resolutions are now possible. And who's got the most experience in designing square-screen PDAs? Speculate away my friends...
