New Palm OS & Phone Debut at CES

RWood · 01-08-2009, 11:34 PM

After years of being behind the power curve, false starts, and major market share losses, Palm has introduced yet another new operating system for cell phones and related devices. Called webOS, the new OS described as task oriented rather than application oriented as other current competing cell phone operating systems are. Concurrent with the new OS Palm is also introducing a new cell phone called the Palm pré available in the first half of 2009.

The heart of the new OS is the simplified developer interface that requires only CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to develop applications. In short, there are no new programming languages to learn and almost all of the hardware is directly accessible through JavaScript.

The announced Palm pré has all the features expected of any modern Smartphone and will transition between communication sources such as Sprint EVDO and 802.11 b/g to ensure the best possible signal reception. The nearby picture of the new phone shows a very readable area for books. My first MobileRead eBook experience was PalmDoc on an old Palm OS equipped Samsung cell phone. This looks like the first real advancement since then.

Unlike some other prior Palm announcements that depressed the stock price, share prices rose 35% after the latest announcement. If the early enthusiasm is well founded then Palm is back and a viable alternative to Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry.

Additional information is available from ars technical and Yahoo Financial. A Palm video of the pré is available here. More information at the Palm website.

lilac_jive · 01-08-2009, 11:39 PM

I've seen everyone freaking out on this. If the price isn't incredibly prohibitive, I think Palm will have scored. Their stock went up 35% today after it was announced.

Bob Russell · 01-09-2009, 01:55 AM

So far it looks like they've hit a home run. It was the bottom of the ninth down a run, and they may have tied up the game. But with potential to steal the win out of nowhere.

I, for one, had become quite disillusioned with Palm's ability to innovate and move forward to compete effectively. I never imagined that they had this in them. I'm sure there will be gotchas, but I'm equally hopeful that this first device is named "Pre" (or is that the codename) because it is only the preview of what's to come later.

Making it (apparently) easy to create and sell apps even more than makes up for lack of compatibility with previous Palm apps in my mind. I was wondering how they were going to get a suitable app base and developer interest. They may have just done that. And if they let developers keep a nice majority of revenues for sales at the app site, then there is all the more reason to develop for Palm's new OS.

The announcement is not the finish line, but it looks like they are still in the race after all. I was wrong - Palm still has it. I like what I see, and might even have to ditch my plans to get a WinMo device next.

It's again a very exciting day, finally, in the smart phone world!

Andybaby · 01-09-2009, 03:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I've seen everyone freaking out on this. If the price isn't incredibly prohibitive, I think Palm will have scored. Their stock went up 35% today after it was announced.

you know i keep seeing that number, but from the graph i saw, it went from like a buck fifty, to 4 fifty, wouldnt that be 300%. but i do tell you i wish i had some palm stock right now.

the phone is actually a pretty neat idea. but i personally dont want a new OS. I Want people to program for Os's already out there, such as Apple os, Windows 6.1, and Andriod

(android is the future if its widely adopted)

I currently have a Windows 6.1 phone. its Nice and i love, but its no where near as usable as android or apples.

Seabound · 01-09-2009, 03:54 AM

I'm happy to hear that Palm seems to have gotten back its groove. I do hope they're back.

lilac_jive · 01-09-2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andybaby

you know i keep seeing that number, but from the graph i saw, it went from like a buck fifty, to 4 fifty, wouldnt that be 300%. but i do tell you i wish i had some palm stock right now.

the phone is actually a pretty neat idea. but i personally dont want a new OS. I Want people to program for Os's already out there, such as Apple os, Windows 6.1, and Andriod

(android is the future if its widely adopted)

I currently have a Windows 6.1 phone. its Nice and i love, but its no where near as usable as android or apples.

Here's what it closed at:
4.45
+1.15 (34.85%)

pilotbob · 01-09-2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andybaby

you know i keep seeing that number, but from the graph i saw, it went from like a buck fifty, to 4 fifty, wouldnt that be 300%. but i do tell you i wish i had some palm stock right now.

No... it closed Jan 7th at 3.28 and it closed Jan 8 (yesterday) at 4.45.

Today it is currently around $6.11.

So, even from Jan 7th close to now it's up about 80%. Be nice if is closes about 6 today.

BOb

RWood · 01-09-2009, 05:50 PM

I still use that same Samsung cell phone powered by PalmOS 4.5. I did have a Palm Centreno; however, I returned it within the 5-day grace period.

Currently I have both Mobipocket and PalmReader/eReader working on the phone -- this allows me to keep two books active at the same time.

Even if only one-half of the new features work as promised, it will be a major step forward for Palm. One of the comments from CES by an iPhone owner was that the new Palm phone made his iPhone seem old.

RWood · 01-09-2009, 06:59 PM

I have been spoiled by the high quality of the e-ink display on my Sony Reader and I wondered how well the new Palm pré screen would compare. Using data from the MobileRead Wiki for the Sony and the Palm site for the pré, the Sony is a 150 mm (6") screen of 90 mm by 120 mm with 600 x 800 pixels or 480,000 pixels over 10,800 mmsq for 44.44 pixels/mmsq. The pré is an 80 mm (3.1") screen of 50 mm by 62.5 mm with 320 x 480 pixels or 153,600 pixels over 3,125 mmsq for 19.15 pixels/mmsq. This will be a very easy to read screen.

radleyp · 01-12-2009, 12:19 PM

To me this is nothing but a blip on the screen. Palm has dillydallied for years while Nokia/Apple/Microsoft have been producing. So the question is, who needs this and doesn't already have a working smartphone?

As has been the case with Palm of late, the Pre makes little sense: it is really a smartphone mainly, while smartphones are a far less significant part of the market than music/video players; the network chosen is Sprint which is regularly ranked the worst among the major cell companies, suggesting that the two came together because they both need help, like two people leaning on each other because they can each afford only one crutch; it is not a world phone (no GSM); it won't run current 3rd-party apps unless some developer (other than Palm) comes up with an emulator.

Of course, it has improvements over existing smartphones, as it is coming on the scene later and can build on others' experience, but those improvements seem incremental rather than earth-shaking.

The increase in stock price is more a matter of the market seeking any sign of hope than it is of faith in Palm. I had used Palms for years and got tired of waiting for something new: I am not returning.

MaggieScratch · 01-12-2009, 01:26 PM

I love my Treo and I'm excited about the Pre as nobody tops Palm in PIM functions, which is one of the main reasons I use my Treo.

sUnShInE · 01-12-2009, 01:57 PM

Does anyone have a handle on what this actually going to street for? I'm seeing everything from $199(doubtful!) to $499. My contract is almost up, and I am in need of a new toy.

tompe · 01-12-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sUnShInE

Does anyone have a handle on what this actually going to street for? I'm seeing everything from $199(doubtful!) to $499. My contract is almost up, and I am in need of a new toy.

The latest rumour was $199 or $149 with contract and $499 or $450 without contract.

tompe · 01-12-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

I love my Treo and I'm excited about the Pre as nobody tops Palm in PIM functions, which is one of the main reasons I use my Treo.

But you will probably not be able to run old Palm applications on the Pre. So it will be interesting to see what happens with the software. I also miss the PIM functions on my old T5 and I especially miss DateBk5.

tompe · 01-12-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radleyp

can each afford only one crutch; it is not a world phone (no GSM);

There will be a 3G/GSM variant and probably directly since they need it for the non-US markets.

01-08-2009, 11:34 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	New Palm OS & Phone Debut at CES After years of being behind the power curve, false starts, and major market share losses, Palm has introduced yet another new operating system for cell phones and related devices. Called webOS, the new OS described as task oriented rather than application oriented as other current competing cell phone operating systems are. Concurrent with the new OS Palm is also introducing a new cell phone called the Palm pré available in the first half of 2009. The heart of the new OS is the simplified developer interface that requires only CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to develop applications. In short, there are no new programming languages to learn and almost all of the hardware is directly accessible through JavaScript. The announced Palm pré has all the features expected of any modern Smartphone and will transition between communication sources such as Sprint EVDO and 802.11 b/g to ensure the best possible signal reception. The nearby picture of the new phone shows a very readable area for books. My first MobileRead eBook experience was PalmDoc on an old Palm OS equipped Samsung cell phone. This looks like the first real advancement since then. Unlike some other prior Palm announcements that depressed the stock price, share prices rose 35% after the latest announcement. If the early enthusiasm is well founded then Palm is back and a viable alternative to Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry. Additional information is available from ars technical and Yahoo Financial. A Palm video of the pré is available here. More information at the Palm website.

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01-08-2009, 11:39 PM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	I've seen everyone freaking out on this. If the price isn't incredibly prohibitive, I think Palm will have scored. Their stock went up 35% today after it was announced.

01-09-2009, 01:55 AM	#3
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	So far it looks like they've hit a home run. It was the bottom of the ninth down a run, and they may have tied up the game. But with potential to steal the win out of nowhere. I, for one, had become quite disillusioned with Palm's ability to innovate and move forward to compete effectively. I never imagined that they had this in them. I'm sure there will be gotchas, but I'm equally hopeful that this first device is named "Pre" (or is that the codename) because it is only the preview of what's to come later. Making it (apparently) easy to create and sell apps even more than makes up for lack of compatibility with previous Palm apps in my mind. I was wondering how they were going to get a suitable app base and developer interest. They may have just done that. And if they let developers keep a nice majority of revenues for sales at the app site, then there is all the more reason to develop for Palm's new OS. The announcement is not the finish line, but it looks like they are still in the race after all. I was wrong - Palm still has it. I like what I see, and might even have to ditch my plans to get a WinMo device next. It's again a very exciting day, finally, in the smart phone world!

01-09-2009, 03:54 AM	#5
Seabound Steerage Class Posts: 711 Karma: 505995 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pacific Northwest, USA Device: Won't fit here anymore, see sig for a list of liseuses.	I'm happy to hear that Palm seems to have gotten back its groove. I do hope they're back.

01-09-2009, 05:50 PM	#8
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I still use that same Samsung cell phone powered by PalmOS 4.5. I did have a Palm Centreno; however, I returned it within the 5-day grace period. Currently I have both Mobipocket and PalmReader/eReader working on the phone -- this allows me to keep two books active at the same time. Even if only one-half of the new features work as promised, it will be a major step forward for Palm. One of the comments from CES by an iPhone owner was that the new Palm phone made his iPhone seem old.

01-09-2009, 06:59 PM	#9
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I have been spoiled by the high quality of the e-ink display on my Sony Reader and I wondered how well the new Palm pré screen would compare. Using data from the MobileRead Wiki for the Sony and the Palm site for the pré, the Sony is a 150 mm (6") screen of 90 mm by 120 mm with 600 x 800 pixels or 480,000 pixels over 10,800 mmsq for 44.44 pixels/mmsq. The pré is an 80 mm (3.1") screen of 50 mm by 62.5 mm with 320 x 480 pixels or 153,600 pixels over 3,125 mmsq for 19.15 pixels/mmsq. This will be a very easy to read screen.

01-12-2009, 12:19 PM	#10
radleyp Evangelist Posts: 499 Karma: 20623 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: North Salem & NYC, NY Device: Kindle Global, iphone4, ipad	To me this is nothing but a blip on the screen. Palm has dillydallied for years while Nokia/Apple/Microsoft have been producing. So the question is, who needs this and doesn't already have a working smartphone? As has been the case with Palm of late, the Pre makes little sense: it is really a smartphone mainly, while smartphones are a far less significant part of the market than music/video players; the network chosen is Sprint which is regularly ranked the worst among the major cell companies, suggesting that the two came together because they both need help, like two people leaning on each other because they can each afford only one crutch; it is not a world phone (no GSM); it won't run current 3rd-party apps unless some developer (other than Palm) comes up with an emulator. Of course, it has improvements over existing smartphones, as it is coming on the scene later and can build on others' experience, but those improvements seem incremental rather than earth-shaking. The increase in stock price is more a matter of the market seeking any sign of hope than it is of faith in Palm. I had used Palms for years and got tired of waiting for something new: I am not returning.

01-12-2009, 01:26 PM	#11
MaggieScratch Has got to the black veil Posts: 542 Karma: 2144168 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Device: Kobo Aura One, Kindle Paperwhite 2	I love my Treo and I'm excited about the Pre as nobody tops Palm in PIM functions, which is one of the main reasons I use my Treo.

01-12-2009, 01:57 PM	#12
sUnShInE Drama Queen Posts: 784 Karma: 11712 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: United States Device: Palm Tungsten T\|T3	Does anyone have a handle on what this actually going to street for? I'm seeing everything from $199(doubtful!) to $499. My contract is almost up, and I am in need of a new toy.

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