PalmOne ponders OS options (News.com) [LWN.net]

The palmtop hardware company PalmOne, which recently split off its Palm OS subsidiary PalmSource, is considering the use of Linux (and Microsoft) operating systems on its devices, according to this article on News.com. "Using the royalty-free Linux OS would enable PalmOne to reduce the costs of building its handhelds. By how much is not certain, but analysts estimate that the company currently spends anywhere from $5 to $15 per device for the Palm OS, depending on the price of the gadget."

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PalmOne ponders OS options (News.com)

Posted Nov 4, 2004 16:07 UTC (Thu) by havoc (guest, #2261) [Link]

I'd certainly consider buying another Palm if it ran Linux, and let me actually do stuff. KOrganizer/Platform Independent (KO/pi)? Perl? keyboard? Sharp has certainly failed to deliver anything to the Linux community or their users. There's very little brand loyalty there.

If Palm can give us a usable Linux AND the traditional Palm usuability to that Palm users enjoy, they'd have a winner in my hand!

PalmOne ponders OS options (News.com)

Posted Nov 4, 2004 16:14 UTC (Thu) by havoc (guest, #2261) [Link]

Sadly, after considering the article a bit, it looks like it's just another ploy to negotiate lower prices from Microsoft. Oh, well. It was fun to dream.

PalmOne ponders OS options (News.com)

Posted Nov 4, 2004 17:15 UTC (Thu) by mmarq (guest, #2332) [Link]

hmmm... worst,it seems PalmSource is scheduled to be terminated... sooner or later...

"PalmSource also faces stiff competition from the likes of cell phone giants such as Nokia, which is backing the Symbian OS for smart phones, and, obviously, Microsoft with its Pocket PC Phone Edition and Smartphone operating systems."

Microsoft is desperately trying to do with the CE world what it has done with the Desktop... and never have lost so far an opportunity to get involved with a *in difficulty* competitor and take them into ruin.

Real time caracteristics and smaller footprint caracteristics are urgently needed to take CELF out of it's lethargy.