Access, owners of the Palm OS now known as Garnet, have released a version of that platform for the Nokia Internet tablets N810, N800 and N770, providing access to the thousands of Palm applications still out there. The release is a free download, and prominently labelled ‘beta’, but can be installed alongside the pre-installed Linux-based OS and run when needed. Users are invited to report applications which work, and any that don’t, but Access is promoting the software as being able to run 30000+ Palm OS apps.
OK now that really kicks azz. I may have to pick up a old N770 just for this, should run PalmOS with ease. Anyone got their hands on it yet?
What would have been even cooler is to dual boot an old N770 with maemo and garnet lol. But this does somewhat solve the problem of no real PIM apps on the N770. It looks to be windowed mode. Would be nice if you go get it to stretch something like DocsToGo to full screen for the nokia, would make it quite the multi-function device.
Being able to run PocketTunes means it can even function as a valid windows media device for music services.?.maybe
Edited 2007-11-14 20:21
Actually, the task list and calendar from this site aren’t too bad for basic use:
http://gpe.linuxtogo.org/
I can’t wait to see if I can get Datebk3 or Datebk4 to run on my 770, though. And Parens. And Yahdice! 🙂
Edited 2007-11-14 22:05
Yeah I used to run Opie and GPE on an old Ipaq 3835 I had, worked ok, but nowhere near as good as just the standard palm tools, and having hotsync support is icing.
I see a checkbox for Fullscreen on the options, if this can run palm aps at full screen it would be pretty wild. I have an old Tungsten T3 which could do the scaling on the fly, so i guess its possbile that the Garnet apps could just scale out to fit the screen.
If its fast and works well, I might pick up a N800 really soon. Anyone have a N800 handy to test it out for us?
Already running it on my N800.
Initial Screen – is a list of “installed” Palm apps with VM management buttons down the right; Launch, Configure, Install, Detete (a separation), Hotsync, Settings.
Launch starts the selected app which starts the actual PalmOS “desktop”.
Configure applies to the selected app so you have to config each app separately unless you can select multiple apps. This includes setting the apps specific memory allocation, Palm version theme and “screen compatibility”. The Palm version theme doesn’t seem to have much effect yet and I haven’t looked at what screen compatibility is supposed to do.
Install and Delete apply to the apps listed and are self explanitary.
HostSync will be getting tested once I sync my T5 back up to my win32 boot as it’s been a while. It appears to connect into the sync software through a network connection though.
Settings apply to the VM back end specifically and let you set the storage size with maximum of 64meg (first setting I changed). A fullscreen checkbox seems to either display the palm desktop virtically with the rest of the wasted N800 desktop covered by a background image (checked) or the same background with the palm desktop 90 degrees (There is no pivot button like the T5 and Lifedrive – yet?). Background solid colour and a background image selection are also set here.
The VM seems to run rather nicely for a version 1 beta though only includes Address, Calc, Date Book, Memo Pad and Prefs. Prefs only offers Date/Time, Formats and General tabs. Once you start any of the apps with the Launch button, your into the running Palm desktop and can use the standard applications button (the little house) to get the standard apps listings. The button to hide/show the input area becomes available or hidden based on the app your. I mention that last bit because it through me off a moment ago when it disappeared after opening Prefs.
… and Keygen, marsclock, pTunes, Bonsai, Convert-IT (no convertIT for the Nokia natively yet), Bluefiles, bluejacker, BtChat, btSerialPro, Dialer, iDomains, PalmVNC, SMS (If I can rip it out of the T5 OS), DiceMan
Did I fall asleep and wake up at Christmas? This has to be the best news out of the blue I’ve had in months. I’ve been slowly migrating from the PalmT5 to the N800 for months now and the one thing that was keeping both devices in my pocket was all the addresses and calendaring I have on the Palm with no equivalent on the Nokia.
GPE is great but it needs to evolve a little further. Phonedialer I’ve yet to see work between the Nokia and my phone. Other Bluetooth apps have no equivalent on the Nokia yet including SMS send and recieve out through the phone’s Bluetooth. Oh man, I have to see if the PalmVM has bridging too the Nokia’s hardware.
The first thing I did after installing the .deb was boost the VM’s storage up to 64Meg so I’ll be collecting a nice long list of bugs too send in as I make the final migration off the T5 hardware.
Thank You Access.. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.. This may very well unlock the years of data stuck in my T5 once I get over the initial news and can think more rationally again.
This is quite a surprise. Just to bad that this is just a Garnet emulator, and not their new Palm/Linux hybrid that runs natively on the Nokia tablets.
I agree, though it does pose an interesting chain of events. they have a VM that runs on Maemo > the new platform is linux based > how hard would it be for them to port or make available the new stuff from ALP running on Nokia hardware. The hardware isnt any different from having the treo 750 hardware run windows & linux, except this is linux & linux.
I suspect that the VM has a lot in common with the VM that will do the legacy emulation in the new Linux based OS, and this is largly to work out some of the VM compatibility bugs.
Exactly. They’re getting free bug testing on thousands of apps that they could never seek out and test individually by themselves. Smart thinking.
They gave us a gift and most people I know will happily return the gift in the form of requested bug reports.
Let’s hope they don’t cut off supply of the VM once they get the bugs ironed out and include it into the new PalmOS. That would just downright suck and earn them a lot of ill will from the community.
Looks like something to be used long term. It’s the program they are using to run the old apps on ALP, which lends me to believe that maemo and the ALP must not be too different under their skin.
If this runs ereader pro and mobipocket I can kiss my z22 goodbye.
See ya Palm, it’s been fun.
I was quite underwhelmed when I tired this on my N800. Then again, it’s a beta release so hopefully it will improve quite a bit before the final release.
Speed is decent for the older stuff I’ve tried (I’m going through the games and other apps on my IIIc and seeing what works and what doesn’t). Then again, I’m comparing it to the aforementioned IIIc and an m105.
My favorite calculator Parens fails. 🙁 Gotta report that one.
However, Calcul-8! (another good calculator) works!
MicroFluxx, Hearts, Rally 1000, Casino4Wireless, Yahdice, and Cribbage all work. The Casino doesn’t seem to have any sound, though. Bummer.
Lockbox works. Password storage time.
I’d say this is a promising start.
It installed without a hitch on my Nokia 770 running OS2006 3.2006.49-2.
..I found last might that I can use pTelnet 0.61 in the Garnet VM to log into remote hosts using the 770’s Wifi connection. Nice. Networking is available to the VM.
pTelnet can be found here:
http://netpage.estaminas.com.br/mmand/ptelnet.htm
Why I would *use* a Palm network client at such a low resolution when the 770 is 800×480 natively is a bit beyond me, though, but it was fun using Pine on a little 40×24 screen. 🙂
Some screenshots from my 770 running the Garnet VM in fullscreen mode:
Main VM screen:
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot00.png
Running VM fullscreen showing PalmOS desktop:
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot01.png
VM running Casino 4 Wireless:
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot02.png
VM running old B&W Hearts game (animated cards):
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot03.png
VM running Calcul-8! (nice freeware calculator):
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot04.png
VM running pTelnet and connecting to my ISP in the Twin Cities. 🙂
http://www.visi.com/~rsteiner/palmshot05.png
w00t!
Edited 2007-11-15 15:50