Wireless Archive

Macslash reports that handheld maker Palm announced today that they were no longer going to develop Palm Desktop for the Mac platform, freezing the current version as their final. UPDATE: PalmSource today introduced Palm OS Cobalt & Garnet, previously know as Palm OS 6.

Ignore the comments about the value of Psion shares: concentrate on what Psion is going to do with all the money it got from selling its interest in Symbian. The answer is probably: "Linux portables" but we'll find out later this year for sure.

Move raises the stakes in Nokia's rivalry with Microsoft as the two now control cell phone software. Top mobile phone maker Nokia moved Monday to take control of the world's leading cell phone software group, Symbian, drawing a line in the sand between the Finnish firm and rival Microsoft.

PalmSource plans to announce next week a revamped operating system strategy in which it simultaneously develops multiple versions of its software aimed at different parts of the market for smart phones and other devices. The new PalmOS incorporates some "ideas" from BeOS, according to Nagel.

In the steps of OSX's QuartzExreme, freedesktop.org's new X and Longhorn, PalmSource seems to be seeking an engineer to take on "responsibility for a new high-performance graphics system, based on OpenGL and Postscript." According to this bit of information it might be safe to assume that a future PalmOS will be basing its UI on GL.

PalmSource's CEO David Nagel faces questions about his claims that the company is in talks to license PalmOS to SonyEricsson. The handset manufacturer has flatly denied any such talks are taking place. SonyEricsson would represent a major win for Nagel's PalmSource licensing operation.

Several readers submitted a ZDNet UK story in which head of PalmSource mentions that they may be interested in making a lager, laptop-sized device. There's more on this, and some commentary, at NewMobileComputing.

PalmSource said the next version of the Palm operating system for handhelds will offer improved multitasking and graphics capabilities.

A article over at NewMobileComputing asks whether 2003 is the "year of the laptop." It seems that the tide has turned, and laptops are powerful and cheap enough to be most people's main computers, and wireless networking is certainly a killer app. Also at NMC, a look at GSM vs. CDMA, wearable computing influencing fashion, and a 3D laptop.

A Singapore-based company claims to have created in operating system for mobile devices that can run software created for Windows, Linux, and Palm platforms. Called MXI, the OS "performs a sophisticated form of emulation that enables the non-native program to perform as smoothly and quickly as it would on its native OS." It also includes a server-based component for connected devices that allows the heavy lifting to be performed on the server side. I'll file this in the "I'll belive it when I see it" folder.

Today at NewMobileComputing there's a feature article about a prototype Wireless LAN-based open alternative to traditonal woreless networks. There's also some info on Palm's OS marketshare, a PalmOS 6 preview, and a $299 Linux PDA.

Sony Japan has uncovered the CLIE PEG-UX50 - the first Palm OS 5.2 device to support both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth out of the box, also packing a landscape display (480x320) and a digital camera. Check the report and 4 images at Infosync. Web browser used is NetFront 3.0 (specially supported by OSNews).

Symbian PLC will outpace Microsoft Corp. in the market for cellular phone operating systems, reaching double the market share in 2007, a research firm said Friday. Symbian, a software consortium formed by handset makers, will have 5 percent of the market in five years, with Microsoft coming in second with 2.5 percent and Linux third with 2 percent, the Probe Group, Cedar Knolls, N.J., said. Get more mobile computing news on our sister site, NMC.

PalmSource is working on a new operating system called Sahara (PalmOS 6) that the company hopes will make the Palm OS more useful in corporate settings, Chief Executive David Nagel said Wednesday. It is expected near the end of the year.