Ed Hardy on Palm for Linux or Is Palm falling back into the same pattern again...?

Ed Hardy over at Brighthand (Click on the title to take you there) remarks on the lackluster reception that Palm for Linux has received. He was able to talk to someone on the Palm Hardware side and did not hear of any support for Linux, but for the Palm OS. He surmised that they will support Palm OS Garnett (The current rendition) but may not support the Linux version.

Obviously, this is not a good sign. With the exception of speed, which must accompany any change incorporating a Linux based platform, Palm appears to be hell bent on staying with Garnett. Now let's face it, Garnett has poor multitasking power, crashes at the sight of integration with a web browser; hangs during some bluetooth connections and is power unconscious when using 802.11 b.

Additionally, Garnett is not capable of really dealing with NVFS (Nonvolatile file system) or Fat-32 systems very well. Plug Garnett into a Lifedrive and you get the weakpoint for the operating system magnified to 4 gigs. The 4 gigabyte of storage is held nearly useless when the memory is addressed by most software programs. You access the drive's data from within a program at your own risk. Storing files, ie. movies, documents etc is fine, but accessing them is not without playing Russian Roulette. You have to transfer the files to the internal memory, but can get away sometimes with transferring them to an SD card (ultra preferred) without crashing. It is not a hardware glitch, it's GARNETT! The present operating system is not used to having files change their position on a drive - in this case. It is used to an orderly distribution of files that it can read and expect to read with the memory locations staying static. This is the real problem with the Lifedrive and now the Tungsten X and the model preceding it. This was so problematic that the Documents-to-go program that came preinstalled on the Lifedrive had nothing but trouble attempting to access and save files. A solution taken from the Tungsten X had to be employed. However, this was not brought to the forefront by Palm.

These file issues can be best addressed by using a Linux platform. Apple has shown that moving to a Linux platform (OS X) was unbelievable for the desktop and since Palm appears to be moving in the same direction, I would think that this will hold true for the Palm. When one considers that Linux is an underlying operating system, the possibility of running PALM OS on top of Linux would appear to be a simpler task than reinventing the operating system from scratch. It would offer better compatibility and lead us into the next generation of products.

Without Multitasking, I find it difficult to understand how Palm plans to excel in the handheld phone arena without an operating system that can multitask. The main task of course for the Treo line would be to stay on-line and look up addresses, documents etc and possibly get on the phone. Picture this scenario:

The busy business person receives a call while in the car with their bluetooth enabled Treo. A document is needed in the office immediately for a presentation. The individual stays on the line, finds the document in Documents-to-go or my favorite Mobi Office and accesses either EVDO, GSM or other fast network access (while remaining on the phone via bluetooth) to send the 240k document. The document is received and the individual closes all connections.

This scenario requires a number of things:

1. A fast processor. Intel has been solving that problem. The Lifedrive is a good example.
2. Good battery life. ie. Low power consumption.
3. GOOD MULTITASKING ABILITY.
4. DUN.
5. An operating system compatible with 1-4.

We currently do not have this. Garnett will be slow and cumbersome if we were able to do the above at all. This is why Palm needs to move along and stop living in the past. I wholeheartedly agree with Ed on this point. The new "Q" from Motorola is about to change everything. It will be running Windows Mobile and the reviews are already quite strong from those who have used it. Palm can ill afford to sit around believing that Garnett will save it! I believe that Palm has gotten a little lucky on the Treo front. They have a device created by Handspring and have perfected it to the point that mainstream America has caught on. More importantly, business has caught on and are switching from RIM to use it. I believe that there may be some reluctance by Palm to rock the boat. Here they have a device that everyone has come to know and love. Unlike the consumer market where many would not mind the change, the business world prefers stability. However, stability at the expense of innovation, speed and convenience may not be in Palm's best interest.

As a Professional who depends upon Palm, I think that I may be one of those people to whom Palm is worried about rocking the boat. However, I must say that improvements need to be made and quickly, especially for those of us in the health profession. I have chosen to accept the Lifedrive as a stage 1 development, but if the same issues occur in Lifedrive 2, I will not be so polite. I would venture elsewhere, despite my reluctance to do so.

Palm has shown that they are capable of innovating. The original Palm Tungsten T was a dramatic machine. I have tears in my eyes thinking about the very first time I set my eyes on this machine. It was slick, small and powerful. This type of innovation can be done, but Palm needs to accept the challenge and stay ahead of the competition. I love this company and I want to see it succeed.


Emotionally and Unabashed,

LDD.