Editorial: A Bad Quarter or a Glass Half Full?

I think by now everyone has heard the news given by Palm Inc. The company reported revenue of $349.6 M with an earnings loss of ($0.09/shr), with much of it blamed upon Verizon not fully approving the Treo 755p. Worse, the company guided lower, expecting $310 M in revenue for the next quarter and a ($0.14/shr) loss in earnings, even worse than this quarter and worse than analysts expected.

I think that many may have looked at this quarter and said okay, it's a slip up, but not Palm's fault. But the problem becomes worse when you consider the quarter preceding this one was not so great either. In addition, the reported numbers are actually worse than what Palm had predicted. Additionally, there appear to be major problems that seem to continue to reoccur.

There is a possibility that with Elevation Partners now involved in the company, the company could be engaged in getting all of the bad news out as soon as possible. Some companies excel in doing this. If you get the bad news out for 2-3 quarters, then it's easier to make comparisons going forward. Next year, Palm would only have to break even ie. earn 0.00 cents/shr and this would be looked at as a great success, compared to this year. Amazon was notorious at doing this during the internet boom.

One can look at this with a grain of optimism and hope that the company is getting out all of the bad news as it develops its new Linux operating system. The Palm Centro, which is basically losing money for the company would appear to be doing what it is supposed to do: Get the Palm name out there to as many people as possible. If Palm can be seen as being Cool, that may play a very good role going forward. Add nothing too outlandish on the Centro and you leave the door wide open to introduce a basic Linux phone, without losing anything going forward and leading the way to a decent upward cycle.

So, was the $9 dividend (effectively pricing this stock at around $14), really given to appease the shareholders in the company? I would have thought that this kind of money could have been put to better use, such as R&D, without having to fire employees. Additionally, one would have thought that management would have known that the share price would drop in accordance with the dividend paid, laying the groundwork for the company to possibly fall to that disgusting $1.00/shr marker that can lead to delisting.


Questions Abound.

So, what is the word on the new operating system? Will an SDK be released so that high profile companies and hobbyists alike can get a handle on the system before it comes out?

The obvious question as to whether this company really understands that other companies have caught up to them is still not known. Mr. Colligan believes that people are still clamoring for a Smartphone. He may be right, but they seem to be migrating to the Blackberry and Symbian solutions.

More confusing is the following turn of events over the past few years:

1. Divide the company into a software/OS and hardware component.
2. Buy back the Software/OS component.
3. Sell the Software/OS component.
4. Start a new Software/OS component to complement the Hardware development team.

5. Advertise and announce future OS6.
6. Give presentation showing OS6.
7. Never release OS6.

8. Announce the Palm Foleo.
9. Advertise the Palm Foleo.
10. Spend millions announcing Palm will not release the Palm Foleo due to .......OS5.

11. Call for funding from High Profile partner.
12. Give most of the funding as a dividend ???????


I have to be honest. I don't get it! I really love this company. But I just don't get it! I am not a business major and that's probably why I don't get it, but a lot of money appears to have been wasted.


The Future?

In addition to the above, the fun of the Palm device seems to be waning. People are now looking at the SDK in January from Apple as some sort of Holy Grail. If it comes out and suggests significant ease of use, particularly if the company integrates Widgets into the device and/or there is significant migration from companies such as HandBase, Dataviz or Mobisystems then I am afraid that this could be lights out for Palm.

If you look down a few articles where I wrote about the SDK for Apple, you will see a response from a very unlikely source --- EPOCRATES. They are salivating at the chance to get the Apple SDK and will probably put out an Apple version of the program within months of the release of the SDK......While we continue to wait on Palm Linux!

I am not certain if management is looking at the competition, but getting two past Apple executives is a start in the right direction, but just making your phones/devices look good may not be the only solution. You still have to answer to your core audience. Design is still a major solution though and would probably be welcomed in the "real" Treo line.


The Future of A New Machine?

I was discussing this situation with a few physicians today and we began thinking about whether Palm is setting itself up to be taken over? We thought about a likely suitor being Apple, with the two Apple executives already on board. It would seem a good fit, but there would be questions about syncing with Windows and Apple. We then thought about whether Mr. Colligan, in his glowing accolades aimed at the two Apple executives, given during the latest earnings report, may be stepping down and going back to doing what he has done so well - hardware development? Handspring made brilliant devices, but unfortunately ran into financial difficulties, not so different from what we are seeing today. It could be that the strong points of Mr. Colligan and Mr. Hawkins are more related to development. Could the Apple boys take over the company? We then thought about the unthinkable! A Microsoft buyout! That would probably be the worst thing of all! It would be the final nail in the coffin. Don't get me wrong, I like Microsoft, but the Windows CE system is cumbersome and slow. With the exception of the Lifedrive, when I turn on a Palm Device, it is just "Turn on and Go." I would really miss that. In addition, it would really spell the end of an era.

What is known right now is that Palm needs to make a change and the fact that the company is involved in a major turnaround may be interrupted if the competition delivers the fatal blow leading to a cry of "too little, too late." I will be watching the Apple SDK in January/February, I really think that this may be a telling factor. But I am "addicted" to the Palm OS and would like to continue to use it more out of loyalty and love, but also because it just works.



LDD.

Lifedrive II: Oh What might have been!

I had the opportunity to peruse a few web sites looking for Lifedrive information and ran into PDA24/7. They held a competition a while ago, requesting input as to what the Lifedrive II would look like. The winning entry is remarkable.

Shaun McGill who runs the site has been a fantastic contributor to the Palm lifestyle and really ran a fantastic contest. The winner Peenut really captured the imagination of many of us. This would have been a great device. Who knows, perhaps with Linux, we may still see it come to fruition.

Pop over to Shaun's 24/7 site, you will not be disappointed. Meanwhile salivate at what might have been:


Image from www.clieuk.co.uk/forum and PDA 24/7.

Click on title to take you to the original page and to view much higher resolution pictures of this masterpiece. Remember, these are renditions and not real, as far as we know.

LDD.

The Kindle - Amazon's Apple Emulator

I had the opportunity to see Jeff Bezos' presentation of the Kindle today, the new e-book reader. I have to say that it looked a lot like Steve Jobs doing a presentation. Everything down to the $9.99 price tag for most books.

The pricing seems akin to the $0.99 per song download price for songs on iTunes. More importantly, it may be the tipping point at which many of us would consider buying an electronic device to read a book. The price point is significant because most ebooks are actually overpriced, with poor screens and poor battery life. Sony's version of this released earlier this year should have been very successful, but it lacked an important element- the ability to be a stand alone product. One needed to use a computer to download content and then use a cable to bring that content to the reader.

Amazon has gone one better. In a really great move, Bezos has created a device that will use the cellular EVDO, instead of cables or wifi to download all of that content. It is estimated that 90 seconds is all it will take to download a major hardcover. Added to this is the ability to subscribe to newspapers and have those delivered to the device. This looks and sounds incredible. Bezos has also included the ability to download blogs and apparently includes a rudimentary browser (this needs to be confirmed). The price for all of this wonderful online activity: $ 0.00 ! That's right, Amazon will have the consumer fund this activity by paying to send emails or messages at $0.10 per message. Seems fair to me.

And that's not all! Bezos has included audio, so that you can also download Audiobooks to the device and listen when ready. There is even a keyboard present for annotation.

This looks like a really interesting device. One that could hold a plethora of material, but of course the negatives have to be entertained: For example, can you download a book that is not from Amazon.com? Can you upload your own ebooks? Do black and white illustrations display in high resolution grey scale (very important for Anatomy and Pathology). Is the ebook completely proprietary (ala DRM???). How heavy is the device? Will the price come down from $400. Can you place other content on the device, apart from ebooks?

But even with the negatives, this seems to be a step in the right direction. If the price can be lowered significantly, I really believe that this will be a winner, particularly for those of us who like to read a lot. I personally thought that ebooks were dead! But I think that a push in the right direction from a company as influential as Amazon may turn this around. Additionally, I have to say that whereas the Sony Reader seems to have been something made by Scientists, the Kindle appears to have been made by Readers. It has all of the simplicity of an Apple product, without the annoying worries about technology. Who would have thought that EVDO could be used for "free" to distribute content? And no set up or connection fees!

Having just completed Dr. Doolittle on a long plane ride two weeks ago on my Lifedrive, I really think that I will take a look at this product in earnest. It is a shame that one device cannot do everything, but the Kindle may rekindle the separate product theory. Mmmgh, now if only Palm could do something................


LDD.

=== ADDENDUM:

Just learning that the device has the ability to import PDF's !!! This is almost a dealbreaker for me. I have been looking for something that can import a PDF file and read it fluidly, without hiccups. Why? Well, most of the medical journals come online in pdf format. Ditto, many online CME bulletins that I never have time to read or put somewhere that I cannot remember. If I can have a single repository for all of these, in a very readable format now that would be interesting. I would be willing to pay ~$200.00 for this but not $400.00. Bring the price down and you've got me !

LDD.

Whoa! FREE PEDIATRICS TEXTBOOK

Whoa! Stop the presses! Could this be correct? Well, as I perused the Universe looking for a Pediatric document, I ran into this web site. The University of Hawaii's professors have put together an online Textbook with questions and answers at the end of each chapter.

If you are a Family Physician, Midlevel provider or Medical student looking for some basic information in regards to in-hospital or outpatient Pediatrics, this is is a wonderful online source.

So confident is this group that they have made the hefty document available online in a Word document and pdf file format. Or can you say "Lifedrive compatible" and "iPhone compatible" file respectively :) ?

The data is spot-on, at least for many of the basic cases. The interactive introduction to a case, followed by a detailed response, with a basic medicine lesson taught in the interim, is especially nice. To top it off, there is a question and answer session at the end. Very Socratic!

I think this is a great addition to any Palm Device. It would fit perfectly in a Treo with either Documents or Mobi Office attached.

Kudos and many thanks to the professors at the University of Hawaii for sharing this wonderful gift. It is obvious that a lot of work has gone into this and making it available for everyone is truly wonderful.


LDD.

Will the Apple SDK spell trouble for Palm?

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel across the country. I was not surprised to see the large amount of cell phone devices at airports. It seemed as if no one has the ability to remain unconnected; as though the need to stay on top of things is paramount to one's very existence. What did we do before cell phones?

But the smart devices, well they are the more interesting gadgets. Yes, there was the iPhone which seemed very interesting, but I had the opportunity to see some other devices in action. The Ericsson P3i model was interesting. I was able to get my hands on one at the airport and it really looked and felt good. The Blackberry line was also interesting.

Not to be left out, I took out my Lifedrive and ran ran the eBook program and started reading Dr. Doolittle, a novel that I had started about a year ago on a family vacation. It was interesting and I got through about half the book without interruptions. But then I ended up watching a movie and an episode of House. It was then that I realized how versatile my Lifedrive really is. Not only could I read an eBook, watch a movie and a TV show, but I can then leave both of those and run Documents, Spreadsheets and medical software.

Then I got to thinking. With Apple announcing that they will open up the iPhone in January or February, will this bode well for Palm? In fact, will this bode well for Microsoft and its platform of devices? If you suddenly have a device that has the best screen known on any portable device, coupled with the speed of program access and seamless phone and web access, along with a built in music player; now adding an SDK for developers to port popular programs such as Epocrates, Documents, PDR, Harrison's, various medical calculators and suites, PDF's and other software, what would stop thousands of health care providers migrating to the Apple side, buying either the iPhone or iTouch?

Throw in an ereader with black ink on a white background and you just might have the perfect device. Obviously batteries are a concern and if Apple decided to make iPhone II with removable batteries, then this could spell trouble for Palm. As soon as I see the first medical app for the iphone, with very little utilization of memory, I will know what is happening. I think that we will have to see how this pans out, but my guess is that the small entrepreneurs are the ones who will be doing this first. A simple OB calculator to begin with and the next thing you know, it's an iPhone Medical Suite.

Palm must come out with its new OS soon if they are to prevent the migration of providers and customers to Apple.


LDD.

Something I have always wanted.....

One would have thought that Palm would have come up with this first. But no, It's our friends at Apple again. A company by the name of Life Record, with offices in New Mexico, has produced a fascinating program to run on the iPhone. It is probably the best medical use of a portable device that I have seen in a long time. It is actually taking this whole thing to a different level. Watch the video below to see.

(PS. The Gallbladder comment is actually a stomach bubble. Probably an I-T executive producing the video, but it doesn't take away from the experience)...The bar has again been raised:

Centro -- ooh, aagh... Shiny :).

I have been looking at this device lately. Unfortunately it is on Sprint and therefore not something that I can readily purchase. However, what I would like to know is if this device comes to the GSM world, will Palm make an unlocked version? And if Palm does, will they still charge $99.00 or something ridiculous, such as $300+?

I think that this makes the biggest difference for the most part. For $99.00, this is a fantastic machine. A Smartphone, with a decent operating system and features. I also like the form factor. It is small and obviously appeals to the younger crowd, which is something that I am certain the designers at Palm are happy to have pointed out to them.

But would it be good for a Physician? I have not had the opportunity to play with one of these yet, but the more I think about it, the more I think this thing could have some corporate or medical uses. The camera can take pictures, so a lesion can be photographed and immediately emailed or uploaded. The form factor is just right. It could fit in a jacket or even a shirt pocket. The ability to use this device, along with another Palm device would be nice. ie. Use the Lifedrive for the "big" stuff and the Centro for the "small" stuff, while keeping the phone books the same. You could decide to bring the Lifedrive one day and the Centro the other. In addition, having a telephone which has the same phone layout as your Lifedrive is priceless. Akin to Apple keeping its users in the same garden.

The expandable memory, using the SD card could prove to be a deal maker. If software can run from a very fast SD card, then you have the equivalent of a "mini Lifedrive." So, I will be looking forward to reading about first impressions of the device. For me, I have finally decided that I want a device that does work. I am not interested in watching movies or listening to music on it. If it does this, then that's a plus. But the iPod does this in a way that I find difficult to beat. I want something that is stable. Now, if I can get all of this goodness in a small form factor and a ridiculously low price of $99.00, then it is something that I will have to look into.

To me, I think that Palm has made the right move. They have chosen the Microsoft approach, which is not a bad one to take. That is, make a utilitarian machine and undercut the competition. Subsidize it if you have to. Then put tons of apps for free on the machine. Keep the press busy and in no time you have ADOPTION. Your inexpensive device is suddenly everywhere. Centro becomes a verb and people wait for the upgrade or the next machine above it.

It looks as if Palm is thinking again!

LDD.


Addendum: Comparison photo of the Treo 680 and the new Centro, courtesy Palminfocenter.

Asus EEE. There is a buzz out there.......

With the exception of the iPhone, I don't think that I have seen this much excitement about a pending device in quite a long time. The Asus EEE series seems to have drawn a lot of attention from tech bloggers and techies alike.

However, despite the release of several data sheets, many of them contradicting each other, there appears to be some discrepancy in regards to the device itself. And Asus isn't really helping to set the record straight.

The release date, the final price of the machine and its actual specifications are all debatable.

The most recent news on the device came earlier today from the reputable Engadget. The entry level model, described in an earlier post, is now $260 (EEE PC 700), up from $200 a month ago. The high end model will apparently cost $400 (EEE PC 701). The specs listed below, from last week's post, appear legitimate. However, the speed for data being run and actual clock speeds are still up in the air. With so much uncertainty, I am beginning to wonder whether Asus is now terrified that the product will not live up to the hype and/or whether they ever expected this much response and enthusiasm from the public?

Still not clear about what all the buzz is about? Well take a look at the video and the expected specifications. You will notice that the machine supposedly has the ability to run Windows XP (I presume in some limited mobile edition) and some version of Linux. And don't forget, wireless access, onboard ethernet, a built in camera/microphone and usb slots !!!

While you look at the video, don't forget the size of this object. It is quite small and comparative images are provided. Could this be the Lifedrive Replacement?

Video Courtesy, www.hispazone.com






On this site, www.umpcfever.com more specifications are listed. Again contradictory, even though this one comes directly from China at a Chinese Expo (Compudex 2007) featuring the Asus:

specifications of EEE PC 701:
Display：7〃
CPU & Chipset: Intel mobile CPU & chipset
OS: Linux/ Microsoft Windows XP compatible <------- +LDD+ UNCLEAR IF XP MOBILE.
Communication: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet; 56K modem
WLAN: WiFi 802.11b/g
Graphic: Intel UMA
Memory: 512MB, DDR2-400
Storage: 4/ 8/ 16GB Flash <------------ +LDD+ ENGADGET REPORTS 4G as the top end.
Webcam: 300K pixel video camera
Audio: Hi-Definition Audio CODEC; Built-in stereo speaker; Built-in microphone
Battery Life: 3hrs (4 cells: 5200mAh, 2S2P)
Dimension & Weight: 22.5 x 16.5 x 2.1~3.5cm, 0.89kg

And here, embeded, you can see the Asus in action at the Expo (courtesy of www.umpcfever.com):






Of note, Engadget published that the high end model would be 4 gigs of storage (today), while the above mentions 16 gigs. Again, pure controversy. I think that it will be interesting to see what comes of this. It really looks like an interesting machine. I would really like to play with one in the wild.

More video of this quite stunning machine and notice how the specifications and price are different (granted this was an earlier video and news story):




Courtesy, IDG News Service


And finally, you can pop over to the official Asus website for a flash based presentation. Cheesy, but it is worthy:

http://eeepc.asus.com/

LDD.

Competitors for Lifedrive Replacement

So, I am currently looking for alternatives to my tried and tested Lifedrive. Having put up with resets and the finicky software upgrades and lack of stability, I have decided to buy an additional device.

I have had no interest in purchasing the Foleo, although it did appear interesting at first. The $500 price tag, along with the monicker, "Mobile Manager" reminded me of the "experiment" that was the Lifedrive and how I would be holding onto a version 1 product.

While I am looking at purchasing a Palm TX to hold for another two years, I have had the opportunity to look at some other devices. A few of them appear very interesting, but not altogether pragmatic:


Pocket Surfer by Clove Technology

This looks like an interesting device. It is available in the UK only unfortunately, costing ~$360.00 with an annual payment of ~$70 per year for GPRS internet access. GPRS is not the fastest thing in the world, but $70 per annum this looks like a very nice device. There are no monthly payments and no pesky startup fees.

However, the device just surfs the web. And you have to be within GPRS range, something that iPhone owners are beginning to find, is not such a simple task. Nevertheless, the 152x75x15mm dimensions should make for a pleasant surfing experience, sans the delays.

For more information, particularly for those of you across the pond, you can go to Clove Technology's website here.


Palm Treo 500v

Palm's latest offering is only available in Europe right now, but will be here soon. It is one of the few devices from Palm that does not offer a touchscreen. It will use 3G, coming with a 2 megapixel camera, 256mb ram (150mb available) along with a MicroSD slot and Bluetooth 2.0.

Missing, is of course Wifi. Also missing is the processor speed, which was not readily available. It appears to come in two relatively "cool" colors -black or white. The size appears to be a little smaller than the iPhone, but it is not as thin.

Unfortunately, we are still stuck in time with Palm OS 5.0, when it eventually comes to the US in the Palm version. Otherwise, the European version appears to be sporting Windows Mobile. Additionally, for me anyway, I don't think that this will be the device that will let me break my current calling plan. The iPhone, came very close.....

Of course the main advantage of a device such as this is the ability to stay within the Palm network of software and hardware compatibility. Additionally, when the 500P with the Palm OS finally comes out, it will be tempting to buy a unified device. Nevertheless, I understand that this will only work on EVDO - Sprint's network. Mmmgh, perhaps a longer wait for an AT&T version?

Sammy Mcloughlin over at PalmAddicts, has posted PATV 116. It is a quick videocast on Youtube showing an out of the box demo of the product. You can see it below.

You Tube PATV 116




The Asus EEE

This is something that you have got to see to believe. I think that it is possible the Foleo may have been pulled after seeing this device. It appears to be about the same size as the Foleo, but it has a lot more going for it. First of all, it has removable memory. It will be released next month in the U.S. with either a 8GB or 16GB flash hard drive. Depending upon where you read, it will either come with Linux or some form of Windows XP. I have even seen some people posting that it may run OS X.

It will use an Intel Mobile CPU (probably the Pentium M found in IBM Thinkpads). It will have a webcam 300k pixel. Again, there is some controversy as to whether it will actually carry for 3 hours or longer, but it will use a 4 cell battery and weigh 2 LBS !!! Size: 8.9 x 6.5 x 0.82 ins. It will also (as if it couldn't get any better than this) have 3 USB Ports, 1 VGA out, an SD Card reader, Modem, Ethernet, headphone out, microphone in all with a 7 inch display.

I had the opportunity to check out a few bloggers who are also salivating about this product. Apparently ACER has also put in a Palm-import tool in their main desktop software on the device (Courtesy Mike Cane's blog). What this means is anyone's guess. But why are people salivating? Because the cost of all of this goodness is somewhere between $199 to $250 !!!! That, my friends, is about the price of a brand new Tungsten TX. You bet I am looking into this one and keeping up with all of the news about it. It appears to be an amazing little machine. There is apparently a lot of buzz about this device coming from a few good sources as well. Check below.

Asus Eee first thoughts

Additional Hands on

A real Geek perspective (opened)



LDD.

More Short Blurbs from Across the Lifedrive Universe

Rummaging through the feeds, here are a few tidbits from around the Lifedrive universe. Included are a few off topic news stories:


Foleo II ??

Alan Grassia runs a blog called Foleofanatics and seems convinced, on account of some interesting wording in emails sent to people who are currently beta testing the Foleo, that we have not heard the end of the controversial product. Apparently they have been told to send the devices back to Palm, but the interesting statement in the email read, "...A Foleo II will have different hardware..." leading to speculation that Palm is not about to abandon the current device.

Perhaps an increase in Ram, SSD memory and more features might be in the offering. Perhaps Palm will just pull out all of the stops and 'just go for it!' Max it out with as much technology as possible and hit the ball out of the ballpark. Interesting read.



Changing User Name on a Lifedrive without a Reset

A question asked on the Palm board recently requested this over the weekend. The solution can be found here: Solution ID #24485



Business Week trashes Palm

Business Week, has seen fit to predict the demise of Palm Inc. Although many good points are made about the company, there appears to be no redeeming value in the article as it rehashes the developments already expressed in more interesting blogs (ie. Engadget, Palmaddicts).

My take: As long as Apple continues to use web based apps, instead of native apps, I will not be purchasing an iPhone anytime soon. Additionally, several medical apps run natively on the Palm Pilot. I cannot exactly migrate somewhere else that easily.



Screenfreeze and lukewarm batteries.

Over at Palm's own forum, there are some interesting thoughts on the lukewarm battery issue and the freezing of Palm on a single screen. Interesting reading, but even more interesting answers.



Society of Teachers of Family Medicine now want money for Shots

Well, last year, I wrote about the Shots program crashing dismally on the Lifedrive. However, I thought it was a super database program that gave excellent information FOR FREE. If you decided to use the version of the software that contained the pictures of the diseases, your Lifedrive would crash, but if you just ran the No-Pictures version, then you would be fine.

Well, it's no longer free. It appears that Skyscape is now at the helm, still using STFM to drive sales of the 2007 updated version for 14.99 on Palmgear.com

Is it worth 14.99?



Non Touch Screen Treo 500v runs Windows.










LDD.

Emptying the Pantry

Well, I have not had a lot of time to blog lately or post interesting articles. However, I do have a few articles that I wrote during the year but for one reason or another did not publish. So, I have labeled them 'Emptying the Pantry.' Some of these are a little dated, ie. March or April, but some are timeless. The first, listed below, is a comparison between my iPod and Lifedrive. A brief update on the article is warranted. I now use the iPod exclusively for multimedia matters. The Lifedrive has become too unstable to do anything productive on a multimedia front.

Second, Apple has not completely moved away from the Hard Disk drive, surprisingly, although I think that we may be seeing the last of the iPod Classics this time around.

On other more recent matters, the Foleo? Well, I think that there has been enough written by people who are much more knowledgeable than myself on this subject, so I don't think that my 2 cents are worth it. Right now Palm can almost do nothing right! I really hope that they improve over the next few months.

A special note to everyone in the Palm readership. You must, I repeat, must go to Mike Cane's exquisite series of articles entitled, The Palm Foleo Disaster Part 1.
& Part 2. (Part 2 is a lot better as it shows significant comparisons between Handspring and Palm and suggests that Palm's underlying mantra of keeping things simple which made it so successful earlier, may in fact be holding it back today and stifling innovation).

In regards to the Lifedrive itself, well I am actually looking into purchasing a Palm TX - It seems to have been well tested by many out there. The latency of the Lifedrive has finally approached my last nerve. Additionally, my infrared transmitter is acting up. I have given some consideration to setting up a solid state 'drive' but the more I think about it, the more it appears to be more of a side project than something that I seriously want to keep critical data on.

That of course leads to the question of the blog. Should I keep the name of the blog if I change devices or wrap it up? Your thoughts on this subject --- priceless.

LDD.

Emptying the Pantry: First thoughts on an iPod and my Lifedrive.

*** This article was written on April 11, 2007, I forgot to release it. It was written before the new iPods were released last week. ***



So Christmas was a good time of the year for me. I received an iPod and was somewhat concerned because I have been relatively happy with my Lifedrive for all of my multimedia needs, particularly podcasts.

However, after using my iPod daily for 3 months now, I cannot believe how I have been able to live without this device for so long. The Lifedrive is no comparison to the iPod when it comes to multimedia. There are a few positives that make the Lifedrive worthy, but the advantage in terms of simplicity is something to behold.

First of all, iTunes is an unbelievable piece of software. Unlike some of its predecessors, such as MusicMatch, the iTunes music player is not a collecting ground for spam nor does it burden you with having to make categories and editing.

What is nice, is the fact that all of your podcasts are located in a podcast aggregator in iTunes, thus several very good medical podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis, are easily updated without my having to go to the websites to download them. The old episodes are immediately erased from the iPod once they have been listened to or I can change the rules in iTunes.

There are small nuances with the iPod itself. First of all, when the headphone is pulled out of the iPod, the iPod pauses, so you do not miss the podcast or song that you are listening to. To add to this, the form factor of the entire ipod series is essentially flawless. It is easy to carry, light and aesthetically pleasing.

So, how does this compare to the Lifedrive. Well the Lifedrive cannot match the iPod in physical weight. It is a heavy device that is tempermental. But it still has a lot going for it as a multimedia device. First and foremost, it is not tied down to one piece of software for its multimedia data. In fact you can obtain multimedia data from just about anywhere that can store something on an SD card or wirelessly. Secondly, it can play many more formats of movies and even podcasts without being converted. The addition of a 4gb SD card means that you can use a usb/sd card combo (see my previous writings about the card that I voted as the best Lifedrive gadget/software accessory for 2006) anytime and any place.

Picture storage on a Lifedrive would have been excellent if Palm had remembered to release the promised stand alone Memory Stick convertor for Sony cameras. It was one piece of vaporware that never made it. The SD card memory cards are quite good and the Lifedrive software does a good job in transfering that information to the device itself.

Of obtaining data, the Lifedrive excels beyond the 5th Generation iPods in that movies, readable data, music etc. all have three entry points for download. Accessed via the wireless web, data can be obtained via bluetooth, infrared or 802.11. The latter being by far the fastest method. There is also the SD/usb card option mentioned above. This is something that is quite adorable in the Lifedrive and has saved me on many occasions. The Lifedrive, like the iPod can also be used as an optional USB disk drive. BUT I CAUTION YOU NOT TO DO THIS. You will invariably run into a reset loop when you return to run your normal programs.

What of crashing? Well this is where the iPod has been overrated. You may remember many months ago I posted an article wishing for Apple to make a PDA because of the fact that Apple knows how to utilize the memory etc., without causing crashes. Well, I would like to take all of that back! The iPod does crash! But it crashes silently. The iPod doesn't do resets, in the true sense of the word, during song or movie playbacks. No, it will do it when you turn off the device after watching a movie or rummaging through several playlists. When you turn it back on, you are met with a dark screen. You almost swear that the device is broken, but looking very closely, almost requiring a tilt of the screen is a small silver Apple Logo in the center of the screen. What's going on? A silent reset that takes about 15 secs max for a 30 gigabyte iPod. It's almost predictable. However that is acceptable given the Lifedrive's woeful 3-5 minute soft resets, which often occur during critical moments. The question here is whether this blip in the Apple device accounted for the reason why Apple may turn to complete flash memory as they appear to be doing. See the iPhone and Nano series.

So, it all boils down to what you want to do with a device. As noted by Ed Colligan, the Palm CEO, the company has recognized many of the mistakes that have been made and they are taking a page out of the Apple playbook by using Linux (Apple's OS X and presumably the iPod and iPhone are running various versions of Unix) for their next offerings later this year. But let's not forget that the Lifedrive was meant for not only multimedia play but for serious use, ie. Spreadsheets, Database entry etc. and the Multimedia wizadry is something new for them. Apple has not ventured into the Handheld arena since the Newton. But they have learned and I think that Palm will take into account the need to get rid of the Hard drive solution and venture to the flash memory option to save battery life and provide a good user experience. For now, the Lifedrive remains a distant second when compared to the iPod, despite the many on-paper advantages that it has, including its own set of speakers. The out of the box quality and attention to detail and user experience appears to be in Apple's favor right now.



LDD

The HTC and the promise of Palm Innovation.

Palm has stopped innovating. It is sad, but true. I saw a patient today who had an impressive device sitting on the countertop. It was the HTC S710 telephone. If you haven't seen it, you should! It reminded me of a thing called innovation that was once synonymous with Palm.

I must say that I was impressed with the form factor of the HTC S710 model. The sliding keyboard is spectacular. I am reminded of a time 5 years ago when Palm introduced the Palm Tungsten T. The slide is a gentle spacesaver that is both neat and practical.

If I did not already have a relatively decent telephone -nonsmartphone- I would definitely consider purchasing the HTC S710. However, there was a lot to learn from the product and I got to thinking about what Palm could do to get back on track. This is obviously a fanboy article, but what can I say, I love Palm and I really don't want to see them fail.

Although the HTC S710 model is a thing for sore eyes, I noted a few things about the device, as I was allowed to use it for a few minutes:

1. It is a SmartPhone with excellent features, including a microSD slot (something the iPhone lacks).

2. The keyboard slider is practical. First, I have stubby fingers. No, I'm not fat, cherubic or plump, but my fingers are a little longer and wider than the average Treo-user. Thus, I cannot hit the keyboards in a manner that is time saving on the Treo. On the HTC, the keyboard is near perfect. The keys are spaced appropriately and the tactile feedback is good. No, not as good as a regular keyboard, but not as "click-happy" as the Treo, which feels as though you're pressing a switch with each 'keystroke.' However, I did not like the 'space' button which was awkwardly placed at the side. I kept reaching for a nonexistent 'space' bar.

3. I viewed the picture viewer and the 2 megapixel camera and I must say I was very impressed with the quality. The sound quality was equally impressive.

4. The downsides are a little obvious. First it's running the clunky and slow Windows Mobile. Although it's updated from WindowsCE, it is not an intuitive ride at all. It does have 'bindings' to Office, but even so, it doesn't feel like an extension of Office. Nevertheless, being able to sync up to Office is a plus. I did not get the opportunity to port and open documents, so I cannot discuss this aspect of the phone.

5. The obvious problem again resides in software. I am still "hooked" on the Palm experience and most of my software is not portable to the Windows Mobile Platform, although 75% of the mission critical data is. That being said, I would have loved to have seen this thing running the Palm OS.

So what does this have to do with Palm Computing?

Well, notice that I have essentially steered away from the iPhone hysteria since January when the device was announced. There is nothing to add to the madness that has gone on since the speech and the release -- however, I have been floored recently by two incredible pieces of software for the iphone ----gOffice and Telekinesis (Google them and see). Obviously, with news out today that the iPhone may begin adding full OS X supported apps, this is obviously a work in progress that will see numerous software updates along the way. But I digress........

The future is touch screen, something that Palm has had cornered for years. The future is also design and efficacy. Something that Palm has now lost. The analyst meeting of two years ago reflected this, when the CEO stated that the company would concentrate on Smartphones. And of course, who can forget the term used for the $500.00 non rebate Lifedrive -- an Experiment!
Additionally, looking at the Treos, I have not really noticed any great leaps in even the hardware that sets this device apart from its earlier predecessors. The 600 looks eerily close to the 650 etc. Perhaps the 680, with its dab of color is a little different, but typing on the device feels the same.

I would have to say that Palm's insistence on just doing Smartphones created a rift within the Palm user community. Those of us who did not want a smartphone were left in the dark. I was squarely based on the side of those not wanting an all-in-one device. I have since come around, since the battery life issues are now slowly going away. But one reason for my not purchasing a Treo was simple: Screensize !!! How could I give up the incredible visual real estate of the Lifedrive to go back to a small screen on a Treo? And then there was the memory problem. Up to the Treo 650, the company insisted on giving just 32mb onboard Ram. This has since increased with the introduction of NVFS. But it is still too small for what we want our Smartphones to do today. In my case, textbooks and memory intensive Data programs such as Mobisystems Database or Spreadsheet programs. Load a picture or video and look for a soft reset in your future endeavours.

What the iPhone and the HTC products show, is that there is further room for tweaking. Palm is already ahead of the game. If they can just put it all together with their new lineup - including a killer OS - this could be innovation at its best.

Perhaps something has been overlooked in this entire discussion. It is not just about innovation. It is about competition. I believe that the Tungsten T was designed as a direct result of Sony's incredible innovation. Who can forget the Clie's? These were works of art. Palm's OS continued to pose problems for the device at times, but I was always stunned when I saw one. Built in software management, music players etc. One physician that I know kept his entire life on one of these things. Let's not forget about Handspring. It was the competition that produced the Tungsten T. With no appreciable competition in the handheld space, innovation died!

Now, with the advent of new players, perhaps Palm could team up with Apple and Google and make a product that would introduce standards. For example, let's face it, PDF documents are here to stay. No matter how many new "standards" try to come and take its place (ie. Repligo). Apple has recognized this and supports PDF NATIVELY. Even the iPhone can read PDF documents. So why has it taken so long for Palm to do this natively? They have depended upon third party developers to do this. This should be something already embeded in the OS. The same holds true for .doc files. This should be inherent in hardware. Yes, I know, there are different types of .doc files, commensurate with each iteration of Microsoft's Office, but it would be a start. We would save battery life.

Innovation! That has been Palm's credo from its inception. Even if the Foleo doesn't deliver upon its promise, we are still looking at a company trying to innovate. Even if I became angry at the $500 experiment, they were still trying. However, the company has apparently stopped innovating. It is now time for this company to step forward and create a truly brilliant device.

Give us a sliding keyboard and I will purchase a smartphone (with a new OS of course).
Give us a stable operating system; an elegant and attractive formfactor (something small is better) and I will shout from the hills.

I have not lost hope, even though I have grown impatient. I am happy to see a few of Apple's people joining Palm. This could spell a period of true innovation. We will have to wait and see.


LDD.

Updating and trying new software and celebrating Timothy Allen.

Over the next few weeks, I will be updating my software catalog. I am salivating at the prospect of using a fully functional Native PDF program. I am going to try Dataviz's Documents (DTG) v. 10. I am still using version 7 at the moment. Or I should say that I have it stored on my Lifedrive, because I really don't use it at all, in favor of Mobisystems OfficeSuite, which I still believe is one of the best suites ever written for the Palm Operating System. So why change? Well, I could never really delete Dataviz's DTG without causing significant instability on the Lifedrive. Despite my complete hatred of the program (v 7.0), I always had to leave it on the device, taking up valuable memory.

I was unimpressed by Mobisystems' last offering of OfficeSuite. Not much had changed from the previous version and worse, they left the native PDF app to an outside company, Metaviewsoft. The product was buggy and never failed in causing a soft reset on the Lifedrive. Not to mention the product was originally a beta product to begin with. I really began to lose my admiration for Mobisystems after that, so I did not upgrade. But because of my dire need for native PDF files, I am going to give Dataviz another try. I have not read any reviews on the product from Lifedrive owners. And since Palm will not be releasing a solo handheld machine, ie. Lifedrive 2, I will have to make do with this one for now and see if it will not be temperamental with the upgrade.

As I write this, I am tempted to also update Mobisystems OfficeSuite. The usual upgrade cycle for this product is in July and I popped over to see that they are now releasing an upgrade to OfficeSuite for $9.00 which will include native Powerpoint presentations. They have also improved the GUI of the Excel program. It looks quite pretty. So, over the next few weeks, I may try both products out. By the way, I also noticed only a small mention of the PDF program, which is still being run by Metaviewsoft. de. It is a far cry from last years rave about the product. Anyway, I will see what Dataviz has to offer and see if they have finally solved the PDF dilemma on the PalmOS.

Additionally, it has been a long time since I have seen an update to HandBase. A lot has changed since version 3.00 and I am looking forward to using this product again. I am steering towards this product for the encryption capabilities. Additionally, they have some nice Form features that are lagging in Smartlistogo. I still have a few Handbase files that I use religiously, but I have not really tapped into the encryption capabilities and the forms. I am still in love with Smartlistogo. I love the desktop application and the simplicity in writing database apps. However, Handbase seems to offer a lot more, including the ability to write an app and run it natively from the launcher. Mobisystems Database has similar functionality, but it is not as useful. However, I still find a few cumbersome minutiae in Handbase that originally compelled me to go somewhere else. The nickle and diming of features is still going on. If you want to do custom wireless printing, you have to buy another applet for 19.99. If you want to do ODBC, you have to buy it - 99.00 for the Enterprise edition. Plugins ie. Treo camera plugin 9.99.

However, it is becoming clear that Handbase continues to be the Medical Standard for databases. Hence, I will be going back to it for a little while, porting all of my apps written in Smartlist and placing them in Handbase. I will (eventually) put them on the web site. I've "beta tested" the smartlist apps for over 3 years, so I know that they work. So I will eventually share them.

Additionally, per my last article, the need for portability is high. Both Smartlist and Handbase have data that is portable to a WindowsMobile or Symbian device or translated into Access data, should the need ever arise. Yes, after 10 years of being with Palm, it saddens me to say that this is something that I have to even think about. It's just not right, but success in anything is based upon having a Plan B. Stay tuned......


LDD.



Addendum:

And finally, on another note, I want to go out on a limb and put to the test a few old programs from a time gone by. In particular, I would like to highlight one developer who has offered free software since 2003 on Palmgear. His name is Timothy Allen. He has a few wonderful OB programs out there but I have not placed them on my Lifedrive, due to the NVFS platform. However, I will be trying out some of his programs in the next few weeks. Several updates have been made recently and I think that this should provide some stability to the device. If you're interested in seeing Tim's work then go to PalmGear.Com or go here .

You can also directly access Tim's website at http://www.fppda.com/ This is really quite good and you won't be disappointed.


LDD.

Thoughts on Legacy Programs

Tonight we are learning of a further delay in the Palm survival machine. There are many out there acting like vultures as Palm circumvents shutting down. News reports opine on the injection of millions of dollars from an outside company, mainly to thwart a takeover of the company. Surprisingly, much of this is to be used to fund a special dividend. I guess I am in healthcare for a reason! I totally do not understand why any company that is having problems, would use VC money to fund stockholders or to just give a white knight more shares. Somehow, I imagined that this money could be used for R&D. But again, that's why I do what I do and the guys in suits do what they do.

So, while all of this is going on around us, I am left to think about the obvious. Whether or not Palm is acquired, becomes bankrupt and disappears, continues on this lukewarm pattern or excels beyond everyone's wildest dreams, there is something that will definitely happen within the next 24 months: We will have a new operating system!

Given this fact, it becomes a daunting task to imagine what will happen to mission critical software that presides on the Palm device. I ran an inventory check this weekend on just such a scenario and concluded that I was in good shape for any revision. I calculated that I had only 25% of my programs containing mission critical or non-mission critical data in formats that were unrecognizable by any other software out on the market now (...and yes, I had to include Microsoft's Windows CE/Mobile, just in case....).

However, one of the programs, SplashID is one that will need to have me purchasing the desktop version, just in case there is no operating system to use it on with the Palm. Naturally, a company such as SplashData is conscientious about its customers and I believe that it would only be a short period of time before they came out with a solution to this scenario.

Other programs, including several pregnancy programs, would require me to obtain other alternatives. However, most of my data is included in programs that already have SQL type properties and their data is easily converted into .csv or .txt files for entry into Excel or Access or Filemaker (Mac) or other database formats. Thankfully, these are my mission critical apps, where encryption for patient safety and ease of use come together. Without the possibility of portability, I would be in serious trouble.

Programs to seriously think about purchasing if you require Mission Critical databases and small programs are listed below. These programs save data in such a way that it can be ported over to another system, should the need arise:

1. HandBase.
2. Smartlistogo.
3. Database by Mobisystems.
4. Office Suite by Dataviz.
5. Office Suite by Mobisystems.


Software that may be tricky in this department:

1. SplashID. Although there are several ports of this program, I am uncertain whether they are all interchangeable ie. Is the key file useable on Mac, Windows, Palm, WinCE/Mobile?

Software to be really concerned about:

1. Proprietary formats for database files. There are a few pregnancy and inpatient programs that save patient files in a proprietary format. This will not port very well to another system and could become a major issue down the road as Palm upgrades its operating system.

2. Old Software. My old favorite, PregCalc would probably be obsolete. It was written during Palm OS 3.0 and it still works. But any migration to Linux without emulation, would probably see it vanish. Nevertheless, Nagel's rule is so pervasive and mathematical equations don't really change, it would only be a matter of time before the program was recreated. Same holds true for the truly tested MedCalc.


Bottom Line: Look out for Proprietary Formats as Palm begins its upcoming upgrade cycle. If at all possible, when thinking about database files, consider compatibility with Microsoft's Access and Excel standards. That way, no matter what operating system or Office Suite rolls around, you will be ready. Additionally, ensure that any backups of database files that you make, include two additional versions, particularly for spreadsheets ---- .CSV (Comma delimited), .TXT (plain text) and if possible, .XML. The latter provides some nice layout functionality, but is not as critical as the first two.

Additionally, in database files, always look out for relational fields when backing up the files to the above formats (What's that? Well, they are fields that are often calculated fields or fields that will only show up if something else in another field is present). These fields have a tendency of not always showing up when transferred to .csv, .txt and .xml and sometimes will only work if the database or excel file is very similar to the handheld version.

These are strange times and we must be prepared. I think it is only reasonable to think about the best and worse case scenarios. Whether or not this company survives, I have become dependent upon their hardware and software. Should Palm fail in its endeavours, there will be hundreds of thousands of health care workers walking around with Palm OS devices with mission critical data. This data will need to be ported to alternative systems. In addition, all data will need to be recovered, at least for the lagging 12 months. Conversely, should Palm succeed with a new Linux device, the same would hold true for porting the data to the new and improved 'next best thing.'

If you want proof of this, ask me why I'm not buying Apple's latest little machine?



LDD.



*** Addendum:

PalmDoc who runs a really wonderful blog Palmdoc Chronicles (palmdoc.net)
has informed me that Splashdata's SpashID main file is transferable to the Windows CE/Windows Mobile platform. A few others have stated that with the desktop version, this is also transferable to other platforms as well. This is very good to know. I really like this company. At first, I thought their products were a little expensive, but overall, the quality and consistency has been there for all of their products, not to mention support (However, I was at a loss when I did not get a reply in regards to the original question). But we can all rest assured that SplashID is transferable.

Thanks again PalmDoc.

LDD.

Linux Delayed.

Engadget is reporting tonight that Palm has again delayed its Linux launch. Citing sources close to Ed Colligan and Brighthand, the report claims that new devices containing the now eagerly anticipated Linux Mobile operating system will not be made available until 2008. Additionally, any new devices, such as the suspected update to the Treo possibly in November, will contain Garnet OS 5.x.

There are no words left to describe the let down that this is causing. Personally, I feel left in a state of undescribable pain. I have a Lifedrive that has seriously outrun its course. It is painstakingly slow and I have given up on using it as an entertainment device - leaving that to an iPod. However, as a mission critical device, I have no choice but to use it and it is lacking - Mainly on account of speed, but also on account of reliability. I cannot really add new software to the device without wondering if it will upset the memory and crash. I was hoping for some sort of emulation in Linux to resolve some of these issues. However, it looks as though Palm is going in a totally different direction now. Perhaps the days of the single function handheld are gone.

I wouldn't mind using a dual functioning convergence device now (I have slowly gotten used to this concept), but it would have to have a larger screen and possibly a pull out keyboard - Not to mention something better than OS 5.x as its operating system. Additionally, it would absolutely have to have at least 2-4 gigs of memory and of course be solid state. Legacy programs may be a problem going forward, as they were with the Lifedrive, but I think adaptation is the key to this.

So, a not so happy day for us in Palm Land. We will have to wait for further developments.


LDD.

More on the LifedriveCF, Linux and a taste of Numenta.

Perusing through the Lifedrive Universe, I ran into a very interesting comparative video put out this weekend by PDAColombia. Here they compared -side by side- and running simultaneously the Lifedrive in its original format running with the Lifedrive CF. The most striking difference was the reboot times. There was an obvious advantage with the CF drive, taking about 1/2 the time to reboot as the harddrive version.

However, some apps appeared to run at the same speed and load at the same times as on the hard drive. That was very surprising. Overall, the Lifedrive CF appeared more robust and appeared to be faster on most counts.

For me, this video is a Godsend. I may in fact wait until October/November when the Linux based Palms hit the shelves. I am still debating whether to buy one, not wanting to be a part of the first adopter or bleeding edge candidates who purchased the Lifedrive. But if the price of the Lifedrive - used preferably - comes down, I may buy one and hack the daylights out of it.

PDAColombia.com video

Pdacolombia videocast 10
Uploaded by pdacolombia

Palm Linux



I have also spent some time this weekend over at hack&dev to see how the linux project is coming along. Those guys have made great strides. However, I am begining to wonder if they will curtail their project now that Palm will be supporting their own version of Linux. But you should pop over there to see some of the incredible strides that they have made with OPIE.




Linux Development on Palm.

Linux on Palm Screenshots.


Numenta

Okay, for the ultimate geek weekend, I spent 90 minutes listening to Jeff Hawkins, the founder of Palm giving a lecture on Hierarchical Temporal Memory: Theory and Implementation. First of all, I was really impressed by Jeff Hawkins' incredible mind and ability to comprehend not only the anatomy, but the inner workings of the brain. In addition, I truly admired his ability to stand up to some of the world's most distinguished Neuroscientists and Neurologists. The grilling that took place following the lecture reminded me of Grand Rounds given once a week, when a complete review of a case was done. It was one of the most chilling aspects of my life many years ago, particularly if I was involved in the case. If I was as knowledgable and confident as Mr. Hawkins, I probably would have saved a few shirts from the puddles of sweat that encompassed each of these grillings.

So, why was I listening to this lecture? It was not purely to learn about Hierarchical Temporal Management, which I found absolutely fascinating, but to get a handle on what's next at Palm. After hearing about Numenta, I am convinced that the project coming out in November is not what everyone has been writing about. Numenta is not a machine, but a thought process which attempts to emulate the brains' thought processes through non-static, mobile "guesswork" that dwarfs our thinking about events. It is preemptive. It is akin to thinking about a sequence of numbers and colors before they have been produced. It is akin to knowing the difference in texture between velvet and carpet. Some of the guess work appears to involve appointing memories of other objects and things and interpolating them to come up with what you are holding in your hands. A real life example would be putting out your hand and having someone tell you that you are about to feel a cup filled with hot cocoa. You already have a preconceived notion about the scent of hot cocoa, the ceramic feel of a cup, the warmth involved and the visualization of the cup, such that when it is placed in your hand you can translate it to mean: Warm cup of Cocoa in hand. All of these things are involved in making that decision. Numenta appears to be about trying to emulate these thought processes to come to these conclusions.

One can see quite readily that this has the potential for a lot of DoD type stuff: Face recognition, object identification etc. Mr. Hawkins has stated that the early project will involve food/recipe recognition to start with. There appears to be some semblance of software out on the website to experiment with Numenta for now.

I suspect that it would be possible to have some form of recipe program just placed on the next Palm Project without much fanfair or discussion just to see how this works. Given the fact that Numenta (let's call it a program for now) works on Linux and Mac OSX, I think that the new Linux device will incorporate this well.

What this lecture did for me was to give me an idea of where Jeff Hawkins is heading. I am not certain how this fits into the Palm ecosystem, but I do foresee something along the lines of Search algorithms coming out of this. Google has been the prominent search king for now, but if Hawkins' Numenta is capable of adaptive search strategies, we may be looking at a handheld device dwarfing Google's capablities. For example, say that you want to find a picture of a yellow lemon. With Google, we would have to place file tags on the picture. With Numenta, the search program would already know that it is looking for a picture and then it would have to analyze the picture, shapes etc to come up with the answer. The obvious problem - and hence the reason why I do not believe that this is something to get excited about in November (the expected launch date for the Linux Palm Series) - is that this would require tremendous computing power - way more than a Handheld can handle.

So, 90 minutes gave me some insight into the mind of Jeff Hawkins, but sheds less light on the new devices that will be running Palm Linux.




Bye for now.
LDD

(updated, thanks to Bryan :)).

Short Blurbs from Around the Lifedrive Universe

The following is a list of short blurbs from around the Lifedrive ecosystem:

(LDD) Slingbox support for the Lifedrive is still lacking. According to a report on Slingcommunity.com. Perhaps a moot point given the fact that many are dropping support for the device.


(LDD) Intel has essentially dumped Origami and will be focusing on a Mobile Internet Device. This device is smaller, with a mixed platform design and has a quick boot to Linux. This thing looks amazing. For full details, you can go to Intel's developer PDF site for the Developer Document entitled, "Intel Developer Forum: 2008 Mobile Internet Device Overview by Panjak Kedia and Christopher Yahna." Pay particular attention to page 6 to see that this is not Microsoft's UMPC. It is something completely different, faster and apparently Home Brewed for and by Intel. Could this be the Lifedrive replacement? This is a thing of beauty, at least on paper.



(LDD). Khertan, an avid developer, has released updates for Kmeteo to support devices such as the Lifedrive. I am not a user of this, but apparently many of you are. Khertan's website is here.

(LDD). For about a day, I saw a Lifedrive being sold online for $140.00, but it was promptly removed and the site appears dead. If anyone knows of a cheap one, I am in the hunt for one to tinker with. I want to install a CF card to see if there is any improvement in stability. Additionally, I wonder if Linux or OS X can be installed in one of these things?

(LDD). On a few blogs, the question of buying a new or used Lifedrive continues......

(LDD). Ken's vox blog is interesting. He actually owns a Lifedrive, among a host of other gadgets.

(LDD). The indefatiguable Mike Cane posts an interesting article on the Lifedrive and its, well..., obvious problems. But he does it with a twist, sending a blurb to Palm's new blog. Mike is unique, sometimes profane but unarguably honest. You always know where you stand. I like him because he is New York and reminds me a lot of my time spent there many years ago. An interesting read.....As always

(LDD). Interesting question over at Palm's Support site and my answer follows. The reader posted a question in regards to his Lifedrive jumping to the 4 gb newly installed SD Card everytime after a beep and exiting applications.

For others having this problem, you must ensure that you are using a PATRIOT 4 gb card. This is the only Guaranteed card to work in your Lifedrive. I have not had the opportunity to check out the Sandisk, but I would be pretty certain that this will work also (Also Transcend). Software wise, you may want to obtain a copy of Explorer. Also, unknown whether the user officially formatted the card when he/she placed it into the Lifedrive. That could be the beep. If the card reads any more than 3.8 gigs available when empty, then it was probably not formatted.

(LDD). In the better-late-than-never section, MP3PLAYER-review.com has posted a review of the Palm Lifedrive. It's a good review and worthy of a read. But my view is that if you plan on obtaining an MP3 player alone, the iPod has the Lifedrive for dinner. However the site appears to put together the reviews from several different sources throughout the year. Uncertain if this is a legitimate site or not, but it's included here. mp3player-review.com

(LDD). Reminiscing on what could have been. The Palm Infocenter initial review on the Lifedrive in May, 2005.

(LDD). Anyone installing Opera Mini on the Lifedrive? You may want to check out this forum before doing so. Personally, I prefer to wait for a few months before installing anything new on this temperamental device. Still waiting to install Palm Update. Yes, the luddite in me still says to wait. myopera.com

(LDD). Perusing the Lifedrive Universe brought me to this site: giveawayoftheday.com. Interesting software giveaway with forums etc. Appears legitimate. Review of Crystal2mobile done. My take, just use a copy of Apple's Quicktime or some of the free and low cost alternatives available. But the site appears to be well supported.

(LDD). 1SRC special entitled, "I hate my Lifedrive." I don't think I need to say anything more on that one. Very interesting article though. Released 4/4/2007, they are asking for comments. I think that those of you who own the device should go there and express your comments. You should also go to the Palm blog (See link at the blogroll on the left). They really are listening to us.

(LDD). David DeJean writes a very nice and interesting counterpoint to the above in his article in the prestigious, Informationweek.com .
In the article, he delivers a verbose response to Steve Jobs' DRM article; he talks about the Lifedrive as his sole MP3 player with easy upgradability. True, that is one of the strengths of the device. Mr. DeJean writes a wonderful piece in this regard, while having a go at one of our favorite heroes.

(LDD). I cannot believe that we are still seeing crashes from new software by developers on the Lifedrive. I would suspect that a crash in the Lifedrive is a crash in the Treo too, with similar operating systems. But on the iambic forums, there are details of iambics NextDay crashing. This post was written on 4/3/2007. It's now 2 years since the introduction of the Lifedrive and we are still seeing this sort of thing. Can anyone wait for November to roll around to see what Palm does with Linux? The iambic forums site is here.

(LDD). On a lighter note, I perused an interesting site the other day, The Gadget Pastor.
You guessed it, a pastor with a Lifedrive. And to really appreciate this, you have to see the picture on the web site. It is absolutely beautiful. A Lifedrive resting on an open bible with ambient lighting. Pop over to the site to see how he uses his Lifedrive. I found the site to be interesting and was really surprised at his vast knowledge of technology. Perhaps I'm naive.

And that about does it for the News from around the Lifedrive Universe.

Since I've been very busy lately, I haven't had a lot of time to post, but hopefully in the next few months that will change. Additionally, I have scrapped the idea of making a Lifedrive.net website, at least the big plans that I set out to do before October of last year. With Palm dropping the Lifedrive and my busy schedule as it is, the expenditure was neither cost or time effective. Additionally, I did not foresee that I would be this busy. Instead, I will be making a smaller website that will feature a few effective downloads of smartlists and other apps. I think that this scaled-down version will be much more manageable. It will probably be hosted on the Google test site that I have had up for quite a while now. If any of you have some contributions to donate such as smartlists or Handbase files or iSilo (which I will purchase and review soon), drop me a line --> Lifedrivedoc /at/ gmail.com. I will try to get back to you in a timely manner.
I prefer medical apps, but others are welcome.

In addition, thanks to all of you for visiting the Lifedrivedoc.com blog. I am truly appreciative for all of the support over the past 20 months. The time has gone by so quickly. A special shout out to Sammy McLoughlin for your endless support, Mike Cane for your kind words recently, PalmDiscovery and PalmDoc for adding the site to the blogroll. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.


LDD.

Open Letter to Mr. Colligan

Dear Mr. Colligan,

After reading about the Analyst Day Meeting today, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for listening to the users of your products. As a physician, I am certain that you are well aware of the extreme disappointment that was noted in the Palm community upon the release of the Lifedrive. Its inability to function as advertised, without causing soft or hard resets. Its lack of truly dependable apps and its lack of multitasking.

Your decision to entertain the Linux platform is both breathtaking and refreshing for those of us who have been, to say the least, underwhelmed by Palms' latest offerings. Your recognition of the need for multitasking; accurate and secure memory management; adequate battery life with reasonable use and the recognition of wifi enabled telephony is a true indication that you have been listening to or possibly reading some of the banter concerning these issues.

I am looking forward to your offerings later this year. It is important for your company to succeed and I admire the true grit to "go it alone" or at the very least to do it your way. You are to be commended, along with your staff for at least trying to be innovative.

I believe that I speak for many in the medical and possibly other fields when I state that the decision to leave the Palm platform is a very difficult one. It is also one that should not have to be made. If it is true that you will be creating a device that can act as a standalone PDA or possible phone, then there is no reason to leave Palm. Your meeting today has reaffirmed that you have not abandoned the PDA market and that you plan to stay around. This is a very important first step in keeping people such as myself using your products. As a user with mission critical data stored on your devices, it is important for me to know that you have not abandoned us.

Again, I and many others look forward to your next offerings and I thank you for your time.


Sincerely,

L.D.D.

Editorial: Palm For Sale. Thoughts on suitors....

Recently, the stock price of Palm rose about 15% over 5-6 days. I watched the stock on a finder that alerted me to its elevation. My palms grew sweaty as I pondered the possibility that a new device -hopefully Non-Treo - would be released; that perhaps someone knew something and the word was silently slipping out.

I guess, in my mind, I was hoping that Mr. Colligan had changed his mind in regards to abandoning the standalone pda market and that the Lifedrive demise was just a bluff, a smokescreen, a facade of sorts. Well, I was mistaken. It was a rumored buyout bid coming from all over the universe, at least according to the blogosphere --- NOKIA, MOTOROLA, APPLE, MICROSOFT, PRIVATE BUYER, IBM, SUN MICRO, GOOGLE......

I then again grew excited about the prospects. But only 3 of the above created even a shillings' worth of interest: NOKIA, APPLE and GOOGLE. And one, just about sent shivers down my spine.

The Nokia deal should have occurred last year, when the now quiet ACCESS software company from Japan won a bid to buy the software arm of Palm. According to a few published reports, Nokia was a prime bidder to buy this company. I would have suspected that they would have purchased the hardware arm as well, given the synergies. But, after thinking about this for a while, I began to wonder whether they would really want to work on a two pronged strategy to dilute the number one handheld operating system in the world - Symbian. They have excelled with Symbian, beyond leaps and bounds, even Microsoft cannot come close. Would they jeapordize this with a new software strategy or would they embellish their label by stepping up to the plate with new and innovative hardware models to run the PalmOS on. One thing is for certain, if Nokia had purchased Palm, the Software company, we would have had a product running either Linux, Symbian or Palm OS6 by December, 2006. We would not have what we have now. Additionally, I believe that OS6 may have been the driving force for the Nokia Tablet that became so popular. But just imagine what they would have done with reducing the Palm OS to fit on a tiny phone or some small gadget. So when I heard that Nokia may be the leader for buying Palm, I became interested again. What would they do with the company? Again, operate two operating systems? Possibly integrate Linux? The future still awaits this union.

Apple, of course is a cheerleaders play. It is also a geeks wet dream! The final union between the two greatest challengers to the industry leader, uniting for the common good. Of course, there would have to be a small, albeit facetiously sized, problem of getting an official desktop manager to work with Mac OS X. But the synergies would be incredible. First of all, the Bluetooth compatibility b/w the Mac and the Lifedrive (for example) is completely flawless! Perhaps there would be no need for a Desktop program and all Lifedrive major calendar and time programs would link to the real calendar program, iCal. Perhaps all linking of programs would work through-----iTunes ------ why not, everything but the dinner menu for next week seems to be saved there.

But of course, there are issues. iTunes serves as a datapoint for synching materials, but most of the materials being synched are really syncing to iTunes. In other words, an iPod is synching to iTunes with iTunes being the epicenter of everything, including the changes. The iPod does not allow writing to the device, unless it is linked in iTunes. Not so with a palm device, hence the keyboards etc. So, who controls what? It may seem a simple task to just change a few strings here and there in software land, but how many times have you made the mistake of synching something only to find that you have erased your Lifedrive's data, because the Destop-overrides-device button was on? Apple will have to get used to two way data storage. Right now, only the "number of plays" and "favorites" seems to be allowed on the iPod. This is not a simple software change, but a major one. Additionally, what would happen to all of the software vendors who wrote their programs for Windows to run with the Lifedrive?

The only good thing would be that programs that do not have a DESKTOP component, ie. A simple .PRC program with one or two .PDB files would be perfect. One can download to an iMac and then send the files directly via bluetooth. But trouble would ensue with other programs such as Epocrates, Documents to go, Smartlists to go, Mobidatabase and other programs that have a DESKTOP program. Those would have to be rewritten for the Mac, unless Apple decided to ensure that there are copies of both.

Let us not forget irony. Palm displaced the Newton. Will the Newton now displace the Palm?

The third interesting player is of course Google. We know today, as many of us have suspected for quite a while now, that Google is essentially teaming up with Apple to produce more products and services. Chills and shivers should start right about now! If you think about it, there are really only two publicly traded companies that could buy Palm and not even have it affect their bottom line -- Google and ....well, you know which other company that is. With Google in expansion mode, it would make great sense to expand into an area that would begin with Ubuntu and extend to the handheld. It is all about Linux. Since we now know that Linux is capable of being run on a Palm device, why not have Google stamp their seal of approval on it and keep the Palm OS going strong, while supporting Google products. Let Palm create the hardware and the operating system, be it PalmOS 6, 7 ...infinity-1, and let Google create the core apps, which of course run perfectly wirelessly.

For a true life living example of a core app with such functionality, check out Mobisystems Office Suite. Perhaps the greatest ever Office Suite made for a Palm device. It has a unique interface that is not only eye candy, but programmed for speed. It has an Internet Explorer type file manager and just to top it off, it even lists virtual directories. To add a drop of icing to the cake, you can save your files either on the Palm device or to a virtual device at Mobisystems. You can access the data 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Imagine now, that you extend Mobisystems base to more users. The gift here is that no one has to change operating systems or integrate old programs, it's already in place. But now you will have your Desktop running on any computer, Apple, Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, Solaris. it wouldn't matter, because Google has all of it on its server. All of your addresses, names, projects, games. All available for download from the server. As for email? No more complaining about Versamail not being able to do this or that. It's all on Google and you can use whatever you want to retrieve it, including Blazer or equivalent. And what about RIMM? Well, more shivering pants there. Because Google Mail would be able to alert you on your Palm, on your RIM Device or on your phone. While you are entering your data from any of these devices. As for compatibility, well you wouldn't be synching with a tethered cord anymore. So it wouldn't ever matter what you were running, as long as it could work wirelessly, you would be covered.

Google would be walking into a well developed company that would only enhance what it already has in place. Of course, what if both Apple and Google purchased the company? Mmmgh, we can always think about this sort of thing can't we? The aesthetics of an Apple device with the content of Google. Imagine the ability to write a document anywhere and have it always stored online or locally.

I think that these are but a few of the reasons that Palm can no longer do this alone:

-The advent of new technology.
-The hit from left field of the Motorola RAZR
-The yet to be released Apple iPhone
-Google's implementation of iCal
-Apple's potentially Market Dominating Widgets (more on this in a later article)
-The inability for the Treo to garner considerable ground in the wireless space
-The faux pas of the Lifedrive to be a commercial, if not High-End success

The tides are changing and the suitors are at the door. We know not whom, but we know now that with the hiring of Morgan Stanley to discuss strategic alternatives means that the vision of Ed Colligan, as stated time and time again last year is now culminating into a sad reality for those of us who have stood by the products of Palm for many years - The company cannot go it alone any longer. For those of us who have time and money invested in software and hardware that in some cases is mission critical, all of the excitement of a buyout and the mulling of the alternatives above, means little when one begins to sober up and see that this is the end of a great company. And more selfishly, it means a complete change of software and possibly hardware. For the past week, I have been hearing of several companies deciding not to write for the Palm platform any more. The rumor was that the Big One was buying Palm and everything would be running WinCe. Now we know that it is the unknown that is leaving many developers deciding not to write until the waters have cleared.

The next few months are going to be interesting.

LDD.