1SRC Podcast 114

[Alan G]

This week I cover Palm Desktop on Windows Vista, and Palm has a new Exchange Server push email update for Palm OS Treos. We also cover the Garnet OS name change, this week's 1SRC Editorial and more! [details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1812)]

[danielmaradona]

In my own opinion the new name changed will only cause some confusion among novice users of the Palm OS. I hope that this will be the start that this will be a good sign that Palm will now going to introduce an update to the current operating system.

[Alan G]

I'm not so sure OS name changes will be all that confusing to customers. Every major version of Windows has a new name and yet, people are still using it. The same thing will be true for embedded operating systems like Palm OS/Garnet OS and Windows Mobile 5.0/Windows Mobile 6.0-Crossbow.

What is more important is that Palm will be able to actually *release* a new OS regardless of what is ends up being called.

Now, all of the company name changes can be a bit maddening for consumers.

Alan G

[BaDZeD]

This shouldnt affect the palm community at all. as far as I understand it, Palm still gets to call their version of Garnet whatever they want, nonPalm licencees of Garnet are few and far between and im sure that a new smartphone from GSPDA coming out with Garnet OS wont cause any confusion over here.
Still, I wonder what the new version of PalmOS will be called. PalmOS 7? PalmOS II?? PLP (palm linux platform :D )??

[blues]

I'm listening to the podcast now, and I'm very curious to hear Alan's comments about syncing with Vista. However I do have Palm Desktop installed on my Vista laptop, so I am well aware of what works and what doesn't. I'll try Palm's recommended method of syncing sometime tonight or tomorrow.

[BaDZeD]

Well its been Microsoft's tradition to fix most bugs in the followup edition of their OS (98 SE and XP SP2 :D ) so i'm going to hold off for now, and wont be able to comment on the hotsync issues. 1 gig of ram just to run the OS's new and improved interface without the addition of the new filesystem sounds like a bit of an overkill. :D

[blues]

Well its been Microsoft's tradition to fix most bugs in the followup edition of their OS (98 SE and XP SP2 :D ) so i'm going to hold off for now, and wont be able to comment on the hotsync issues. 1 gig of ram just to run the OS's new and improved interface without the addition of the new filesystem sounds like a bit of an overkill. :DI agree with you, but work gave me a TechNet Plus subscription so I can stay current. With that, I have access to the beta and final versions of all their software. My laptop is fairly new, so I couldn't help but install it.

Actually, I wish that Linux syncing software was more mature. I've almost given up on getting my linux box to sync consistantly with my 700p. Not being able to sync my Treo is about the only thing keeping me from using Linux exclusively at home.

[Alan G]

I'm listening to the podcast now, and I'm very curious to hear Alan's comments about syncing with Vista. However I do have Palm Desktop installed on my Vista laptop, so I am well aware of what works and what doesn't. I'll try Palm's recommended method of syncing sometime tonight or tomorrow.

So would I. I don't have Vista and my computer can't run it. So I won't be able to provide any first hand info here. I'll have to rely on what I'm reading in the forums for info.

Alan G

[blues]

So would I. I don't have Vista and my computer can't run it. So I won't be able to provide any first hand info here. I'll have to rely on what I'm reading in the forums for info.

Alan GWhat I meant was, your view of Palm's decision to just send their customers to Microsoft's website to download sync software. I origionally thought that they were doing that not only for Windows Mobile devices, but also for their Palm devices.

[Jimmie Geddes]

I used Vista on my iMac and was able to sync all of the standard PIM conduits. Vista is a beast and I removed it after a few days, I was using a release candidate.

Alan thanks for clearing the air about the whole Palm OS isn't dead, it's actually very good for us that Palm will be re-releasing the real Palm OS. I was quite surprised that so many PDA and tech sites didn't read between the lines of the ACCESS announcement and claimed that Palm OS was completely gone. Garnet OS is just Garnet, Palm OS will be Palm's next gen OS.

You hit the nail on the community factor, I've made so many great friends from this little "electronic organizer". 1src has one of the best Palm communities on the web, also by far the best Palm podcast!

[danielmaradona]

Yes, I agree with you guys, just sharing my views regarding the complication of change and sometimes users are resistant to change even though it is for the better. As far as I'm concerned I believe in general that the name change will allow Palm to have more control regarding the development of the future Palm OS and how it will be used and licensed to mobile devices without the complication of licensing.



Thanks

[holvoetn]

Since I do not see the links for the mentioned BrightHand threads, here they are ;)

More T3 mods... planning to build the T3X! (http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=236731) from snickersmd, the same one who made the 1200mAh mod to replace the standard 900mAh version.

My drift experience (http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=236620), discussing DA Launcher might be responsible for causing drift on your device (not only TX, someone also reported this problem on a T3, incl. myself :rolleyes: )

[Alan G]

What I meant was, your view of Palm's decision to just send their customers to Microsoft's website to download sync software. I origionally thought that they were doing that not only for Windows Mobile devices, but also for their Palm devices.

Well, I think it makes sense for Palm to point customers to the Microsoft site to download the latest version of the Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC). Palm also redirects customers to the Microsoft site for downloads of ActiveSync 4.2.

As for updates to Palm Desktop, HotSync Manager and all the rest, Palm should be handling those updates. There was a thread over on Brighthand where someone pointed out that Microsoft did release a hot fix for Vista that corrects a compatibility issue with the HotSync Manager and a truck load of other software. In the past, Microsoft has released a number of these kind of corrective hot fixes for Windows XP and Windows 2000. If the number of applications, games, and utilities that get fixed by these Microsoft hot fixes are any indication, then these patches are needed because of stuff that Microsoft changed in the new operating system. In this case, Windows Vista.

So, to sum up, Vista hot fixes and downloads for WMDC and ActiveSync should come from the Microsoft site. Palm's patches, or better yet, a new version of Palm Desktop and related software, should come from Palm.

Alan G

[Alan G]

Alan thanks for clearing the air about the whole Palm OS isn't dead, it's actually very good for us that Palm will be re-releasing the real Palm OS. I was quite surprised that so many PDA and tech sites didn't read between the lines of the ACCESS announcement and claimed that Palm OS was completely gone. Garnet OS is just Garnet, Palm OS will be Palm's next gen OS.

There are three kinds of people who have been writing about mobile technology. Those who know what is going to happen and can't say so. There are people who don't know what is going to happen and have to write an article anyway. Then there are people like me who want to know what is going on, don't have any inside information, and who talk to others who are helping to piece the picture together using publicly available information and some educated guessing. (How is that for some run on sentences!)

One of the benefits of not working directly with Palm is I get to say whatever. If Palm was giving me information, I would surely be under a non-disclosure agreement and then the podcasts would get a bit watered down. So I get to read between the lines and give you all my opinions on what I think all of this stuff means. Sure, I'd love to work more closely with Palm, but for right now, I'll keep spilling the beans my way.

Alan G

[Alan G]

Since I do not see the links for the mentioned BrightHand threads, here they are

Thanks H! I gotta stop using those last minute entires into the show and show notes!

Alan G

[Alan G]

I just read the following blog post by David Beers over at PikeSoft.com. Sometimes it is really encouraging to know that someone else is thinking along the same lines you are. Read The rebirth of the Palm OS brand (http://www.pikesoft.com/blog/index.php?itemid=145). I think that people who are sick and tired of being told "the Palm OS is dead" will enjoy this article.

Alan G

[ewah]

What does everyone think of the engadget guys reporting that palm has end of lifed the lifedrive?

[Alan G]

It is true. Palm EOL'ed the LifeDrive back on Jan 15th, 2007. A Palm representative indicated that most of the LifeDrive's technology (software) had been migrated to other devices (TX, Treo 680, Treo 700p) and that solid state storage (SD cards) have grown in capacity making a hard drive less desirable.

See this post (http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2007/02/cbs_on_why_the_.html) over on PalmAddict.

Alan G