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	It's High Time for a VGA Palm

Last update: 12-31-1969	Submitted by Ed Hardy



I'd like to start this off with an open letter to the engineers at Palm, Inc. Dear Sir or Madam, Please take a look at the design for the high-end handheld Palm is going to release next spring. Does it have a VGA screen? If not, pitch that design out and start a new one. Sincerely, -Ed Hardy I can scarcely make myself believe that the first hi-res+ screen debuted in mid 2002. And yet, in late 2005, high-end Palm models still have the exact same screen resolution as ones that hit the market over three years ago. And by the time the next round of handhelds are released, it will be four years. This would be ridiculous if it weren't so sad. This is an area where the Palm OS has stood still for far, far too long. An area where the platform once had a commanding lead, but this has largely been allowed to slip away It's high time that Palm left hi-res+ behind and put out a handheld with a 640 by 480 pixel screen. Comparison Time Despite what you may think, I'm not saying this solely because there are a handful of Pocket PCs with VGA screens. By and large, Microsoft has squandered its advantage in screen resolution. While there are applications that can take real advantage of a VGA screen, there aren't nearly enough of them. And this doesn't include most of the basic Windows Mobile apps. If I open a web page on a VGA Pocket PC with Internet Explorer, then open the same page on a hi-res+ Palm with Blazer, the Palm shows more of the page. This is despite the fact the the Palm has half the pixels of the Pocket PC. It appears Microsoft has concentrated on offering smoother fonts, not giving users the options to show more information on a page. That's all very well, but it would be nice to be able to choose between these two options. Considering that Palm already seems to be able to do more with hi-res+ than Microsoft can do with VGA, can you imagine how much better a VGA Palm would look? I have to say, though, that Palm needs to stop dragging its feet. Windows Mobile isn't standing still. More applications are adding VGA support al the time, and Microsoft won't sit on its hands forever. Time For a Leap Ahead I totally understand that discussions between Palm and PalmSource over the future direction of the Palm OS have distracted these companies for years. Inter-company debates have surely caused plenty of ulcers and gray hairs on both sides. And you know, to be honest, I couldn't care less. I have a hard time dredging up sympathy for these peoples' problems, considering they've left me with devices that lack features that I need. As a user, all I care about is results. I'm happy that Palm devices are relatively easy to use, but they also must meet their customer's demand for features. I know that staying on the cutting edge costs money, but I also know that there are plenty of people willing to pay for useful new features. Take a look at robust sales of the LifeDrive if you want proof. And a VGA screen would be very useful. Done right, it would make virtually task you perform on your handheld easier. Not only would web pages look better, there's be much less scrolling around in documents and spreadsheets. Your images and videos would be smoother, too. And these are just some examples of the improvements that can result from a VGA screen. A Sea Change is Coming Unless you've been living in a cave, you must be aware that PalmSource is going to release next year a version of the Palm OS based on Linux. I don't think Linux is going to be a panacea that will make everything all right again, but at least it won't have the limitations that have hobbled Palm OS Garnet for far too long. Whether it likes it or not, Palm absolutely must adopt the next version of this operating system, simply because it has no other choice. Garnet has vastly outlived its usefulness, which means Palm has to make Palm OS for Linux meet its needs, whatever it takes. The only other option would be to practically re-write Garnet from the ground up. Making a Linux-based handheld with a VGA screen would definitely be easier than making a Garnet-based one. I'm tired of feeling like I'm looking at the world through a mail slot. My next Palm needs to have a big, generous screen so I don't have to be constantly scrolling around on documents and web pages. Palm, your customers want better screens and they are willing to pay for them. Are you listening? --- 1SRC welcomes Ed Hardy! A long time member of 1SRC, Ed has agreed to occasionally contribute articles, reviews, and his expert views on the Palm OS.