S ome people regard Palm as the makers of the Apple PDA that never was. The simple interface that is the hallmark of Palm devices smacks of the ease of use that Apple is known for.
Still, in light of the many advances that PocketPC-based devices have made in terms of battery life and ease of use, Palm devices can, at times, seem downright antiquated. Itis all a matter of perspective: If you are looking for something thatis simple to use, is nearly always available, and is extremely reliable, then you pick a Palm device. If you prefer to have lots of functionality and the power to run applications that are on par with those that run on desktops, then a PocketPC device might be your better bet.
That is, until now.
According to C|Net, Palm will be revamping its OS strategy, including a change to the naming convention the company uses for its OSes. Palmis new strategy will include creating and maintaining parallel OSes, one for lower end devices, and one for devices that take advantage of advanced processors and other hardware. Here are the details from the C|Net article, PalmSource to hatch new OS strategy:
PalmSource plans to announce next week a revamped operating system strategy designed to get its OS included on a broader array of cell phones, including lower-priced models.
Under the plan, the company will simultaneously develop multiple versions of its OS and aim them at different parts of the cell phone market.
PalmSource is renaming the existing and new versions of its OS and will deviate from its traditional numeric naming system to show that both versions--previously known as OS 5 and OS 6--are current. The company is just now shipping OS 6 to handheld and cell phone makers.
By maintaining development of multiple versions, PalmSource is hoping to cover more bases in the market for smart phones and other devices. Historically, Palm OS-based devices have been offered only in the most expensive class of cell phones, which cost several hundred dollars.
"We think the industry can get to a $100 device much more quickly on OS 5 than OS 6," CEO David Nagel said in an interview here Tuesday. Nagel would not give the new names for the OSes, but heis expected to detail the new strategy at the companyis developer conference next week. Although PalmSource has offered scant details on how it will market the two operating systems, the move has been in the works for some time.
For more information stop by C|Net and read the full article.