| 7 the concept of storing thousands of contacts, | | | | external memory, support for external devices |
| notes, appointments and "to do" lists on a | | | | (ex: Wi-Fi), higher screen resolutions, greater and |
| calculator sized device was absolutely cutting | | | | greater media support, e-mail, IM, web, Office |
| edge. If such a device could also function as a | | | | apps...until the PalmOS became a copy of |
| platform for applications from Independent | | | | Microsoft's OS, which Redmond had been steadily |
| Software Developers, all the better, and add the | | | | improving for 5 years. |
| funky ability to share the programs, contacts, and | | | | Over those years, the table stakes for being a |
| appointments through infrared 'beaming' and it | | | | compelling PDA changed. Customers wanted the |
| sounded like the stuff of sci-fi novels - at least in | | | | greater features of the advanced PDAs, and |
| those days. And yet, this marvel is exactly what | | | | were no longer satisfied with the original simplicity |
| the PalmPilot brought to the world. | | | | of the PalmPilot. The PalmOS had to up its ante. |
| What made many of us enamored with the | | | | And a funny thing happened over those years. It |
| PalmOS was that, unlike the Windows OS that | | | | was subtle, and thus hard to notice. Like a child |
| most of us used on a daily basis, there was no | | | | growing up, you don't see it grow. And as a Palm |
| BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death), no crashes, little | | | | user, I don't know when it started...but my Palm |
| waiting, and little complexity. The PalmPilot did a | | | | devices started to crash. Under the weight of so |
| few important things, and it did them VERY well. | | | | many layers of improvements and enhancements, |
| The PalmPilot also introduced most of us to | | | | the PalmOS lost its simplicity, and with it, lost its |
| something new: synchronization of data across | | | | stability. My Treo 650 crashes more than |
| multiple devices. With the PalmPilot, users did not | | | | Windows95 with an IRQ conflict (If you know, |
| need to enter data through the restrictive UI of | | | | you know). But my PalmOS Treo doesn't even |
| the handheld device, but could instead use a | | | | give me the BSOD, it just neglects my incoming |
| partner program on the PC to take advantage of | | | | phone calls while it runs some endless loop. |
| the existing data of a user, and the keyboard and | | | | Somewhere in those years, PalmOS lost its |
| screen on the desktop. Information (contacts, | | | | innocence, and started playing feature catch-up |
| appointments, etc.) from the PC could then be | | | | with Windows Mobile. But it turns out that |
| easily synched to the PDA. Information updates, | | | | Windows is better at being Windows than |
| new appointments and contacts received from | | | | PalmOS. |
| beaming would also be synched from the PDA to | | | | Last year, Microsoft finally enabled non-volatile |
| the PC. For people used to "triple tapping" contact | | | | memory for their PDA OSes, which means that |
| information into a cell phone, synch was fantastic. | | | | at last, when their devices crash, you don't lose all |
| All of these revolutionary advances in handheld | | | | your data and need to synch to the PC to |
| computing launched the PalmPilot and its | | | | restore a backup. This was the last critical feature |
| unassuming OS into the minds of tech users | | | | that the PalmOS had over Windows Mobile. In |
| everywhere, and well ahead of any competitors. | | | | fact, the PalmOS is now notably less capable in |
| How, then, did the PalmOS stumble so badly by | | | | that it doesn't have a multi-tasking capable |
| 2005? Why is it destined to fade while other later | | | | run-time environment (it can't do any tasks in the |
| OSes rise? Why has Palm finally chosen to use a | | | | background). |
| Windows OS on the Treo 700w? The answer is | | | | The unfortunate thing for consumers is that |
| simple: the PalmOS is a buggy whip in an age of | | | | instead of converging towards the PalmOS's |
| automobiles. | | | | original stability, the market has converged |
| How is it a buggy whip? Well, the original value | | | | towards increased functionality at the cost of |
| proposition for the PalmOS was: do a few | | | | stability and reliability. Now they all crash and hang. |
| important things well, with few bells and whistles. | | | | If you're wondering where Symbian, the Apple |
| Contacts, To Do, Calendar, and Text Memos. The | | | | Newton, etc. are in this article, I just kept it to |
| screen? Black and white (er...green). Simple tasks | | | | PalmOS and Windows to keep it brief. Symbian is |
| for simple processors and memory limits. When | | | | also one of the modern winners in the |
| Microsoft came out of the gates in 2000 with | | | | Smartphone OS market, owing to its good |
| PDA efforts, they tried to be too much: color, | | | | functionality and its strong relationship to phone |
| office documents, PDA and mini laptop form | | | | handset vendors - but it is more widely used |
| factors, media, games, sound, etc. The upshot | | | | outside North America. |
| was that while the PalmOS did a few things well, | | | | To conclude, when looked at in hindsight, the |
| the Windows CE devices did many things poorly. | | | | PalmOS was visionary, but it was an OS designed |
| But just because the PalmOS was well positioned | | | | and built for the hardware of the last century. |
| for 2000, doesn't mean it is well positioned for | | | | Unlike MSFT, which designed a complex PDA |
| 2006. Because of Moore's law, as time passed, | | | | Smartphone OS and then waited for the |
| PDA hardware became more and more capable. | | | | hardware to catch up, the PalmOS has been |
| The Microsoft OS's abilities seemed less and less | | | | surpassed by the hardware, and shall become a |
| like foolhardy ambitions, and more and more par | | | | vestigial technology. Thanks PalmOS for the good |
| for the course. The PalmOS's abilities seemed | | | | times, and for putting the pressure on the other |
| passe. By 2003, Palm suddenly found itself playing | | | | handheld OS vendors. You'll be remembered |
| catch up by adding color, larger memory, faster | | | | fondly. |
| processors, more sound functionality, support for | | | | |