Palm Nova OS Details
Palm 2.0 = New Nova OS + New Palm Smartphone Brand (Quattro or Quatreo?)
As most of us know, over the past three years Palm has been secretly working on the development of an entirely new operating system codenamed “Nova” based on Linux which the company plans to use to power the next generation of Palm smartphones expected to be released in the first half of 2009.
For the most part Palm has kept any information about this new NOVA OS close to its chest but in a recent interview CEO Ed Colligan finally opened up a little and discussed in some detail what this quote/unquote “Palm 2.0” operating system is all about.
Colligan speaks of “Palm 2.0” as being a “next-generation operating system with much more capabilities, driven around the Internet and Web-based applications” – addressing not only one of the core limitations of current Palm smartphones today (not a particularly rich mobile browsing experience) but also the nascent use of mobile web applications.
Asked why Palm was still developing its own OS, Colligan stated that “We’re focused on executing our own system, mostly because we really believe that to create the most compelling solution it should be an integrated package much like we started with the Palm OS and doing the original Palm Pilots: we did the operating system, we did the hardware and we did the whole synching architecture and the desktop tie-in, which is equivalent to the Web these days. One of the things we wanted to do is to make sure that we had an end-to-end solution we really controlled and could deliver the end-user experience we want to deliver. We think [Palm 2.0] is going to be stunning and breakthrough in its execution, and we’re working on some very exciting new devices to go with it” (not all devices will be smartphones and Foleo II may appear under the new OS).
Colligan also points out that the “classic” Palm OS is not going away as it will continue to be offered in low-end devices such as the Centro. “Centro is our consumer line of products, the start of a product line to hit that demographic and price point” Colligan says. “Centro will be strictly Palm OS”.
At the same time, Palm will continue to promote the Treo line of Windows Mobile smartphones to business customers (such as the forthcoming Treo 800w and Treo 850). “Microsoft is the de facto standard in corporate email, and I think they should be the de facto standard in mobile email. If you have an Exchange server today you can already get mobile push email without installing a single other piece of third-party equipment, so it’s pretty easy to deploy. I don’t believe we could ever create a position in the business community that competes with Microsoft, it just wouldn’t make any sense.”
That ‘next generation’ Palm 2.0 OS will slot in between the Centro and Treo lines under a new ‘prosumer’ brand that’s yet to be decided, Colligan explains. “We’re going to continue to look at those three line areas – consumer, prosumer and enterprise. Treo is today more of our mainstream prosumer product which is extended into the enterprise, but over time you’ll see some branding work done on the top two to make sure they’re really well delineated.”
Overall it’s encouraging to hear that Palm is not only getting closer to releasing its new NOVA OS / Palm 2.0 smartphone but also placing much greater emphasis on mobile web browsing and mobile “Web 2.0” applications – I’m naturally dying to see what the devices running Palm 2.0 will actually look like…
Also, I’m not sure how I feel about the news that Palm will in the future only push Windows Mobile in the Enterprise market but there is clearly logic behind this move. Palm seems likely to use Windows Mobile smartphones to compete against RIM then NOVA OS smartphones to compete against Apple and the Classic Palm OS Centro to compete against other entry-level manufacturers – giving the company a wide portfolio to grab market share.
Palm readies next-gen “Web 2.0” OS [via APCmag]
Next-Gen Palm OS [via Gizmodo]
Treonauts are always ready for the next thing… 
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Tracked on Dec 18, 2008 10:45:13 AM
Comments
Nigel,
Nova is one word...while "No va" is two words meaning it doesn't go...so nobody will be confused and I see the "Nova" name coming from like supernova not a spanish phrase, and if they meant it to be "No Va" then they didn't even do that right...
Just a correction...sorry lol...I took 4 years of spanish in highschool and I remember that much of it...
Hello friends
I spent many hours on this Forum spiting my anger and frustrations against Palm. As I said many times there is always something missing in a Palm, as if frustrating the customer is part of a global strategy to push the user to the next machine...
I was faithful to Palm during 10 years and I do not forgive its CEO and staff for my last 5 years frustrations. As mostly working on a Macintosh platform ( the Roll Royce of computers regarding the boring Window system) my Palm were the very right extensions of my Mac. Superb compatibility etc. I fell betray when I saw how much devotion was than given to the Window users and so little to the rest of us…
After the my freezing not working Lifedrive ( a Palm big mess) I was furious when Palm dismissed the Foleo, so frustrated, that I went to buy an expansive Nokia E90 which has everything except compatibility with my Palm contact file... and complicated and almost impossible full HotSync with my Mac.
But my sweet Nokia E90 has EVERYTHING Working with no bugs ( not like Palm) and of course not as smart and practical as my Centro ( wich replaced my Treo last week) --- So I am please with my Centro for daily voice communication and quick clips and pictures( bad quality) and I use my Nokia E 90 for surfing and email, listening the FM radio in my hotel and taking so superb photos and video that I abandoned my Sony and Leica cameras !!!...
What do I miss a Touch screen ( my Nokia E90 unfortunately has not
the immediacy of a Touch screen ).
I simply dream about an extra mini laptop -- let say a FOLEO with WI-FI, FM tuner, dictaphone, MP4 and 4 etc, handwriting recognition, + a classic Palm international keybord, a screen no larger but a palm, ( 8 or 9 '' , after all a Palm is a palm size device) + a worldwide connection on any SIM card, unblocked so not addicted to a specific telephone company, able to read all card from a USB connection ( I hate the micro SD just flying away as soon as I breeze) a G3 capability, and a speaker ( or Jack . > compatible earphone ) for voice communication. Multilingual dictionary, access to all Adobe software Microsoft software.. . A SMART Foleo…
Palm lost a lot of us, while having all accessible opportunities to creative decisions , they were just coward and lacking in imagination. The technology is there but you need a vision to transcend it.
Of course you may ask me :
As a Mac user, why have you not switched for an Iphone! I tried, I was amazed, seduced but not convinced. After few emails I got a notice :. Not enough memory to download this document !. So I went back to my Treo ( and now Centro) for basic voice communication and my Nokia for all the rest. I said ALL.
I will never switch to any Window nightmare, I only hope more guts and courage from Palm – a smart Foleo - faithful to Macintosh users (Push mail included).
If not I will turn to a Blackberry like many of us.
I am upset that the new devices use windows as their OS/platform. My treo 755p is the love of my life! I do not wish to replace him with the new 800w. I have had each treo starting with the 650. I got my husband and kids hooked onto the centro, which is really cute and affordable, taking palm into the hands of many people who are not as techno savvy. I am not afraid of change but windows as a platform itself is wonky and unstable, just look at vista! I would not be able to send picture mail directly, I would have to send it through the email server which sucks. I am happy now, that I can have ringers and all kinds of personalization on my treo, but soon, it will no longer exist.
Although I admit, ours hasn't been the perfect love affair, he cuts out on me in the middle of the most important phone calls, freezes on me during surfing the web and emails, his volume is low during calls now and for the ringers and alarms and I am either missing in action or late for my appointments. Not to mention,with his camera I cant take good pics worth a dime! If I could change anything about my phone, I would ask for a flash for the 1.3 megapixel camera so the pics won't be so dark, the full version of pocket tunes installed with the phone as well as other software options that I should not have to pay an arm and a leg for. Plus, a good pair of earphones.
But, let me stop dreaming!!! We all can think of things that we should get with our phones like free carrying cases and coupons for official items. That is what came with the pocket pc 6600, but that phone was garbrge! And I paid the full retail price for it ! SMH!! I want to be able to use all the features of my device so that I can feel like I have a mini laptop in my pocket.. but with a bonus... FUN!! I want a phone that reflects my energy. I am business during the day and week. On weekends and at night, I play. So my phone should be versatile! I hated seeing other people have the latest top 40 in their ringtone catalogue and all I had was the ringers that came with the phone... low dull boring!!!!
I just put my phone in for repair and I found out today that they are rolling out the new treo on the 13th. They might give me that new phone.... argh!
PALM OS ON JEOPARDY:
Contestant1: Alex, I'll take Vaporware for $800 please ...
Alex: As of 2009, what is destined to become the most sought after mystery in the western world?
Contestant1: What is Sasquatch?
Bzzzzzzzzt!
Contestant2: What is Loch Ness Monster?
Bzzzzzzzzt!
Contestant3: What is a living Elvis Presley?
Bzzzzzzzzt!
Alex: I'm sorry folks, but we were looking for "What is Palm OS Nova running on breakthrough new devices."
Audience:
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
@Geedavey
I 100% agree!
Palm, please enrich the browser, add speed (CPU and network) and add multithreading, but keep the familiar organising programs.
That's what we need, the well-known organiser with a much better web browsing solution.
I see that this blog dates back to May. Any updates? Specifically about when we might expect this new OS and devices made for it?
@Geedavey I agree with the internet browser. There is a great browser for windows mobile phones and Symbian phones as well called Skyfire. it displays full web pages including music players found on websites suchas Myspace and CNN. it works really well. however it is still in beta and currently doesnt support hig res screens yet. i would like to see palm come up with something similar or work with Skyfire and implement that browser into their OS
T, flat, or bold, swivel or not,touch or with a keyboard... my only preoccupation is : Is the next
Palm OS machine will be compatible with my present list of datas... meaning my address book.
Because of Palm lack of imagination and accuracy ( 5 years to digest a free Wi-Fi Access and a Foleo working only with Windows... the top of stupidity) I give to Palm a last chance:
Make it fast and good and Macintosh compatible... and full of devices...
For the rest you have already, unfortunately, lost the race of smartphones...
If this is the case with PALM there is NO reason to buy a PALM device any more. If Windows mobile is the defacto there are many other products that are much better than the PALM that use Windows mobile. It's too bad that PALM is going this way. I want wifi but there isn't any on a PALM OS product that is also a phone. If I want it all I may as well go with a product like the HTC FUZE. Better product with wifi and less expensive. Goodbye PALM. It was nice knowing you.
I've been waiting for this new OS for many years now.
But... three OS'ses for a company that's already in distress? How can they be so stupid?
I would have expected them to at least dump the old PalmOS and maybe also Windows mobile.
Palm has squandered any goodwill by continuing to produce subpar products.
their executives are no different from all the other greedheads and will not suddenly change. Their golden parachutes will not fail them and they don't care about the millions of people they will let down.
the centro is a money grab that will serve only to spread the buggy, "how many calls can I screw up today, how much of your (business!!!) info can palm lose today, how much time can I waste today fighting instability, how much frustration will shorten my life today" Palm experience to even more people.
They've cried wolf far too many times to be taken seriously.
If there were another phone that did everything my 755 does, I'd switch so fast it'd make those a-hole execs heads spin, and I'm not far from analyzing just how much time I waste FRIKKEN DAILY deleting and repairing my bluetooth headset to get it to work with Audiogateway and deciding that a more stable phone with a smaller featureset is the way to go.
Then I would also not feel like I'm being played for a sucker DAILY as I buy more and more software to compensate for glaring, purposeful omissions in the palm OS, and performing extended and ridiculous gyrations to achieve what should be simple operations.
At a certain point, my cleverness in overcoming palm os's shortcomings becomes a stupid waste of efFort and time.
Palm has sailed right over the edge of that cliff long ago.
It's not the fall that kills you, it's the quick stop at the end of that fall.
To me, the decision to hand the enterprise market over to WinMo is a fatal one. It is a bad product in the most lucrative sector for smart phones. This "prosumer" market in my opinion doesn't exist. The fact that the consumer friendly IPhone is trying hard to also be an enterprise product doesn't me the markets are merging.
Palm will be treading water at best with there Nova products if they can't offer a Nova-MSExchange client. Barring that, they would need a device that reviews favorably against the IPhone. Right out of the gate. What are the chances of that?
EeePALM?
Instant on. Touchscreen and keyboard. Palm apps, Linux apps (Google earth), communication, web...
I would buy.
Palm should have joined the OpenMoko Neorunner concept. They are way behind with all these stupid too little knobs.
No way that I ever will buy a Palm like that, my last one will probably have been the Tungsten.
Next.... Apple iPhone. A white one !!! Very nice model.
The story about the Chevy Nova is false.
Thanks for the positive responses. Just to clarify, I think the dealmaker for the new internet experience is true Flash and Java support, native. I envision going to Bored.com and playing any game that works with screen cursor (i.e. mouse clicks)+ 4 buttons input. I also envision a world full of savvy Linux hackers salivating at expanding the OS in ways we can't even imagine yet. This OS could leapfrog the current generation and really take off. I hope it has the power to support emulation of OS5, because if Palm doesn't make it happen, I'll bet the Linux community will.
Can't wait to see what the new OS looks like!
There's so much to be said for a unified OS/dev platform.
If I develop for an iphone, my app will run on any iphone. If I develop for RIM, my app can be expected to work across a very broad rage of blackberries.
If I learn this new Palm2 thing, I can hit... a meek third of Palm devices? What kind of target is that?
I am excited that Palm is still swinging away. But with their history of OS ball droppage, and the tripartite nature of their new lineup, my excitement turns to skepticism.
The posters calling for legacy support and flash and java support are wiser than the decision makers at Palm. I remain hopeful.
If Ben Combee provides dev support like he did for PalmOS, I will follow blindly.
Ben Combee was one-in-a-million. He helped so many people. Wonder what he's doing today. Wonder what he thinks about this Nova plan?
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