Switching to Palm

By Damian
in Hardware Hangout

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MegaManXcalibur

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  JK1150 said:

it's my understanding that palm is slowly becoming obselete, noted by the treos being replaced with windows mobile trios. any reason in particular you want to go with palm?

Since I've run both Pocket PC and Palm PDAs extensivly I'll comment on why I prefer Palm. So here is a list...

Palm works on Windows, Linux, and OS X

This is a HUGE thing for me since I run OS X most of the time I want a PDA that I can use with it. Windows Mobile devices are tied to Windows and even though there is software that allows you to sync a Windows Mobile device with OS X it's not very good and it still can't help you install .exe files.

Simplicity

Palm OS was made with simplicity in mind. For instance if you want to launch a program you just tap it's icon. On Windows Mobile you need to tap the start menu, then the programs icon (unless it's one of the sevel programs you have on the start menu of course), and then finally the program you want to launch (unless the said program is burried further in another folder).

Another example of Palm being much nicer to use is the fact you don't have to worry about going into the memory manager every few days and closing running programs. Granted Palm OS isn't a multi-tasking operating system (technically it can run multiple threads, just not multiple GUIs) but I have never found a use for multi-tasking on a screen that is only large enough to fit one program at a time. You also don't have the problem with stacks of windows being opened (i.e. Internet Explorer with Word under it with Messenger under it, etc.).

Everything in Palm OS was designed to allow you to get things done as quickly and efficently as possible. This is a big deal with me simply because when I want to enter something into my PDA I want to do it now.

Programs

There are a lot more programs that I use for the Palm. The biggest of these is Documents to Go which allows you to edit native Word, Excel, etc. files. But the thing is Documents to Go has more features then the included Pocket Office programs on the Pocket PC. For instance I can add and edit tables in Documents to Go where as you can't in Windows Mobile (unless version 5 included this feature finally). Another program I can't live without is Power48 which is an HP calculator emulator. There is a version out for the Pocket PC but needless to say it's not very good compared to the Palm version (the Palm version can utilize Hi-Res+ where as the Windows Mobile version only allows you to use the lower screen resolution).

Finally there are the basic PIM applications. I haven't found anything in the PDA world that compares with Palm's PIM apps. They allow me to do everything I want while keeping things very simple and quick to use.

Development

Granted the Pocket PC platform is much easier to develop software for but it's just not as fun in my book. Writing software for a Palm is just a blast for me, mostly because I still enjoy the idea of straight C and managing your own memory.

So those are my main four reasons for running Palm OS. Like I said I've run both platforms extensively and find myself coming back to Palm each time I try out a Pocket PC. But again these are my reasons and my opinions, others will have different feelings on the subject. Personally I can't find a single reason to dump Palm OS for a Windows Mobile based device.

Palm OS isn't obsolete but it is surely showing it's age at the moment. The big reason for this is because when Palm OS 6 (Cobalt) was released Palm (the hardware company) decided not to license it and most of the other major PDA manufacturers (Sony, etc.) either left the PDA market or were bought out by somebody else. But PalmSouce is work on a new version of Palm OS which is based on a Linux kernel which should bring Palm OS up to date.

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mrp04

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"Palm OS was made with simplicity in mind. For instance if you want to launch a program you just tap it's icon. On Windows Mobile you need to tap the start menu, then the programs icon (unless it's one of the sevel programs you have on the start menu of course), and then finally the program you want to launch (unless the said program is burried further in another folder). "

If you want to tap the icon to launch the program, just have the home program always running and dont exit it. You will never see the today screen and when you exit a program your back to it.

If you dont want to minimize the program, and just exit it, you can get free software that turns that x button into a real x button.

Those 2 points you said are not valid

Proficient

MegaManXcalibur

Posted
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  mrp04 said:

"Palm OS was made with simplicity in mind. For instance if you want to launch a program you just tap it's icon. On Windows Mobile you need to tap the start menu, then the programs icon (unless it's one of the sevel programs you have on the start menu of course), and then finally the program you want to launch (unless the said program is burried further in another folder). "

If you want to tap the icon to launch the program, just have the home program always running and dont exit it. You will never see the today screen and when you exit a program your back to it.

If you dont want to minimize the program, and just exit it, you can get free software that turns that x button into a real x button.

Those 2 points you said are not valid

The thing is I don't like the idea of requiring a third party program to do a very basic tasks such as closing a program. As for leaving the home program running to simulate a launcher that is a way of doing it but the thing I was saying is Palm OS was desinged with simplicity. I don't like having to have program X running in order to do something very basic like being able to launch programs in a single tap. So my points are still very valid.

But like I said that was all my opinion and other people would have different fellings on the subject. It all comes down to what you like.

  Leddy said:

I personally think that the Treo screens are too small at 320x320. My 2002 NX70 has a 320x480 and I don't want to shrink my screen.

And if you are using a Windows Treo you only have 240 x 240 resolution. That was a rather dumb move on Palm's behalf, if they are going ot release a Windows device they should at least give it a decently sized screen.

Collaborator

dyn

Posted
Posted
  JK1150 said:

it's my understanding that palm is slowly becoming obselete, noted by the treos being replaced with windows mobile trios. any reason in particular you want to go with palm?

Then you haven't understand it.

The 700w is NOT (!!!) a replacement!!!

The 700w is just another Treo version and it's positioned next to the Treo 650 or it's successor (which most likely will be the 700p).

This is also the official statement from Palm. The Treo 700w isn't a replacement!

It's there because companies wanted it.

The 240x240 screen is a technical limit caused by Windows Media Player.

Collaborator

dyn

Posted
Posted
  Arbiter said:

thanks dyn. would there be any advantage for running tomtom navigator on one Treo OS over the other?

You might want to read the 700w review at treocentral.com: http://www.treocentral.com/content/Stories/735-1.htm

It is known that Windows Mobile devices need more cpu power and memory to do the same thing as PalmOS and Symbian devices. You can say that applications will run a bit faster on the treo 650 because PalmOS is more efficient on nearly the exact same hardware and there will be more resources available for applications.

Try searching in the treocentral.com forums, they might have more information on that.

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