Palm and Apple?

[arn]

SpyMac linked (http://www.spymac.com) to the following article at Brighthand.com (http://www.brighthand.com/newsite/palm/views/palmsource/licensees.html) - covering Palm licensees... of interest, the article ends with this:

I heard whispers that Apple had licensed the Palm Platform and had developed a cool FireWire device to round out it new consumer device strategy.

[BeerDrinker29]

I've been following this thread on the Spymac forums, and it is interesting.
Although we all know this is not really concrete information, some guy pointed out that this just shows us that it is not just the Apple community that is interested in an Apple PDA. Brightpalm is a Palm-centred publication.

[Unregistered]

NewtonOS (or a decendant thereof) ported to the next gen Palm hardware (StrongARM or whatever they decide on). They could do some really righteous stuff =D

[OSeXy!]

I suppose those who actually want an apple PDA could read something into various recent events. Perhaps the fact that M$ has admitted that they haven't started working on an OS X version of Outlook provides some more, totally unsubstantiated, evidence?

One obvious 'missing' iApp in the digital hub is something like Outlook with an Apple spin (more intuitive, better looking, etc.).

This new iOrganize or iLofax or iDate application would handle all scheduling, e-mails, etc. It would be a mutation of the OS X Mail application. If you imagine the relationship between the old Image Capture to iPhoto, do the same to Mail and this is the new Application. What's the missing feature? The apple PDA which, to save Steve from being a liar, isn't a PDA (not a PDA because it's got a hard disk? because it's an iPod as well? Because it's an iPhone?).

I personally don't think an Apple-brand hand-held is coming (but that's probably because I don't want one). I do think the Application might be on the way... And that apple might develop it in conjunction with firms such as Palm, and improve the PDA scene through its influence.

[unclepain]

I really think this is hogwash. First off, since when has Apple ever built a device licensing someone else's OS? I know they bought the OS for the iPod, but that OS is not Palm and had no market visibility as far as I know. That would just be very Un-steve-like. But just for the sake of argument, let's say Apple did license Palm and were going to build a device. What could it really bring to the table? Firewire- sure, but is it really needed? Unlike music files, handheld data is very small and wouldn't really benefit that much from firewire. A microhard drive- now that would be cool. Instead of 8 Megabytes of storage, you could have 5 or 10 gigabytes. But then you have to think about how would it sync and what would it sync with? Palm Desktop? Entourage? Outlook? Mail? Would Apple write the conduits? Then you have to figure out who the market is... Die hard Mac geeks, or real world handheld users? Will it work with PCs or is it a Mac only thing. Since most handheld users are the corporate types, unless you make it PC compatible this thing will die a painful, although quick death. Here's a better idea, and one that IBM has already developed and made prototypes of.... Take a small unit that consists of a micro 10GB hard drive, Ram, Processor, Video circuitry, put a firewire port on it and a touch sensitive LCD screen and run a full version of OSX. Don't think it's possible? Check out this link...
http://www.research.ibm.com/resources/news/20020206_metapad.shtml
Price this thing under $1000 and it would sell like Aunt Jemima Pancakes.

[Unregistered]

Why in the world would Apple use someone elses os that is years behind one that they already own?>?
I would love an Apple handheld not a Palm with an Apple logo. I have had a palm, cool but seriously lacking!

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by unclepain
First off, since when has Apple ever built a device licensing someone else's OS?
Ever hear of OS X? True they didn't license Next's OS, they just bought the company.

[unclepain]

You just debunked your own argument. Apple indeed bought Next, not just licensed the OS. Steve would rather eat his own arm than not have control over the whole widget- OS and hardware. Besides, I don't think Palm's OS is "cool enough" to be Steve approved.

[vitrector]

unclepain:
the iPod uses a licenced OS.....

[cleo]

Originally posted by OSeXy!

One obvious 'missing' iApp in the digital hub is something like Outlook with an Apple spin (more intuitive, better looking, etc.).

This new iOrganize or iLofax or iDate application would handle all scheduling, e-mails, etc. It would be a mutation of the OS X Mail application.


sorta like entourage? :D

[BeerDrinker29]

Originally posted by unclepain
Steve would rather eat his own arm than not have control over the whole widget- OS and hardware. Besides, I don't think Palm's OS is "cool enough" to be Steve approved.

Well, Steve has made iPhoto and iMovie,... two apps which give him NO control over what hardware they are controlling.

[Unregistered]

I've been around Macrumors, reading the posts and on other rumor sites for a while, and I've just heard a lot of different, sometimes comflicting rumors about Apple's plans. What comes together is from this info:

•Team-up with Ericsson
•Quicktime Streaming to phones
•Rumors of firewire PDA
•No M$ Outlook
•We know more hud devices are coming...
•The fact that the iWalk rumors exist...

It sounds like from all that, Apple is making either a phone or a portable media device, or something combined. Streaming QT with a hard drive to hold info, nice big color screen, email capability in a cell phone, with a Newton OS3? I don't think it sounds all that ridiculous.... kind of plausible actually. Could even put a low power G3 processor in it, so it ahs a home, and it introduces a computer slotted below the iMac and the new iMac in Apple's lineup.... G3-entry /G4-consumer /G5-pro.

Yes/No/Maybe?

[BeerDrinker29]

Originally posted by Unregistered


It sounds like from all that, Apple is making either a phone or a portable media device, or something combined. Streaming QT with a hard drive to hold info, nice big color screen, email capability in a cell phone, with a Newton OS3? I don't think it sounds all that ridiculous.... kind of plausible actually. Could even put a low power G3 processor in it, so it ahs a home, and it introduces a computer slotted below the iMac and the new iMac in Apple's lineup.... G3-entry /G4-consumer /G5-pro.

Yes/No/Maybe?

Nobody knows! So yeah.. maybe :)

[mischief]

Originally posted by unclepain
Take a small unit that consists of a micro 10GB hard drive, Ram, Processor, Video circuitry, put a firewire port on it and a touch sensitive LCD screen and run a full version of OSX. Don't think it's possible? Check out this link...
http://www.research.ibm.com/resources/news/20020206_metapad.shtml
Price this thing under $1000 and it would sell like Aunt Jemima Pancakes.

Yes, exactly. NOT A PDA.

PDA's ARE DOOMED TECHNOLOGY!

YOU HERE ME?!?

DOOMED!!!!

What is described is a portable "brain" that could be "clustered" in an ATX style accessory case with several other units and peripherals.With G5 chips, Airport and OS X these things could be SICKENINGLY powerful.

Say each core is a:

Pair of 1.6Ghz G5's, 1Gb-4Gb of RAM, a 30Gb drive,nVidiaGF4 Ti-Mobility(32Mb), OS X.2.2, Airport. Maybe 1 year. Code Name Mystic.

At that point you don't need the base unless you want to recharge or cluster.

Clustering these things would be a friggin dream--with all the most speed dependant parts all packed in like DIMM's next to each other, there'd be almost no delay in ANY processor/processor communication.:D :cool: :p :eek: :)

[Macmaniac]

I bet they are making OS X for palm.

[eric_n_dfw]

Originally posted by OSeXy!
...Perhaps the fact that M$ has admitted that they haven't started working on an OS X version of Outlook provides some more, totally unsubstantiated, evidence?...
Aparently they changed their minds, check out this: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20020212/tc_nf/16274

[thirdeg]

Why dont they just bring out a lighter version of OS X al-la win CE and make it run on the same device, i have BSD on a Cassiopeia E-500 and it runs fine, so why cant they port OS X to someone elses hardware. Check out this link to see how many cpus it works on, it even works on a PS2

http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/

[OSeXy!]

Originally posted by unclepain
...Don't think it's possible? Check out this link...
http://www.research.ibm.com/resources/news/20020206_metapad.shtml
Price this thing under $1000 and it would sell like Aunt Jemima Pancakes.

Thanks for sharing that Unc. That's like wjat I was imagining, but much more cool. So that's what IBM wants Sahara G3s for!

eric_n_dfw:

This is what I've read about Outlook: http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0202/13.outlook.php
"Right now, the MacBuisness Unit [at M$] is only gathering information and has not begun development of the product [i.e. Outlook]. "

[dongmin]

1. Why would a PDA have firewire? If it has firewire, it's gotta be something more media-oriented, say a portable QT player. So it wouldn't be a variant of a Palm or even a Clie.

2. Housing a portable 5 or 10 GB drive would really fatten up the device. The iPod is nice and small but it's fairly thick and is also considerably heavier than your ordinary PDA.

3. It's unlikely Apple is getting into the phone business when it just signed Ericsson to be its partner for a QT-to-phone venture.

4. Some people are suggesting that Apple release a digital camera but I'm against the idea. It's a crowded market and there are a plenty of well-designed products out there. And they all work fairly well with the Mac OS.

I do believe that the release of the iPod represents Apple's commitment to the personal gadget/appliance market but I have doubts about a PDA.

[Rocketman]

Originally posted by Unregistered
NewtonOS (or a decendant thereof) ported to the next gen Palm hardware (StrongARM or whatever they decide on). They could do some really righteous stuff =D

Why couldn't it have say a 7470 (G4) at 500mhz or less and have serious throughput and a palmized version of OSX?

Hand held TIVO controller and VCR and remote control for your entertainment system.

Rocketman

:confused:

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by unclepain
I really think this is hogwash. First off, since when has Apple ever built a device licensing someone else's OS? I know they bought the OS for the iPod, but that OS is not Palm and had no market visibility as far as I know

There's also:
http://www.windriver.com/customer/html/airport_ccd.html#


And Here's a better idea, and one that IBM has already developed and made prototypes of.... Take a small unit that consists of a micro 10GB hard drive, Ram, Processor, Video circuitry, put a firewire port on it and a touch sensitive LCD screen and run a full version of OSX. Don't think it's possible? Check out this link...
http://www.research.ibm.com/resources/news/20020206_metapad.shtml
Price this thing under $1000 and it would sell like Aunt Jemima Pancakes.

Not quite the same thing, but similar:
http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/airboard/

[mischief]

Originally posted by Unregistered


Not quite the same thing, but similar:
http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/airboard/

That's exactly what I was talking about, but add the modular core of the Meta Pad and clustering capabilities for multiple cores in one case......like setting multiple ZIF slots next to each other. It means case Mobos could be about 1/3 the size and fit 1-4 cores stacked in like PCI cards.:D

[lordsinforge]

Originally posted by Unregistered
NewtonOS (or a decendant thereof) ported to the next gen Palm hardware (StrongARM or whatever they decide on). They could do some really righteous stuff =D


I could be wrong here but wasn't the original Palm OS made by apple? I remember hearing that palm os was licenced from apple by palm until handspring bought it from apple. If memory serves it was just an advancement of the newton os. Ya got to admit, they look pretty similar.

[Xapplimatic]

PDAs aren't "DOOMED".. they are simply immature. Technology isn't there just yet to make a PDA as functional as say a laptop. Screens need higher resolution to give more desperately needed real estate in that small form factor. Solid state storage needs to come down in price and go up in storage. Alternative input methods such as voice dictation and regular handwriting recognition (so pioneered by Apple's Newton) need to be implemented across the board. Wireless technology needs to be there to make seemless transations from desktop or laptop to PDA.. We just aren't there yet on any of these categories, and it will take all of them before people can truly think of the PDA as "functional".. but it will happen within 5 years or so.. be patient.

[Xapplimatic]

Originally posted by Rocketman

Why couldn't it have say a 7470 (G4) at 500mhz or less and have serious throughput and a palmized version of OSX?
...

... Because the heat from it regardless of being lower powered would probably still warp the LCD screen. There isn't a way to cool something that small yet, no airspace to draw air through, no room for a fan. Cooling requires surface area to efficiently disopate heat into the air.. there just isn't that option on a PDA..nor the battery technology to handle the power draw (yet).

[mischief]

No kidding, once you go to a real processor & real storage IT ISN"T A PDA ANYMORE!!!!

In answer to earlier criticism: PDA's are a waste of plastic. The value for money isn't there the way it is for laptops. Lets say "Meta Tablet" to describe the new device as PDA just isn't accurate.

Oh, and all that other crap you want in a PDA would kinda screw it for heat too so don't get all self riteous when you're smoking just as much Crack as the rest of us if not more. Not to mention of course yer talkin a 3000.00 PDA once you add all that crap.:p

It bugs me when folks get all egotistical when reality never enters their minds.

[udannlin]

please do not post another thread about spymac.

[PyroTurtle]

actually, all this stuff is reasonable...
i took some time once and did everything short of figuring out how to incorporate a touch screen in a TiPod...
i have a 20 GB HD, 1 GHz IBM G3, and a small portable dvd screen (6.7"), and it had basicaly a treo keyboard, and a firewire port and headphone jack...it worked for a while, it had a 720x480 screen, which actually could do alot! but then i tried using a better heatsink and power supply and it has sence, well, melted....so, it is possible...with some creative enginering (damn logic boards! but yay for the iBook, it helped!)....now if i could just remake the schimatics it mgiht be nice....

[Biggles]

I personally think Apple is gonna make a PDA.......in the form of the iPod. all they need is a slightly larger screen (shrink down the controls a bit, and maybe make it a centimeter or two taller), and let you access the PDA part of the iPod through the menu or a button. simple as that.

[sjs]

I agree, it will be part of the iPod, even if iPod changes the box a bit.

iPod will contain:
iTunes
iPhoto (also able to download from dig cam)
PDA functions
QT6 related stuff for video and audio files
portability for files

[moyashi]

palm bought BeOS didn't they ? so why would they need OSX?

palm was started by apple employees wasnt it? and then after palm got their desktop data-planner app from apple.

iWalk ... iPod .... hmmm .... iMac ... Cube <<< apple like's to cannabalize it's own products.

PDA / iMode (cell phone) / iPod <<< device is my bet.

if apple could take a pda and make it into a clie then whoopie no big deal but if they turn that device into a protable wireless mini computer then cool we got what Jobs is looking at I bet .... airport networks every where. BUT if Jobs wants to be king ... although Ericsson might have fits ..... takes said device and turn it into a real cell phone then we might have a challenger to the iMode phones.

iMode phones rule ... no if's and's or but's ... just plain and simple with the latest batch working off streaming video Ericsson is gonna hurt big time since their Nokia line up has really shown it's face within the last 2.5 years. hehe they were almost at the top for a while in Japan.

So ... beating around the bush has ended.

Apple is following SONY's lead (forget the M$ rivalry ... this is not where Apple is going anymore folks).

my iMode is already dated ... streaming is here ... I can watch video streams if I want (buy-in price is like $300 though) IF Apple is smart they'll make the next generation iMode before DoCoMo does and try to steal the cellular phone market from the Japanese manufacturers.

cell phone market is like on an average of $150 per household a month. with high school students getting a new phone every year ... imagine the revenue from Japan alone!

screw desktops/notebooks/iPods .... mini phone computers are gonna be the way of the future.

if Apple/Ericsson/IBM/SONY could tie up and bring an iMode standard to the rest of the world .... I'D BE SO HAPPY :D actually not ... I enjoy all you folks looking at black and red screens ;) while I'm looking at 64,000+ colors !!!