Palm trying to 1-up Apple's [potential] iPhone Release?

[t0mat0]

Here's where I think a happy medium could easily be met. I think 90% of the iPhone apps could be written in web languages and work fine, these apps could be apps that apple would allow to run in the background. Apps that require native languages, like 3D games or simulators, would run by themselves one at a time.

I'd imagine Apple will talk about this. The future using Sproutcore and HTML 5 for example for simpler apps that could run in the background seems to be good, due to a lower overhead potentially.

 

[ziggyonice]

I want to know when Apple is going to start defended their patents they've worked so hard to acquire.

 

[kdarling]

Programming for the Pre involves using web programming language. While the Pre's version appears to be far more capable than Apple's Webapps, it's still a long way from the direct hardware access that iPhone programmers have. You won't see 3D games on the Pre for example.

The language isn't important, except for being familiar to several orders of magnitude more people than Objective-C ever will be.

What's important is whether it's interpreted or compiled or just-in-time compiled, and what APIs are given.

For example, if there's an SVG component, then yes you could see 3D games. If there's hooks for setting up 3D graphics, that could also help. I used to write ActiveX controls for JavaScript to access data and GPUs.

In any case, Palm has said they're looking into doing a native SDK. So it's a similar situation as to when the iPhone first came out, except the Palm can have more powerful static apps at first.

Personally and professionally, I think it's a shame that the iPhone and Pre (at least as far as I know) don't support Java apps. I'm getting old and prefer to write a single app that works on as many devices as possible.

 

[beg_ne]

Personally and professionally, I think it's a shame that the iPhone and Pre (at least as far as I know) don't support Java apps. I'm getting old and prefer to write a single app that works on as many devices as possible.

Isn't that the whole problem with Java apps? Developers are too lazy/set in their ways to make their apps real first class citizens which gives the users really poor apps to use.


Chances are if a developer is too lazy to learn how to program Obj-C or how to use Cocoa they also are too lazy to follow the HIG and will end up with garbage like this:

 

[skwoytek]

Personally and professionally, I think it's a shame that the iPhone and Pre (at least as far as I know) don't support Java apps. I'm getting old and prefer to write a single app that works on as many devices as possible.

Having ran plenty of Java applications on various platforms, I can say if I made a phone I'd rather you not throw your designed for the lowest common denominator, works on any platform application on my phone.

Quantity doesn't equal quality. And while everything in the App Store may not be quality, it'd be much worse with thousands of Java apps designed for years old devices. Many of the iPhone apps are of higher quality and easier to use than I've ever seen before.

No matter how much you want to complain about javascript vs. Objective-C and go on about the vast numbers of programmers who can instantly program for the Pre, the App Store isn't hurting much in the way of choice. There will be plenty of top-notch programmers who move to the iPhone and plenty of developers who add Cocoa programmers to their teams to meet their iPhone development needs.

As a developer, you're already looking at 30 million potential customers with the capability (store embedded) to buy your application the moment it is approved.

 

[kdarling]

Chances are if a developer is too lazy to learn how to program Obj-C or how to use Cocoa they also are too lazy to follow the HIG and will end up with garbage like this:

Yep, that is pretty ugly But it has nothing to do with learning languages. I know tons of great programmers with absolutely no design taste.

Having ran plenty of Java applications on various platforms, I can say if I made a phone I'd rather you not throw your designed for the lowest common denominator, works on any platform application on my phone.

I'd agree, except I'm not talking about other people's apps. I write enterprise Java apps using my own modern GUI libraries that look very good on anything. It's nice to write something just once for Blackberries and WM devices.

I started programming in Fortran, PL/1 and 68xx(x) assembler, wrote my own Forth, and have learned nearly every popular language, including Objective-C. I also have spent years writing Javascript-based standalone DHTML applications, which gives me a good perspective on what they can or can't do.

I'd like a common language to cut down on my enterprise app dev time, and Java has the necessary power to do a lot of neat stuff. I think it's ridiculous that Apple won't let Java or Flash or script interpreters be put on their device. At least, not yet.

 

[cocky jeremy]

So it comes out on June 7th? So basically, they want people to care about their phone for A day? Whatever floats their boat i guess. What a quick way to put a nail in their own coffin.

FTW!

 

[Masquerade]

Palm must have people that knows the name of the 'things' and how to do it. that people are called engineers. i think the problem is not do make a store, transactions and stuff, but if the company finds its way on that matter. that arm7 cortex is hot so expect that not only webapps are coming;

I think that Palm MAY be easier for developers since it is mainly javascript with the Mojo frameworks. The interesting thing to see is, how will they end up delivering the apps to the users (store? adhoc, user installed like a desktop application, etc). I also am curious about the developer program. I just looked and they are scrutinizing who gets in the program at this stage. You can apply, but you may not hear back from them.

Is there a revenue model for developers? One of the great reasons the iPhone has such a developer following is the AppStore. Developers can submit an app and after it gets approved, they really do not have to worry about how they get the $$$ and such. If it is a user installed model, then the devels have to worry about licensing, transactions, update methods, etc.

Might be more of a headache.

I guess only time will tell huh?