New ARM chips headed for iPhone, Palm Pre?

ARM, the company that designs chips for the world's smartphones, said handset makers will deliver the first models using more than one processor core next year, as high-end mobile phones begin to mimic the hardware attributes of PCs.
##CONTINUE##
And that means top smartphone suppliers such as Apple and Palm, which both use ARM-based processors, will likely deliver models packing at least two cores inside the main processor--referred to as an application (or applications) processor.

This is a natural progression for high-end smartphones like the iPhone and Palm Pre as the software those phones run gets increasingly sophisticated.

"You'll definitely see handsets shipping with a dual-core A9 in 2010," James Bruce, wireless segment manager for ARM, said in a phone interview earlier this week, referring to the next-generation Cortex-A9 processor from ARM.

The Palm Pre uses a processor based on the current-generation Cortex A8. The iPhone also uses an Apple-branded chip that is based on an ARM design.

"The A8 is just a single core while the A9 will be dual-core, all the way up to quad-core to give smartphones an even bigger performance boost," Bruce said.

He said the move to dual-core phones should happen relatively quickly. "It's very aggressive. It's only going to be in a year's time that you're going to get these phones," he said.

And what about power consumption, a critical concern for smartphones looking to deliver all-day battery life? "What we've done on the A9 is actually make it more power efficient than the A8. The dual-core A9 will be coming out on 45-nanometer rather than the (current) 65-nanometer process," Bruce said. Generally, the smaller the geometries, the faster and more power-efficient the processor is.

Bruce continued. "With the dual-core running at maximum load there's probably going to be an increase of about 10 to 20 percent in power consumption but in general day to day use you're actually going to see better battery life."

Manufacturers are very strict about power-consumption caps, he said. "The manufacturers lay down the law that maximum power consumption of the processor is 300 milliwatts. In the mobile space, this is one of those golden rules that we have to live within," he said, speaking about the upcoming Cortex A9 processor.

An ARM diagram showing a quad-core Cortex-A9 processor

(Credit: ARM)

By comparison, Intel's power-sipping Atom processor--used widely in Netbooks--is generally rated at more than 2 watts (2,000 milliwatts), though Intel is expected to get this down to smartphone territory with the future "Moorestown" processor.

Bruce also spoke about the speed of the current Cortex-A8 versus the previous ARM design. The principal reason for the performance boost is the A8's superscalar design, which means the processor can execute two separate instructions per clock cycle.

"You're getting a 2X increase (over the previous ARM design). "And actually the A9 takes that even further, It's a superscalar design but it's also an out-of-order design as well. There is some out-of-order aspects with the A8 but the A9 is a very aggressive out-of-order processor," he said. The ability to process instructions using an advanced out-of-order architecture typically results in better performance.

And graphics will follow suit. The upcoming multi-core OMAP 4 processor from Texas Instruments (the OMAP 3 is used in the Palm Pre) is based on the ARM Cortex-9 and will boast graphics that support 1080p video and high-definition record and playback, larger screen resolutions, and "digital SLR-like performance with 20 MP (megapixel) imaging," according to TI documentation.

-----------------------------
BY Brooke Crothers
Source：cnet

Brooke Crothers is a former editor at large at CNET News.com, and has been an editor for the Asian weekly version of the Wall Street Journal. He writes for the CNET Blog Network, and is not a current employee of CNET. Contact him at mbcrothers@gmail.com. Disclosure.

©2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.

Should Microsoft Buy Palm?

Analyst Andre Kitson at Juniper Research is recommending that now is the right time for Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) to buy Palm, giving the huge software company access to Palm's design and engineering team, many of which came from Apple. Does this make sense thought for Microsoft?
##CONTINUE##
Palm and Microsoft have been competitors for years in the mobile device space. Microsoft was a very minor player in the market until they revamped their handheld OS in 2000 and christened it Pocket PC. While it still shared many concepts with Windows, Microsoft was finally beginning to understand that putting a desktop user interface on a 3" screen wasn't the right way to go. It took a few years, but Microsoft ultimately defeated Palm.

Or, should I say, Palm defeated itself? Not to take anything away from Microsoft's efforts, but Palm has had a number of missteps over the years. Palm OS5, the most recent OS from Palm until last Saturday when the first WebOS device shipped, was released in 2002. That was seven years ago, multiple lifetimes in the digital world. They failed to get a single manufacturer to buy OS6. Even Palm didn't build a PDA with OS6 on it. By then, Palm was modeling the software side after Microsoft. Palm would split the company in two. PalmSource would develop and sell the operating system to a number of manufacturers like Sony, Garmin and PalmOne, just like MS does with all of its PC manufacturing customers. PalmOne was, of course, the hardware company and just one of a number of licensees using PalmOS.

To make a long story short, just about all of the licensees for PalmOS either walked away from the venerable OS or got out of mobile devices entirely. PalmSource has since been acquired by a Japanese company, Access, and faded from the memory of gadgets geeks the world over. PalmOne renamed itself Palm again and started working on a new platform. Eventually WebOS was announced and the Pre is now available, assuming the localSprint (NYSE: S) or Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has one in stock for you.

Why would Microsoft want Palm now? In 2002 it made a lot of sense. Palm had well over 70% of the market share. Today, most of the market share Palm has is actually from phones running Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform. Microsoft doesn't need engineers and device designers. That isn't what Microsoft does. Sure, they have some nice keyboards and mice and they make the Zune and X-Box. The gaming market was an area that Microsoft wasn't really in, so by jumping in with their own platform, they had no existing customers to tick off, and it played right into Microsoft's desire to own the living room. The Zune is an oddity. I am sure Microsoft ticked off a ton of its customers that were using MS's Windows Media Audio codecs and the Plays For Sure DRM encryption scheme, but those customers weren't setting the world on fire with their products and I doubt MS had much licensing revenue to lose. I suspect MS got tired of the iPod dominating the MP3 player market. None of MS's customers could really make a dent in the market and from a consumer standpoint, MS seemed to be to blame when there were DRM/playback issues. It was a lose/lose for MS.

Mr. Kitson is right about one thing - Microsoft does need a cool consumer phone. I am not convinced MS has to build it though. With Windows Mobile 6.5, MS has finally got religion on the consumer side of the equation. WinMo 6.5 will not even be a year old when WinMo 7 comes out in 2010. WinMo 7 is supposed to finally be the OS that really gives the iPhone a serious run for the money.

As it stand now, MS plans to let its OEM partners like HTC build the device and sell it to the carriers. If MS started making their own devices, it would make them a competitor to their own customers, customers that can move over to Android at a moment's notice. It would do more harm than good. This is where the phone market differs from the MP3 player market. With the MP3 player market, none of the hardware/music store combos came anywhere close to what the iPod/iTunes combo is. Microsoft decided to change that. The problem with the phone market for MS isn't their hardware partners, it is Windows Mobile itself. The OS is little changed from 2005. Back then it was ok to use a stylus and have menus flying all over the place. Apple changed that in 2007 with the iPhone and it took time for MS to catch up. They are clearly headed down the right path now. The question is, can they catch Apple? Events coming out of WWDC this week may show the iPhone will make more leaps ahead, and iPhone 3.0 should ship this summer.

And what of Palm? WebOS and the Pre are make-or-break time for Palm. It is either a huge success, or it is over for Palm. I seriously doubt Palm can afford a lukewarm reception to the platform in the coming months, or they will continue to be an also ran. That won't be enough to sustain the stock price it is at today. It has moved from $1.70 in December 2007 to $11-12 today. Investors didn't run the price up for a mediocre seller. It may make sense for someone likeMotorola (NYSE: MOT) or LG to buy Palm for their hardware smarts, but not Microsoft.

-----------------------------
BY Ed Hansberry
Source：InformationWeek

Copyright © 2009 United Business Media LLC, All rights reserved.

Palm Pre apps and Palm's App Catalog: A closer look

The Palm Pre might have a slick OS and stylish hardware, but when it comes to apps, it has a long road ahead of it.
##CONTINUE##
The Palm Pre might have a slick OS and stylish hardware, but when it comes to apps, it has a long road ahead of it. The Apple iPhone OS has the largest (more than 35,000 apps now) and most comprehensive native app store of any mobile operating system. And if Palm wants WebOS and the Pre to challenge Apple's smartphone juggernaut, it's going to have to step up its apps game. But Palm's App Catalog shows a lot of promise: Its design makes navigating and shopping for apps from the Pre easy, and many of the apps take full advantage of WebOS's best features.

The App Catalog: Sparse but Well Organized

Palm's App Catalog for WebOS can be accessed via the Pre's Launcher menu. The home screen of the App Catalog lists Featured apps and Popular apps horizontally, accompanied by each app's title and star rating. Beneath those two rows of listings, the Top Tags content appears; it consists of entries in various app categories such as Most Recent, Top Rated, Entertainment, and News.

Another option is to use a WebOS feature called Universal Search to search for an app. Simply start typing the name and a list of matches will come up. At launch, the App Catalog will contain only a dozen or so available apps.

Clicking an app listing brings up its description, a few screenshots, and links to view user reviews or to add your own. You'll also find a link to the developer's homepage, in case you need app support. You can either purchase and download the app (if it is a paid app) or try a time-limited trial version. The apps I selected downloaded quickly and appeared immediately in the Pre's Launcher menu. If an update becomes available for an app that you've already purchased, an 'Update' icon will appear in place of 'Download' on the app's info page. Palm has yet to announce how paid apps will work within the catalog; all of the apps available so far are free.

WebOS Apps: Future Stars?

Palm has stated that the company's intention in building WebOS on standard Web technologies such as HTML, Javascript, and CSS was to spare developers from having to learn a new programming language. As a result, developers should be able to create apps easier and faster.

Initially, Mojo, WebOS's software developer kit (SDK), was available only to a select developers. This will change, however, when the public SDK debuts. According to Palm's VP of global sales, the public SDK is "very close to launch." The kit uses application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow developers to integrate WebOS's features--such as gesture-based navigation, Universal Search, and Notifications--into their applications.

Karl Stillner, the vice president of business development at Zumobi, an app development company, agrees. He says that he has heard very good feedback about the platform from Zumobi's developers. He notes that his company's apps (a Today Show and Sporting News Baseball app) run faster on WebOS than any other platform it works with.

I've looked at a few of the new WebOS applications and like what I've seen so far. My favorites:

Google Maps, which comes preloaded on the Pre, integrates WebOS's Universal Search feature quite well. You can access Google Maps from the home screen by typing your location. Universal Search will initially list results from your contacts and apps and then give you the option to search Google Maps (you can also search Google, Twitter and Wikipedia). You can also take advantage of the Pre's multitasking capabilities by running your calendar and Maps simultaneously. I found this incredibly helpful for scheduling my weekend: I could make plans with friends, put them in my calendar and then search for locations without closing out of either app.

A YouTube app comes installed on the Pre as well. You can search all videos by simply typing, or you can view the most popular or highly rated videos from the provided lists. The Pre always displays the videos in landscape mode and delivers them in H.264 format, regardless of whether you connected over Wi-Fi or EvDO. You can't comment or rate videos, however--an annoying omission.

Fandango and Pandora, both of which are available from the App Catalog, were definitely my favorites among the dozen or so apps I looked at--because of how they integrated with WebOS. Fandango uses the Pre's location-based services to find theaters in your area. You can also watch movie trailers, buy tickets, and add showtimes to your calendar--again without having to close the app.

Meanwhile, Pandora capitalizes on the Pre's multitasking capabilities by running discreetly in the background while you use other apps. Song and artist titles appear in the Notifications area, so you don't have to reopen the app to figure out what you're listening to. You can also pause and give thumbs up/thumbs down judgments from Notifcations. If you want to skip a song, just tap the 'P' in the bottom corner of your screen to pull up the app.

Palm OS Apps Work on Pre

The lack of WebOS apps at launch is admittedly disappointing. Palm says that many older Palm OS apps will work on the Pre (though, clearly, they won't take advantage of the new hardware and software). To use the older apps, you'll have to download MotionApps Classic app, a Palm OS simulator that runs in WebOS; fortunately this app is available at launch.

Read the full review of the Palm Pre and see how WebOS compares to other smartphones.

-----------------------------
BY Ginny Mies
Source：PCWorld

Copyright 2009 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved.

分析师估计Palm Pre周末销量约20万部

Palm Pre手机出现脱销，标志着Pre在挑战iPhone(手机上网)的征途中取得了第一个胜利。有分析师估计Palm Pre手机周末销量约为20万部。
##CONTINUE##
Pre在独家移动运营商Sprint Nextel部分营业厅脱销。加拿大皇家银行资本市场分析师乔纳森·阿特金(Jonathan Atkin)表示，Pre周末销量不足10万部，购买者主要是Sprint Nextel现有客户。

尽管销量只是3G版iPhone的一个零头，Pre有助于恢复Palm“手机创新者”的名誉，也会放慢Sprint Nextel用户流失的速度。在过去的一年中，Sprint Nextel流失了逾400万用户。阿特金说，在可预期的将来，Pre不会积压。Sprint Nextel去年缺乏的是有竞争力的终端产品。

Palm发言人莱斯利·莱茨(Leslie Letts)没有就Pre销售情况发表评论。Sprint Nextel发言人马克·埃利奥特(Mark Elliott)说，该公司尚未披露Pre销量。

除了触摸屏外，Pre还配置有滑盖式键盘，这是iPhone所不具备的。Pre的操作系统使用户能方便地在软件之间切换。Pre还能整合不同账户的日程表、通信录和信息。

Pre手机199美元的价格与iPhone相同。至少在今年底前，Sprint Nextel将是Pre的独家移动运营商。Verizon Wireless和AT&T已经表示有意经销Pre。

券商Wachovia Securities分析师詹尼弗·弗里切(Jennifer Fritzsche)表示，芝加哥地区的Sprint Nextel营业厅获得了30部至50部不等的Pre手机存货，部分营业厅要到6月10日才能开始销售Pre手机。百思买在纽约的一家店铺表示，Pre存货只有3部。

发布头3天，苹果销售了100万部3G版iPhone手机，10倍于阿特金估计的Pre销量。阿特金表示，Palm粉丝群与苹果粉丝群不在一个数量级上。3G版iPhone在全球21个国家销售，两款产品上市销售的周末“不具有可比性”。

保险理赔师贝芙丽·达勒姆(Beverly Durham)表示，“我一直是Sprint Nextel的忠实客户，该公司需要推出一款新手机。”Sprint Nextel旧金山一家营业厅在2个小时内销售了60部Pre手机，该营业厅经理丹尼尔·陈(Daniel Chan)表示，约半数购买Pre手机的人是iPhone用户。

对Pre销量的不同估计
美国投资银行CL King & Associates分析师劳伦斯·哈利斯(Lawrence Harris)表示，Palm周末销售了约15万部Pre手机。美国投资银行Piper Jaffray分析师迈克尔·沃克利(Michael Walkley)估计，Pre销量约为20万部。摩根大通分析师保罗·科斯特(Paul Coster)估计，周末Pre销量超过了5万部。

Palm计划收复智能手机市场上的失地。Palm 2007年从苹果挖来了乔恩·鲁宾斯坦(Jon Rubinstein)主持Pre的开发工作。风险投资公司Elevation Partners斥资4.25亿美元收购了Palm约三分之一股份，为Pre的开发提供了许多帮助。

-----------------------------
文章出处：新浪科技
作者：志翔

A first look inside the Palm Pre

A teardown of the Palm Pre reveals few surprises, but leaves two intriguing questions unanswered.
##CONTINUE##
It's not clear from a first inspection of the Pre's internals why the handset is delivering subpar battery performance in early reviews. Analysts are also scratching their heads over why Cypress Semiconductor is not providing technical information on what appears to be a new multi-touch display controller used in the cellphone.

The Palm Pre went on sale June 6 after debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The handset has been of the most anticipated new cellphone designs since the iPhone, in part because Jon Rubinstein, the company's recently installed executive chairman, was the former vice president of engineering at Apple's.

Early reviews praised the phone but noted its battery failed to last a full day. The phone uses a replaceable 1150 milliAmpHour lithium ion battery, according to a teardown by Portelligent (Austin). Portelligent is part of TechInsights, the publisher of EE Times.

Other high profile smart phones use similar sized batteries including the iPhone and the HTC Dream, the first phone to use the Google Android operating system. However they use lithium ion polymer versions that have a slightly higher energy density and price tag.

The Pre batteries could be dying sooner than competitors because Palm's multitasking WebOS does more background processing than other environments. Another possibility lies in some hardware duplication in the device.

Palm announced at CES the Pre uses the TI OMAP 3430 as an applications processor. The teardown shows it also uses a Qualcomm 6801, an integrated baseband chip that also includes an applications processor.

Another unresolved question around the Pre is its use of a Cypress CP6944 multi-touch display processor. The chip is a new competitor for parts from Broadcom and Synaptics used in the iPhone and HTC Dream, respectively.

Interestingly, Cypress does not provide a datasheet for the part on its Web site, although it does provide marketing materials for what appears to be a similar-sized part under a different name.

"This is the first time we have seen this part, and Cypress doesn't have a lot of details on it," said Jeff Brown, principal analyst at Portelligent.

The Pre design takes a novel approach by putting its CDMA cellular radio components on a separate daughter card. That should help the company quickly spin a new version for the HSDPA networks of other carriers such as Verizon.

"With this modular approach they can swap out the baseband quickly for something supporting a GSM network," said Brown. "It was clear Apple didn't have any intention of doing a CDMA design at all, so they didn't need to have a modular hardware design," he added.

"The downside is there are as many as six flex connectors" on the Pre, Brown said. "There's a cost impact on the use of such connectors and the associated assembly work," he said.

The Pre shaves costs over its competitors in at least two areas. Its main board is single-sided compared to double-sided boards on most handsets. In addition, the Pre uses a 3.1-inch display believed to be from Sony, compared to a 3.5-inch display on the iPhone and a 3.2-incher on the HTC Dream.

Portelligent and other analysts are still preparing their costs analysis of the Pre based on teardowns. Market watcher iSuppli Corp. estimated in late April a bill of materials of $170 for the handset including software costs.

A peek inside the Pre--photos

The Pre held few surprises in the components it uses. The company had announced its plans to use the TI 3430 at CES, one of the first big smart phone wins for Texas Instruments. Samsung and Qualcomm provide the applications processors in the iPhone and HTC Dream, respectively.

TI needed the boost. Its share of the apps processor market fell from 23 percent in 2007 to 16.8 percent last year, said iSuppli. Samsung is gaining share in apps processors and is now number two at 16.4 percent right behind TI, thanks to its use on the iPhone.

Otherwise the Pre's mainboard uses parts often seen in other cellphones such as a Marvell Wi-Fi chip, CSR Bluetooth device, Kionix three-axis accelerometer, TI power management device and Samsung NAND flash.

Click on image to enlarge.

The separate radio board uses a relatively older generation Qualcomm 6801 integrated baseband and associated Qualcomm transmit and receive chips. However, rather than using the related Qualcomm power management device, the Pre substitutes a Maxim 8695.

Click on image to enlarge.

The Maxim chip may reflect an attempt at cost savings given the Pre does not use the integrated apps processor on the Qualcomm baseband, Brown said.

Click on image to enlarge.

The Pre does use the assisted GPS capabilities of the Qualcomm baseband. That means the phone will not be able to get a location fix when it is not connected to the cellular network.

Other parts on the radio board include a Triquint power amp, Avago modulator and more Samsung flash—all widely used in other cellphones. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities were part of a module from Murata on the mainboard.

Click on image to enlarge.

-----------------------------
BY Rick Merritt
Source：EE Times

Copyright © 2009 TechInsights, a Division of United Business Media LLC All rights reserved.

Pre鲜为人知的5个秘密：铃音来自西藏乐器

在Pre手机为期15个月的设计过程中，该公司设计师和工程师从日本禅花园和草坪获得了灵感。这种师法自然的做法甚至延伸到Pre的铃音。Palm负责人力资源和用户体验的副总裁马蒂亚斯·杜阿尔特(Matias Duarte)表示，该公司为Pre设计了全新的铃音，通过真人演奏西藏排钟等乐器录制铃音，“铃音也是Pre的一部分，硬件、软件和体验需要和谐统一。”。
##CONTINUE##
据国外媒体报道称，在快速发展的手机产业，对手机铃音如此“大动干戈”的情况并不多见。但对于希望依靠Pre打一个漂亮翻身仗的Palm而言，任何因素都是不可忽略的。下面是Pre设计师和工程师披露的一些鲜为人知的秘密：

1、从蛋、鹅卵石、壁虎获得灵感
Pre最初的创意与蛋密切相关。为了激发设计师的灵感，Palm设计副总裁彼得·斯科曼给下属发放了巨大的白驼鸟蛋，一名主要设计师获得了一枚暗蓝色的食火鸟蛋。

鹅卵石也激发了Pre设计师的灵感。斯科曼表示，在设计过程中，他在桌子上放有许多漂亮的鹅卵石。杜阿尔特将Pre称作是“在河床上经过千年冲涮的鹅卵石”，Palm希望消费者能体验到自然美。

即使名为Touchstone的充电器也与自然界密切相关。Touchstone采用与壁虎脚相似的结构，能够牢牢地贴在光滑的表面、墙壁和玻璃上。

2、软件宁缺毋滥
早期测试表明，Palm的手机软件商店落后于苹果、RIM和谷歌等竞争对手，在发布时只有不足20款软件。Palm称，它对软件的态度是宁缺毋滥，希望获得高质量的软件。Palm负责软件和服务的高级副总裁迈克尔·阿博特表示，“有趣的‘一次性’软件没有什么不好，我们对用户每天都会使用，至少不会只使用一次的软件更感兴趣。”

Palm尚未公开发布webOS软件开发工具包。阿博特表示，Palm希望首先对开发者进行审查，“我们希望更多的开发者，我们更关心软件商店的正常运行，而不是开发人员数量。”

3、向苹果的高标准看齐
过去两年中，Palm从苹果挖了多名高管。执行董事长乔恩·鲁宾斯坦是苹果前硬件技术副总裁；迈克·贝尔是苹果前产品管理副总裁，2007年12月加盟Palm前在苹果工作了17年。

Palm在向苹果的“高标准”看齐。贝尔说，“我们对质量有很高的要求，希望产品完美无缺，这是我们从前东家带来的理念。”与苹果一样，Palm也在寻求技术和设计的融合。杜阿尔特说，“我们不想成为技术一流、设计末流的高科技公司，或设计一流、技术末流的设计公司。”

4、移动运营商Sprint是老朋友
Sprint支持Pre的决定很好理解。Pre是数年来最热门的手机之一，Sprint需要一款能够与iPhone(手机上网)、黑莓Storm和Android手机相竞争的产品。Sprint早在2003年就销售Treo 600，是与Palm合作时间最长的美国移动运营商，一直是最早销售Palm手机的运营商。

5、将有多款webOS产品问世
Palm计划未来10年内继续开发webOS，并将其用于多款产品。Palm设计师和工程师正在开发计划明、后两年推出的手机产品。

据斯科曼称，Palm的目的并非是推出“iPhone杀手”，“我们认为，市场上容得下数款最优秀的产品，我们希望成为其中的一员。”

-----------------------------
文章出处：赛迪网
作者：刘彦青

Palm Pre-View: Developers High on webOS

Based on reactions from mobile applications developers, the Pre and its mobile platform may be destined to save Palm.
##CONTINUE##
Could webOS be the make-or-break Palm Pre's secret weapon? CTOs with experience developing webOS smartphone apps think so, saying the mobile operating system's familiar building blocks will create a new paradigm in mobile programming.

The fate of the embattled handset maker relies on the success of the Palm Pre, which goes on sale Saturday. All eyes are on the Pre as it will compete with new versions of the iconic iPhone, expected to be released days -- or weeks -- later in what's shaping up as a competitive summer in the smartphone market as rivals roll out signature products.

At stake is nothing less than the lion's share of the lucrative smartphone market, which is growing amid a wider slump in cell phone sales.

For Palm, the Pre marks the company's rebirth -- and its future. After years of losing market share, it has to successfully launch the Pre and follow up with other models built around a viable ecosystem, and this largely depends on the experience the software delivers, both to consumers and developers.

The Pre webOS is built on HTML, Javascript and CSS, standard Web environments, so developers say they can complete applications much more quickly, and with less effort, compared to other mobile operating systems.

Notable elements of the new operating system include enhancements such as the "Deck of Cards" design that lets a user scroll through applications and toggle between them without having to open windows and support for continual information updates in real-time. The user interface also centralizes e-mail accounts, contact and calendar information, and the phone itself boasts a full slide-out keyboard in addition to a color touchscreen display.

Indeed, the capability to synchronize functions will be seen in the Pandora app at launch. "It's the Pandora fans know and love, but unique to the Pre is that Pandora is integrated with the OS, so you can listen to music in the background, and use the controls without being inside the Pandora app. If you're in e-mail, you can type the e-mail, pause the music if you need to, and then start it all up again without skipping a beat, without leaving the e-mail app," Tom Conrad, Pandora CTO, told InternetNews.com.

Likewise, Mike Benjamin, CEO, of FlightView, says the capability to run applications in the background while providing real-time updates is key to his company's flight status app. "If you're interested in a flight, the Pre does it in the background while you're not paying attention, and then can give you an alert, with other platforms, you won't see it unless you bring it up. Palm integrates it into the native app of the phone so you see the info in your calendar, too," he told InternetNews.com.com.

But for developers, Conrad says the low barrier to entry of webOS is the key as it will usher in a quicker development cycle, which will help nurture a thriving and necessary developer community.

"What's exciting about that dimension of webOS is that mobile applications has been a black art. You needed a specialized set of skills. To be a mobile developer you had to steep yourself in mobile-specific technologies and platforms.

"The iPhone is fantastic, but it continued that. What's game-changing about webOS is its built on Web standards that are already largely understood by most developers, they can just jump right in there," Conrad told InternetNews.com.

Ted Wugofski, CTO of business app maker Handmark, agrees, saying webOS is also less expensive in terms of time and financial investment on the part of developers.

"I'm extremely excited about webOS. I've been doing this for 10 years now, and it's been evolving. The challenge has been that you build specialized apps for particular platforms, which means it's costly to do anything on mobile. With webOS, programming for the Pre is a lot like programming for the Web, we're getting closer to a program paradigm that's right for the industry," Wugofski told InternetNews.com.com. "For us, what's important is getting to market quickly and keeping costs down and having a great user experience, and, in a nutshell, webOS allows us to do that.

Furthermore, he said because webOS is so closely integrated to the Internet, Palm has an advantage over other mobile operating systems, namely, the iPhone OS X.

"If you look where the Web is going today, stuff like HTML 5, and where Palm is taking mobile devices, they're ahead of the game, ahead of both Apple and even Android when it comes to evolving the platform closer in line with the rest of the Web," Wugofksi said.

And while the mobile operating system is being lauded for the capability to synchronize applications and streamline content, some have questioned how well the Web-based platform will support gaming. Conrad doesn't think it will be an issue for the majority of gaming apps. "Certain kinds of games, you want to program right to the metal, so to speak. The current OS leaves that unanswered, but there's nothing I know of that fundamentally says it's impossible to do that."

Meanwhile, some analysts have criticized Palm for a lack of developer support at launch, though Fandango, Pandora, FlightView and Handmark are on board, and they aren't worried.

Conrad, for one, says starting off with a handful of partners is prudent. "Palm is poised to do well, I think we'll see a great deal of interest in the developer community and it will be thriving once the environment matures."

Aside from benefits to developers, Conrad warns against underestimating the fan base of Palm, saying it's still there, waiting for a reason to be reawakened after a fallow era in the company's history, which bodes well for the company's future success.

"Palm is a tremendously successful brand, they've built a loyal fan base, there's a lot of affection for Palm, and the Pre can tap into that same type of emotion on the part of the consumer, the way Apple does," said Conrad. "Very few companies have that connection, but Palm is one that does."

Fandango CTO Shane Shane O'Neill adds that a reignited fan base will trigger the cyclical nature integral to a successful app ecosystem.

"I believe there is a strong Palm following. This will in turn create new Palm users. And in turn this will mean that more developers will want or need to produce for the device," O'Neill told InternetNews.com.

Palm first presented the Pre at a trade show in January, saying it would be out by mid-year. Since then, industry watchers have been waiting for the introduction of the smartphone, which has generated buzz as a potential "iPhone killer."

In terms of how it will stack up compared to the iPhone, Wugofski, who says the "the Pre had me at hello," thinks it should fare well. "I don't want to say if it's an iPhone killer or not. That's a loaded comment, but I think it will do extremely well. In terms of apps, it will have to play catch up, but because you can use your existing Web developers, you don't have to hire C# and Java programmers. The barrier is low enough that it can compete."

While it remains to be seen exactly how the Pre will do once it goes on sale, one thing is certain: This summer will be a smartphone showcase of spectacular proportions, said Wugofski. "We're going to have three new platforms. The next iPhone OS version, Palm Pre's webOS and the next version of Android out there. I don't believe the market has ever seen such a season, both from a user and a developer perspective."

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BY Michelle Megna
Source：internetnews.com

Copyright 2009 WebMediaBrands Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Success Of the Palm Pre May Depend On Developers

There is an old computer industry adage that "software sells hardware." On June 6, the Palm Pre may again prove the truth in those words. Applications, or the lack of them, are likely to plan an important role in the Pre's relative success, or failure.
##CONTINUE##
Apple, meanwhile, is expected to introduce new iPhones running its 3.0 operating system, perhaps only two days after the Pre's launch. Developers are already building applications for the new iPhone OS, diverting energy that Palm might otherwise harness.

Palm, with its rocky history, has a bad reputation in some circles. That could also slow developer support for the Pre, as those with limited resources bet on other companies' offerings.

If you were a developer, which smartphone would you create applications for? Apple's iPhone is a given as it offers a powerful platform and comes with an easy way for apps to be sold to customers. All other smartphones pale in comparison to Apple's work.

As for the others:

It's widely presumed that devices based on the Google Android operating system will become more common and that Google will figure out how to sell them online.

RIM doesn't have as advanced an applications platform among its smartphones, but can be expected to catch-up. RIM has sold plenty of BlackBerrys and sheer volume makes them interesting to developers.

Microsoft is the ugly duckling of the smartphone business. Its Windows Mobile has limited developer support and has never really caught on in the marketplace, despite years of attempts. My thought is that cellular carriers are skeptical enough of Microsoft that wide adoption of the company's mobile OS isn't likely.

It will be months before it will be possible to assess developer support for the Pre. While the June 6 launch of the Palm Pre will give the device needed momentum, it could be short-lived if Apple announces two days later at its developer conference.

The excitement surrounding iPhone 3.0 applications is likely to overshadow anything else that happens in smartphone development this summer. The Palm Pre, though exciting, is starting at a considerable disadvantage that will be difficult to overcome.

If software really does sell hardware, the momentum will be with Apple and not with Palm.

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BY David Coursey
Source：sfgate.com

David Coursey never imagined he'd have--and use--as many iPhone apps as he does. He tweets as dcoursey and can be e-mailed using the form located at www.coursey.com/contact.

Copyright (c) 2009, IDG News Service. All rights reserved. IDG News Service is a trademark of International Data Group, Inc.

Palm Invites Developers to Create Apps for Pre Mobile Phone

Palm is taking what it hopes is the next step in to make its Palm Pre a viable iPhone competitor. On Wednesday, at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, Palm opened up its Mojo Software Development Kit (SDK) program to a "broad group of developers." The Mojo SDK allows developers to make applications for Palm's newest operating system, WebOS, which replaces its once popular Palm OS. The ultimate goal is likely to create a broad selection of applications available for Palm handsets such as the Pre - similar to the thousands of apps available to iPhone users.
##CONTINUE##
Palm could start distributing the WebOS SDK to developers as early as today, according to reports. Developers can apply to receive the Mojo SDK at the Palm Developer Network website.

Key features included in WebOS include simplified multi-tasking; the Mojo Messaging Service, a push notification system; and user-friendly device alerts that Palm says won't distract you from any task your phone is currently performing. WebOS will also feature Synergy, a database that pulls a variety of information streams into one place including Facebook updates, Google services and Microsoft Exchange data. Synergy's functions sound similar to Instant Messaging clients like Digsby, which in addition to IM also pulls social networking updates and web-based email alerts onto your desktop.

If you're finding it hard to let go of the old OS, Palm has a Pre-based solution for you as well. At launch, a Palm OS emulator from MotionApps called Classic will be available for purchase. Palm says it is working hard to make sure that popular Palm OS apps transition to WebOS. In the meantime, Classic will be available to give you peace of mind as you transition to the new operating system. How well Classic will work remains to be seen, but MotionApps says Classic can run apps twice as fast as the Treo 700p. There's no information yet about which of the more than 30,000 Palm OS applications will work with Classic or how much the application will cost.

This is the second release for the Mojo SDK after a smaller "private release" in January. Some applications have already been developed for the Pre including programs from Fandango, Pandora and a flight tracking application.

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BY Michael Herald
Source：mobility TODAY

Mobility Today is a Handheld Marketing Group, LLC company - © 2009 All rights reserved.

Palm’s CTO details webOS for developers

Palm’s new Pre device and its accompanying webOS platform have stirred up a lot of excitement in the mobile application development community. Unfortunately, only a select group of larger developers (Facebook, Pandora and TeleNav, to name a few) have been given access to the software development kit (SDK) so far.
##CONTINUE##
For everyone else, Palm unveiled the first chapter of the book “Palm webOS: Developing Applications in JavaScript using Palm Mojo Framework,” written by its chief technology officer Mitch Allen, a couple of weeks ago. And yesterday, Allen teamed up with O’Reilly (which is also publishing the book), to do a webcast (or webinar as they call it) for developers who want to listen in. For those interested, I’ve embedded the hour-long webcast below — it’s a very interesting listen/watch for those who want to know how the platform will work.

Notably, Allen leads off the webcast by saying he will not be able to answer the “when, where or how much?” questions about the Pre. Those all remain up in the air. But the device is expected to be released sometime in the next few months, and rumors of the pricing have circulated as well.

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BY MG Siegler
Source： VentureBeat

© 2004-2009(c) Matt Marshall. All rights reserved.

Palm Launches WebOS-Based PDA Phone

Palm plans first-half availability through Sprint of its new Pre PDA phone, the first PDA phone built on a new operating system developed by Palm and called WebOS.
##CONTINUE##
Sprint will offer the phone exclusively for an undisclosed period of time at a price that also wasn’t disclosed. A version for GSM/W-CDMA networks is also under development.

The 3G phone, equipped with 3.1-inch touchscreen and slide-down QWERTY keyboard, features a motion user interface that lets consumers execute basic navigation functions through finger swipes and gestures. Unlike other PDA phones, however, users can run multiple live applications simultaneously like a desktop or laptop computer. The phone stacks multiple live screens on top of one another like a deck of cards instead of minimizing screens as PCs and laptops do. Consumers swipe a finger across the top card to “deal” it away, revealing the card underneath. Users can also stack multiple live Web pages or multiple email messages on top of one another.

A feature called Synergy aggregates contact lists, calendar items and email messages from multiple sources, including Web-based sources. The contact list, for example, automatically combines contacts lists from a user’s Outlook, Facebook, Google and other contact lists. The calendar function automatically aggregates a user’s Outlook, Google and Facebook calendars, then displays appointments from all of the calendars at once. If the user chooses to display only calendar at a time, the phone still indicates that certain times are booked on the other calendars. Multiple email inboxes are also aggregated, as are multiple instant messaging accounts.

The OS also enables a universal search function, which lets users type in words to search for information stored in any application on the phone. If the information isn’t stored in the phone, the phone automatically searches the Web for the data through Google.

The OS also displays notifications of email, instant messages and appointments when a user is in another application.

Unlike other PDA phone operating systems, WebOS lets applications developers use standard Web-development tools to write third-party applications, enabling any of the more than 10 million Web developers to design applications for the platform, said president/CEO Ed Colligan.

WebOS will “be the basis for innovation by Palm for the decade to come,” Colligan said.

Other phone features include 802.11b/g, stereo Bluetooth EDR 2.1, 8GB of built-in memory, GPS for turn-by-turn driving instructions, 3-megapixel camera, removable battery and accelerometer to automatically put the screen into portrait or landscape mode when turned. The slide-down QWERTY keyboard allows for single- or two-handed typing. The Pre is also the first PDA phone to use the Texas Instruments’ OMAP 3430 processor, which executive chairman Jon Rubinstein said delivers “laptop-like performance.”

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BY Joseph Palenchar
Source：TWICE

Palm CEO:Nova操作系统仍在开发之中

明年1月，智能手机制造商Palm的新操作系统Nova将在“国际消费电子展”(CES)上首次亮相。Palm表示，采用这个操作系统的手机将填补黑莓和iPhone之间的行业空白。而Palm CEO昨日发表声明称,Nova仍在开发之中. 

##CONTINUE##

Nova是基于Linux开发出来的操作系统，同时Nova也将是Palm明年主要推出的一个项目。虽然今年Palm PDA以及Palm Treo等一批产品表现优异，但是Palm在今年的市场表现不容乐观，未来的Nova系统也许将会是Palm的一根救命稻草。

Palm的执行董事长鲁宾斯坦表示新的Nova将会主打移动商务以及休闲娱乐功能，在一定程度上Nova可以看做苹果Mac OS X以及blackberry OS的混合体。虽然Palm对于新的操作系统尤为重视，而且在今年初的时候就已经有计划的运行，不过Palm新操作系统的推出还是比苹果、黑莓等慢上不少。

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文章出处：商业周刊

作者：N/A

Palm CEO: Linux smartphone to ship in H1 2009

Palm plans to ship a consumer-oriented smartphone -- based on its upcoming Nova OS -- in the first half of next year, while continuing to focus its Windows Mobile-based Treo on the enterprise, Palm's CEO said today.

In a conference call with financial analysts late Thursday, Palm officials gave virtual confirmation to reports that the product announcements Palm is planning for CES next month will revolve around Palm's Linux-based Nova OS.

##CONTINUE##

Palm's "next generation" smartphone will ship during the first half of 2009, said Ed Colligan, Palm's CEO. But the phone will be launched in the first quarter, said Andy Brown, Palm's CFO, also during the call.

Colligan said Palm expects to leverage its established brand name and product development experience to create "unique applications" and device designs for one of the few growing segments of the consumer electronics space.

"As we gain momentum [on our new platform], we're going to invest in the marketing and selling. We really believe there's a long-term play here," according to Colligan.

The CEO was met by skepticism by some analysts, who took their opportunities during the Q&A session to question why a new smartphone platform is needed right now and whether Palm is releasing Nova too late.

But Colligan argued against the attitude that, as he put it, "What's in the marketplace is the best there's gonna be." Instead, "I think the best is yet to come," the financial analysts were told.

Palm's financial results for the most recent quarter, also discussed during the call, were less optimistic, amounting to a net loss of $80.2 million.

Colligan suggested that dwindling consumer spending and Palm's "aging," Palm OS-based Centro product each were factors in the negative balance sheet.

"The Centro is a year-and-a-half old now," he contended. "Whatever is the latest and greatest is what tends to get a lot of [wireless carriers'] promotional dollars."

Yet also in the near future, he said, Palm plans to announce a relationship with a new US carrier for its Windows Mobile-based Treo. Also, Palm intends to continue to focus on Windows Mobile as an enterprise platform.

Colligan turned away several attempts by analysts to get detailed information about the planned Nova-based smartphone. But, he said, Palm will aim the Nova platform mostly at consumers, at least initially. He then added that some long-time Palm OS developers have already been briefed about the upcoming Nova platform.

"[On the] OS front, we want to make sure we have a robust set of applications. But we haven't made it a broad-based thing yet, and that would be further out," he noted. "It's incumbent on us to build a really compelling product."

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By Jacqueline Emigh

Source：BetaNews

Palm Opens Apps Store

Palm launched an online store where users can buy software directly from their handsets, becoming the latest phone maker to follow in Apple's footsteps with an application store. 

##CONTINUE##

Palm's Software Store lets users browse through a catalog of more than 5,000 applications and games from their Palm devices. Users can then buy and download the applications directly to their devices. 

Previously, Palm users could shop for new software online, but they had to download the application to a computer and load it on to their devices from there. 

Because some Palm devices run Windows Mobile, Palm has two stores: One serves Windows Mobile Palm phones and the other is for the Palm OS. That means Palm may have beaten Microsoft to the market. Microsoft, which says there are more than 18,000 applications available for Window Mobile users, is rumored to be building a centralized store for Window Mobile applications.

It's unclear how many of the 5,000 applications in Palm's store run on Palm OS devices and how many run on Windows Mobile Palm phones. A Palm representative did not reply to a request for clarification.

Palm joins a number of other phone makers that are building or have already launched stores where people can buy applications and download them directly to their phones. Apple started the trend with its iPhone App Store. Research In Motion plans to launch an Application Center in March, and the G1 Android phone has a marketplace as well. 

Palm's store appears to be operated by PocketGear, which provides a smartphone application distribution platform.

While Palm has struggled in recent years, it was an early innovator of handheld devices and developed a thriving developer community that built applications for the devices. However, despite the fact that Palm has been selling devices for many years, its store -- which includes both Windows Mobile and Palm OS applications -- has only half as many applications as Apple's App Store.

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By Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service

Source: PC World