Port to WebOS, get a million
The Palm PDK Hot Apps Program offers developers $1 million in cash or HP Products for applications developed using the Palm webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK), and rewards developers of the most-installed free and highest-revenue paid applications. The count begins July 15, 2010 and will last until September 30, 2010. [See PDK Hot Apps Program] -- Posted Thursday, August 5, 2010 by chb

Graffiti now available for free on Android!
Talk about adding insult to injury. Access Co, the folks who bought PalmSource way back when, but never really did anything with it, are now offering the original Graffiti as a free download from the Android app store. -- Posted Saturday, July 17, 2010 by chb

Palm Pre+ and Pixi+ free on new HP Wireless Central site
Now that Hewlett Packard's acquisition of Palm is final, HP wasted no time in pushing WebOS-based Palm phones on its new HP Wireless Central site. Better yet, you can get a Palm Pre Plus or a Palm Pixi Plus for free (after instant discount) with a new 2-year AT&T, Verizon or Sprint account. Given the high monthly phone bills for two years, of course, means the term "free" is a bit misleading, but it still shows that HP is determined to move inventory. -- Posted Tuesday, July 6, 2010 by chb

HP completes Palm acquisition
On July 1st, 2010, Hewlett Packard completed its aquisition of Palm Inc., at a price of US$5.70 per share. HP says the acquisition gives it "significant headway into one of technology’s fastest-growth segments with Palm’s innovative webOS platform and family of smartphones, plus a rich portfolio of intellectual property" that will "enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the highly profitable, $100 billion smartphone and connected mobile device markets." HP stated that the WebOS will be used to deliver also "other mobility products" including "future slate PCs and netbooks." [See HP press release on Palm acquisition] -- Posted Friday, July 2, 2010 by chb

Opinions on HP's acquisition of Palm
Now that Palm's been sold to HP, everyone has an opinion on the company, how things developed, and how it'll all play out. PCWorld presented A Brief History of Palm, InformationWeek an Analysis Of HP-Palm Acquisition, and many others weighed in as well, generally with much better pieces than the often clueless hype on tablets and their history. -- Posted Monday, May 3, 2010 by chb

End of an era: HP buys Palm
Three weeks after Pen Computing conjectured, "Here's an idea, though: what about using Palm's WebOS as the basis for HP's upcoming iPad competitor? It'll never fly with Windows 7 on it, but with Palm's WebOS....?", HP announced it will acquire Palm for US$1.2 billion. Now this sounds like good news for Palm, but then again, HP is also the company that squandered away the iPAQ brand when it bought Compaq. It seems unlikely that even HP will be able to make much of a dent in the smartphone market with Palm phones, but, again, possibly using webOS for small iPad competitor tablets, that's a different story altogether. -- Posted Wednesday, April 28, 2010 by chb

Things look dire for Palm
It's pretty much clear that Palm is now desperately looking for a buyer. But the financial community seems to have doubts that they'll find one. Palm's primary problem is that they're just too small. The WebOS may be find and good, but it's clearly falling between the cracks against the iPhone and Android. Sprint isn't doing Palm any favors either (they never even replied to our requests for review units of the Pre and Pixi). We'd still love to see a webpad with the WebOS on it, but that may never come to pass. -- Posted Monday, April 19, 2010 by chb

Palm buyout rumors getting stronger
With Apple's announcement of multitasking in the next version of the iPhone/iPad OS, already-struggling Palm lost perhaps its last compelling market advantage. As a result, there are acquisition rumors galore, with cnet offering an interesting look at who might be interested in buying Palm (see cnet's Who would benefit most by buying Palm?). Frankly, it's not entirely clear who might benefit from Palm's valiant efforts that simply lack market traction. Here's an idea, though: what about using Palm's WebOS as the basis for HP's upcoming iPad competitor? It'll never fly with Windows 7 on it, but with Palm's WebOS....? -- Posted Friday, April 9, 2010 by chb

Palm Pre and Pixi now available from AT&T as well
Palm announced that the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus phones will be available on the AT&T 3G network for $149.99 and $49.99, respectively, with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. -- Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 by chb

PCMag: Dear Palm, Please Get It Together
After Palm announced decent financials but a fairly dismal sales picture, things just don't look so good for the former high flyer. The word on the Pre and WebOS is all good, but developers and customers aren't biting in large enough numbers. Lance Ulanoff at PCMag offers some commentary in his Dear Palm, Please Get It Together -- Posted Friday, March 19, 2010 by chb

Palm announces webOS Plug-in Development Kit beta
Palm announced that a public beta version of the Palm webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) is now available at the Palm Developer Center. -- Posted Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by chb

Smartphone market share 2009
According to Gartner, the 2009 smartphone sales unit market was as follows (2008 percentage in parentheses): Symbian 46.9% (54.2%), RIM 19.9% (16.6%), iPhone 14.4% (8.2%), Windows Mobile 8.7% (11.8%), Linux 4.7% (7.6%), Android 3.9% (0.5%), Palm WebOS 0.7% (NA). -- Posted Friday, March 5, 2010 by chb

Does Palm suffer from a lack of image?
Are Palm's lackluster sales the result of not having an image? After all, "Image is everything," as tennis great Andre Agassi once said in a canon commercial (he later said he had never agreed to the campaign). Well, PC World is outlining how Palm is missing out on the image thing by analyzing what the competition is doing in the image department. [See PC World's image analysis] -- Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 by chb

Palm: Slower than expected adoption of Pre and Pixi
Palm says it expects revenues for the third quarter of fiscal year 2010 to be $285-310 million and that revenues for the quarter and full year are impacted by slower than expected consumer adoption of the company's products that has resulted in lower than expected order volumes from carriers and the deferral of orders to future periods. Palm expects fiscal year 2010 revenues to be well below its previously forecasted range of $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion. -- Posted Thursday, February 25, 2010 by chb

Treo gone, last of the old Palms
Palm is down to two models now, the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus. No more Treos, and that means that the Palm OS as well as Windows Mobile-based Palms are now gone for good. -- Posted Tuesday, January 26, 2010 by chb

Palm webOS developer program open
The Palm webOS developer program is open to any developer to sign up and start developing and distributing applications for webOS devices. Palm showcased its developer program and tools at 2010 CES, and announced a $1 million developer Hot Apps bonus program for the rapidly growing Palm webOS developer community. -- Posted Tuesday, January 12, 2010 by chb

Palm WebOS 1.3.5 released
Palm/Sprint have released WebOS 1.3.5. For a description, and list of prior releases, check here. -- Posted Tuesday, January 5, 2010 by chb

Palm: No more WinMo devices
It never really made sense, Palm making Windows Mobile devices, and it's over now. Palm announced it will no longer develop WinMo-based smartphones. Instead, the company will concentrate on its webOS platform. -- Posted Wednesday, September 30, 2009 by chb

ACCESS NetFront deployment now over 800 million worldwide
ACCESS CO., LTD., which owns the old "Garnet" Palm OS, announced that worldwide deployments of its NetFront products, notably its NetFront Browser for mobile handsets and Internet-enabled devices, surpassed 800 million at the end of July 2009. -- Posted Thursday, September 10, 2009 by chb

Half-price Palm Pre offer yanked by Sprint
According to FierceWireless, an offer that would have given new Sprint customers a $100 service credit if they switched their line to a Palm Pre and signed a two-year contract has been withdrawn by Sprint as it was based on an "internal communications issue." -- Posted Thursday, September 10, 2009 by chb

Palm Pixi -- a smaller, thumbtype New Palm
Anyone without a two-year contract take note: on the eve of Apple's latest announcements, Palm announced the Palm Pixi, a follow-up on the Palm Pre, only smaller yet (a tiny bit smaller than the iPhone at 2.2 x 4.4 x .43, 3.5 ounces) and a bit cheaper (irrelevant; the cost is in the Sprint telco contract) when it arrives "for the holidays." No WiFi, smaller 2.63-inch 320 x 400 pixel screen, lower-res (2mp) camera, Bluetooth, GPS, 8GB of storage. The Pixi seems a handsome iPhone clone with a thumbtype keyboard for those who miss the Treo and like the Pre's webOS. See the Pixi at Palm. -- Posted Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by chb

Palm webOS 1.1 released - iTunes sync back on
Palm released the webOS 1.1 update with support for Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), including remote wipe, PIN/password requirements, inactivity timeout, improved certificate handling, and more. Version 1.1 also includes goodies such as emoticons in the messaging app, the ability to set “person reminders” in the contacts app, and also re-enables Palm media sync. -- Posted Friday, July 24, 2009 by chb

Apple dumps (Pre) cuckoo
In its latest iTunes update, version 8.2.1, Apple ditched the ability of the Palm Pre to use iTunes for syncing by pretending to be Apple hardware. One could argue iTunes should be open, and one can argue that it was uncool of Palm to use someone else's popular software for its product. Apple, not surprisingly, was of the latter opinion and cryptically remarked that the latest update addressed an issue with verification of Apple devices. -- Posted Thursday, July 16, 2009 by chb

Mark/Space releases The Missing Sync for Palm Pre, for Mac
Mark/Space, creator of award-winning desktop and handheld synchronization software, announced availability of Release 1.0 of The Missing Sync for Palm Pre, for Mac. Synchronize contacts, calendars, music, ringtones, photos and more between a Mac and the new Palm Pre phone. And, a Windows Vista and Windows XP version is in development. -- Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 by chb

InfoWorld Deathmatch: Palm Pre vs iPhone
InfoWorld did a "deathmatch" between the Palm Pre and the Apple iPhone. There is good discussion of each platform's features, and the final result is close. [See InfoWorld's Deathmatch: Palm Pre versus iPhone -- Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 by chb

Palm Pre sales brisk, may top a million for its initial quarter
According to Charter Equity Research analyst Ed Snyder, Palm Pre sales in June 2009 were over 300,000, on top of about 70,000 in May. Palm is making about 15,000 a day, and total shipments to Sprint for the first quarter of the unit may top a million. Anyone betting on Palm has made a lot of money since the beginning of the year when Palm was practically a penny stock. It's now at US$16.50. -- Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 by chb

Palm and Windows Mobile and how the iPhone really changed everything
We've covered mobile computing since 1993, and so with all the hoopla over the much anticipated release of the Palm Pre in early June of 2009, here are some thoughts about the ever-changing fortunes of the mobile platforms in our industry [... more] -- Posted Friday, June 12, 2009 by chb

Palm's Ed Colligan steps down after 16 years of leadership
It seems like only yesterday that Ed Colligan showed us the prototype of a new handheld at the A&R Partners offices and asked us what we thought of it. That handheld, the original Palm Pilot, went on to become the foundation of one of the great success stories in mobile computing. As its leader, Ed guided Palm through good times and bad, and now he's passing on the torch of a rejuvenated Palm to Jon Rubinstein. Thanks for all you did, Ed. -- Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 by chb

Infoworld: 5 reasons why the Pre won't prevail
Infoworld ran an article entitled, "Five reasons the Palm Pre won't prevail." The reasons suggested are a) that Palm is now essentially just a startup with the old Palm name, b) most others already have multitasking, c) Palm today doesn't have much experience with developers, d) the keyboard is a drag, and e) Palm doesn't have the necessary financing. Someone also published an article listing five reasons why the Pre will kick butt. We'll see. -- Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 by chb

Palm Pre to be available June 6
Sprint announced pricing and nationwide availability for the Palm Pre phone, offered exclusively from Sprint. Palm Pre will be available nationwide on June 6 in Sprint stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and online at Sprint.com for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. It should be interesting to finally see the long-awaited Pre, but we could have done without an annoying mail-in "rebate" and all the talk of "shortages." -- Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by chb

Palm extends webOS Early Access Program for developers
Palm said it is expanding its early access program for the Palm Mojo Software Development Kit (SDK), and discussed the company's plans for integrating Palm-branded cloud services into the new platform. Cloud services are software resources provided over the Internet. Palm also today announced an application from MotionApps that will allow legacy Palm OS applications to run on webOS devices. -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

5 Reasons Why Dell Should Buy Palm
The Motley Fool presents "5 Reasons Why Dell Should Buy Palm" and goes, "Some buyout rumors sound so logical that only pride, ignorance, and incompetence could get in their way." [Check it out] -- Posted Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by chb

Palm and Sprint hold Webinar on the Palm Pre
Palm and Sprint presented a one-hour webinar on the upcoming Palm Pre with its always connected WebOS, 320x480 display, 3mp camera, slide-out keyboard and inductive charging. Palm's Matt Crowley did a demo, but no update on pricing and product release, which is still "first half of 2009." The Palm OS is ended, but Palm will continue developing WinMo devices. The webinar was a bit of a Sprint infomercial and light on Palm info, and our question whether Palm founder Jeff Hawkins was involved in the Pre went unanswered. -- Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 by chb

Treo Pro available with Sprint March 15
Palm announced the upcoming availability of the sleek Windows Mobile 6.1-based Palm Treo Pro smartphone for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network on March 15. Treo Pro will be available through all Sprint retail channels for $199.99 with most two-year subscriber agreements. It also will be available through the Palm Store and Palm's B2B sales organization. -- Posted Friday, March 6, 2009 by chb

Palm OS officially dead
According to a CNET report on Palm CEO Ed Colligan's investor presentation, the Palm OS is dead and there will be no more Palm OS devices. From now on, Palm will concentrate on WebOS phones such as the upcoming Pre and also on its Windows Mobile-based phones. -- Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2009 by chb

No more PDAS, Treos only
When I checked Palm's webpage this morning, the PDAs were gone. Only three Treos are now listed. Definitely the end of an era. PalmPilot, Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, m100, m500, Tungsten, Zire, LifeDrive... it shouldn't have ended this way.

-- Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009 by chb

The sad state of the PDA
Here's what Palm CEO Ed Colligan said about its PDAs at the company's December financial results call: "We will push those out into the marketplace as long as there is sufficient demand … we're not developing new ones, so there's an inevitable end, but I think that right now we're playing it out.... We're going to continue to sell them as long as there is demand for those products." -- That is a very sad ending to what was once the mighty Palm economy, and certainly not what any of the expert prognosticators expected just a few years ago. -- Posted Monday, December 22, 2008 by chb

Palm gets another US$100 million equity investment
Palm announced that Elevation Partners has agreed to make an additional $100 million equity investment in Palm. Under a definitive agreement reached today, Elevation will increase its investment in Palm by acquiring newly issued Series C preferred stock that is convertible into Palm common stock at a price of $3.25 per share, a 31% premium to the closing price of Palm common stock on Dec. 19, 2008. -- Posted Monday, December 22, 2008 by chb

Palm reports sobering financials, hints at new platform
Palm reported total revenue of $191.6 for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, which ended Nov. 28, 2008. Smartphone sell-through for the quarter was 599,000 units, down 13% year over year. Smartphone revenue was $171.0 million, down 39% from the year-ago period. “We’re working through an undeniably difficult period,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and CEO, “but near-term challenges shouldn’t overshadow the fact that we are on track to deliver a breakthrough new platform and products that will bring a truly differentiated smartphone experience to our customers and reestablish Palm as a leading innovator in the mobile industry.”
-- Posted Thursday, December 18, 2008 by chb

Treo 80w cradle/battery
When Dr. Tim reviewed the Palm 800w a few months ago, he lamented the lack of accessories and the new, non-standard connector. More recently he reviewed several handheld screen control applications as an alternative to cradles, which no longer seem to come in the box as in the days of old. Well, Palm now has a nice cradle available for the 800w, and it’s nice to have a cradle again. [See report on the Treo 80w cradle/battery] -- Posted Wednesday, December 17, 2008 by chb

Unlocked Palm Treo Pro now available in the US
Palm announced that the unlocked Treo Pro smartphone is now available in the United States. The Windows Mobile-based Treo Pro is unlocked, giving end users the flexibility to simply insert their existing active SIM card and immediately start using their Treo Pro anywhere there is GSM coverage, without a new contract. Worldwide travelers using the Treo Pro can cut costs on international roaming charges by popping in a local country SIM card wherever they go. -- Posted Friday, September 26, 2008 by chb

iambic's Health & Diet Manager now on Palm OS
iambic, Inc., a leading provider of innovative productivity-enhancing software, announced the availability of Health & Diet Manager on the Palm OS platform. Now owners of the Palm Centro smartphone and Palm OS-based Treo have access to a convenient way to proactively manage their wellness and nutritional needs. -- Posted Thursday, September 18, 2008 by chb

Handango names iambic Palm OS developer of the year
iambic announced that Handango, the world's leading provider of smartphone content, has named iambic "Developer of the Year" for Palm OS. The award was bestowed during Handango's eighth annual partner summit, the "Handango Future Forum," which took place last week in San Francisco. iambic's portfolio of Palm OS products includes Agendus, a fully-integrated, personal information manager (PIM) that has been optimized for Centro/Treo smartphones, YourCall, a comprehensive, multi-faceted solution for Centro/Treo call management, that provides a selection of actions that can be taken before, during and after a call, and Vehicle Manager, for proactively tracking and managing car-related vitals (gas fill-ups, services performed, etc.). -- Posted Wednesday, September 17, 2008 by chb

Treo software roundup
The folks at TreoCentral.com issued their latest Treo software roundup, both new and updated, both Palm OS and WinMo. Go check it out! -- Posted Friday, September 12, 2008 by chb

Palm introduces unlocked WinMo 6.1-based Treo Pro
Palm introduced the unlocked Treo Pro, a smartphone for businesses that seek to simplify their IT infrastructures and reduce costs. With its streamlined design and Palm shortcuts layered on top of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, the Treo Pro, powered by a 400MHz Qualcomm MSM7201 processor, supports HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM and includes Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities, a 320 x 320 transflective touchscreen, a 2mp camera, and a microSDHC slot. See description and specs of the Palm Treo Pro. -- Posted Thursday, August 21, 2008 by chb

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