Comments on: Would It Be So Bad if the Palm Pre Didn’t Emulate PalmOS?

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:23:26 +0000

Jose, I’m not bashing the effort, I was simply asking a question to get some insightful conversation going. (Which did happen BTW, so thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts!)

I wrote this post hours before the official news that the emulator would be available. As I said in the post: if it happened, it would be a win-win.

By: Jose

Jose — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:09:43 +0000

Totally agree with Bill Teeple, Palm has also represented flexibility to me. I would not cling to a old app just because. If I have the option to use a native webos app giving me the same or similar functionality I would switch, but in some cases some functionality gaps will not be filled inmediately, and I would not like to resort to carrying multiple devices, or sacrifice functionality. It’s as simple as this: If you don’t need an emulator, no big news, if you do, then there is an option for you. No need to bash an effort to cater to some people needs.

By: Treo Fan

Treo Fan — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:55:42 +0000

When I got a Mac with an early version of OSX I also got some OS9 apps, because that was what was around. I used them for several months (in one case, a few years) before acquiring OSX software for everything I wanted.

I have a bunch of apps I like on my treo. Like someone else, I want to keep my address book until I’m very comfortable with the replacement. I have a RPN calculator and a couple of games I like. I fully expect to replace all of these within a year for Pre aps, but if the classic emulator isn’t too expensive, I’ll buy it and use it while I’m transitioning. I was very pleased to hear it will be available.

By: Bill Teeple

Bill Teeple — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:26:57 +0000

I’ll take the road not taken, seemingly, and say the PalmOS emulator would make me want a Pre more, and I’ll tell you why. Palm has always represented flexibility to me. My biggest beef against the iPhone is it’s lack of that. The wait for an e-book reader on the iPhone is just one example. I would go one step further and point out that a Windows mobile emulator on the Pre would be a good thing. I think it would be an enticement to users of other smart phones. Sure, I would also like to see the applications I use updated, but I’d like to keep my options open.

By: tomascco

tomascco — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:53:48 +0000

I have apps that I used with my first Palm Pilot. Moved them to the III then the VII and the Clie, next the 700p and finally my 755p which ain’t really that shabby. I was laughing at a presentation at an Apple Users Group about Iphone 3.0 and commented that they will almost catch up with Palm with copy and paste.
But, seriously, I don’t think there’s a legacy app that I desperately need. I have my contacts backed up in about a zillion places including Google, so there should be no trouble reaching them there. I do, however, like the ability to have private memos that can be locked, and hoping there will be something similar on the Pre.

But I’m sure I can find Solitaire and Dominos offerings as well.

By: Louis

Louis — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:24:31 +0000

@Craig

Agrees, particularly the medical and real estate applications that Palm pushed so hard over the years.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:40:24 +0000

If you are using existing apps that serve you well and keep you highly productive, like DateBk, then I have to disagree with you. I am currently trying to migrate from a Sony Clie to an iPod Touch. While there may be 15k+ apps available from Apple, most of them relate to jokes or flatulance. Hardly any of the PIM programs on the iPhone/iPod Touch come close to the function of DateBk. Yes, the unit does offer other nice features, but as a business device, you need to have a strong selection of software before you will win the hearts, minds and wallets of the productive. And it is not clear that Palm will have that on their new units. Apple barely offers it, and they have a good head start on Palm.

–Ken

By: Dave Haupert

Dave Haupert — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:56:38 +0000

Not to toot our own horn, but I’ve seen dozens of postings from customers of our HanDBase application for Palm OS saying that if we don’t offer a version for Pre, they won’t buy a Pre. While that is certainly an ego booster for me personally, the prospect of rewriting from scratch a relational database manager, along with the encryption libraries, file read/write libraries, etc, for an unproven platform, in a programming language completely foreign to me, is something I look at with “much care”. We just don’t have several months to throw at a project unless we’re somewhat assured of it’s overall profitability. I assume and have heard from other Palm OS developers who feel the same way.

While some may say good riddance to us pioneer mobile developers- bring on the Facebooks, Pandoras, etc, there are many users who run their businesses and rely on tools written years ago to run on original Palm OS devices, and this is good news to both the developer and the customer alike.

The only chance it can be less than perfect news is if MotionX charges too much for their emulator, or if many great apps are not ported to native Web OS apps because of their availability to run in the emulator. I know personally if the Pre lives up to it’s hype, I’d be interested in supporting it with a native app, but I’m just not ready to commit to that sight unseen!

By: wolf

wolf — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:29:00 +0000

to me its very importend palm os app to work with web os and i know lots of potential custemers as well wuold like palm os app to work wit pre

By: Randall Bennett

Randall Bennett — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:22:03 +0000

Kevin you’re totally right. I can’t stand PalmOS apps because they’re essentially modeled on a ten-year-old mobile computing model that was invented BEFORE mass adoption of cell phones. Stylus required? No thanks. I’d rather just use functional and interesting apps when they’re developed rather than slogging back to palm’s glory days. I haven’t EVER used an OS9 application, even after OS X came out, and seeing as when the Pre launches, I’ll likely be a “switcher,” I don’t think I’ll ever miss any palmOS app.

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:08:01 +0000

Oh, one other thing: to answer your bolded question, yes, I do know of at least three people who have their lives so wrapped around a critical app that’s only available for Palm OS that they are adamant about passing on the Pre until either (a) it will run their legacy apps, or (b) a webOS version is launched.

Now, instead of waiting for (b), they can go with (a) straight out of the gate. So it’s a win-win.

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:05:50 +0000

Kevin,
The thing you’re overlooking is the element of TIME.

Eventually, yes, 100% of the functionality I currently enjoy on my Palm OS Treo will be available on the Pre, as devs port over their legacy apps or code up new versions/replacements.

But, until that happens, the emulator means I don’t have to lose stuff I may care about that isn’t available on launch day.

So, for the first 2, 3, maybe 6 months, I’ll probably rely heavily on the emulator. Over time, that’ll decrease significantly. But I don’t think it’ll drop to zero, as there are some classic Palm OS games that I’m sure I’ll want to run every once in a while, if only for sentimental reasons. :-)

The emulator isn’t the reason to get or not get the Pre, but it’s more icing on an otherwise delicious cake.

By: boca

boca — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:23:13 +0000

Why deny developers the opportunity to make new money from old apps?
Look at ID, they have brought Wolfenstein back from the dead for the iPhone and it is probably earned them an extra $1m already!

By: Charles

Charles — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:51:23 +0000

I have a desktop app I’ve been using since 1991 that only syncs with Palm OS (I can select which part of the data to sync on my Palm); I cant imagine not having access to that data on my mobile device. I also have over 1000 contacts, some with multiple addresses, phone #’s and attached notes. I’ve seldom been as excited about a new mobile device (hardware & OS) as I am about the Pre, but there’s no way I’m changing mobile OS without a clear data and application transfer method. I fully expect Access to have its Palm OS emulator running on WebOS very shortly after the Pre becomes available; it will be the fisrt application I buy for my Pre.

By: kurtlar vadisi pusu

kurtlar vadisi pusu — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 10:16:27 +0000

For those, I’d run an emulator (in fact I do this on the Nokia 770) and I’ve also made a point of buying backup secondhand Palms for continued future use of those specific apps.

By: hindesite

hindesite — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:30:30 +0000

I wouldn’t care if most of my Palm apps didn’t work on the Pre, but the two irreplaceable apps that I really need to have access to are Handyshopper and Keyring. For those, I’d run an emulator (in fact I do this on the Nokia 770) and I’ve also made a point of buying backup secondhand Palms for continued future use of those specific apps.