Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Multitasking on Tap for Palm OS

    By
    Carmen Nobel
    -
    May 12, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The next version of PalmSource Inc.s handheld operating system will support true multitasking, bringing Palm OS 6.0 up to the level of its competitors and delighting developers who had been expecting it in the previous version.

      Expected to ship to hardware licensees this fall and developers shortly thereafter, Palm OS 6.0 will allow multiple applications to run in the background while the user is working on another task, said officials at PalmSource, in Sunnyvale, Calif. Such capabilities are already available in Microsoft Corp.s Pocket

      PC operating system and Symbian Ltd.s Symbian OS.

      “There are big improvements in the architecture that make it easier to use multiple threads,” said Dave Fedor, director of development architecture and disclosure at PalmSource. “There will be multithreading within their applications as well as [the ability to] run something in the background.”

      Palm OS 5.0 did provide background thread capability for sound recording and playback, meaning users could listen to the MP3 player and enter data into the calendar at the same time. The system also supports Exchange Manager, which allows certain applications to send objects to other applications. But third-party developers have wanted true multithreading, especially for remote access applications, and they are glad to hear it will be part of Palm OS 6.0.

      “A core element provides communication and—ideally—background communication,” said Joe Owen, chief technology officer of XcelleNet Inc., an Alpharetta, Ga., maker of remote management software for handheld devices. “Customers want these things to happen. If you have a multitasking environment, its easy to push information to that device without interrupting use.”

      Page Two

      Industry experts who work closely with PalmSource say the upcoming operating system is much stronger than its predecessor, mostly because Palm OS 5.0 was rushed out to developers.

      “My opinion is that the licensees wanted to get advanced hardware out to better compete with Pocket PC and Symbian hardware,” said Ben Combee, lead developer for Palm OS tools at Metrowerks Corp., which makes the CodeWarrior development software for several handheld operating systems.

      “Back in 2000, they had an aggressive schedule for the OS that would become OS 6.0, but it took longer than expected, so OS 5.0 was a detour to allow updating the hardware, and OS 6.0 is their original prize,” said Combee, in Austin, Texas. “The Palm OS licensees were eager to get ARM-based hardware onto the market, and OS 5.0 allowed them to ship these devices before the complete rewrite of Palm OS was complete. Because of this, PalmSource didnt release developer tools to talk to this layer, only providing information to licensees to build their custom functionality.”

      Meanwhile, PalmSource is taking other interim steps to appease developers. Last week, at its annual developer conference, in San Mateo, Calif., the company debuted Palm OS Business Solutions Program, a testing program that will give enterprise developers an official PalmSource seal of approval for applications as well as access to PalmSources marketing team. The company also announced two new licensees for the Palm OS.

      Tapwave Inc., a startup in Mountain View, Calif., will use the operating system as the basis of a gaming device due later this year.

      Aceeca Ltd., an electronics company in Christchurch, New Zealand, will use the operating system in a new handheld device geared toward diagnostic applications. The Meazura features a proprietary expansion slot called MZIO, which is designed to hold various scientific sensors as well as memory cards. Meazura is due next month.

      Most Recent Wireless Stories:

      Search for more stories by Carmen Nobel.
      For more wireless news, check out Ziff Davis Medias Wireless Supersite.

      Carmen Nobel
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Careers

      SThree’s Sunny Ackerman on Tech Hiring Trends

      James Maguire - June 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Sunny Ackerman, President/Americas for tech recruiter SThree, about the tight labor market in the tech sector, and much needed efforts to...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×