With the PalmSource developer day coming nearer and nearer, Access starts to fire up its PR machine. As most news sites post the press releases in full, we just post the links – and our comments:
ACCESS and PalmSource Highlight Growing Momentum of ACCESS Linux Platform
This press release basically is a “roundup” of the ones below. When you look at it carefully, you see very little indication of this beeing a “Palm OS” in the classic sense. Basically, ALP seems to be a Linux operating system with a Garnet emulator – so, you have the choice between Windows Mobile(rather easy to use) and StyleTap or Linux(hmm) and GHost. Not good news for Palm OS developers…
ACCESS Linux Platform Named an Orange Approved Platform
The gist of this press release is that Orange(mayor carrier) is interested in using ALP on his handsets. Once again, no specific word of Palm OS compatibility here.
ACCESS and PalmSource Announce the ACCESS Developer Network
Hmm. There will be a developer program for Access Linux Platform. I thought that we have to get the data from disassembling the OS core… . However, there is an interesting quote here:
“As the stewards of Palm OS®, we have included in ALP a compatibility engine (GHost) that provides forward compatibility for the 25,000 strong Palm OS application titles base – one of the largest in the mobile content & services market,” continued Berkin.
The last press release IMHO is uninteresting, it just announces the release of some code to the opensource world.
Overall, these four press releases confirmed my personal pet theory that the Palm OS API we know and depend on is on the way out. Access Linux Platform will be able to run Palm OS apps – but where is the difference to a PocketPC running StyleTap then? IMHO, we still have approximately one year(two years at best) – and then, its time to close shop if you are a Palm OS only developer… that is, unless Palm Inc launches their own OS.
Obviously, if Access would create the perfect integration, survival would be possible for longer – but eventually, native ALP apps will take over. What do you think?
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