Rumor: Palm to Release Hi-Res Model Before OS 5

Contrary to popular intuition OS5.0 and ARM won't make our old Palms obsolete in quite a while. You can't argue with a massive software base.

I mean, why aint everyone running 64bit Itaniums over 32bit Pentium3/4s? It's cos the software hasn't been developed for it yet and it's still very pricey.

Hence a Hi Res Palm device running say OS4.5 with QVGA color and the size of my m505 would get my definite vote. I'd buy it.

Even the software would work right on it, since everyone is starting to cover QVGA for support.

I agree that some people will buy m525. It could be that they can't wait for the next generation. Another reason is the they don't know about the future models. Look at m505. Although many people gave a poor review of the latter in this site, many people are buying it. The August survey has proven so.

No, either way, it's idiotic and nonsensical.

Sony already has the high res screen and built in MP3. They could already be working on ARM based units with virtual graffiti. For them its much less time than Palm..and Palm should know this...but it seems like they don't.

Palming away.....

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Thanks, Robrecht

Uhm try a screen protector, or maybe a graffiti replacement like fitaly stamp, (fs is not going to help on a QVGA screen, but it will help on your current palm/hand/sony)

This way the graffiti "area" will not get scratched, also try writing softer.

The only thing I am worried about with the collaspable graffiti area is bugs that make the device crash.

The more complicated the software the more chance you'll make it crash. My palm Vx never crashed before I got the folding keyboard, the hacks, the over clocking, the fitaly stamp, the word processors, the special launchers, all of these things make the software more complicated, then you go and add a collasple graffiti area, and it affects all of those original complications in a whole new way, just the upgrade to my sony clie, with it's high-res assist software, already it conflicts with "certain" programs, and now the jog dial too, the jog dial doesn't make it crash, but it does cause me to occasionally exit or switch programs/documents by accident, which is a little annoying, which is why Microsoft Software will always have bugs, no matter what they do to correct it later, because the initial philosophy is corrupt, and somewhat unavoidable.

Virtual Graffiti's main bonus is screen size, right?

Why doesn't anyone care about screen size without virtual graffiti? For example, in area the Visor Prism's screen size is undoubtedly bigger than the m505's if the m505 HAD virtual/collapsable graffiti.. the same might even be true with Handspring vs. Sony or even HandEra...

There are also many minuses.. for example, with graffiti on the HandEra and PPC's have basically a 240x240 "viewing" screen.. which is nice but not as beautiful as Sony's 320x320.. you'd need to raise the resolution to 480x320 to match it..

I think once screens and processing power advance then Virtual Graffiti would be a nice addition to all handhelds, but it's only "good" for a niche market right now, in my opinion (heavy ebook readers, etc).

In other words, "Virtual Graffiti is ridiculous." :(

Might as well take it to full vga, 480 X 640. That's where PPC is headed anyway. A screen the size of the PPC with full vga would be ~around the resolution of the clie. Not only would vga at that size be beautiful, but you could turn the screen sideways and do decent web-surfing without all that wap,whtml junk.

Palm might as well leapfrog PPC and do full VGA. If might take something like the ARM to handle the processing requirements, though.

Palm also has better software bounusess.

Documents to Go alone is worth $70.00 and it is included with the m505. Also it includes multy mail ($40.00) and Jask image viewer ($30.00).

Peace,
and please no flaming (this goes double for the Handera geeks)

you (last poster) are right. What good is a handheld if you can't easily carry it with you?

I love my palm and since using a Vx I can't go back to anything bigger regardless of features. I carry mine in a Vaja and the case adds some ticknes (about.4 inch) but still it is great.

another important selling point for Palm branded handhelds is the brand name. Who better to create palm handhelds than the company that makes the OS. Palm provides better tech support and the OS updated will be allwas first.

"Give me the high-res screen, decent storage, good battery life, and a fast OS in a SMALL SLEEK form-factor like the 505 and I'm all for it.

Just say no to bloat!"

I second that, I don't really need a 200mhz processor in a palm when i use it mainly for my todo, address and occassional game. 'Twould be nice to have high-res screen and 16megs with the same form factor. Do i really need to play mp3? nope! when am i going to use it? in the car-i have a kick ass system, at home? my home system rocks, in the gym-why would i want to take my palm to the gym? for the matter who does? where?
Those things are better as add-ons, and people who say they want to watch tv/movies on a screen that small, i say you have your priorities pretty messed up. But like they say, different strokes for different folks. I just think Palm should be listening to what their customers want and not force their hands (take it or leave it)everytime with their products.

Brick?????????

For some PPCs, yes, the size is bigger. But Clie can no way be called a brick. I am carrying Clie N710C everyday and I am quite comfortable with it.

I also tried the new Toshiba Genio two weeks ago, it is a very solid handheld and it doesn't need a sleeve like iPAQ. You can put a CF card without any battery pack. My friend uses it with GPS CF card and it is cool, the screen is sharp and big, the response is instantaneous. What amazed me is that the size isn't that big considering the processing power it has.

Tell me if M505 can do that nicely? (160*160 resoultion + dull color+slow CPU). M505 is a good machine but just overpriced, besides easy to carry isn't the biggest advantage for all the people, there are also many people who are not that mobile (like me)!!

***BE REASONABLE GUYS!***

The m505 is what it is because there is very little hardware there at all.

If you get built in blue tooth and hi res, 16MBs of RAM with an SD slot on the side, THIN means impossible! With all that hardware these devices will become bricks.

I may carry a Clie, but you all seem so dependent on size over functionality, why would you even care about features!? You can't have a wafer of a Palm and have all those features!

Besides that....most everyone carries a cell phone..whats the point in small size of one device when 1 or 2 more are bricks!

Palming away.....

Regarding stree prices in the UK an m505 is £399. a Clie n770c (read European nN760c) is ... £399. Admitedly Dixons are giving away a free Psion IR to land line Modem with m505, and the m505 has better software and some minds a better form factor (although playing with them both today I'm tending Cliewards), but Sony are really pushing Palm and Handspring in the European market.

Btw a basic Colour Jornada is £199. Which is worrying.

"I don't want to EVER see an hourglass on a handheld"

AMEN, BROTHER!

"I don't want to EVER see an hourglass on a handheld"

You've obviously NEVER seen a PPC in action. PPC uses a little colored dial that looks like a clock. There is not hourglass. So based on your statement, you'd be just FINE with a Pocket PC.

I'm the one that called PocketPC's and even the Clie a brick.

Yes.. i'm exaggerating a bit... but my point is still valid. For me, personally, the Clie is still just a bit to tall and thick to comfortably carry it around in my pocket at all times.

I have been using a Vx for almost 2 years and have seen nothing that even tempts me to upgrade.

I love the high-res screen on the Clie... but it's of little use for me. I don't want to carry photos or videos and I don't care about the MP3 playback either.

The iPaq is the only PPC that I'd even consider. And the only way they got it as small as it is, is due to the fact that they don't include the CF slot. The new 3870 changes all that with a built-in SD slot AND bluetooth... all while maintaining almost the exact same size as current iPaq's.

Another thing I love about my Vx is that the battery life is outstanding. I go 4 weeks between recharges.. you can't say that about the BLOATED PocketPC.

I was at the PocketPC 2002 Launch in SF as Steve Ballmer spoke of the virtues of "Software Matters"
I was swayed by the enterprise stuff but on the whole, I'd have to say after careful consideration if you use your Palm mainly for PIM (Personal Information management)
Palm wins hands down in cost, battery life and size. Plus with all of these 3rd Party options you can edit MS Office docs, view photos, do WiFi, send and receive attachments, play with huge databases, etc etc.
These are important considerations that are easily overlooked when the press plays up multimedia features.

Granted I played with the iPaq, Genio E570, Jornada, Casio and Symbol but can't compare to the Palm.
If you want multimedia for about 3-4 hours then the PPC is a great addition, but nothing compares to Palm's software.
A dead brick with no power makes a good paperweight. (that goes for Clie too)

One thing I saw that was cool was a Toshiba Genio with a CF bluetooth card sending a pocketWrod doc to a Canon printer with an Anycom Bluetooth dongle.
I think that is where Palm is headed. As is Compaq with the bluetooth built into the new iPaq.
If you need multimedia that bad and still want to use Palm OS, go Clie.
The distinction is user experience!!
Oh Ballmer also said that the TabletPC is coming next year. So in my book, I'd go Palm for info management and a MS tablet for more intensive stuff.
Palm will and should have a 2 tiered platform: OS4 and OS5.

SIZE Matters!