Rumor: Macromedia Flash Player Coming for the Palm OS
At a recent seminar a put on by Figleaf Software, a close partner of Macromedia, it was revealed the Macromedia had developed a version of the Flash Player for the Palm OS, but it was too slow to be usable on the current crop of 33 MHz processors that are in just about all Palm OS devices. However, the project hasn't been totally dropped. When Palm OS handhelds with faster processor are available, Macromedia will release it.
This could be the 66 MHz Dragonball processor that is now available in enough quantities to be included in a handheld, though no company has announced one that uses it.
The performance should be even better when handhelds running Palm OS 5 on ARM-based chips are released later this year. OS 5 will be capable of running most software designed for earlier operating systems.
A Macromedia spokesperson wasn't willing to confirm this information. She would only say, "We are actively speaking to leading device manufacturers regarding support for [Flash] player... future platform support will be announced as they become available."
Thanks to Levi Wallach for the info. -Ed
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RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
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RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
I like the instant on and speed of my Palm m515 and we don't need to burden it with eye candy and other junk. Let's leave everything pristine and leave the eye candy and other molasses for the PocketPC idiots.
ZEN OF PALM !!!
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
That would be true if they didn't even begin working on faster processors. But this isn't the case, now is it?
I guess there is no pleasing some people, it seems like they're addicted to bitching. I'm getting sick of it.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
More processing power could allow Palm to add to the simple elegance of the Palm OS. I'm just an anxious consumer.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
The telegraph did what it needed to do before the telephone. The horse and carriage did what it needed to do before the car. Monochrome screens did what they needed to do before color screens.
The fact that the current generation of products do what they need to do does not excuse a lack of innovation. And because of this Palm (and to a much lesser degree, Sony) can be rightfully criticized.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
I so totally agreed. What do you want in your palm device? everything that your laptop or pc can do into that little handheld? and keep the cost down?
Yeah right, get those stuffs in your D.I.Y and fix one yourself and stop bitching about it.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
OK! What else do I need to do on this besides look up information like dates, contacts, memory jogging things I write in memopad, etc? Do I need Flash? Do I need multimedia presentations? Do I need to watch movies on this? Damn...let's get realistic here. The Palm will evolve when need be, just like those things you mention but for what now...it's fine to me and countless others.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
I agree partly with you. I too am the owner of a m515 and it's good enough. If I need to do more, I use my 3.4 lb Portege notebook which has MS Office, games, and everything else including Macromedia Flash.
I'm not against innovation per se, but the problem is trying to shoehorn a PC into a form factor of a Palm. PocketPC tried this and while the platform is impressive and innovative enough, it isn't enough for me to switch. Yes, it's cool that you can play MP3 files and play a Gameboy emulator at full speed with color on a Jornada, but basically I just use Datebk 4 on my m515. I've tried reading ebooks, but the screen is just too tiny and that goes for PocketPC also.
And for those that lament the lack of quality games, just go and get a Gameboy Advance that blows away the Palm and PocketPC for quality games. I got one for my nephew and almost picked one up for myself and I played Advance Wars.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
So true! This will not happen because...well...damn, look at the bleeding battery life. The battery technology is to support this is not there! Look at the PPC, it last what...a couple of hours just listening to music or playing games. We're gonna need some other energy source that comes from an Alien race if we want to start carrying PC-like PDAs in a form of the m515. It just not gonna happen until the technology arrives.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
For everyone who wants their Palm for nothing more than DateBk4, there's no need to get angry! The answer for your type is NOT to whine about Palm making more fully-featured devices, but SIMPLY to just buy a model that does ONLY what you need! It's all very simple. Go buy a Palm Vx, or stick with your m505 for the rest of your life! It will do your data organization happily and bring no more to your table than you want.
The rest of the world, however, has PocketPC envy (whether they admit it or not). We all want devices that can do everything. We all want the laptop in our pocket (just not Pocket PC size). We all want better screens (seems like a lot of you have 515s). If Palm can somehow do that and keep it down to a PalmV size, then by all means LET THEM. If their models start ballooning up to gargantuan PocketPC size, GO BUY SOMETHING ELSE, or stick with your older models. Seriously, all this bickering is so bloody lame.
Saying that Palm should essentially stop at what they've got because it 'does the job', is so non-progressive I could spit! (in fact, I just did!)
For those who say the 'technology just isn't here yet', I just have one question: How do you think the technology gets here in the first place?
Relax about them changing the Palm. Worst comes to worse, you still have the model that does everything you need, right?
And the world is now a better place.
C-lo
I am married to my m505, btw.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
Out of necessity?
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
We have better ways to enter our data (using keyboard and mouse) and a much better processing powers to calculate arthimatic and stuff. What Palm tries to be, is when we want to see some data on the go, then we can *immediately* see that data and able to do some simple modify to it. And this is why there is a minimal changes of hardware every since 1996.
If you really need such processing power, get a pocketPC of a laptop instead.
"Quick and Simple"
- Zen of Palm
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
The plain fact is that, for many customers, gizmos like MP3, flash, etc, are not very useful and they don't understand why they need to pay for them (both in terms of purchase price and, indirectly, through the complexity of the PDA). Remember this: Newton had all the latest features, but the unsophisticated little Palm buried the Newton. For that matter, PPC has all the latest features, but despite the best efforts of some of the biggest computer manufacturers, they are struggling to make any real headway against Palm.
Your suggestion, on its face, looks attractive as a compromise. Certainly, if Palm promised to keep making sensible units like the m500 (for people who don't want useless "features" like color screens, etc), then I will be able to replace my old Vx when it inevitably wears out. If so, then I don't mind if Palm goes off and produces units loaded with all the latest toys for other customers. That's fine, so far as it goes.
The problem your suggestion is that it carries a great deal of commercial risk. Risk in the sense that Palm would need to devote considerable resources and most of its R&D efforts to bringing out the new whiz-bang units. If they don't sell well (and the experience to date with the Newton and the PPC is that they won't), then Palm would have wasted a lot of time and money to produce loss making products.
This is the high road to bankruptcy.
Speaking for myself, I would prefer to see Palm continue to be a successful company, so I think they should think very carefully before taking the approach you advocate.
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
RE: Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
Long live Palm in all of its future incarnations and capabilites!
Is it me or...
Could they be 66mhz? Will Flashmedia then be released?
Stay tuned...
RE: Is it me or...
RE: Is it me or...
RE: Is it me or...
cool = Completely Otiose and Obviously (another) Loser
Get the disgraceful "paperwhite" screen on the T415 fixed first, then we will talk.
PPC Troll
Now if somebody ports QuakeIII to a handheld THAT would be news. (Quake II is an old news)
anybody want to bet that when 5.0 comes out it won't even play MP3? Because nobody knows how to write an efficient MP3 player for Palm.
I suggest Palm users should get used to the idea of Zen and blotchy 160*160 pixelated screen till the end of eternity.
heh heh
RE: PPC Troll
Well Palm has a 33Mhz 68000 compatible CPU. I think there was a Deliplayer plugin for a 680x0 ~28Mhz Amigas which could play mp3 at least at 22Khz.
An overclocked Clie Tx15 or M5xx may be enough for this as well.
RE: PPC Troll
No need for that, I think he's joking. Would a PPC troll start a message with the subject "PPC troll"?
It is difficult to recognize jokes like that however, because there is a never ending army of idiots who actually think the exact same way but then not as a joke.
What you can do with Flash...
There are a TON of reasons why and why not to use Flash for development, but the fact that its resolution is fully scalable, and Flash players exist for multiple platforms, conceptually makes this an attractive idea. And Flash is relativly compact. It may not be a replacement for other programming environments, but it's defiantly worth a look!
Realistically, the only problem with the Palm platform is its speed.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
Scott
RE: What you can do with Flash...
Nothing comes to mind except maybe running a fully charge battery to empty. LOL!
RE: What you can do with Flash...
RE: What you can do with Flash...
I wonder why palm users are soo good at nothing but throwing insults.
Flash could do alot of stuff
You can make a totally Vector based movie, that's fun
You can make a full blown game with it, that's fun
You can view more webpages with it, that's fun.
Flash means more multimedia on palm, but as a palm user you probably don't want your beloved platform to grow to something that's more up to date.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
As of now, Flash is nothing I need on my Palm. Once Flash or multimedia becomes a necessity ie. datebook, contacts, etc. then it'll be consider. But as of now...Flash is no use to me.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
The problem with Flash is that, like Java, it needs an engine to handle interpretting and running the files. If there was a way to compile directly to a palm app, it would be much faster.
Both Macromedia and RealSoftware should be looking into this market. It's probably much bigger than they realize.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
ok according to your reasoning you don't even need a palm, all you nee is a pen and paper, which saves you like let's see ... cheapest palm out there about $100 minus 1 dollar for a pen and about 3 dollars for a really think deck of paper. ok that saves u about $96.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
LOL...no you idiot! Actually, my Palm replaced my DayTimer which was paper and pen. Man, do you know much it cost to get DayTimer replacements every year...just to have printed times and other references already printed on them? It was more feasible to just spend the money on a Palm which did everything my old DayTimer did and even more.
RE: What you can do with Flash...
To the guy commenting about courseware: Please elaborate. I'm curious what kind of courseware you're talking about. Aside from the issue of processing power, I'd imagine that the 160x160 resolution could be a major issue.
Scott
RE: What you can do with Flash...
RE: What you can do with Flash...
I don't believe in the Christian Mythology,
but having said that I agree about luddites. It's OK to have fun even for Atheists and Agnostics.

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Palm OS and Hardware has a long way to go...
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my Clie, but I'm becoming increasingly frustrated with the slow implementation of processing power for Palms.
I guess the analogy would be, I'm happy that my old school VW Bug gets me where I need to go, but it would be nice to have a car with an AC unit, a stereo, and some power steering.
Hopefully Palm will catch up.