Wacom to Bring Pen Interface Tech to Palm OS

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, May 24, 2005 11:55:25 AM

PalmSource and WACOM, creators of advanced inductive pen sensing technology, today announced Wacom's entry into the Palm OS Ready Program (POSR) to deliver improved mobile interface solutions to Palm OS licensees.

By joining the Palm OS Ready Program, Wacom's Penabled™ pen-based interface technology will be certified to be Palm OS compatible. Certified POSR solutions are designed to free up valuable development time for Palm OS licensees, offering faster time-to-market for new Palm Powered™ phones and other wireless devices.

Wacom's Penabled technology provides a simple, easy to use, pen-based method of accessing and manipulating information and applications on mobile devices. Its advanced feature set enables new interface functions such as application zooming, flight point feature and digital signature recognition through increased pressure sensitivity, greater input area and more accurate input control. It also enables the easy manipulation of different applications and the ability to switch smoothly between them. Additionally, as the sensor is embedded behind the display, it ensures the display is more durable, achieves 100% luminous light transmission and eliminates color wash.  

"Successful deployment of revenue-generating data applications on next generation mobile devices will rely on navigation and information access that is simple and straightforward," said Masahiko Yamada, CEO, WACOM Co. Ltd. "By joining forces with PalmSource, a leading provider of operating system software for mobile devices, we are enabling its licensees to deliver differentiated devices that both increase uptake of new applications and truly meet consumer needs for usability and ease of use."  

"We are pleased to welcome Wacom to the POSR program and to leverage the Company's expertise in user interface solutions for mobile devices," said David Nagel, president and chief executive officer of PalmSource. "As a POSR partner, we believe Wacom will enable Palm OS hardware manufacturers to efficiently bring to market Palm Powered phones and other wireless devices that deliver an enhanced user experience.

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Palm Is Always Last

archie@PIC @ 5/24/2005 3:41:18 PM # Q
Why is Palm always last to get these technologies. Skype is the only other one that is coming to mind right now (because it is so extrememly big and important), but other platforms always get this stuff first. Hmmmm... I wonder why?

In regards to this Penabled technolgoy from Wacom, this was first seen on Symbian and worked over with Microsoft... and now I see it is coming to the Palm platform.

RE: Palm Is Always Last
LiveFaith @ 5/25/2005 2:02:35 AM # Q
Because Palm OS is so wonderfully customizeable, it is horribly difficult to put a stable product out across all the diverse hardware lines.

Have you ever noticed how PPCs look almost like cookie cutter models from one design to the next? It's true, but software developers love it. PPC purists are very skittish over the new HP 240x240 Treo-killer phone b/c the rez is gonna wreak havoc on all the QVGA software designed from day 1.

Palm OS has devices right now in 160x160, 240x320, 320x320 Sony version, 320x320 Palmsource version, 320x480 Sony version, 320x480 Palmsource version and 480x320 T/W default, not to mention that they go across OS levels. M$ PDAs just now got their 2nd resolution and that 240x240 fone is getting delayed.

You get the point. Palm OS: Heaven for user choice ... hell for developer sanity.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Palm Is Always Last
Surur @ 5/25/2005 6:11:51 AM # Q
Because Palm OS is so wonderfully customizeable, it is horribly difficult to put a stable product out across all the diverse hardware lines.
.
.
You get the point. Palm OS: Heaven for user choice ... hell for developer sanity.

You are accurate in your statements, but I think you are putting a positive spin on something which is quite negative. Lack of standardisation makes software less available and more buggy. Standards are good for developers and users. Letting the best line "fight it out" in the market can injure a platform a lot. Just look at GSM for an example in another area.

Surur

RE: Palm Is Always Last
cbowers @ 5/25/2005 12:12:31 PM # Q
I think you forgot there are some PalmOS 160x240 phones out there still.

RE: Palm Is Always Last
userwaldo @ 5/25/2005 1:59:09 PM # Q
I wouldn't say that it's a lack of standarization. Palm has been around for a lot longer than PPC and has had to grow with hardware/price changes. Despite some proplems, Palm and many programers have done a pretty good job with backwards compatability. PPC isn't Mico$oft's first attempt at a moblie device and and they really did break compababilty back in the day.
RE: Palm Is Always Last
UncleRedz @ 5/26/2005 1:08:04 PM # Q
>Because Palm OS is so wonderfully customizeable, it is horribly difficult to put a stable product out across all the diverse hardware lines.
..
>You get the point. Palm OS: Heaven for user choice ... hell for developer sanity.

That sound a bit one sided, PPC have it's problems too. If you ever look at the PPC API documentation you'll notice a disclamer at the end of several of them, stating that it's up to the device manufacturer to implement this API. Guess what, not every device manufacturer implements all API's and they don't implement them identicaly, resulting in very strange behaviour.

The strength of PPC is that any MFC/C++ developer can start programming for PPC in minutes, even though the platform "sucks".

/Redz

RE: Palm Is Always Last
Surur @ 5/26/2005 2:55:19 PM # Q
The strength of PPC is that any MFC/C++ developer can start programming for PPC in minutes, even though the platform "sucks".

Why does it "suck" as a platform. Its actually a very good platform. Have you actually any real reasons, or does it just suck because is MS (yes, I'll accept that as a valid reasons).

Surur

RE: Palm Is Always Last
UncleRedz @ 5/27/2005 12:18:57 AM # Q
Why does it "suck" as a platform. Its actually a very good platform. Have you actually any real reasons, or does it just suck because is MS (yes, I'll accept that as a valid reasons).

It "sucks" in the above mention aspects with missing or differently implemented APIs.

RE: Palm Is Always Last
Surur @ 5/27/2005 2:40:03 AM # Q

As you well know POS is much worse for this (maybe less so now that the licensees have reduced). Its a minor negative which does not suddenly make the OS "suck".

Surur

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OQO has this

mikecane @ 5/24/2005 3:56:40 PM # Q
A WACOM screen -- and most OQO owners *hate* it. The screen is squishy and very unlike the solid-feel of today's PDA's screen. I hope that part of WACOM is not coming to PalmOS. G2 is bad enough!

RE: OQO has this
archie@PIC @ 5/24/2005 10:12:24 PM # Q
I find it very strange that David Nagel would trumpet this endevour to bring pen-based access and information manipulation back to the mobile devices from which they rose from in the dark ages (hmm... about 3 years ago). People are finally realizing the liberating use of D-pads and thumb boards and now David Nagel wants to go back to that old technology?

RE: OQO has this
Captain Hair @ 5/24/2005 11:27:05 PM # Q
Actually, my Motion Computing Table PC uses Wacom and I love it. I'd imagine that the OQO uses a different screen, but Wacom's stuff is great!

"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: OQO has this
dagwud @ 5/25/2005 11:21:12 AM # Q
To quote:

The screen is squishy and very unlike the solid-feel of today's PDA's screen.

That's odd. The last PDA I owned that had a truly "solid-feel" screen was my Vx. Of course, that was back when they still used nice glass backings to the digitizer....

--
PalmPilot Pro (1997) -> III (1998) -> Vx (1999) -> m500 (2001) -> m515 (2002) -> ???

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I hope this brings Graffiti 2 to shame...

vesther @ 5/24/2005 6:46:21 PM # Q
I hope that Wacom can provide a very stable and likable handwriting recognition solution, and I hope that this Wacom team-up can bring both Graffiti 2 and Decuma to shame.

Powered by Palm OS since March 2002
RE: I hope this brings Graffiti 2 to shame...
LiveFaith @ 5/25/2005 2:12:41 AM # Q
Heck, Xerox already did that! :-)

Oops, sorry for the G1/G2 slip ... Just Let it Go!

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

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