PalmSource Acquired By ACCESS

Huh? Skippy predicted that PALM would buy PalmSource. He never once mentioned any other possible buyer.

> but these guys came outta NOWHERE!

Not, nowhere. That's where godzilla come from. These guys came from Tokyo.

> I wonder what a move like this will do to Palm's Linux
> ramp-up?

My SWAG: nothing.

It takes a long time for corporate buy-outs to be approved by the respective boards, stock holders and regulators. Then it takes a time for the buy out to actually happen. Then the borged^wbought company has to be digested by the buying company.

Skippy said it was anytime from now through the middle of next year.

> Weren't we just debating last weekend whether Monday
> was "this" week or "next week"? But, yes, I am aware that he--
> nor any of the other online pundits/oracles--never mentioned
> any other potential buyers other than Palm themselves.

Actually, I mentioned several. I even expressed concern over skippy's possible anguish if someone other than Palm bought PalmSource. ;)

> "Came outta nowhere"=the rumor mill didn't churn in the
> SLIGHTEST prior to this announcement hitting the wire.

You need a better rumor mill. ;)

> What have these guys done of recent note aside from the
> various Netfront products?

nothing that i know about.

> They're not some spin-off, subsidiary, or even just deeply
> in cahoots with NTT DoCoMo, are they?

Not as far as I can tell looking around tonight.

They seem to be in a hurry, though. The press release on their site indicates that they intend to finish the merger before the end of December, which is incredibly fast for an international buy out.

The-Voice-of-Dumbness is apparently a m$ shill, and not the sharpest pencil in the pack to boot. Palm "lost control of the PalmOS" when they originally divested PalmSurce.

That was the entire point!

I mean, duh! :)

------
"People who like M$ products tend to be insecure crowd-following newbies lacking in experience and imagination."

I can't recall Skippy. Did you post that Palm has its right all locked up before or after you posted that ALL licenses would be VOID (your emphasis) if PalmSource was bought out.

Actually, I posted links to (and analysis of) the 8-KA outlining how Palm was covering its a$$ in case PalmSource was sold to someone else. You need to go back and READ the threads in question before making more retarded statements like that, Marty. As usual your attempts to obfuscate are somewhat quaint in their child-like amateurishness.

Mr. Fouts, as usual you're not making much sense.

> Had I theoretically bought 10,000 shares a week ago when the
> buyout rumors started, I would have just made $100,000. Sweet.

A week ago? Skippy, you've been trying to get a buyout rumor started ferever. Anyway, had you bought on the 2nd, (that's a week ago,) you'd have paid right around $10.60 a share. If you sold today, you'd have lost roughly $0.60 a share, so, not counting your fees, you'd have just lost $60,000.

Now had you bought on 23 Aug and held out for the six months or so it'll take for you to sell to ACCESS _and_ the deal goes through, you'd gross $100K before short term capital gain taxes, less your trade fees.

More lies from Marty. Isn't that a surprise...

And more bizarre Marty Math.

Thanks for sharing, Bubba. Don't quit your day job.

TVoR

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

How PalmSource is REALLY doing: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8026#110958

> Actually, I posted links to (and analysis of) the 8-KA
> outlining how Palm was covering its a$$ in case PalmSource
> was sold to someone else.

Indeed you did Skippy. You posted it in the same thread that _you_ labeled with the claim that ALL licenses would be VOID if PalmSource was bought out.

It was fun to watch you back pedal then. It's fun to watch you deny the back pedaling now.

Marty Fouts
Lead Linux Lizard
PalmSource Core Technology Department

Thanks for playing, though.

> Marty, dearest: your FUD, misdirections and untruthfulness
> are now reaching toward epic proportions unseen here since
> the late Michael Mace. (You now DO know who Michael Mace is,
> right Marty? I believe you previously claimed to have no
> knowledge of who he was.)

Um, Skippy, you're confused again. All I did was point out, correctly, that you've claimed both that PalmSource licenses were voided if PalmSource was bought, _and_ that they weren't. That's not FUD, misdirection, nor untruthfulness.

And no, I still have no idea who Michael Mace is; other than someone you seem to have a fetish for.

Marty Fouts
Lead Linux Lizard
PalmSource Core Technology Department

maybe this really is a good sign. better people replacing the clueless ones at PS.

ha ha!

Ah, good to see Skippy's still confused. This confirms no such thing. Well, I guess that depends on what you mean by 'as we knew it'. If you mean Garnet's dead, than we agree.

> White knight Palm was either asleep at the wheel or evidently
> has decided to become Just Another WinMob Licensee.

Maybe. Be patient. If they do, they're on a short road to a dead end.

> While it's nice to hear PalmSource may be rescued by a
> company that might actually provide the necessary resources
> to accelerate PalmLinux development and make it into a viable
> smartphone OS by 2006, I'll believe it when I see it.

Nah. Mergers take time. Although ACCESS' press release on their web site says they plan to finish merging by the end of December, that'd be very impressive speed for an international takeover. You can pretty much figure that ACCESS won't have much direct impact, other than to cause confusion among the PalmSource troops, until mid-late '06.

> I am truly speechless.

;)

2005.09.09

ACCESS subsidiary company and United States PalmSource and Inc. With the news regarding merger

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corporation ACCESS (head office: The Tokyo Chiyoda Ku, Representative President: Arakawa Toru, below "ACCESS") and are its complete subsidiary company United States Apollo Merger Sub and Inc. which (Head office: Delaware state, below "Apollo Merger Sub"), Apollo Merger Sub for the American portable equipment is installed in the board of directors both of 2005 September 9th opening, and are the OS production major company PalmSource and Inc. which (Head office: California state, CEO: Because Patrick McVeigh and below "the PalmSource" or "object company") by the fact that it absorbs combines, the effect which designates PalmSource as the complete subsidiary company of ACCESS substantially it resolved respectively, as mentioned below we inform.

Description
1. Reason of merger
PalmSource installs for the portable equipment and it is the American major software development company which does the development and license offer of PalmOS which is OS. PalmOS, to presently the license is offered Palm make PDA, Sony make PDA CLIE, by Samsung and Kyocera, etc. has possessed the abundant result of the PalmOS on-board terminal shipment quantity 3,900 ten thousand units and the Palm application community etc. which exceeds 40 ten thousand.
In addition, PalmSource acquires the Linux technology which is optimum to the portable telephone via the purchase of 2005 January China MobileSoft, presently we are advancing the development of Linux based PalmOS. Because of this, the user interface where PalmOS is superior, the software framework and various applications, the Palm OS user and the developer community etc., are related with the Linux community, are thought the thing which produces big effect on future market expansion.

As for ACCESS, PalmSource possesses by the to complete subsidiary company converting PalmSource substantially, the user interface which is superior, application, to take in the developer community, for the portable telephone those which can assure the substantial expansion of application we have expected. In addition, it includes to Linux based OS and Palm based application, it becomes possible to offer the total Turn Key solution as ACCESS furthermore we think that reduction of the terminal development cost in the terminal manufacturer by plus doing the customer basis in the portable terminal market which ACCESS possesses, in addition to the enlargement of the profit, becomes possible. In addition, the development team approximately 200 names of China MobileSoft think the thing which keeps bearing one end of strengthening and future Linux based software development of the Chinese resource of ACCESS.

ACCESS, in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, PalmSource (NASDAQ presentation) 100% to acquire stock substantially.

2. Method of merger
As for this case we adopt the cash merger system in the United States. Concretely, the occasion where Apollo Merger Sub and PalmSource combine, the cash is paid from ACCESS vis-a-vis the shareholder of PalmSource, as a compensation of possession stock. Therefore, PalmSource after the combining substantially becomes the complete subsidiary company of ACCESS.

3. Summary of merger this thing company
About PalmSource
(1) Trade name PalmSource and Inc.
(2) Address 1188 East Arques Avenue, Sunnyvale and CA
(3) Name of representative CEO: Patrick McVeigh
(4) Establishment date 2001 December 3rd (Palm and Inc. From corporation amount corporation establishment)
(5) Capital 17 thousand dollars
(6) Contents of business For portable equipment such as hand-held device and smart phone it installs, the production and sale of OS
(7) Being employed numerical 518 names (connected base, as of 2005 July 20th)
(8) Business result
2004 May period result 2005 May period result
Gross sales 73,117 thousand dollars (approximately 8,067 1000000 Yen) 71,911 thousand dollars (approximately 7,934 1000000 Yen)
Operating profit �¢ 12,799 thousand dollars (�¢ approximately 1,412 1000000 Yen) �¢ 10,241 thousand dollars (�¢ approximately 1,130 1000000 Yen)
Sumitosi benefit �¢ 15,247 thousand dollars (�¢ approximately 1,682 1000000 Yen) 19,482 thousand dollars (approximately 2,149 1000000 Yen)
Entire property 152,792 thousand dollars (approximately 16,858 1000000 Yen) 187,864 thousand dollars (approximately 20,727 1000000 Yen)
Pure property 108,991 thousand dollars (approximately 12,025 1000000 Yen) 154,665 thousand dollars (approximately 17,064 1000000 Yen)

(Note) Yen 1 dollar in rate of exchange =110.33 (circle it has converted the publication rate TTM by 2005 September 8 date Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank, Ltd.) of on the basis.

(9) Fiscal term 5 ends of the month
(10) Presentation stock exchange NASDAQ (cord/code: PSRC)

About Apollo Merger Sub
(1) Trade name Apollo Merger Sub and Inc.
(2) Address City of Wilmington, County of New Castle and DE
(2) Name of representative Arakawa Toru
(3) Establishment date 2005 September 2nd
(4) Capital 1 dollar
(5) Contents of business Preparation of merger
(6) Shareholder constitution ACCESS 100%

4. Circumstance of object company possession ratio of fund and the merger front and back which are required for cash merger
(1) When the number of latent stocks which relate to stock option is not considered
(I) Possession ratio before the combining 0%
(II) Necessary fund Approximately 344 hundred million Yen
(III) Possession ratio after the combining 100%

(Note) Yen 1 dollar in rate of exchange =110.33 (circle it converts the above-mentioned necessary fund, the publication rate TTM by 2005 September 8 date Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank, Ltd.) of on the basis.

(2) When the number of latent stocks which relate to stock option is considered
(I) Possession ratio before the combining 0%
(II) Necessary fund Approximately 358 hundred million Yen
(III) Possession ratio after the combining 100%

(Note) Yen 1 dollar in rate of exchange =110.33 (circle it converts the above-mentioned necessary fund, the publication rate TTM by 2005 September 8 date Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank, Ltd.) of on the basis.

5. Schedule
2005 September 9th board of directors resolution day
Around 2005 December merger execution schedule

6. The influence which is given to the future achievement
As soon as presently to be in the midst of scrutinizing concerning the influence which is given to the achievement of the group, to become clear, we disclose rapidly.

Above

This release ahead the inquiring which regards

- Ahead inquiring of reporting authorized personnel
Kiyouko global corporate communication section Obara
TEL: 03-5259-3685
FAX: 03-3233-0222

- Ahead other inquiring
Koichi Narasaki management plan Headquarters Chief routine work execution official
TEL: 03-5259-3511
FAX: 03-5259-3544

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

How PalmSource is REALLY doing: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8026#110958

two years? Very good. we'll get you in tune with the reality of software development yet, Skippy.

> $325 million is $75 million more than I thought PalmSource
> would get.

$250M is twice their market cap of a few days ago. Even that's a hell of a premium for a software company. Maybe the dot-boom is back.

> That price is (arguably) ridiculous, given how primitive
> PalmLinux currently is and that a lot can happen in the 2
> years it will take to get PalmLinux to market.

IMO, ACCESS didn't pay that premium to get at PalmLinux.

> If Motorola or Nokia et. al. succeed in their Linux
> initiatives and get developer support (and if Java reaches
> its potential), PalmLinux may end up being the answer to a
> question no one is asking in 2007.

Moto doesn't have a real Linux initiative. Nokia's the player to watch in the Linux phone space, as I've mentioned before. I'd have guessed Nokia before ACCESS, myself.

> WinMob Treos will signal the death of the PalmOS platform as
> we knew it.

I'd imagine that PalmLinux is more likely to do that. About the only thing the WinMob Treo is going to signal is confusion on Palm's part.

> Again, PalmLinux in 2007 seems realistic, but with the
> competition not exactly standing still, I would not be
> surprised to find PalmLinux greeted by yawns and developer
> indifference in 2007.

Eh, there's not much in the way of competition on the Linux front. TrollTech and MontaVista seem to have had a falling out and Moto's not making much headway (and doesn't seem to care that much.)

Nokia _did_ get FCC approval for the 770, though. That'll be interesting to watch.

> The release of a slew of Cobalt devices ASAP is needed to
> keep PalmOS app developers from letting the platform wither,
> but what I've seen of Cobalt running on real hardware has
> been disappointing - to put it mildly.

Well, there won't be any winmob treos in consumers hands in the next two quarters and there won't be any cobalt phones to speak of, especially in the us market. Nokia seems to be content to go slow with Linux, testing the water with a non-phone device.

ACCESS/Apollo/the-company-soon-to-be-formerly-known-as-PalmSource or whatever it'll be called still has an open window.

The question is, as it has been all along, whether or not they can get through it before it closes in '08.

By the way, Skippy, I'm impressed. quite the balancing act you're doing here, trying to act as if you're still holding the same views you held all along. Glad you're back on form.

two years? Very good. we'll get you in tune with the reality of software development yet, Skippy.

Marty, you need to get a clue. Please make some more of your smarmy posts for our viewing pleasure.

> $325 million is $75 million more than I thought PalmSource
> would get.

$250M is twice their market cap of a few days ago. Even that's a hell of a premium for a software company. Maybe the dot-boom is back.

PalmSource also has $100 million in cash + investments. And its cap was hovering around $150 million for quite a while before the recent tailspin. $250 million would have been a reasonable price.

> That price is (arguably) ridiculous, given how primitive
> PalmLinux currently is and that a lot can happen in the 2
> years it will take to get PalmLinux to market.

IMO, ACCESS didn't pay that premium to get at PalmLinux.

Well, we all know exactly what your opinion is worth, Marty.

> If Motorola or Nokia et. al. succeed in their Linux
> initiatives and get developer support (and if Java reaches
> its potential), PalmLinux may end up being the answer to a
> question no one is asking in 2007.

Moto doesn't have a real Linux initiative. Nokia's the player to watch in the Linux phone space, as I've mentioned before. I'd have guessed Nokia before ACCESS, myself.

Motorola is playing the field and will probably stumble into a decent Linux platform sooner or later. This OS business isn't exactly rocket science. Nokia has been clever enough to start tapping the Open Source Movement right away while maintaining some control over its IP. Properly nurtured, Nokia will likely produce a stable Linux OS long before PalmLinux goes gold. Why pay for something you're confident you can do faster + cheaper yourself?

> WinMob Treos will signal the death of the PalmOS platform as
> we knew it.

I'd imagine that PalmLinux is more likely to do that. About the only thing the WinMob Treo is going to signal is confusion on Palm's part.

Let me simplify it so even you can understand, Marty:

PalmOS Treo = Palm. Palm = the PalmOS platform. By transitive property, PalmOS Treo = the PalmOS platform. Cannibalize PalmOS Treo sales with Windows Mobile Treo sales and the PalmOS platform is dead, almost overnight. As developers sense the smell of death upon the PalmOS platform, they will abandon it in droves, converting to Windows Mobile. With PalmLinux at least two years from ditching its vaporware status, Cobalt DOA and PalmOS 5 a hacked-up, buggy deck of cards, it's Game Over for PalmOS. I realize the truth hurts, Marty, but you need to advance through the Grief Process and stop with the Denial, already. Oy.

> Again, PalmLinux in 2007 seems realistic, but with the
> competition not exactly standing still, I would not be
> surprised to find PalmLinux greeted by yawns and developer
> indifference in 2007.

Eh, there's not much in the way of competition on the Linux front. TrollTech and MontaVista seem to have had a falling out and Moto's not making much headway (and doesn't seem to care that much.)

Nokia _did_ get FCC approval for the 770, though. That'll be interesting to watch.

Care to bet who has a STABLE Linux phone OS out first, Marty? PalmSource, Motorola or Nokia. Put up or SHUT UP, Marty. What's that? Can't hear you, Marty.

> The release of a slew of Cobalt devices ASAP is needed to
> keep PalmOS app developers from letting the platform wither,
> but what I've seen of Cobalt running on real hardware has
> been disappointing - to put it mildly.

Well, there won't be any winmob treos in consumers hands in the next two quarters and there won't be any cobalt phones to speak of, especially in the us market. Nokia seems to be content to go slow with Linux, testing the water with a non-phone device.

Windows Mobile Treos will likely be available in a few months. PalmLinux devices won't be available for a few YEARS. Think about it, Mr. Fouts.

ACCESS/Apollo/the-company-soon-to-be-formerly-known-as-PalmSource or whatever it'll be called still has an open window.

The question is, as it has been all along, whether or not they can get through it before it closes in '08.

Open window? Don't be delusional. If PalmLinux does not ship by 2006, it has no hope in He11 of making a dent in the marketplace. We will probably be filing PalmLinux away with Cobalt, BeOS, Copeland, OS/2 and all the other failures as OSes that "coulda, shoulda been a contenda". Pathetic.

By the way, Skippy, I'm impressed. quite the balancing act you're doing here, trying to act as if you're still holding the same views you held all along. Glad you're back on form.

As I said before, I make the predictions, back them up with evidence and don't run away if I'm proved to be wrong. Nothing I've said changes. Palm simply got outflanked and was dumb enough to lose control of PalmOS.

I hope you and the other PalmSource codemonkeys finally learn how to produce good code QUICKLY, Marty. Time is about to run out.

TVoR

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

How PalmSource is REALLY doing: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8026#110958

Maybe. Bet you're not going to see where it comes from either.

> This OS business isn't exactly rocket science.

You're right, Skippy. I've done rocket science. OSes are much more fun. Harder, but more fun.

> Nokia has been clever enough to start tapping the Open
> Source Movement right away while maintaining some control
> over its IP.

Not 'right away', Skippy. Nokia started to take advantage of open source fairly recently. IBM's been at it much longer, for instance.

> Properly nurtured, Nokia will likely produce a stable Linux
> OS long before PalmLinux goes gold.

Unfortunately, _for you_, it appears to be rocket science.

There's already a stable Linux for ARM, Skippy. Has been for some little time. Nokia, as you pointed out above, is taking advantage of it, not producing it.

> PalmOS Treo = Palm. Palm = the PalmOS platform. By transitive
> property, PalmOS Treo = the PalmOS platform.

Once again, Skippy proves math not to be his strong suit. No, Skippy, it's not even a good metaphor, let alone good math.

> Cannibalize PalmOS Treo sales with Windows Mobile Treo sales
> and the PalmOS platform is dead, almost overnight.

So you've said. You've never offered a convincing argument for this, and you've made it clear you're not taking much into account, but you have, in fact, said that.

First, winmob treo's at least six months off, as far as consumers are concerned. Second, palmOS treo sales aren't going to be 'canibalized' by winmob treo for months after that, even if they are, because there's the little detail of carrier acceptance. Third, PalmOS has a breather now that PalmSource has a new owner.

> Care to bet who has a STABLE Linux phone OS out first, Marty?

Poor Skippy, not paying attention again. PalmSource already has stable Linux phones on the market, in Asia, Skippy. Nokia doesn't.

> Windows Mobile Treos will likely be available in a few
> months. PalmLinux devices won't be available for a few YEARS.
> Think about it, Mr. Fouts.

not 'few months' Skippy. In consumers hands: not for at least six months, if they ever ship at all. (you really need to start scanning the fcc site, if you're going to make predictions of when phones ship.)

> As I said before, I make the predictions, back them up with
> evidence and don't run away if I'm proved to be wrong.

Except your predictions that I worked for Palm, that I was a consultant, that Palm would buy PalmSource in '06, that all palmos licenses would be voided if PalmSource got bought, ... sure.

> I hope you and the other PalmSource codemonkeys finally learn
> how to produce good code QUICKLY, Marty. Time is about to run
> out.

Oh Skippy, you're far too funny. You still haven't figured it out, have you. I'm not a codemonkey Skippy. I'm not on anybody's schedule for turning out code. Even after I've said who I am, you don't get what I do.

It's very very funny to see you make all these pronouncements about what's going to happen in OS land when you don't know anything about OS development. Please keep it up Skippy.

Oh, about time running out? Didn't you hear, PalmSource has a buyer. Time just got extended.

Marty Fouts
Lead Linux Lizard
PalmSource Core Technology Department

Marty Fouts
Lead Linux Lizard
PalmSource Core Technology Department

By the way, Marty the translation was by http://world.altavista.com/ - and links to the translated pages are not available. Boo Hoo Hoo!

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

How PalmSource is REALLY doing: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8026#110958

Maybe PoL isn't progressing as nicely as hoped...or, and I'm sticking to my guns on this one, they (Palm) REALLY are arrogant to think that a warmed over WinMob Treo is going to carry them back to the stratospheric heights last seen in the glory days of the Palm V. A 240*240 WinMob Treo for a flagship device, a series of Garnet devices on life support at the low end and PalmSource very quietly slipping out of their grasp. Not a great way to wrap up the year.