DGOS Update, m500 deal, eReader on webOS

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Thursday, February 4, 2010 1:49:42 PM

Quickies: Kicking off this batch of quickies is a report from Tam Hanna from TamsPalm of a Palm-sponsored developer event in Germany on February 10th. No word as any specific details such as time or even the venue for the session. The event is intended to celebrate the one-millionth app download from the Palm App Catalog as well as cover important topics for European WEbOS developers around the usual items of discussion such as Mojo, Ares, and the upcoming PDK.

Secondly, Dmitry Grinberg has posted several updates to his DGOS blog since our last report. The latest news for his project is that USB mass storage compliance is coming to the Palm TX and T|E2 NAND issues have been sorted out. Most encouraging of all is the news that he is hoping to give a UI demo soon for DGOS. DGOS is Mr. Grinberg's ambitious effort to create a new Palm OS-compatible OS for scratch. His current list of target devices includes the TX, LifeDrive, and Tungsten E2.

Up next, we have what may be the last chance to purchase a "like-new"version of one of the classic Palm OS handhelds. Tech e-tail giant Newegg has a quantity of rectified Palm m500 handhelds for sale for $19.99 + $1.99 shipping. Earlier in the week these units were on special for $9.99, making it one heck of a deal. No flap cover, documentation or software is included with the device and customer reports state that the unit is obviously previously used. Customer reviews also state that this unit thankfully runs OS 4.0 with classic Graffiti, not the newer OS 4.1.2 that some later-production m515s received. Still, for a classic device that many people (myself included) consider the pinnacle of PDA design, that price is hard to beat, especially if you need a spare Universal Connector Hotsync cradle.

Finally, PreCentral has reported the news that longtime Palm OS E-book stalwart eReader is not going to be ported to WebOS anytime soon. PreCentral's article also has a nice roundup on the current state of the union as far as E-book readers for WebOS. All things E-book are a hot topic not, what with the recent Apple iPad announcement and the usual wrangling between the traditional content publishing houses and digital delivery content resellers such as Amazon and Apple.

I've been playing around with eReader for Android recently after using it for years on my various Palm OS devices and the news that the Barnes & Noble-owned entity is not going to support Palm's latest platform is quite disappointing. Longtime readers may be familiar with the active history of that company, as prior to the current B&N ownership, eReader was owned by Fictionwise, Motricity/PalmGear, and Palm Inc. after originally launching as PeanutPress.

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eReader (pReader)

icarus @ 2/5/2010 4:36:34 AM # Q
Hi
As an user of eReader for many many years,
(ready to jump on the webOS bandwagon as soon as the train arrives in Switzerland), I was thrilled by the features of "pReader".

http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/preader

Looking at it and reading through the whole Forum at

http://forums.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/212660-preader-ebook-reader-palm-doc-files.html

I found, that it is more than a replacement of eReader. It reads many formats an many more are coming.
Making it THE universal e-book reader for webOS.

This was one the killer apps, holding me back of the webOS.
Well done Jappus (and your team). And keep up with the great work.
As soon as I have my webOS device and installed pReader (my dream reader), I will of course donate for your work.

Greetings from Switzerland,
Rolf
icarus

Palm III, Palm III, Palm m105, Palm Tungsten T, palmOne LifeDrive, palmOne Tungsten T5, Palm TX, palm Tréo 680.
& palm pré on the wish list !

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an m500? really? in 2010?

Gekko @ 2/6/2010 6:39:04 PM # Q

whipping out an m500 in 2010 is like some anachronistic bad joke from an austin powers movie.

if i was in a meeting an some dude whipped out an m500, i could not take him seriously from that point on.

shouldn't these all have been in a landfill by now? like 5 years ago?

RE: an m500? really? in 2010?
LiveFaith @ 2/8/2010 2:19:03 PM # Q
You're right. Without the 8 bit color reflective screen of the m505, that thing is a joke.
Pat Horne
RE: an m500? really? in 2010?
JohnKes @ 2/8/2010 4:45:01 PM # Q
m505 would be even more lame! That was hardly a color screen. You would be tagged as both obsolete and cheap.

At least go retro with an m515, to show that you were once rich enough to afford the nicer screen.

RE: an m500? really? in 2010?
hkklife @ 2/8/2010 6:37:56 PM # Q
Well, the m505 WAS color, no matter how bad it was. It also had the distinction of being the only Palm OS device to feature an illuminated silkscreen Graffiti area. And it had those nice silver metal buttons,whereas the m500 was stuck with black plastic ;-)

Otherwise, the m515 was definitely the paradigm of the OS4 Palm machines. A shame it didn't have the illuminated Graffiti area of its predecessor. Looking back I am surprise I managed to resist the m515's call and stuck with my 505 all the way up to the T|T's arrival.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid

Were these taken from the Palm landfill? SHAME!
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/8/2010 8:23:57 PM # Q
The m500 came out in early 2001. This is early 2010. Unless you're a collector hoping to complete your set of Palm devices you'd have to be CRAZY to buy one of these pigs. Check fleaBay for auctions with sellers in your local city and pick up a decent more recent color device. Seriously.

Freakin' unreal.

What was it that P.T. Barnum used to say?

RE: an m500? really? in 2010?
hkklife @ 2/8/2010 8:29:02 PM # Q
It synchronizes via USB and has (theoretically) good battery life if the internal battery isn't shot by now. It uses Graffiti 1 (RIP). It's lightweight, relatively slim, has a metal body & a decent stylus, and has the classic Palm PIM apps. I could honestly think of worse things to tote around for basic PIM functionality.


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid

You just can't kill it
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/8/2010 9:06:05 PM # Q
"It synchronizes via USB and has (theoretically) good battery life if the internal battery isn't shot by now. It uses Graffiti 1 (RIP). It's lightweight, relatively slim, has a metal body & a decent stylus, and has the classic Palm PIM apps. I could honestly think of worse things to tote around for basic PIM functionality."

Get serious, hkklife! $20 for 9 year old monochrome PDA versus $100 for a new Centro that runs all of the most advanced PalmOS software availabe AND can work as a phone AND is smaller than the m500?

whoever dug these m500 up from Palms's secret landfill site should be shot, then tarred and feathered... then shot again.

RE: an m500? really? in 2010?
e_tellurian @ 2/8/2010 9:26:17 PM # M Q
:-(lol) the classic harware was good. The use of metal is good. Some of the hardware is all plastic. Its nice to see metal used too not so toy like.

Peace,

E-T

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It works very well for PIM

Tuckermaclain @ 2/9/2010 10:49:59 AM # Q
I like the m500. I have a brand new one in a box that I will someday use. It was at the zenith of Palm. For basic PIM function it can't be beat. 8MB is big enough for that. If all you need is a planner you could use it forever--which is what I plan to do. The m500, T2 and TX were all very nice PDAs that will stand the test of time for planner functions.
RE: It works very well for PIM
Gekko @ 2/9/2010 3:59:27 PM # Q

yes - 8 tracks, VHS, black and white TVs, and horse and buggy works very well too.
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