You missed my point. In the Palm, those developers are required. On the PocketPC they are not required.
Most users of PDA only have a few things they need to do. Most don't have special applications that require special software. Yes, many do, but not most. Those applications that most use, are not available on the Palm (or at least not good ones). On the PocketPC, there is very useful applications for most users. For those special applications, they exist for the PocketPC. Example: Memo - pathetic on the Palm; need 3rd party (much better app on the PocketPC) Spreadsheet - not available on Palm; need 3rd party (excel compatible included on PocketPC) Calculator (pathetic on the Palm); need 3rd party (quite useable one on PocketPC) Word Processor - not available on Palm; need 3rd party (word compatible on PocketPC) MP3 player - not available on Palm; need 3rd party (quite useful one is available on PocketPC) It goes on and on. You buy a Palm and you MUST look for 3rd party to have a decent PDA. On a PocketPC, you don't have to buy any other software to have a very useful PDA. But the file system issue is what will kill the Palm, if they don't come up with something that is compatible with the PC. Disagree, if you like, but you heard it here first (years ago). > >> The Palm comes with nothing very useful. That is why most Palm users >> need these other applications. > > The success of a platform is very-much determined by its > third-party > support, including that from non-Palm developers. There are 20-30k or > more independant developers writing PalmOS applications of one type or > another (don't quote my numbers, I know it was 17,000 over a year ago). > If each of them wrote 1/2 of an application that someone found useful, > that's 10,000 separate third-party applications for PalmOS devices in > 2001-2002 timeframes (and many developers write more than one > application on their own). I don't think *ANYTHING* in the PocketPC > space can compete with that, hands-down. What about add-on hardware? > Peripherals? Accessories? PocketPC loses again. > > If Palm had a huge wealth of applications that came bundled with > it, > I would probably not have begun using the platform myself. The > applications were simple, and hold the data you want. The power is in > extending them to do other things, and extending the use of the platform > itself beyond just a PIM, and integrating it with other applications > that contain data you need. > >> Also, the notion of a PDA that has a file system that matches the PC >> makes it a very desireable device. The PocketPC fits that bill. > > ...and that's exactly why PocketPC will die. Filesystems should > be > completely transparent to the user and any and all processes that use > the filesystem. If you have to wonder if it's disk, flash, ram, then the > vendor has failed in that endeavour. It's only going to get better, as > the platform and the OS that drives it becomes transparent. Soon you'll > be running SEVERAL operating systems on the same platform at the same > time, based on your needs. > > The *DATA* is what matters, not what its stored on. > >> You can take files from a PC application and in a lot of cases just >> slip your Compact Flash from the PC to the PocketPC and you are ready >> to go. > > Yep, exactly like Palm, assuming you can read those files, and > that's just a matter of applications being written for it. Look at the > Tungsten's ability to play native .ogg files. That's one good example. > >> I still like the Palm better but the handwriting is on the wall, I >> fear. > > The Graffiti is on the wall, you mean =) > > > d. > > > > -- > For information on using the Palm Developer Forums, or to unsubscribe, > please see http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/forums/ -- For information on using the Palm Developer Forums, or to unsubscribe, please see http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/forums/
