Palm has released a beta-test version of its upcoming Palm OS 5
operating system, which is expected to include expanded security,
wireless and multimedia features.
Palm said the upgraded operating system would include 128-bit
security and support for the Wi-Fi wireless LAN standard as well as
Bluetooth short-range wireless devices. Palm OS 5 will also have
multimedia hooks that are designed to support the development of
larger screens, the based company said.
The Palm OS 5 has built-in support for RSA's RC4 encryption
algorithm. Built-in support for wireless is also integral to the
new operating system.
Palm OS 5 was designed to run on ARM chips, normally used in mobile
phones. Tailoring the system to run on the ARM chips will let Palm
and its software licensees develop integrated handheld computing
products that can also operate on mobile telephone systems, said
Michael Mace, chief competitive officer at PalmSource, Palm's
operating system subsidiary.
Palm currently has two major hardware licensees today: Handspring,
which develops products for the general business and consumer
market; and Symbol Technologies, which develops rugged systems
targeted at vertical applications such as logistics and
shipping.
"You need [to offer] choices," Mace said. "The sales department
might need smart phones, other departments standard handhelds, and
warehouse and inventory management systems another [hardware
device]."
Barney Dewey, an analyst at Andrew Seybold, said Palm OS 5 should
provide strong competition to Pocket PC devices that run on
Microsoft's Windows CE software.
Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney was more cautious, saying that with the
limited information available makes it hard for him to determine
whether the Palm OS 5 will be equal to Windows CE. He said the
operating system does fix what he considered "serious holes" in the
older software, including security and screen-size
limitations.
Dulaney also wondered if the beta-test announcement would hurt
sales of existing devices, including the recently launched Palm
i705 handheld.
Microsoft's mobility group product manager, Ed Suwanjindar, said
the Palm announcement "could be a case of too little, too
late."
"Fact is, we built the Pocket PC to deliver more, and Palm is still
stuck playing catch-up," said Suwanjindar. "We'll wait to reserve
judgment until we see their new OS on devices."
Mace declined to comment on when new hardware would reach the
market, but he said PalmSource expects to deliver the operating
system to manufacturers and developers by the summer.