Palm penguin plan (and Larry's big boat)

Oooh, lovely! It's IT Blogwatch, in which we look at the new Linux-based PalmOS, and wonder what happened to the old Linux-based PalmOS. Not to mention Larry Ellison's new "Habitrails" megayacht...

Imagine Tux, the Linux penguin, holding a Treo. As David Beers posted on Wednesday "Things are getting interesting at Palm Inc ... First, back in November of 2004, there was a source that reported Palm was 'exploring partnerships that could let it use a tailored version of the Linux OS to run on its devices'. There was some credibility because this was the same source that first leaked Palm's plans to release a Windows Mobile Treo -- correctly as we now know ... rumors of Linux devices from Palm flew about for a while, but there was nothing tangible ... Palm went through a spate of hiring Linux engineers that seemed to start around the time they lost their bidding war to acquire PalmSource ... recently there has been a job description posted on Palm's website for a Linux handset engineer ... Now I've received confirmation from someone who actually knows what's going on ... so I asked if he could confirm my conclusion that Palm is writing their own Linux OS. He did, and they are ... I asked if he knew whether any of the Treos slated for later this year were expected to run Palm's new Linux-based system. He said they would run Windows and Palm OS Garnet and that the 'new operating system will be introduced in 2007' ... Palm, dominant in the US smartphone market, has been conspicuously quiet about the announcement of the ACCESS Linux Platform in February. Now we know why."

» Ryan Block: "So David Beers at PikeSoft claims to have it on authority (from an analyst -- ahem!) that Palm itself may be planning the 'true' successor to the PalmOS, Access be damned ... the PalmOS was renamed to ALP (Access Linux Platform), and we've been expecting it to primarily take hold in the Asian market, while PalmOS 5 (Garnet) ages ungracefully and eventually withers away in the US ... the idea that Palm would double back and resurrect the PalmOS with a new Linux-based version is by no means out of the question -- in fact, it's something we predicted might happen last year ... their Palm insider says they have a prototype of the new Linux OS on a Treo 650 ... As much as we'd like to believe Palm would pull a rabbit out of their hat with this one and give us the completely rebuilt, completely redesigned PalmOS to end all PalmOSs, we have to keep in mind that it takes years to build a robust smartphone operating system ... Make no mistake about it, though, Palm developing a new PalmOS from scratch? We're all about it."

» Allen Foster writes from the UK, where we spell some words funny: "This is a great idea, although in theory hardware manufacturers and software manufacturers can exist completely separately, it does help if both are available in house. Palm can develop an OS specifically tailored to their own hardware and one that would not have to be generic for multiple applications like ALP seems to be ... At this stage this is still a rumour but given how far the release of ALP is in the future and how long in the tooth Garnet is looking now. I hope it's true. What do you think?"

» VampireLestat: "That would be great. Palm needed to consolidate its Palm brand by regaining control of the OS. They were outbid by Access and that was very damaging to Palm OS ... Palm OS needs to survive. I like it, I use it, I will buy it. Access is hinting that ALP wont even look like Palm OS because they need a new interface that doesnt rely on touchscreens (for them Fn featureless phones). That is very depressing. I can't work with WM ... I truely hope Palm Inc is making Palm OS 7 based on a Linux kernel, and that it keeps the look, feel and full Palm OS compatibility. But can we realistically believe Palm has the engineers and programmers to actually do that? I dont know..."

» PMjoe: "Well, I haven't bought a new Palm OS device since ~2001 because Garnet is a garbage, go between OS (as a developer, I want something fun and worth developing software for), and I use Bluetooth daily for syncing, file transfer, headsets, etc. Cellular would be OK (it'd especially be nice if they could do some kind of dual CDMA/GSM radio), but I can always just use WiFi or through my cell phone via Bluetooth for connectivity.  So, 'FrankenGarnet' and no Bluetooth would be a guaranteed way to continue to keep me off the Palm platform."

» Thor is in a quandry: "This just depresses me....and excites me. It depresses me because I think of the time, human effort and thought and money spent on POS 6, on ALP and now on another Palm OS. A lot of duplication and going back and forth over the same ground. What a waste. But it excites me since as one commentator put it, at least it means Palm is not a lie down, WM follower of fashion....completely."

» David Beers again: "What we can say with some confidence is that Palm is quietly working with Linux behind the scenes. The hints that you'll have some kind of Linux running in the Palm of your hand are stronger and more credible than the hints we got a year and a half ago that a Windows Treo would be coming down the pike."

Buffer overflow:

• DrunkenData: Tears of Storage 2
• Rebecca Herold: Data Breaches in Small Businesses
• Chris Eaton: DB2 Viper - What's up with that?
• Sandilya Venkatesh: The future of India as an outsourcing destination
• Ferenc Mantfeld : Why do BI Implementations Fail?
• Kawaii: Development methods, RUP, CMMI, Waterfall - Why do we keep adding new methods?
• Eric Bangeman: Can "dirty" electricity make us sick?
• John Murrell: Now could you put little airbags in the earbuds in case I fall down?
• Werner Vogels: Naked Answers
• Scott P. Shaffer: BlogLines A Web Must-Have
• OldNewThing: How would you solve this compatibility problem: Network interoperability
• ScuttleMonkey: HP Lets User Take Linux for a Virtual Spin
• Alex Scoble: Remotely enable Remote Desktop Protocol
• Alex Scoble: Yes, you will still need anti-virus software in Vista
• Jerri Ledford: Technology and Business Makes a Balanced Match
• Bert Latamore: The PDA Guerrilla: backup, backup, backup!
• C.J. Kelly: No talent in the U.S. according to McAfee
• Mitch Betts: Flexibility is the name of the game
• Jerri Ledford: Hi, Let's Talk.
• Bill Bowerman: Hi Ho...Hi Ho...It's off to SNW we go!
• Shark Tank: No brainer -- or anything else
• Martin McKeay: Watering down credit card laws
• Douglas Schweitzer: "Operation Rolling Stone" gathers some criminals

And finally... move over Blogwatch: here's Yachtwatch! ... Bonus lightbulb joke: Spammers

Richi Jennings is an independent technology and marketing consultant, specializing in email, blogging, Linux, and computer security. A 20 year, cross-functional IT veteran, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. Contact Richi at blogwatch@richi.co.uk. Also contributing to today's post: Judi Dey, our very own Antipodean.