Palm Revamps Its Mobile Software Site
Palm has launched a newly rebranded mobile application store/website. Powered by PocketGear's storefront system the site offers downloads for both Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices with distinct Palm Inc. aesthetics. Promoted by PocketGear as an "App Store", the downloadable app simply launches Blazer or Pocket IE into a mobile-formatted Palm Software storefront. Unfortunately, no actual stand-alone optimized app is available at this time for managing downloads nor is any integration provided with the Palm Desktop software.
Compatibility with "over 25 Palm devices" is mentioned, though none are specifically referenced other than the Centro and Treo Pro. While app stores are all the rage these days, installing apps and over the air downloads has been possible on Palm devices for a some time now.
Palm is advertising over 5,000 apps and games downloadable directly to the users' device, still a far cry from the thousands of obscure freeware apps previously available at PalmGear. Palm and PocketGear are also apparently making a stronger effort to gain support from developers to list their apps on their store, as evidenced by this developer info page.
PalmInfocenter also has had its own mobile software store for a number of years that works with your Palm's web browser. It is accessible at software.palminfocenter.com or via the PIC Mobile page. Most of the same Palm OS and Windows Mobile catalogue that is found in our online store is available to download and purchase on device.
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RE: Sheesh...it's about time
Screw convergence
Palm III->Visor Deluxe->Visor Platinum->Visor Prism->Tungsten E->Palm LifeDrive->Palm TX
Visor Pro+VisorPhone->Treo 180g->Treo 270->Treo 600->Treo 680
http://mind-grapes.blogspot.com/
RE: Sheesh...it's about time
Chronicles Of Depression 2.0: #474: Cheer
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/chronicles-of-depression-20-474-cheer/
This is a joke...
I can't wait for the big announcement at CES... :-(
RE: This is a joke...
This is just a test case...
RE: This is a joke...
But since the remark was utterly sarcastic, I think it still applies...
;-)
RE: This is a joke...
=========
(*) Going ONLY on comments, I'm aghast that Palm couldn't get a REAL application up and running that did what a REAL App Store does.
Maybe they're saving that for Nova.
Uh huh.
RE: This is a joke...
Here is the link:
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/121508-iphone-economy-spur-better-phones.html
Notable quotes from the article:
In addition to ease-of-use for end users, the [Apple's] App Store also has made it dramatically easier for developers to build applications. As a result there are now 10,000 apps in the store, a figure disproportionately high for the number of iPhones on the market, compared to other phone platforms.Prior to the App Store, developers had to negotiate with operators to convince them to preload the application on phones, sometimes offering the application to users for free or including the application in a portal where users could buy it.
The authors didn't even bother to mention Palm until page 3 of the 4 page article, and then only in a negative light.
[Avi] Greengart [of Current Analysis] paints a bleak picture for phone makers in the months come. Many economists predict that at the very least the first half of 2009 will be grim. That's the time frame during which Nokia's N97, as well as Android phones from manufacturers such as Motorola, are expected to arrive. In addition, if Apple sticks to its typical 12 month product cycle, it may release a new iPhone around June, Greengart said. Yet they'll all be selling to a market of consumers and businesses that are reluctant or unable to spend money. "Even in the best case scenarios I've been reading about, it doesn't sound like the first half of '09 is going to be a pleasant time to be launching products," he said.Phone makers that experts say will be in particularly precarious positions include Motorola, Palm and Sony Ericsson, three companies that are already in trouble.
Even if you disagree, as I do, with author's assessment of whether or how users downloaded apps to their phones such as Palm in the past, the fact that the once mighty Palm is now a bit player in their own market IS the news of this article. NOT a pretty picture.
Brent
Palm Vx -> Long wait -> Palm T|X
Not good enough
reduced man power
The Facebook app only works on a few devices the Treo680 isn't even supported.
Palm management has stated the are trying to keep their focus on their core product lines so I doubt they are willing to spend the resources to create an app that they can't afford to roll out on enough devices to make people happy.
My only real gripe is they have limited the page size to only 5 apps makes browsing a tedious process.
Who Cares
PalmGear/PocketGear site sucks. Slow and support is the worst.
Apple has done the best job
I'll keep my fingers crossed for the Android store...
RE: Apple has done the best job
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Apple has done the best job
With Steam, I can play Counter-Strike or Left4Dead at work (time permitting), then go home and keep on playing and then pick up my laptop or my netbook and do the same from a hotel room in the middle of nowhere. There is still room for improvement but overall, Amazon's MP3 store & Steam are the only services I'll gladly spend $ on without giving it a 2nd thought (unless I can get it cheaper elsewhere, which is one major criticism I have with Steam-they offer NO cost savings over traiditional B&M outlets & boxed software).
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
'iPod tax'
Gov. David Paterson unveils dire New York State budget that includes new taxes, layoffs and cuts
By KENNETH LOVETT and GLENN BLAIN
DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU
Updated Wednesday, December 17th 2008, 8:39 AM
ALBANY - Gov. Paterson's proposed $121 billion budget hits New Yorkers in their iPods - and nickels-and-dimes them in lots of other places, too.
Trying to close a $15.4 billion budget gap, Paterson called for 88 new fees and a host of other taxes, including an "iPod tax" that taxes the sale of downloaded music and other "digitally delivered entertainment services."
"We're going to have to take some extreme measures," Paterson said Tuesday after unveiling the slash-and-burn budget.
"This is where we are," Paterson told reporters. "Maybe we should have thought about this when we were depending on what we thought was inexhaustive collections of taxes from Wall Street - and now those taxes have fallen off a cliff."
RE: 'iPod tax'
Now these scum also want to tax EBOOKS?!!?
RE: 'iPod tax'
Yes, that way there won't be any overt new taxes but all the spending anyway!
Hey! It "worked" for the last 8 years, right?
Uh...right?
Uh...well, maybe not...
RE: 'iPod tax'
RE: 'iPod tax'
He may be waiting and letting the Assembly take the hit for putting that clause into the budget.
RE: 'iPod tax'
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: 'iPod tax'
Really. That's better than some of Gekko's!
obesity tax
now this is one tax that i am for! it's time for all of you fat bastards pay up! you know who you are!
Commentary: Why we need an obesity tax
* Story Highlights
* Gov. David Paterson: At one time, most American men smoked cigarettes
* He says higher cigarette taxes helped drive down the number of smokers
* Paterson says obesity causes major health problems and billions in costs
* A surcharge on soft drinks is a small price to pay for children's health, he says
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/18/paterson.obesity/index.html
RE: 'iPod tax'
- http://home.bellsouth.net/coDataImages/p/Groups/141/141946/folders/90328/603678clown1.jpg
Link was sent by Palmgear - app/link misses loads of apps
I agree it's a "pretty" interface page, but if you can only get access to a select few applications from the Palmgear inventory, then it's basically useless to me. I'll still have to do a full search from the desktop anyway.
AFAIC the iTunes store isn't much better and is somewhat worse in ways (pages and pages to sift through with no hierarchy), but it's software that drives interest in these devices and the current state of shopping is barely better than we had in 1997...
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Link was sent by Palmgear - app/link misses loads of apps
At least you can sort by Popular and by Date.
But yeah, man, most download sites blow for ease of use - including eBook stores!!
Dammit, these are using COMPUTERS! Computers EXIST to do sorting!!
RE: Link was sent by Palmgear - app/link misses loads of apps
A First Look @ Palm's App Store
Pulling the Plug
The thoughts conveyed in the myOpinion section of the previous review still stand. And now I am even more disappointed with Palm. At least the other Store App was slick and gave me options that would work on my Centro. But this... this is completely frustrating.
Counting down the days to the CES announcement. It's our only hope. As for this attempt at an App Store, as Gordon Ramsey would say, "Shut it down!"
http://www.treocentral.com/content/Stories/2275-1.htm
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Sheesh...it's about time
day late and a dollar short? feeble swipe at apple? it wasn't exactly rocket science to put this together but boy it sure took them long enough.