New Palm OS Web Browser In Development

The source will be available shortly (as in the next couple of days).

Too many people have gotten the idea that "open source" = "free" (binary that is). Well, this is not true (all of the time).

Basically, the reasoning for a closed beta:
1. I am going to be selling the software
-It will be one of the least expensive browsers on the market (think the sub-$20 price range)
-This is (well, will be in the sort future) part of a business
-I am a college student, so I need to make money somehow :)
2. It is much easier on me to do something with a limit to it

Anyway, the chain seen here is that all of the code in the browser is available to anybody to use. This is how I, and open source software, give back. You'd be amazed at how many hours have been poured into the various features.

Once I get all of the emails of the people that signed up for the beta in one list and compile the first beta build, I'll be posting the source.

Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX

Actually it's not really a contradiction. The Open Source Definition consist of 10 requirements, none of which require you to publicly release binary/source or prevent you from charging for the software. You are only required to provide the source to people whom you distribute the binary program to and allow them certain rights to use that software. Open Source is not the same as no-cost or publicly available. For more info - http://www.opensource.org

I hope it's a good browser. I look forward to trying it out, but I'm not in the "private beta", so I guess I'll just wait.

This is why organizations like MySQL dual-license; ie: If you're an individual with no commercial ties, you can get it under GPL; if you're intend on making a commercial product, you get it under another license entirely.

It depends on what your goal is, but I thought I would confuse you by bringing that up. ie: If you wish to have sole commercial rights, you have to be careful sometimes.

jeff

The Shadow knows!

I can see how gratis = free, but open source does not in the least sense mean freeware. This is one of the BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS. The distribution method is up to the developer/company.

If you are going to truely support open source software (note, as I described above, open modifies source and NOT binary, that is where the term freeware comes in), then you should support ALL open source software.

To emphasize it again (sorry, this misconceptions is one of my biggest pet peeves), you can have a commercial open source app, a non-commercial free binary open source app and a freeware app. They are all very different from each other (the only similarities being between commercial/non-commercial open source).

If I made a free binary version, I'd have to get rid of some of the features that popularized the software (or heavily limit them).

What makes open source big is that I give back all of the work that I have done, in the form of source code, for free (that is where the free plays a big role). I turn around and sell the binary for compensation (you don't want to see how many hours I have poured into the software, and all of that code has gone back to the community that can save others that amount of time, as a hint, you couldn't count the number of hours that I have spent ten times on your fingers and toes).

BTW, BetaPlayer will be the open source form of CorePlayer, minus many key selling features.

Anyway, I apologize if this sounded like a rant, I just hate it when people confuse the true meaning of open source for the false lye (yes, even the GNU GPL Introduction states that you can sell open source software, mostly as a form of compensation, here being time and support).

Well, good night all (or good day or morning for others).

Tabbed browsing will be excellent. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650

Universe takes about 1/50th the time of Blazer to start and stop. Blazer goes a bit crazy attempting o clear memory for itself. I believe if UDMH is used in conjunction with Universe you'll get really good results.

deucalion, distribution is binaries + support. Once I roll out plugin support (this is more or less a 4.0 feature), some plugins will probably also come in a package (they'd be proprietary plugs that require a license fee). But, the plugin stuff is in the future and is just a concept at the moment. If you'd like to see anything ele/any other methods, let me know. I am always open to what works the best.

PalmOS 5.2+ (maybe starting at 5.1) has a built in SSL library by RSA Security. Blazer uses this and I too will be using this. Basically that means any device with PalmOS 5.0 (Tungsten T and a few Sony Clies I think), will not support https, but any device with an OS greater than 5.0 (every other model) will.

I believe the library supports up to 128bit encryption. Also, the library does not have a user editable certificate store, so I will try to implement my own (as a later feature).