Access Linux Platform Release Date Slips

ACCESS has revealed in a recent statement that the initial release of the Access Linux Platform has been delayed. PalmSource previously stated that the ALP software developer kit would be available by the end of 2006, ACCESS is now targeting a release for "sometime in the first half of 2007."

The new release timing comes from a FAQ regarding the recent licensing of Palm OS Garnet to Palm Inc.

When ALP was first announced in February PalmSource VP Albert Chu stated that they expected to make the ALP software developer kit available by the end of 2006. This SDK will be for top licensees and software developers to being work on ALP products. A product developer kit or PDK will be following shortly after for all licensees.

In it's FAQ document on the recent Palm OS licensing deal, Access stated a revised timeframe for the release of the Access Linux Platform.

Q. What will ACCESS name future versions of the operating system?

A. We are currently using the code name ACCESS Linux Platform for our next generation operating system. We will announce the official name of the ACCESS Linux Platform when we announce that it is available to our licensees and developers—expected sometime in the first half of 2007.

The last update on the progress of ALP development was given to David Beers during LinuxWorld SF conference in August. At the time PalmSource said it was on schedule to meet its end of year deadline for delivery to licensees.

ALP was also recently on display at the ITU Telecom World show in Hong Kong last week.

Article Comments

 (46 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down View Full Comment Thread

Shocked! Shocked I say!

Sheppy @ 12/12/2006 5:40:06 PM # Q
I'm absolutely shocked by this. Really, I am!

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
SeldomVisitor @ 12/12/2006 5:55:22 PM # Q
When I saw the Subject I thought for sure yours was simply another TVoR ID.

Giggle.

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
freakout @ 12/12/2006 9:07:06 PM # Q
ACCESS/Palmsource really don't care about their reputation anymore, do they? After the Cobalt debacle you'd think that making sure ALP stays on schedule would be a top priority...

Guess not. Still, it doesn't really matter to us Palmites anymore, does it?

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
dkirker @ 12/13/2006 1:01:53 AM # Q
Just as a neutral note.

Deadlines for development projects are constantly being moved back. Look at Microsoft and CoreCodec.

And as another note.

Cobalt is dead because PalmSource decided to change the direction that it was going 3/4 the way through. Originally Cobalt was to be a media-centric OS, but then PalmSource higher-ups came into a board meeting one day and announced that Cobalt was their smartphone OS.

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/13/2006 1:25:38 AM # Q
Cobalt is dead because PalmSource decided to change the direction that it was going 3/4 the way through. Originally Cobalt was to be a media-centric OS, but then PalmSource higher-ups came into a board meeting one day and announced that Cobalt was their smartphone OS.

Actually, Cobalt is dead because it sucked monkey balls as an OS and the people working at PalmSource were a bunch of clueless dip*hits. And George H. couldn't keep the inmates under control. Oh, and PalmSource had about 1/4 as many codemonkeys as they needed if they were going to deliver a stable OS on schedule. The rest, as they say, is history.


TVoR

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
Haber @ 12/13/2006 10:29:02 AM # Q
*pets his Palm OS 4.1*

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
dkirker @ 12/13/2006 3:04:10 PM # Q
TVoR, I'll let you have your own opinion, no matter how far from the truth it is.

Cobalt only died because at the last minute PalmSource decided to start all over. Talk to any ex-PalmSource employee.

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/13/2006 9:10:38 PM # Q
TVoR, I'll let you have your own opinion, no matter how far from the truth it is.

Cobalt only died because at the last minute PalmSource decided to start all over. Talk to any ex-PalmSource employee.

Ummmm... I have. Yes, we all know about how Cobalt was repositioned several times (next generation -> high end -> cellphones -> everything), but PalmSource had too much work to do with Cobalt even had cellphone support been ignored. If you think your buddies at PalmSource were capable of producing a functional OS on schedule, you've got another "think" coming. The OS hardware demands for Cobalt were also far beyond what was considered reasonable for Palm to use throughout its lineup.

TVoR

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
PenguinPowered @ 12/13/2006 11:07:37 PM # Q
I don't know why Cobalt died. It was usable as a smartphone OS in November '04 when I started at PSRC, but nobody was interested at that point.

Buying CMS and moving to Linux might have been a smart move, but PSRC's engineering management pretty much threw away any advantage that'd have gotten by doing that.

In '05 there were people at PSRC who could have delivered a Linux based smartphone OS by the end of '06, but most of us were long gone by January.

The ALP switch was a schedule set back, but the work differences that should have resulted could easily have been done in six months.

I still believe that ACCESS will come through with ALP in the first half, but the past two years have made it increasingly clear that Linux is a losing play in cellphone land.


May You Live in Interesting Times

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
ThunderCracker @ 12/15/2006 2:14:53 AM # Q
PP,

I completely agree with you. Question is, who are the winners and order of finish?

My prediction:

1.) RIM - 40%
2.) Windows Mobile - 25%
3.) Nokia - 25%
4.) Palm/Garnet - 10%

Palm III --> Compaq Areo 1550 --> Palm IIIc --> Visor Edge --> Casio EM500 --> Sony T415 --> Compaq 3670 --> Dell Axim x5 Advanced --> Sony SJ20 --> Palm T|E --> HP H1945/T610 --> Dell Axim X30 --> Axim X50v --> Treo 600 --> Palm T|X --> Blackberry 6230 --> Treo 650 --> Blackberry 7100t --> BB 7290 --> Samsung Blackjack

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/15/2006 10:53:40 PM # Q
Question is, who are the winners and order of finish?

My prediction:

1.) RIM - 40%
2.) Windows Mobile - 25%
3.) Nokia - 25%
4.) Palm/Garnet - 10%

Wrong. RIMM is a house of cards, ready to collapse. Microsoft has its advantage of being the business standard for desktops, while Nokia is the most ruthless cellphone provider. (Assuming no buyouts) in 12 months the numbers will be more like this:

1) Nokia/Symbian - 40%
2) Windows Mobile - 25%
3) RIMM - 20%
4) Palm - 10%
5) Other - 5%

Of course, this all depends what your definition of a "smartphone" is...

TVoR

Warning to all companies hoping Linux geeks will work for free...
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/16/2006 11:20:05 PM # Q
PalmSource (and Nokia) have hoped to manipulate Linux geeks to do their bidding, for free.

But as I predicted, we now see Linux is a double-edged sword. Unless your company's open source liasons are clever/devious enough to rally the Linux geeks around your company's cause, you'll often end up waiting forever for needed code, or accepting a poor compromise, or having to give up and create your own non-standard branches in the Mobile Linux code. A recipe for disaster in an industry that moves as fast as the cellphone world.

Linux as a cellphone OS is dying of self-inflicted papercuts. Oh, the humanity!

TVoR

RE: Shocked! Shocked I say!
freakout @ 12/17/2006 3:28:33 AM # Q
Of course, this all depends what your definition of a "smartphone" is...

A Treo.

And in that case:

1) Palm - 100%

:P

Reply to this comment

Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights

ThunderCracker @ 12/12/2006 5:41:09 PM # Q
These fights are the best thing about PIC.



Palm III --> Compaq Areo 1550 --> Palm IIIc --> Visor Edge --> Casio EM500 --> Sony T415 --> Compaq 3670 --> Dell Axim x5 Advanced --> Sony SJ20 --> Palm T|E --> HP H1945/T610

RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
linds @ 12/12/2006 9:37:07 PM # Q
I agree with you thundercracker, It is sooo entertaining to see the word fights!

Please bring TVoR one of the PalmSource sacrificial lambs
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/12/2006 11:43:20 PM # Q
Witness the utter horror that defined this classic Palminfocenter thread:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8399/#119340 :

"Don't be deceived by Smoke & Mirrors (S&M)
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 2/22/2006 10:31:47 PM #

1) NetFrontLinux is VERY much a work in progress, with numerous major decisions (like whether or not MAX will run on X Windows!) yet to be decided. The GUI is not set in stone and this demo should be taken with a Copeland-sized grain of salt.

2) If the launcher Access finalizes on is incapable of presenting/listing ALL apps (PalmOS-native, MAX-native, Java-native and Linux-native) in a single view, this whole platform is rather poorly conceived. Having to manually enter a separate screen to access PalmOS apps through POSE would show how inelegantly PalmOS support has been grafted onto NetFrontLinux. Essentially this would mean the OS represents 4 disintegrated environments under one hastily-assembled roof.

3) PalmOS is DEAD. All that remains is (cynical) support of some PalmOS apps up to PalmOS 5. Cobalt and all the work that went into that have been thrown into the dumpster. PalmLinux (the tragic attempt to port Cobalt to a Linux kernel) and all the work that went into that have also been thrown into the dumpster. What remains of PalmOS is a caricature that makes a mockery of the past 4 years of development. PalmOS is now nothing more than a gimmick, like a mobile TV app or a high megapixel camera. The amazing thing no one seems to have realized is that it will make more sense to use StyleTap Platform to "emulate" PalmOS on a Windows Mobile device than it does to use POSE to emulate PalmOS on a NetFrontLinux device. StyleTap's existence effectively neutralizes any potential competitive advantage for Access of having POSE on NetFrontLinux. $320 million for the rights to POSE, a Chinese Linux phone OS and a few dozen Chinese Linux codemonkeys? W T F was Access thinking???

Benhamou,McVeigh, et. al. fooled 'em all.


TVoR

Copyright 2006
TVoR, Inc."

****************************************************************************************

http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8399/#119436 :

"Access will sell off Cobalt, PalmLinux (+ maybe even Garnet)
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 2/24/2006 10:01:41 PM #

PalmSource would have been wise to settle any claims Motorola had out of court. What's $15 MILLION when you're flush with cash like Access is? Not.

I still expect that Access will (either by design or out of desperation) sell off the rights to Cobalt and PalmLinux code within a year or two*.

[*Another BOLD prediction from TVoR™]


Copyright 2006.
TVoR, Inc"

****************************************************************************************

"You're wrong about Access going bankrupt over the PSRC buy. The math doesn't work out to make that likely. At worst, they do what NTT did with its huge purchase of Verio: write it off as a bad decision.

We'll see soon enough which one of us was right. Remember: Access was not exactly a huge company to begin with. Buying PalmSource was quite a stretch for them, even with DoCoMo's big pockets lurking in the background. I could see DoCoMo stepping in and buying a larger chunk of Access (like Sony did with PalmSource) when things start to get desperate. If the China MobileSoft gamble fails, where does that leave Access? Their NetFront browser is ALREADY facing competition from the likes of Opera, and as mobile hardware becomes more powerful, it will be much easier for less elegant browsers to compete with NetFront. Eventually, an Open Source mobile version of a browser like FireFox will destroy Access' previous business model of being the provider of browsers for mobile devices. It's just a matter of when - not "if" - this will happen."

****************************************************************************************

[Looks like Marty's gonna LOSE betting against my prediction:]

"Thanks for your donation, Marty
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 2/25/2006 2:08:23 PM #

I say Access will be bankrupt (or bought out after financial losses) within 2 years. Secondary bet (for $10): I say Access will end up selling off the rights ("ownership") to one or more of Cobalt/PalmLinux/PalmOS 5 within 18 months.

When you're proven wrong, you'll send the money to the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund on February 25, 2008. I thank you in advance for your kind donation.

http://tinyurl.com/ksyye"

****************************************************************************************


Oh My F***ing Gawd:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8399/#119493


RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
dkirker @ 12/13/2006 1:04:24 AM # Q
TVoR said:

"Their NetFront browser is ALREADY facing competition from the likes of Opera, and as mobile hardware becomes more powerful, it will be much easier for less elegant browsers to compete with NetFront. Eventually, an Open Source mobile version of a browser like FireFox will destroy Access' previous business model of being the provider of browsers for mobile devices. It's just a matter of when - not "if" - this will happen."

:)

I like the sound of those words.

NetFront is still a good browser (I'll leave the definition of good open to interpretation), but as you have said (well, twisted and contorted to my words), there are other good browsers.

I still have (some) faith in ACCESS, but it isn't a ton. I am still trying to figure out how ACCESS's OS would fair up to S60 (which is becoming more appealing to me after each day).

Ok, enough said. I will try to remain neutral on this ALP Pass/Fail debate.

RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
dkirker @ 12/13/2006 1:09:47 AM # Q
By the way TVoR, your "open source web browser" might be the one powered by the Apple/Nokia WebKit.

RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/13/2006 1:35:29 AM # Q
By the way TVoR, your "open source web browser" might be the one powered by the Apple/Nokia WebKit.

I believe Moore's Law will soon bring us severalbrowser options. Moore's Law brute forces Windows Mobile into being an acceptable mobile OS. Moore's Law will allow us to use PalmOS on Windows Mobile devices and like it. Moore's Law will let Nokia's 770 have the last laugh. Moore's law will make UMPC and Windows micro PC rule the world (and eventually allow Real Windows™ to reach places you'd never expect it to reach).

Palm's Window of opportunity has been shut and hermetically sealed.

TVoR

Severely overestimating the appeal of Real Windows™
freakout @ 12/13/2006 4:31:14 AM # Q
It's just not designed with mobile use in mind. I don't want Windows anywhere except my desktop, even if they can make it run smoothly. There's just so much overhead that comes with desktop Windows that is completely unnecessary on a well-designed mobile device.

That said, I think WinMob has boundless potential. MS just need to take a few leaves out of Palm's book and they'd have a killer on their hands. I'm keen to see how far Palm will take their "Palm Experience" on WinMob now that they have the PalmOS back. We could finally have the best of both worlds, if they have the smarts and MS is willing to cede some control.

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

Hey dkirker...
freakout @ 12/13/2006 6:37:16 AM # Q
....speaking of browsers, how's Universe 3 coming?
RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
dkirker @ 12/13/2006 3:02:57 PM # Q
...beating bugs, finishing finals, and winter break will give me some valuable 3 weeks :) I'll try to post some updates to my blog.

RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
PenguinPowered @ 12/13/2006 11:25:09 PM # Q
"Thanks for your donation, Marty
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 2/25/2006 2:08:23 PM #

I say Access will be bankrupt (or bought out after financial losses) within 2 years. Secondary bet (for $10): I say Access will end up selling off the rights ("ownership") to one or more of Cobalt/PalmLinux/PalmOS 5 within 18 months.

Don't be too sure, yet. 10 months later, and ACCESS is still in business and still hasn't sold off the rights to any of the above. They licensed to Palm, but they still own PalmOS 5.



May You Live in Interesting Times

RE: Time for yet another PIC vs. TVOR fights
Foo Fighter @ 12/14/2006 9:44:58 AM # Q
Since ALP is never going to appear in any shipping device, this side of the pond anyway, I would say it matters little what the ultimate fate of Access will be. What happens to Garnet is the real story. Once Access goes into a barrel roll and all it's intellectual property comes flying out for all to grab, mobile technology's great child custody battle will ensue; who will get custody of Garnet?

Unfortunately for Palm, they're going to get screwed on the second chance to buy the OS rights because, once AGAIN, they will be outbid by a larger suitor with a big bag of cash. They can only look on in horror as their fate is bought and sold before their very eyes.

I think it's pretty clear at this point that Garnet will ultimately become little more than a sandbox environment sitting on top of Windows Mobile. Palm doesn't have the resources to develop their own Linux based OS from the ground up. Even Access hasn't managed to do that, so it's safe to assume that neither can Palm. The only logical course, if they chose to go that route, is to license a pre-build Linux stack from MontaVista or Wind River and slap Garnet on top of that in some fashion. But that could be costly for Palm, and what would be gained from that experiment?

Since Palm is already investing in Windows Mobile, and that is where market is heading...for better or worse, that seems like a logical end. And a product manager at Palm that I spoke with gave me the feeling that Palm is working very closely with Microsoft on Windows Mobile.

PalmOS fans will be living on anti-depressants and alcohol. Happy New Year.

-------------------------------
PocketFactory, www.pocketfactory.com
Elitist Snob, www.elitistsnob.com

Reply to this comment

In other news: The sun will come up tomorrow...

The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/12/2006 11:27:17 PM # Q
I've heard bad things about ALP-OS through the grapevine. They might as well call this steaming pile of dung "Cobalt II". Comming soon in 2008. Maybe.

"Wow, writing an OS is actually hard work!"


TVoR

RE: In other news: The sun will come up tomorrow...
Admin @ 12/13/2006 12:58:46 AM # Q
let's try this without the personal attacks please.
Reply to this comment

Infinite Garnet

mikecane @ 12/13/2006 3:20:40 PM # Q
Get used to it.

Reply to this comment

ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?

ChiA @ 12/14/2006 12:00:20 PM # Q
Here's a press release that crept in under my radar:

http://www.a-la-mobile.com/news/press/pr061023.html

These companies will have their dual mode Wifi-GSM smartphone on show this January at the CES in Vegas. What will ACCESS have on show? It doesn't even have a name for its operating system!

Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. Aaron Levenstein

RE: ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?
cervezas @ 12/14/2006 12:10:37 PM # Q
Is it really a smartphone platform? It doesn't look to me like it's particularly "smarter" than Motorola's 4-yr old A760 Linux phone. The only apps you can install on it are Java and Flash, which puts it firmly in the feature phone camp with most of the other Linux phones that have been released to date. A la mobile isn't going after the same market as ACCESS, as far as I can see.

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog
RE: ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?
ChiA @ 12/14/2006 3:05:16 PM # Q
A la mobile isn't going after the same market as ACCESS, as far as I can see.

Then it's time you bought some specs to improve your vision and look at their intentions in further detail. The phone which will make its debut at CES is being promoted as a QWERTY keyboard smartphone.

Both companies have very similar intentions with their products; ACCESS's product remains in the vapourware category.

What matters most to the end user after the lure of the Microsoft name is having a stable, reliable product with desirable features at the right price.

RE: ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?
ChiA @ 12/14/2006 3:13:49 PM # Q
Products without the Windows moniker are already battling for acceptance from end users - as Palm itself has openly admitted. Wasn't it Ed who said that the WinMob Treos were for those who wouldn't buy anything that wasn't Windows?

It makes it all the more imperative that a non-Windows mobile OS is reliable - any problems with syncing to PC are blamed on the phone not being compatible with Windows.

I know I'm mixing several issues here but once you get over the "this is not Windows" hill then people care about the reliability, features and price and not the OS which does the job in the smartphone.

My bottom line - manufacturers aren't going to wait for ACCESS to prepare its OS when a la mobile offers them what they want today.

RE: ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?
cervezas @ 12/14/2006 3:15:05 PM # Q
I read the press release. I've also read the rest of their web site. Using the word "smartphone" doesn't impress me if you can't install applications on the phone. As I said before, that kind of Linux phone has been around for years.

And by the way, they say it will have a "QUERTY" keyboard, which should be quite a novelty. Either that or it's a rather strange typo, considering the keyboard it was presumably typed from!

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: ACCESS already beaten to the Smartphone Linux Platform Post?
ChiA @ 12/14/2006 3:33:39 PM # Q
Using the word "smartphone" doesn't impress me if you can't install applications on the phone.

The datasheet for a la mobile's Convergent Linux Platform (CLP)does mention an Application Manager which implies the ability to add/remove applications.


Besides, who's to know if anybody will bother writing any third-party applications for Access Linux Platform or even if carriers will allow the end user to install applications? Access has the advantage of Palm OS apps to bail it out if nobody bothers.

Both CLP and ALP have very similar goals; CLP is actually going to be seen in a product next month.

Reply to this comment

Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies

cervezas @ 12/14/2006 4:48:05 PM # Q
I'm waiting to get a little more information, but an ACCESS spokesperson tells me they actually *have* shipped a pre-release version of the promised Platform Developer Kit and Software Developer Kit to select companies. It's the general release to the public that is scheduled for first half of 2007. ACCESS is insisting that they're not behind schedule.

I'll hopefully have some clarification of this on my blog soon.


David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies
ChiA @ 12/14/2006 7:15:33 PM # Q
It looks as if life is getting interesting again. I'm skeptical of release to the general public (ie the end user) in early 2007 but presume release to the developers within that timeframe is achievable.

I'm happy to hear that ACCESS is on top of matters and I wait in anticipation for the fruit of their labours.

Now the question remains of which will come first: An ACCESS Linux Platform smartphone in the palm of the consumer's hand or a Treo with wifi from Ed? Indeed will they be one and the the same?

ACCESS delivered diagrams on c0cktail napkins to some companies
The_Voice_of_Reason @ 12/14/2006 10:08:59 PM # Q
"Once we get this OS thing built it will be TOTALLY kewl"

Schlesinger-san

RE: Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies
ChiA @ 12/15/2006 12:42:07 PM # Q
... and some companies replied "Hey you forgot the garlic bread I ordered and what are all these funny doodles on these napkins"?
RE: Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies
cervezas @ 12/15/2006 8:05:07 PM # Q
I communicated with Maureen O'Connell of ACCESS myself today and got some clarifying statements about what exactly ACCESS has delivered. Anyone who is interested can read it here: http://www.pikesoft.com/blog/index.php?itemid=135


David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies
Foo Fighter @ 12/15/2006 8:47:08 PM # Q
"Anyone who is interested

Considering that ALP likely isn't going to become the successor to PalmOS Garnet, and therefore won't appear on Palm devices...I'd say you're barking up the wrong tree. I don't care if ALP ever ships.

-------------------------------
PocketFactory, www.pocketfactory.com
Elitist Snob, www.elitistsnob.com

RE: Turns out ACCESS *has* delivered to some companies
hkklife @ 12/15/2006 11:04:00 PM # Q
Kent;

Out of curiosity what IS your "daily" device?

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top View Full Comment Thread

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: