Opinion: Palm OS 5: The Wish List
At PalmSource next week, Palm Inc. will give the world its first look at its next-generation operating system, OS 5. This is the first version of the Palm OS designed to work on ARM-based processors rather than the current Dragonball ones, but that won't be the only change. Long-time contributor Mike Cane has a list of Ten Things That Should Be In Palm OS 5.
Palm OS 5: The Wish List
By Mike Cane
Copyright © 2002 by Mike Cane.
All Rights Reserved.
Exclusive to Palm Infocenter.
In about a week, the news from the PalmSource developer conference will begin. A picture of what will and -- perhaps more importantly -- won't be in Palm OS 5 will start to emerge.
In an effort to make clear to Palm just what it is we "power loyalists" are looking for in Palm OS 5, I have compiled this list for Palm's education. In no particular order, here are Ten Things That Should Be In Palm OS 5 --
1) A real file system. VFS is a dog. An ailing, mangy, and just about good-for-nothing dog that should be put to sleep. We need transparency in using SD, MMC, CF, and Memory Stick storage. Programs and data files should not care where they reside -- internal RAM or external storage. A true directory structure is needed too, so programs and files can be grouped together in folders (and at least one level of sub-folder).
2) More Categories. Fifteen is just not enough. It never was.
3) Top/Bottom Page Command in Memo Pad. Why wasn't this added in Palm OS 2? Doesn't anyone at Palm ever use a full Memo? It's very unproductive to have to grab the stylus to use the "elevator" in the scroll bar. And wheeling with a Jog Dial is no fun, either. A pair of icons to choose "Go to Top" and "Go to Bottom" can be added off to the right side of
the Details button -- there's lots of room there.
4) Native color font support. It should be there in the Palm-supplied Date Book, Address book, To Do List and Memo Pad. It should also be in the Launcher, so program names can be highlighted or related by color.
5) Typefaces and attributes. HandEra and Sony have each tried their best to coax better-looking, more-readable, and a larger variety of typefaces into Palm OS. It's time for real typefaces, even if it means licensing TrueType (which is, after all, a widely-used standard). The ability to use different faces and attributes (plain, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, sub/superscript, and small caps, for a start) would be a boon for making items stand out in the four native apps. And it would give a huge boost to ebooks. (And yes, Palm, some of us do need to write things such as Einstein's famous equation properly in Memo Pad -- "E=mc^2" is unacceptable.)
6) A long-file standard. DOC just doesn't cut it any longer. It's time to retire it. Palm must take the initiative and create a standard to which all current DOC program developers can switch. Categories are not preserved between current DOC programs and there is no text formatting. Palm, do you have any idea of just how frustrating this has been for everyone? This must end.
7) Command Bar customization. Not every app uses the marvelous Command Bar to its fullest. Users should be able to add new functions. Especially the "Go to Top" and "Go to Bottom" commands that no DOC program developer has yet caught on to add there. The Command Bar should also resize. Let us cram 20 function icons into it if we want. Command Bar "plug ins" could in some cases replace Hacks.
8) Selectable alarms. We should be able to assign different alarms to different items in Date Book. Right now an alarm for a doctor's appointment is indistinguishable from a reminder to buy cat food! This must change.
9) Dual window support. I often have a DOC open with PopUp Note over it to move text between a DOC and a Memo. If Hacks that perform this poor-man's "multitasking" will go away in Palm OS 5, this sort of functionality should be preserved by adding it to the OS.
10) Soft Graffiti. HandEra has shown it can be done, but not nearly as well as it should be done. When the Soft Graffiti area is collapsed, HandEra's method foolishly deprives us of the "command slash" to call up the Command Bar or to activate other functions (such as /A or /S which is Select All in some apps and is usually not iconized in the Command Bar). In addition, HandEra's way simply mimics the image of the Hard Graffiti area we all know. Not only should there be Soft Graffiti, but the entire area should be customizable. I don't need that Menu icon. Let me choose what I want there. Allow us to place half- and quarter-size icons -- and in color, too. And if Soft Graffiti will show "ink" as HandEra's area does, let us choose not only the thickness of that ink, but also its color. And allow us the option to turn off "ink."
These are ten things that I believe Palm OS 5 should contain. I have stayed away from technical topics such as dynamic resolution switching, fractal compression, and pipes; instead concentrating on what we as Palm users experience every day -- how things look and work. I'm certain many other things need to be added (I believe Outlook users have a long list), and you can contribute to this wish list by using PIC's Comment feature. Let Palm know what you need added to its OS.
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For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
I want to link all the people in a company together in the Addressbook. I want to link a person's record to all of the appointments I have with them. I want to link a memo regarding a project to all of the to-do's for that project. I want to be able to jump back and forth from that memo to the to-do's with a single tap so I can create, edit or mark them without the OS getting in the way of my thinking. I want to be able to move through my data effortlessly with the OS doing all the work of changing applications and keeping track of where I was in each application.
DateBk4 gives you a little of this, but it should be a function built into the OS to really work.
PS: Check out MegaWiki 4.0. It's not perfect, but it gives you an idea of what linking can do.
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
A soft grafitti is great but will palm care about softgraffiti considering they dont have any intentions of making a device that can take advantage or it?
What i really want from OS5 is encryption for increased security. right now i can go to C:\palm and look for *.dat files and open with notepad,,and i can see my private records. Its just so easy for me. If i own a company i would never Trust palms current OS for sensitive Datas.
Thats my opinion.
graph
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
> they dont have any intentions of making a device that can take advantage or it?
a) Don't be too sure of this.
b) Even if they don't, that's the advantage of Palm's making the OS Group a subsidiary and eventually a separate company. The Palm Hardware Group is no longer controlling what goes into the OS. The OS Group gets its money from all the licensees and has to cater to all of them, including the ones who want a soft graffiti area.
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
That's where Palm wouldn't want to get involved since so many people sync w/ Outlook.
I doubt built-in linking will happen. But I really like the idea, as well.
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
LINKING IS A REALLY, REALLY USEFUL THING TO BE ABLE TO DO. I WISH THAT IF PALM HAD NOT CHOSEN TO INCLUDE IT IN THEIR OS, THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST LEFT THE WAY OPEN FOR OTHER APPS, TOO. DATEBK5 HAS SOME GOOD LINKING CAPABILITY, BUT I HAVE SEEN FIRST HAND HOW USEFUL COMPREHENSIVE LINKING CAN BE. IT WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT.
I love my Tungsten T, but I do miss the links.
RE: For God's sake, LINKING !!!!!!!!
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?PsLink (summary)
http://www.jove21.com/palm/palmware/pslink.html (developers website)
IR Printing
Bluetooth Printing
RE: IR Printing
Yes! Printing.
Some people want to bark about how the developer community should do that, but I think the ability to print from a PDA is totally a core feature which palm should include and standardize.
Was in Europe not too long ago and tried to print from MultiMail which ended up failing becuase of a missing library. It was such a disapointmnet!
RE: IR Printing
--
http://www.arpx.net/article.php/top_10_palmos_applications - my top 10 palm apps
wish list
All I can say is I really wonder if Palm is listening. My observation of many compagnies is that they tend to listen their clients only via the satisfacion surveys...
Almost every times I e-mail to a compagnie to suggest them some improvments (read: help them), most of the times I don't get any answer. And if I have, they say big thanks but things don't change. There are exeptions, like Mindmaker, but they are so rare.
I don't know if this expression exist in english: praying in the desert...
RE: wish list
RE: wish list
I'm not sure. Praying in the desert means do something that will have no impact because nobody is listening.
Anyway, doesn't matter.
RE: wish list
RE: wish list
RE: wish list
RE: wish list
Multiple categories
RE: Multiple categories
RE: Multiple categories
WeSync lets you do this today.
You can have more than 15 address book categories and any contact can be in multiple categories.
You can have multiple calendars - one for work and one for - whatever you want.
Multiple Categories and much more Wish List Items
Unlimited # of Categories
Unlimited Filtered Lists(ala on Palm Desktop)
LINKING: if a Contact is linked to a Note/Memo let that Link be preserved during HotSync
FIND: When Searching for a Contact, it's 1st Prefered Attached Note/Memo should also show up on Desktop, and on PDA there should be a LINK to that Memo/Note for back and forth navigation ala on Desktop. BTW, how come only 1 Note/Memo can be opened at a time? In wordprocessors and other applications one can have more than one file opened at time
STANDARDISATION: Why is it a Note on Palm Desktop and Memo on PDA?(at least on Mac it is so)
PHOTOS FIELDS: Can there be several per Contact, so tha one has a "face to go with it"?
4,000 CHARACTERS per Note/Memo: the Truncation NEVER worked properly after HotSyn. Why can't I be warned with some kind of Characters Counter, so I know how close I am to the 4,000 limit. Better yet, NO LIMIT ON CHARACTERS, or at least a greater limit
Word Processing in Notes/Memos
Unlimited # of Notes/Memos
Top-Bottom Page in Note/Memo -- LONG LONG OVERDUE
VIBRATING ALARMS: vibration is very weak, and even if one is wearing very thin clothes, Vibration doesn't last long enough and strong enough to be noticed. If one is on the street, where there are lots of distractions, vibration is almost guaranteed to be unnoticed. BTW, same criticism applies to my Keyocera 2035 Cell Phone
NORTON AND VIRUS DETECTION: ala on desktop, there should be some software that one can run in order to see if All IS OK, ala Norton, TechTools(I am on Mac)
VOICE ACTIVATED PASSWORD: i.e. bring up Palm to one's mouth and say the password to get in
VOICE MEMO RECORDING: instead of writing it down, record it and be able to set alarm on each Voice Memo. BTW, I mean built into Palm, not an Attachment
EMAIL TO COMMAND: one should be able to Email a Note/Memo, or a Contact from Desktop or PDA
Extended Screens(hide Grafiti area)
Fully Functional Quicken
Each PDA Application SHOULD HAVE it's Desktop Companion
COLOR PALMS ONLY! Higher Resolution! More Memory! Faster! Solar Charging: so whenever a PDA is exposed to light it is being recharged, even if it's on = NO MORE BATTERY WORRIES!!!
RE: Multiple categories
This is almost exactly like what I was talking about in one of my later posts below. Combining this with wireless (and it looks like they do) is what will be the "killer app" for wireless, IMO. Of course this thing's been out for a while it seems and it hasn't caught on (in fact, I'd never heard of it). IMO, this is due to the *still* high cost of unlimited wireless. The beauty of this isn't just for businesses (though they can afford to pay the big bucks for wireless). I'm still floored.
Scott
RE: Multiple categories
RE: Multiple categories
Scott
YEAH
RE: Multiple categories
Ha! I can hear it now:
"Hey, will you guys shut up! I'm trying to log into my palm!"
"Turn off the damn music! I wanna use my palm!"
etc.
I love Mike Cane
That said, I really hope that Palm is listening to Mike on this one - it would be foolish not to.
RE: I love Mike Cane
Palm OS 5 wishlist
RE: Palm OS 5 wishlist
Second, PPCs are both larger and more expensive than Palms. That might change with ARMed units, but people still tend to stick with what they know (witness the metastatis of Windows!).
Third, plugging PPC here won't do anything more than show PPC owners in a bad light. Do you want that?
RE: Palm OS 5 wishlist
OK, how about run for hours without totally draining the battery and erasing the contents of RAM? Darn, I forgot, that's Palm again.
I've got one! Sit in your pocket without making a huge unslightly bulge that drags you clothes all out of shape. Oops, that's Palm again.
Oh I know, cost less than $400. Oh yeah, I forgot. That's the Palm OS again.
How about this? Get more than 20% of the worldwide handheld market. ****, that's not PPC is it?
RE: Palm OS 5 wishlist
Palm has to walk a delicate line here, to avoid producing something that just looks like a first revision PocketPC wannabe. They need to make sure it isn't easier (or cheaper) for developers to switch from Palm OS 4 development to Pocket PC development than it is to switch from OS4 to OS5. They also have to worry about adding PPC's negative aspects as they add the positive features. They have to worry about stability of the OS. (PPC is finally getting less crash prone, but it took 3 revs. Palm can't afford to go until OS 7 to get enough bugs out to have a stable OS.)
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