Palm Unveils its Own Web Browser
At CeBit, Palm Inc. has announced that it will soon be releasing the Palm Web Browser. This is a full Web browser which allows to user to access any URL on the Internet, bookmark and categorize favorite sites, save information for offline viewing, and cache a history of visited sites. Pages are reformatted to make them look better on a handheld's small screen. It will be available in the U.S. on April 8 for $20.
The Palm Web Browser has compression technology that speeds up downloads of text and the browser displays that first, so users can search and read information while multiple graphics continue to load from a page. It is not yet clear whether it makes use of a proxy server, though it seems likely.
The browser will be available in Europe at the end of April, and in other regions some time after that. It is localized in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese.
The Palm Web Browser is available for wirelessly-enabled Palm m125, m130, m500, m505, m515, and i705 handhelds, which seems to indicate that it requires Palm OS 4.
This is another sign that Palm is moving away from its Web Clipping technology, which was created to allow users to download small amounts of targeted information rather than whole Web pages. However, the conditions Web Clipping was designed to deal with are going away. It was created to allow users to quickly get the information they need at a time when wireless networks were very slow and charged by the amount of data downloaded. With 3G wireless networks on the horizon, those limitations should soon be a thing of the past.
Palm hasn't dropped Web Clipping yet. The new Palm Web Browser has support for it built-in. There are still plenty of users of slow wireless networks for which Web Clipping is a good solution.
"Our web clipping approach is ideal for quick hits for specific information; the new browser affords the additional freedom to explore any website and save important information," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president and COO of the Solutions Group at Palm, Inc.
The first sign of the move away from Web Clipping was when the i705, Palm's new wireless handheld, came with a full Web Browser as well as Web Clipping support. When it was released, rumors surfaced that Palm would be announcing an improved version, which this apparently is. It is not yet known if i705 users will get this app as a free upgrade.
This is far from the first Web browser available for the Palm OS. Handspring makes Blazer 2.0 and AvantGo has one built-in.
Related Information:
- PIC: Handspring Blazer 2.0 Review
- PIC: Palm Forum
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RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
Handspring charges for their browser, so this should be no suprise to anybody.
I like my Palm!
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
You've been living in a world dominated by Microsoft for too long. Palm likes and supports third-party developers. It doesn't actively try to steal their business and put them out of business.
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
What a joke.
I feel really sorry for anyone that bought an i705 and now they are being suckered to upgrade for 20 bucks.
This is only going to add support to PocketPC over Palm debate. "Palm charges 20 bucks for their browser while our's is Free!"
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
You've been living in a world dominated by Microsoft for too long. Palm likes and supports third-party developers. It doesn't actively try to steal their business and put them out of business."
I agree 100%
RE: why are they charging money
You want the browser, pay for it. You donīt want to pay, donīt use a browser or use AvantGo. I agree with all the posts that say that it is a reasonable price, considering it is a very difficult software to write. And making it free would kill 3rd. party developers and turn Palm into MS... Letīs hope this never happens :-)
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
> being suckered to upgrade for 20 bucks
How do you know i705 users will have to pay for it? You don't, you just assumed it. Wait until you know whether you've been bit before you start howling.
RE: why are they charging money
Last Time I Checked Handspring Charged $20 for Blazer
If you're going to beat Palm up about this, then at least have the decency to beat up Handspring, too.
-Kevin Crossman
RE: why are they charging money
Err.. no I don't expect to get free oranges [stupid analogy]. Here's an anlogy that makes sense. You spend 25k on a new car and it doesn't come with floor mats. Do you tell the sales guy that you would like to pay 75 bucks for floor mats [sucker], or do you negotiate to have them thrown into the deal?
I really hate being so negative, but some of you guys are so blinded by your faith in Palm, that you refuse to be even somewhat critical of Palm, especially when they are trying to soak you for another 20 bucks after spending several hundred dollars on their latest and arguably greatest pda, not including accessories etc.
Part of the reason why I prefer Palm of PocketPC is because there are A LOT of freeware apps out there. Even the ones that aren't free, do have pretty good shareware versions. Like I already said, if Palm is going to start charging for applications to enhance their own product, it only makes it easier for M$ to creep on in.
It doesn't matter anyways. I'm sure Sony will have it included in their next wireless PDA. ;-)
If you're going to reply, point by point to this post, don't waste your time!
RE: why are they charging money
Wouldn't this be solved if Palm decided to include a clipping-only web browser in the ROM
of all their Palms, and selling this full-featured web browser for $20. After all, that is what
they did with the email app, datebook, etc. They included apps are adequate, but hardly full
featured.
This way they can still use the same philosphy they always have of cooperation instead of
Microsoft's philosophy of destroying competition, even competition that isn't originally theirs.
It is my opinion that for the i705 some form of web browser should have been included with
the device, in ROM, not installable from CDROM. If Palm decided that any new applicaiton
would be installable, then they should take all their apps out of ROM and make them
installable too. This is getting into another topic.
-- Paul
RE: why are they charging money
>Well, Eudora already gives their Palm browser away for
>free, and that hasn't killed off the competition.
But you are forgetting that Palm has the ability to bundle their browser into every Palm sold, Eudora doesn't have this capability. Obviously this has a far greater impact on the ability of other free browsers to survive. Witness the whole DOJ case against Microsoft browser bundling.
I don't necessarily agree with having to pay for every piece of software, but the fact remains that there are free alternatives to the Palm browser.
So far the discourse on all the reasons why Palm can/should charge users are very intelligent and on-topic. A refreshing change and long may this trend continue.
RE: why are they charging money
RE: why are they charging money
of all their Palms, and selling this full-featured web browser for $20. "
Erm ... the clipping only browser is in nearly all OS 4 Roms - including Clie's. I use web clipping apps on my n770c as well as Blazer. Sadly the HTML renderer which Clippings use, and I imagine this browser will use, that is built into PalmOS at a fairly foundational level (it supports mail to links to a defined Mail App and can be called from other apps / call other apps) doesn't support Hi-Res even with Hi-Res Assist.
I am glad Palms browser is proxy based - it speeds things up!
RE: Gee . . . .
huh? There are already several good browsers for Palm, including ones that support graphics, cookies, frames, and even javascript.
RE: Gee . . . .
RE: Gee . . . .
Wasted development resources . . . . .
RE: Gee . . . .
Kinda defeats the purpose.
...and they shut out handspring users...
their biggest competitor in the wireless arena can't run it.
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
---
News Editor
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
RE: ...and they shut out handspring users...
CodeWarrior for Palm OS technical lead
''full'' Web browser
RE: ''full'' Web browser
---
News Editor
RE: ''full'' Web browser
Palmscape was a good browser and it looks like Xiino will be great if they ever get around to translating it!
RE: ''full'' Web browser
A couple of days ago, there's was news on a Flash player for Palm OS. Now, a new browser for Palm. If this browser will have support for Javascript and has integrated Flash player, we are going places man!
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why are they charging money