Comments on: First Palm OS 6 Cobalt Screen Shots

It's hard for me to upgrade when my device still, after almost a year, has the fastest processor and most built-in (*real*) RAM on PalmOS . :-D I love my T|C. A lot.

I'll give Cobalt a year or so before I upgrade... and I won't upgrade until I see a portrait non-clamshell 320x480 thumboard device w/ bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Perhaps wishful thinking... but I like the photoshopped Tungsten photos floating around with 320x480 with a Tungsten T-style collapsable area and thumboard. Hey-- Sharp made a Zaurus kinda like that, right?

-JWH

Has there been any solid evidence at the conference that upgrades are possible on current devices? My T2 may not be able to handle OS6/Cobalt, but hopefully an upgrade to Garnet will be possible.

Scott

________________________________
M100==>M500==>T|T==>T|T2==> ?

At least, that's my preliminary understanding. There's a ton of Cobalt development documentation to be read...

That is the first good news I've read. Perhaps someone will do a Cobalt version of PopUp Note. Please!!

What I see is the interface to my launcher replacement, my DateBook replacement, my games, my utilities, my media players, etc.

A revamped OS that is better under the hood (real ARM, not hacked up with ARMlets) is FAR more important to me than PalmOS eye-candy that I will rarely see, so I'm glad PalmSource had their priorities straight.

There's already too much software out that looks neat but runs like crap.

For example, in the Tungsten T3's System Information dialog, they added nice graphics for the battery level and available memory, but made the text to the left of the graphics that give the actual values much smaller than the normal fonts used in dialogs. This smaller text is harder to read.

I hope they do NOT continue adding this kind of tiny text in other places. If they do, then I hope they will allow me to tap the graphic to get a text version of it in an easy to read font size.

I'd rather have them add more "function" than "form", but add it in ways that are very easy and streamlined to use, and does not interfere with my common tasks.

For example, I'd like to see context menus added throughout all of the built-in applications. Pop-up a menu when I tap and hold the stylus briefly on an object displayed on the screen. This is similar to right clicking in Windows, and provides more direct manipulation and quicker access to commands than using the menus, menu shortcuts, or shortcut toolbar.

I'd like to be able to tap and hold on an application icon within the application launcher to directly change that application's category, beam it, delete it, send it, copy it, or get some information on it.

Some other functionality I'd like to see:

- More levels of Undo along with a new Redo command. Save the undo stack, even when switching to other applications and coming back to the application later.

- View and sort my Address Book (Contacts) by First Name followed by the Last Name. This is more personal to me since I know more people by their first name than their last name.

- Sort the main Address Book (Contacts) screen by any field and allow me change which fields are shown on the main screen too.

- Remember the last address or attached note I was in. Then take me back there when I return to the Address Book (Contacts).

- Add a Filtering mechanism to all of the built-in applications that allows each main list screen to show only the items that either match or do not match the filter string. Then allow me to perform actions on the entire resulting list like changing all of their categories, private status, deleting them all, or beaming them all. Save my filter strings for future use. Clearly indicate when the list is filtered and how to see the entire list again.

- Trash application that holds the contents of all deleted items, like a deleted address, note, event, to do, memo, etc. If possible, include deleted text as well.
The user's data is the most important priority. Make it very hard for users to accidentally lose anything and very easy for them to recover it.

- Allow me to choose which category to place a beamed application into like I can do with other beamed items. Always try to be consistent.

- Wi-Fi equivalent programs to BlueChat and BlueBoard. The much longer range of Wi-Fi over Bluetooth would make these applications even more useful and thus used more often.

Donald

OS 5.0 took 2 YEARS to arrive. It was PROMISED with a new GUI and full multi-tasking. With 6-12 months to go they stated that instead they would save the new GUI and multi-tasking would come with OS 6.0 which should arrive "6 months later."

Well it took 18 months to get 6.0, now called Colbalt and guess what? STILL no GUI. In the context of the "big picture" which is a 3 1/2 year journey from 4.0 -> 6.0 and now 10 YEARS of Pilot, PalmPilots, and Palms it is stunning they couldn't get the new GUI working.

PDAs are on their way out... my Tungsten E works well but I find my cellphones and ever cheaper and lighter laptops are quickly replacing my must have need of the device. I was looking forward to a newer even easier to use GUI that would also have the looks to impress.

I just don't get it, this is just yet another late update that will allow me to download email in the background while I play Bejewelled. WOW.

owned: Pilot 5000, PalmPilot Pro, Palm V, Casio E-11, IIIc, m505, Sony T615, Tungsten T, iPaq 1945, Tungsten E.

but yeah, its not the best update.. you can do multithreading of sorts in os5 already if you try hard enough. look at verichat or even netmite audio player. It'll play wavs in the background on palms with os 3.1 and up with little slow down.. I played 3d star fighter pilot and music on my old m505 :)

but still. OS6 allows for easy multitasking and easier coding of 100% native arm programs.. which are big improvements.

A classy, elegant, GUI enhancement would have brought out repeat buyers instantly... these under-the-hood enhancements will take over a year to show fruit.

owned: Pilot 5000, PalmPilot Pro, Palm V, Casio E-11, IIIc, m505, Sony T615, Tungsten T, iPaq 1945, Tungsten E.

But anyway even Microsoft has yet to update their Windows GUI which is basically using the old Windows 95 GUI disguised in something flashy.

---
Generic Casio > Psion 5> Palm Vx > m505 > Sony N770C > T625C > NR70V > Toshiba e310 > T/T > HP h2210 > T/T3

StarTac > Ericsson T28m > T39m > T68m > T610 > T630

Next PDA/Phone: T/T4 or VGA PPC or Treo 610/S-E T650

They're all gone Sir.

Scott

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

It wouldn't be any fun if PalmSouce repeated *all* the mistakes of their competition.