Linux Pleco

[sui.generis]

Are you guys looking forward to a linux (linmob) version of Pleco? With it being so embraced in Asia in handhelds and smartphones, and with Palmsource and Palm, Inc both deving a linux kernel to run underneath the Palm's gui, it seems like it would be a good market (and I'm sure you guys have nothing but free time )

I don't know for sure how secure the Palm OS is, with them already testing the water with the 700w, they might end up just deving the Palm interface for other OSs someday and getting out of the OS business. If Palm's linux os turns out bad or if they turn towards making ppcs, I'd likely make my next handheld something like Zaurus or other handheld that works with linux. I imagine in several years, there will be even more linux options.

 

[mikelove]

The big problem with Linux mobile software development is that the devices are maddeningly inconsistent; we run into enough compatibility issues with the comparatively well-organized Palm OS and Pocket PC platforms, developing software to run on the vast array of Linux mobile phones out there would be a bona fide nightmare. I've heard that some companies in that area spend as much as 80% of their software development time just testing and optimizing software for individual phones. So it's probably a no-go for us, particularly since Palm OS for Linux (PalmSource's version definitely, and in all likelihood Palm Inc's as well) should be able to seamlessly run current Palm OS software on a wide array of Linux phones.