Palm is the traditional name for the popular personal digital assistant (PDA, also known as a handheld computer), a handheld device also known as a handheld computer. In a broad sense, Palm is a type of PDA, invented by Palm Company. The operating system on this PDA is also called Palm, sometimes called Palm OS. In a narrow sense, Palm refers to the PDA products produced by Palm Company to distinguish them from other PDA products running the Palm operating system such as SONY's Clie and Handspring's Visor/Treo. The data is displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. One of its distinguishing features is its basic data entry method: a writing device, called a stylus, capable of clicking on icons on the display to select the item for entry. The stylus can also be used to input information including text and numbers (letters and numbers) by handwriting onto the surface of the display, this is called scribbling. The PalmPilot series of products were originally developed and designed by a company called "Palm Computing". After two mergers and acquisitions, this company became a business department of 3Com. Then Palm became independent from 3Com and became an independent company. .
Palm can not only be used to generate, store and process data, but also can download data from a desktop or laptop computer or from the Internet, process the data and then upload new data. People can usually do the following things through Palm:
1) Personal information management: phone book, shorthand, important list, password;
2) Read e-books, including electronic maps, Comics;
3) Electronic dictionary;
4) Audio-visual, such as mp3;
5) Internet access to send and receive emails, simple browsing;
6) Miscellaneous: calendar, home appliance remote control, bus inquiry, mobile phone management, project management, forms, word processing, account management.
[Edit this paragraph]Palm OS
The Palm OS platform is an open software architecture. The platform consists of hardware reference design, Palm OS operating system, and HotSync. It consists of five parts: data synchronization software, SDK tool components and support interface.
Because it is an open standard, coupled with the success of Palm PDA and Palm's strong support for developers,
Palm OS has a large number of third-party hardware manufacturers and an astonishing number of Developers and application software.
To put it simply, it is a platform for you to explore freely.
The main feature of Palm OS operating system is its simplicity.
Palm OS uses a simple graphical interface to complete information processing operations.
Moreover, the Palm OS system takes up less resources and has fast processing speed.
Due to the simple internal structure of the system, very little space is required for software storage and operation.
However, because the design of PALM OS excessively pursues the concepts of low power consumption and low hardware requirements,
it seems out of place in today's rapidly developing smartphone market.
And from the current point of view, the development of its operating platform that supports Chinese is very slow,
This has also slowed down its development in the domestic market to a certain extent.
There are not many mobile phones using palm as the system in China.
The more familiar ones include palm Treo 680, Samsung I539, Lenovo P902, Top G88, etc.
[Edit this paragraph] Palm development history
PalmComputing was founded in Silicon Valley in the United States in January 1992 by Jeff Hawkins. The goal is to successfully design a Lightweight, convenient and user-friendly pen-type portable computer.
PalmComputing spent some time planning the company's capital raising and operating strategies, and also actively sought partners. On June 15, 1992, 35-year-old Donna Dubinsky officially joined Palm Computing. Although at first, Donna had limited knowledge of "handwriting portable computers", it could be said that she was "curious". Far greater than professional knowledge. However, Donna and Jeff later turned out to be a perfect pair of top partners. Jeff obtained $500,000 from the venture capital company of Bruce Dunlevie who invested in GeoWorks, $300,000 from Tandy Company, and another $500,000 from other venture capital companies before he started. PalmComputing's first product plan.
In October 1993, Palm Computing launched its first product "Zoomer". Unfortunately, this is still a pen computer that is not light enough and not very efficient, making it difficult to sell in the market. To make matters worse, Apple's NewtonPDA was launched in August of the same year, seizing the market momentum. Regrettably, neither product was successful, and the connected PDA products launched by HP, GO, Sharp, Toshiba and other manufacturers also failed one after another. Fortunately, Palm Computing still has remaining funds available and has not collapsed. It can also carry out a review of new aspects. Therefore, starting from Zoomer's customers, we began to analyze the functions of PDA products that are really useful to users. They found that 90% of Zoomer users have PCs, and it is very important to transfer files and update application software from PCs. almComputing also found that the theme of PDA products should not be to replace users' desktop PCs, but to replace some of the simple functions of traditional "paper". After thinking and thinking, Jeff found two simple basic principles as the basis for improving Zoomer product development. These two principles later became the key to the success of the PalmPilot product.
The first principle is to simplify the heavy burden of handwriting recognition systems, because Jeff believes that it is feasible for people to learn new penmanship to match the machine. It is impractical and unflattering for machines to deal with people's complex handwriting. Therefore, Jeff invented the Graffiti input method, which uses a newly created special simple pen method to input English, numbers, symbols, etc., allowing everyone to input data efficiently and conveniently, and thus greatly reducing the computational burden of the recognition system. Even later analysis found that learning Graffiti's brushwork was actually easier than imagined, and many users found this novel brushwork fun. The second principle is about size. How small is appropriate? Jeff boldly decided that he would be satisfied if it could fit in his shirt pocket. This critical constraint makes the new product's goal of simplicity a perfect success. All sacrificial features are removed and all features that can be made "optional" are not necessary.
Three months after rethinking the market demand, in August 1994, a prototype model was built. It can be started up with two small AA batteries and can be used for a long time. It has four built-in applications, including "Schedule Management", "Phone Book", "To-Do Management", "Notepad", etc. It costs 300 US dollars. the following. PalmComputing decided to codename this revolutionary new product development project "Touchdown". In April 1996, the "Touchdown" project was completed, and a lightweight portable PDA product whose official name was changed to "Pilot" was finally released. As we all know, this was a very successful product. Within eighteen months of its launch, one million units were sold, surpassing the best-selling records of color TV sets and video recorders for the first time in the history of electrical appliances.
Over the past three years, "Pilot1000", "Pilot5000", "PalmPilotPersonal", "PalmPilotProfessional", "PalmIII" and other models have been launched one after another, as well as "PalmIIIx", "PalmV", "PalmVII", which were launched in March 1999. "Palm IIIe" and other series of products have been reported to have sold more than three million units so far. What's even more valuable is that the open architecture of the PalmOS program development platform has attracted many programmers to develop application software for the PalmOS platform. There are now more than 10,000 types of shareware and freeware in circulation, with various Excellent application software is still expanding rapidly.
At least 10 million users around the world are using PalmPilot. With the launch of PalmIII, PalmIIIx and PalmV models, users have also developed from more professional users to ordinary users. The proportion of new users appearing in newsgroups discussing usage techniques increased dramatically. Although Microsoft developed Windows CE for Palm Pilot and invited many hardware companies to support the production of similar products, Palm still accounts for 60% of the PDA market. Palm: A mobile computer that changes the way people live and work. From the online Pilot notebook to the TreoTM smartphone, Palm is still committed to the development of mobile computer systems
Ten years on Previously, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) succeeded with the first online-connected Pilot Notepad – a powerful handheld computer that combines calendar, contacts, to-dos, and notes in only 161 grams Capture all office workers. Today, Palm has sold more than 30 million mobile computer products.
At the same time, it is committed to continuously improving the public and private lives of people around the world, and adheres to its vision for the future: the personal computer system of the future, It must be a mobile computer system.
The first Pilot multi-purpose notepad launched on the market is priced at more than 2,000 yuan (US$9). The reason why it has achieved unprecedented success is mainly because of the following two points: it can not only be used with desktop Computers sync easily and are incredibly easy to use – we often call this the Palm product experience. In addition to adhering to its design philosophy, Palm has also kept pace with the times and continued to innovate, adding several new features to its products, such as email, wireless Internet access, and multimedia capabilities - from images to music. The latest product is the TreoTM smartphone, which combines the best features of a handheld computer with a mobile phone, and provides email services through some global telecommunications operators(1).
In the past ten years, PalmTM products have been sent into space to collect data, were once active in the Mount Everest expedition, and have helped the business community successfully complete millions of transactions. , no matter men, women, old or young, everyone loves to use it and has successfully won the hearts of consumers around the world. From doctors and real estate agents to students, celebrities, and even CEOs of major companies, Palm products accompany everyone in their lives and work.
For multimedia materials: including audio, photos, and Palm chronology, please visit www.palm.com/anniversary. The voice section includes the voices of Palm's founders, industry analysts, and employees who have worked at Palm for many years.
"To be honest, we were a little surprised that the first Pilot Notepad was so successful," said Ed Colligan, Palm's chief executive.
“But when I first talked to Jeff Hawkins, I was really impressed by what he said: The future of PC systems – true PC systems – is going to be highly mobile products. That’s why we The reason why the Pilot was designed continues today. The Pilot and subsequent Palm products have become a part of millions of people's lives - allowing people to stay connected to work and family, even when they are away from home. They can also send and receive email and browse the Internet, while allowing them to take their favorite files, music, photos, and videos with them. I'm proud of our achievements and excited about the future. ”
Over the years, loyal customers have purchased more than 30 million Palm products - including 3 million smartphones. Chief among them are individual consumers who, with the assistance of Palm products, make their lives more organized and can receive important information at any time. For most individual consumers, the Palm V handheld computer - elegant in style and packed with high-efficiency features - was the first product to appeal to novelty and fashion seekers, while also becoming the focus of the mainstream market. Other customers from the business and service industries, such as doctors, can also use decision support software to improve the quality of their medical services to medical stations and patients.
Currently, there are more than 29,000 developers supporting Palm OS(R) platform products. They not only develop innovative consumer and enterprise application software, but also launch various hardware peripherals - such as : Keyboard, GPS device, and barcode scanner are Palm's most powerful backing. When Palm incorporated the Windows Mobile(R) platform as one of its smartphone platform choices, it also meant that its developer team had grown again.
Help market Palm handheld computers and Treo smartphones to retailers, resellers, and reseller partners around the world. Many of the retailers that have been with Palm since 1996 and remain our best partners include Circuit City, CompUSA, J&R, Fry’s, and Staples. Palm also has a 10-year history of cooperation with resellers such as Ingram and Tech Data and resellers such as CDW, PC Connection, and PC Mall.
There are also telecommunications operators representing the world's top mobile phone system operators and agents.
As well as employees who are full of enthusiasm and work hard to convey the company's philosophy - the personal computer system of the future must be a mobile computer system.
Their support not only gives the company more creative inspiration, but also helps the company formulate product development trends.
Today, Palm continues to provide a variety of mobile computer system products - from the simplest function, the most attractive appearance, the universal notepad priced under RMB 900 (US), to In addition to ultra-powerful handheld computers equipped with wireless technology, smartphones are also the focus of development. These powerful smartphones allow customers to send and receive email, access personal data such as contacts and calendars, listen to music, take and share photos, and, with the help of additional software, enjoy live TV shows, Listen to podcasts or post them to personal blogs.
Palm also attracted a large number of enterprise users. More than 8,000 companies equipped with Treo smartphones have adopted GoodLinkTM from Good Technology as the standard software for business email.
Currently, 40 Fortune 1000 companies are using Treo smartphones, with another 35 in testing or trials. A recent study conducted by Frost & Sullivan found that mobile professionals tend to choose Treo smartphones over other manufacturers' products for the following reasons: It has a large number of built-in business applications, is highly flexible, has a choice of operating systems, and has powerful functions. , and easy to use.
Palm hardware development
Early Palm hardware was very simple, with only black and white displays, and all used Motorola Dragon Ball processors. Palm's latest models no longer use Dragon Ball processors, but use the same RISC processor as the PPC. Processor manufacturers used include Texas Instruments and Intel. Its expansion capabilities have also been greatly enhanced, with infrared and Bluetooth becoming basic equipment. Most models use color displays and are equipped with SD card expansion slots. Later, the Treo Pro smartphone using the Windows Mobile operating system will be launched with AGPS and Wifi.
On November 2, 2004, PalmOne released the Tungsten T5 handheld computer, which had 256M flash memory, which was twice the storage capacity of the handheld computer with the largest storage capacity on the market at the time.
On January 17, 2005, PalmOne Tungsten T5 won the Platinum Award in the "2004 Users' Most Concerned IT Product Selection" by the industry's authoritative IT portal Silicon Valley Power.
In May 2005, PalmOne took back the right to use the Palm trademark and officially changed its name back to Palm, Inc., and released a new logo.
In May 2005, PalmOne announced the LifeDrive, which uses a micro hard drive and has a 4GB storage capacity, in an attempt to seize the multimedia player market.
On October 12, 2005, Palm announced two new models: TX and Z22. In the future, all new models will no longer use names such as Tungsten and Zire.
On January 9, 2009, Palm announced its new generation operating system webOS (formerly codenamed Nova) and new machine Palm Pre at CES. [1][2]
[Edit this paragraph]Palm Inc.
Palm, Inc., – the leading manufacturer of handheld computer systems – has always been committed to improving the functionality of handheld computer systems. Magazine, allowing people to access and share their most important information at any time. The company's products, aimed at general consumers, mobile professionals and business people, include Palm(R) handheld computers, Palm TreoTM smartphones, Palm LifeDriveTM mobile lifestyle homes, as well as software, services and accessories. Palm products are marketed in countries around the world through select websites, retailers, resellers, and wireless network operators.
Treo is undoubtedly one of Palm's most successful product lines to this day. However, the relationship between Treo and Palm is complicated, and the divisions and mergers during the period are quite intriguing. Among them, Jeffrey Hawkins must be mentioned. Although this name is far less well-known than Bill Gates, Michael Dell, etc., Hawkins is a influential figure in the history of PDA. He is one of the founders of Palm and Handspring. This alone should be enough to put him in the history of Palm.
Users who are familiar with the history of palm are all impressed by Hawkins' genius and creativity. The Palm OS operating system, which now accounts for half of the Handheld Computing market, was developed based on GriDTask developed by Hawkins.
In 2000, the PDA market gradually matured, and the market began to see profit margins decline due to price wars. Hawkins' Handspring changed its strategy and devoted itself to the combination of PDA and mobile phones when smartphones were just a vague concept. , launched the Treo series of products, and its vision for the market and technology is unforgettable.
Handsping was technically successful, but not a commercially successful company. In the later period, Hawkins focused on his personal research on the principles of brain thinking and neglected the company's management, which eventually led to Handsping being acquired by PalmOne. . Fortunately, the Treo product line was eventually retained and carried forward by PalmOne, achieving today's glory.
[Edit this paragraph] Treo
Treo is a series of smartphones produced by Palm in the United States. It was originally developed by Handspring. After Palm acquired Handspring, the entire line was developed and produced by Palm. .
Treo is one of the most popular PDA mobile phone series. Its functions include personal digital assistant, voice communication, email, web browsing, etc. Recent models also have built-in digital cameras.
As of September 2006, there are 14 Treo models, and up to Treo 650, they use the Palm OS operating system. Starting from the 700 series, Treo models use Palm OS and Windows Mobile respectively. The Treo 700w is the first model to use the Windows Mobile operating system.
Palm has reached an agreement with RIM to allow its Treo products to connect and send and receive popular push e-mail using software connections.
In September 2006, Palm cooperated with Vodafone to launch the first 3G mobile phone in Europe, the Treo 750v using the Windows Mobile operating system.
Treo products
* Treo 180 GSM
* Treo 180g GSM
* Treo 90 PDA
* Treo 270 GSM
* Treo 300 CDMA
* Treo 600 GSM / CDMA
* Treo 650 GSM / CDMA
* Treo 680 GSM
* Treo 700w CDMA
* Treo 700p CDMA /EVDO
* Treo 700wx CDMA
* Treo 750v GSM
* Treo 755P CDMA
Software
In the software part, almost all Palm software can be used normally, and there are some specific software for Treo keyboards and mobile phones. Its Chinese processing is still based on CJKOS, so the original related Chinese software can also run normally, but the input method that comes with CJKOS is not convenient enough. Among them, there is a huge Chinese input method on Treo600/650, developed by UGlee@Hi-PDA. There are also free Zhangyi input methods (which can support Wubi, Pinyin and customized code tables at the same time), Treowb, Meihua and other input methods that can be used. Most input method software on TREO650 is easier to use than Juhard developed by UDlee (Juhard) It is said that there will be a follow-up version, but in fact it has not been released until the end of 2006).
[Edit this paragraph] Palm has stopped developing Palm OS
On February 11, 2009, Beijing time, Palm CEO Ed Colligan announced that he would focus on webOS and Windows Mobile in the future. Smart devices, and there will no longer be smart devices based on "Palm OS" launched, except that Palm Centro will continue to launch them in cooperation with other operators in the future. This is really sad news for Palm fans, a news that is helpless but can only be accepted.
In addition, Ed Colligan mentioned that the App Store in Palm's new smartphone Palm Pre does not restrict users to purchasing only here, but can purchase programs from other unofficial "App Stores" , more open than the iPhone. Palm currently has an exclusive agreement with Sprint, but Palm will increase cooperation with other operators in 2010. At the same time, Ed Colligan mentioned that Palm and Apple currently do not have any pending legal disputes.
Give up Palm OS Where will Palm smartphones go?
Palm OS has finally fallen. In fact, most domestic Palm users or players (because now only hardcore netizens insist on using Palm OS phones) understand that this is only a matter of time. A poor web browser, Wi-Fi and GPS that are almost never found on Palm OS phones have made Palm OS smartphones increasingly niche and disappointing. After PalmSource was sold to ACCESS in 2005, Palm has expressed its marginalized attitude towards Palm OS. So after giving up Palm OS completely, where will Palm go? Treo 750v, 500v, 800w, and Pro represent Palm's attempts in the Windows Mobile field. The Windows Mobile flagship Treo Pro, which integrates GPS, Wi-Fi and a high-resolution screen, is of great significance. For the first time, a Palm smartphone integrates various mainstream hardware configurations, giving many Palm players a mainstream model to choose from. . However, by this time, models that were thinner, prettier, more attractive, and faster than the Treo Pro abounded. Nokia E71, Samsung i780, and BlackBerry 9000 all put Treo Pro to shame. Simply using the Windows Mobile operating system without working on the hardware is not the way out.
After acquiring PalmSource, Access developed Access Linux Palm, referred to as ALP, based on Palm OS. The media speculated that Palm would use ALP on its latest models, but Palm's new phone, Palm Pre, uses a new operating system, webOS, and does not use ALP. Palm chose to follow its own path and did not follow others, nor did it pity ALP, who has the blood of Palm OS.
An independent new operating system, we believe this is the only weapon for Palm to survive this desperate situation! Palm Pre caused a sensation at CES 2009. Its unique sliding QWERTY design, easy-to-use and smooth UI, and countless enthusiastic old users all contributed to Palm Pre's success. In particular, Palm's future webOS models are worth looking forward to.
In addition, we have to warn Palm in advance that it needs to start serious market development. Previously, the promotion of Palm smartphones in China was a complete mess. It was entirely word-of-mouth from enthusiastic users that allowed it to develop slightly. The pressure from iPhone, Gphone, and Symbian is huge, and Palm must find its own marketing method.
Can non-open source webOS succeed? Is the Palm Pre a phoenix reborn or is it dying? Everything is waiting for the market to decide.