SourceCode: Ode to Palm, Nokia on the cusp of a big transition

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Nokia and Microsoft are formally teaming up and not just in the smartphone space. Looks like Nokia will drop Symbian in favour of Windows Phone 7 and will not only be a handset manufacturer for Microsoft but will partner in search with Bing, Maps and Location as well as use its Ovi Store payment infrastructure for Windows Phone. 

Palm's Gone

It is with some sadness that we bid goodbye to Palm as a brand and as a company that left an indelible imprint in mobile computing. Palm, after all, succeeded early with the PalmPilot where Apple's Newton failed. It singlehandedly redefined pocket computing  for the masses and and can even be credited with exploring the smartphone space with the Treo, which was eventually beaten by RIM's BlackBerry.

We remember our first Palm device, a 3Com Palm III which had 2 MB of RAM and a whopping 16MHz processor. Half a month's salary went into that device and we loved it to death. We remember beaming apps and addresses through the IR port and we remember the almost musical sound of a Sync gone right. The Palm was an amazing eBook and text reading device and its portability and long battery life remain unmatched even today.

Graffiti, Palm's innovative stylus input method made up of taps and stroke combinations was a workable and fun solution. Throughout its history, Palm had a lot of hits and innovations like Palm IIIc (Colour), m505 (SDCard slot), Palm 800w (Wi-Fi), the Pre (WebOS) all contributed to the smartphone and tablet revolution that is unfolding before our eyes. Palm also had a handful of missteps for which it paid dearly.

The classic PalmOS hit a wall and could not handle wireless Internet connections, multitasking and fast-app switching which are the cornerstones of any modern OS. The shift towards Windows Mobile was met with disgust by Palm loyalists who saw this as a betrayal and an acceptance of defeat. Then there was the Foleo, a DOA keyboard and screen peripheral for the Palm that never made it to market (but seemed to have inspired Motorola's Atrix notebook dock).

With HP's recent announcements of new WebOS powered smartphones, tablets and PC's we see Palm's legacy for daring and innovation continuing and it is not surprising that they chucked the Palm brand (kinda sad that they didn't even offer an explanation or even give Palm a proper sendoff).

HP is positioning itself not just against Apple and Google Android in the smartphone and tablet space but it is also challenging its biggest partner, Microsoft, by putting WebOS on PC's. The HP name carries more weight and history in the industry than Palm did,  so it makes sense to consolidate and fly under the HP flag.

As for the new devices, we think they're very exciting. WebOS is a phenomenal mobile operating system which seemed wasted on poor hardware but with the new specs on these devices, we feel it is serious about competing.

All WebOS needs right now, as in today, is overwhelming  developer support and  monumental consumer adoption and we're convinced  the latter will be determined by their pricing and availability. 

Nokia's Burning Platform

Windows Phone Software on Nokia hardware would be a wicked proposition

An alleged leaked company memo from Nokia's Canadian CEO Stephen Elop lamenting the fact that Nokia has been overtaken by Apple and Android has made its way around the Internet. In his supposed memo, Elop, who was a former Microsoft executive, was cited as saying the following:

"The first iPhone shipped in 2007, and we still don't have a product that is close to their experience," he said in the memo.

"Android came on the scene just over two years ago, and this week they took our leadership position in smartphone volumes."

Nokia is has been the top phone manufacturer in the world, its market share has been taking a hit as of late but they are still dominant by way of the volume and range of feature phones that they offer.

In the smartphone segment, they have been championing Symbian OS and have tried to modernize this stable but somewhat dull and uninspiring OS. The Meego platform, a newer Linux flavoured appliance and tablet OS is under development, but seems to be months away from prime time which might be too late for Nokia to maintain its foothold. Elop, as an outsider coming in, offers a fresh perspective and a frank assessment that right now Nokia is a sitting duck and it needs to move fast or lose the position it has fought so hard to establish.

Speculation that Nokia is considering a partnership with another Mobile OS provider is now peaking. Elop's Microsoft connection makes Nokia adopting Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 as an alternate OS a possibility. Nokia, after all, is famed for creating stunning mobile handsets, its recent N8 flagship combines an AMOLED screen, an industry first 12 megapixel camera and HDMI-out HD video playback in a slim and attractive enclosure. Windows Phone OS has the sleekness and innovation that would make a pairing with Nokia hardware a good fit.

This is all speculation at this point and there's little point in belabouring the facts but a Nokia-Microsoft partnership will certainly make things very interesting.

Nokia can keep Symbian alive in its advanced feature-phone handsets while cultivating Windows Phone as its high-end flagship OS. This is one partnership we'd like to see happen. It will be good for Microsoft and absolutely great for Nokia.

Update on Friday, February 11, 2011 at 8:20AM by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Well, Nokia and Microsoft are formally teaming up and not just in the smartphone space. Looks like Nokia will drop Symbian in favour of Windows Phone 7 and will not only be a handset manufacturer for Microsoft but will partner in search with Bing, Maps and Location as well as use its Ovi Store payment infrastructure for Windows Phone.  Will this see the porting of Nokia's N-Gage gaming initiative into Windows Phone? That would be great. 

What this means for Microsoft is that they now have the most dominant player in phones backing Windows Phone 7, which just upgraded that uptstart OS to a position of power where it can battle with Google and Apple and even have an advantage if Symbian's loyal user base shifts to Windows Phone. 

"Today, developers, operators and consumers want  compelling mobile products, which include not only the device, but the software, services, applications and customer support that make a great  experience," Stephen Elop, Nokia President and CEO, said at a joint news conference in London. "Nokia and Microsoft will combine our strengths to deliver an ecosystem with unrivalled global reach and scale. It's now a three-horse race."

"I am excited about this partnership with Nokia," said Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft CEO. "Ecosystems thrive when fueled by speed, innovation and scale. The partnership announced today provides incredible scale, vast expertise in hardware and software innovation and a proven ability to execute."

We feel this is the most logical pairing and one with great potential provided both these giant companies can work together and pool resources towards a common goal. This should get interesting and we can't wait to see the first Nokia designed Windows Phone.