Computing Unplugged Magazine: What are your thoughts about the Windows Treo and PalmSource's sale to ACCESS?

Kevin Benedict of MobileDataforce: The Pocket PC version of the Palm Treo is a predictable result of the separation between Palm hardware and the Palm OS last year. Palm must follow the market with their hardware, and Windows users are the market. The demise of PalmSource is the result of not providing users with enough business value.

As consumers migrate to PDA phones that provide business value, they expect integration with their business' enterprise databases. This move necessitates the involvement of the enterprise IT organization which will naturally seek to standardize mobile operating systems around already standardized internal operating systems. As a result, Microsoft wins.

David Haupert of DDH Software: I think the Windows Treo is a possible sign that Palm's success is not completely tied to the Palm OS platform. That is a good thing in my opinion since PalmSource has really hampered the platform with the Palm OS 6 (Cobalt) non-release and the long delay with any real operating system updates. Time will tell if the Windows Mobile market welcomes the products or not, however. The sale to ACCESS is to me a much bigger question mark -- I don't see how it will help the platform in the long run.

Iain Barclay of Electric Pocket: I think the Windows Treo is very exciting, and presents a great opportunity to Palm and developers. I'm less sure about what the ACCESS purchase means for the development community, and as yet we've heard little from ACCESS of their intentions or plans for Palm OS. Whatever happens, PalmSource will change, and given their recent track record that has to be a good thing.

Jim Brady of Earthcomber: The Treo 700 announcement is a huge declaration that Microsoft is intent on being a major mobile OS as of immediately. And the implied divorce decree of Palm hardware with Palm OS can be seen as a harbinger that mobile and personal hardware and software will be judged on merits independently, much the way PCs and PC operating systems are.

Application and service companies such as Earthcomber, whose core technology is agnostic of any OS, will enjoy wider familiarity and usage, and those developed for a sole platform or OS are opting in for a patchy experience, since the industry is increasingly willing to abandon technical allegiances in favor of business cases. Actually, the sale of PalmSource can mean new life for an old OS because it is passing into new hands with new purposes in mind. Palm OS was smart code dumbed down for serious constraints back when the PDA was a simple creature; perhaps Palm OS's mutant strains will roar back to life in gadgets where only Linux has tread before.

Todd Sherman of Smart Box Design: At the price they offered I'm sure it was hard for the board to say no, but it has yet to be fully revealed how this deal will be a plus for the Palm community. I'm worried that ACCESS will keep their plans close to the vest and leave developers in the dark.