Motorola, for example, has introduced its own embedded Linux platform, based on Trolltech's Qt Embedded (the very same platform that ran Sharp's Zaurus Linux handheld) for its own smartphones, as a result of its acquisition and then spin-off of both MetroWerks (the developer of the CodeWarrior C/C++ compiler toolkit) and embedded Linux vendor, Lineo into what's now being called Freescale Semiconductor. Nokia also has its own internal version of Linux as well.

It is expected that current Palm OS "Garnet" applications will be able to run without modification in the new platform using the Dragonball emulation, thus any current investment in existing applications by end users is not likely to be lost.

Native ALP applications, however, are a totally different ballgame. The GUI, named MAX, will be the main "Launcher" application by which end-users will interface with the new ALP-based digital convergence devices.

Presumably, the user environment will contain the typical PDA stack: Home screen, Contact Management, Calendaring, and personal Notes, in addition to messaging applications (IM, email), a Web Browser (NetFront, ACCESS's internally written browsing application) and a phone dialer.

Figure B shows an example GTK+ application for the GPE Palmtop Environment (at http://gpe.handhelds.org) another embedded Linux platform, as shown on a Linux-based Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. The ALP, also written using the GTK+ toolset, will likely inherit much of the traditional look and feel of the Palm OS.

FIGURE B


This is a very Linux-like ToDo application for the GPE Palmtop Environment. Roll over picture for a larger image.

While we haven't actually seen the MAX interface, we would have to guess that ACCESS and PalmSource would be looking to replicate most of the look and feel of the traditional Palm platform, while still being able to leverage some of the newer developments in embedded Linux GUIs.

The new GUI API is no other than an optimized version of the Gimp Toolkit (or GTK+ for short) for embedded devices -- the very same GUI toolset that powers the GNOME desktop user interface in many Linux distributions, such as Red Hat, Ubuntu and SUSE.

Therefore, its within the realm of possibility that many GTK applications will be quickly ported to the new ALP platform. GTK is also highly extensible through advanced scripting languages like Python and can act as a common presentation layer by which the new ALP applications, traditional Palm applications and Java applications are able to run in a seamless manner. Many other libraries have been written for GTK, such as Mono, which is the Linux equivalent to .NET.

What we don't know
Many things, however, remain unclear. While Palm, Inc. and PalmSource have a technology licensing agreement through 2009, it's not known whether Palm, Inc. will migrate to the new ALP with the Treo devices, or simply continue to use the existing Palm OS platform under license for lower-end stuff and then move to something else such as Windows CE for Smartphones. This they've already done in a limited fashion with the introduction of the Treo 700w for Verizon Wireless.