MotionApps Classic Palm OS Emulator for Palm Pre Preview

[Ed Hardy]

MotionApps has announced an application that is going to significantly enhance  the Palm Pre: an emulator that will allow this upcoming smartphone to run legacy Palm OS software.

The Pre is going to be the first device running Palm's webOS. As it's not going to be based on the old Palm OS, it won't be able run applications written for the older operating system. MotionApps Classic will help fill in this gap.

I was briefed by Palm, Inc. on this upcoming app, and I recorded a video demonstration:

Paslm OS Apps for Fun and Work
The goal of MotionApps Classic is to let people who currently own a Palm OS device to switch to the Palm Pre without giving up their favorite software.

A prime example of this is Epocrates. This medical reference is a must-have for many medical workers, and while a webOS version is in the works, because of Classic there won't be a wait.  Palm OS software running in Classic will be able to access the Internet through the Pre, so apps like Epocrates will be able t keep themselves updated with new data.

There also won't be a wait for webOS games, as Classic can handle these too.

Synchronization
MotionApps Classic will create a virtual Palm on a webOS device. This virtual device will act like a separate PDA inside the Pre -- the webOS smartphone and the Palm OS PDA won't directly share calendar or contacts information, nor will there be a way to directly synchronize these databases.

HotSync is also not a part of Classic, so it won't be possible for the virtual Palm to synchronize with the Palm Desktop running on a PC.

However, as I mentioned earlier, Palm OS software running in Classic will be able to access the Internet through the Pre. This means that it will be possible to indirectly sync calendar and contacts information. For example, the Pre will be able to automatically keep itself synchronized with Google' calendar and contacts; an app that syncs Google's data with the Palm OS equivalents would accomplish an indirect synchronization.

It's a Stop-Gap Solution
MotionApps Classic is being released as a stop-gap measure, to help Palm OS user transition to the webOS. Palm is working with developers to get webOS versions of popular Palm OS applications developed.

This emulator will be available for purchase when the Palm Pre becomes available from Sprint in the first half of this year.

 

[Ed Hardy]

There has been considerable discussion on this application already, which you can find at:
Palm Pre Will Be Able to Run Palm OS Apps Thanks to a Third-Party Emulator

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[Girt]

Good work, Ed - you sure got that video here quickly - thank you!

[RickAgresta]

Nice job Ed! I suppose it will sway some people; I'm glad that, as you said, MotionApps stepped into the breach -- looks like they've done a nice job.

[Mi An]

I haven't seen it go into full screen yet--that is, minus the d-pad and other soft buttons at the bottom--nor have I see it operate in landscape. Did you see anything off camera to indicate that it does either of those Ed?

I assume the press release stressing "stop-gap" is to reassure current webOS developers that they aren't being cut off at the knees. Might Palm have wanted to limit things like like fullscreen and landscape for the same reason?

[Ed Hardy]

Mi An, if Classic supports full-screen or landscape mode, Palm isn't demoing it. But keep in mind, this is an app that has just been announced, and is probably a couple months away from its 1.0 release. These may be features for future versions.
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[hal]

Excellent review, Ed! And of the nature that the consumer base wants to learn about. OK, lots of things will be actually known when the Pre, the WebOS and the MotionApps Classic are all deployed. But it is an excellent insight of what is to come.

[Mi An]

Thanks for the quick reply Ed

[Dick Tracy]

Mi An, the apps demoed were ported from a Centro, thus they are not HiRes+.

[_Q_]

As far as interaction between apps in Classic and WebOS apps--there's always copy & paste!

Seriously, I hope there's an export capability, whether as part of Classic or another app to integrate with it. Maybe a new feature for a WebOS version of SplashData's Snap.