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Paul Mercer was the lead designer of the System 7 version of the Mac operating system, before leaving to set up a company whose development system software was used by Apple when it was creating the iPod's interface. More recently he worked on the interface for Samsung's Z5 MP3 player.

'He's the best of the best in this space,' Paul Saffo, an adviser to Samsung and a Silicon Valley forecaster told the New York Times. 'The guy has a knack for designing complex systems in ways that are accessible.'

Palm declined to comment beyond confirming that it had hired Mercer.

His appointment reflects a feeling that manufacturers of mobile devices need to focus less on the hardware and more on the software, which is precisely what Apple has done with the iPhone.

It may also suggest that there is

Although a successor to Garnet, Cobalt, was released in 2004, it has never been widely adopted, as shown by the fact that Garnet is the only version of the OS currently available from PalmSources new owner, Access. Access is currently putting the finishing touches to Garnet's successor, the Access Linux Platform (ALP). Expect it to have a more marketing-friendly name once it is released.

By the time it is, Palm could have a new owner after hiring Morgan Stanley to explore its options. It could also have a new product line, with founder Jeff Hawkins expected to unveil the mysterious 'third product' at a tech gathering in May.