News 

Palm OS is currently being rebuilt using Linux and codenamed the Access Linux Platform (ALP) after PalmSource's new owner, Japan-based Access. It will feature a new system for handling the user interface known as MAX.

According to PalmSource PR MAX will support the concurrent operation of multiple applications and tasks and provide easy access to background tasks. It has been designed to deliver a predictable and intuitive navigation model for both one- and two-handed user interface schemes with support for five-way navigation and two dedicated keys, as well as touch-screen and stylus input mechanisms.

Maureen O'Connell, PalmSource's senior director, Corporate Communications later clarified that this does

ADVERTISEMENT

not mean that it will necessarily look like the traditional Palm OS UI.

'It's not particularly our intention that MAX inherit much of the traditional look and feel of the Palm OS,' she said, 'while this paradigm works fine on PDA-like devices with touchscreens, it's not as effective on more "phone like" devices - MAX is intended to address both effectively.'

ALP is designed to be an open platform that will support existing Palm OS applications, and includes a standard Linux kernel version 2.6.12 and above; the open source GIMP ToolKit for the creation of graphical user interfaces; an open source, modular and multi-threaded streaming media framework; and SQLite - a high-performance database engine commonly used in embedded devices.

Existing PalmSource messaging and telephony middleware as well as its mobile applications including PIMs, multimedia, messaging, PalmSource HotSync and Palm Desktop are retained in the new OS, alongside Access' own NetFront Web browser.

'We believe that ALP combines best-in-class open source Linux components with proven mobile technologies developed by PalmSource and Access' Linux expertise,' said Toru Arakawa, Access president and CEO. 'As a commercial-grade, flexible, open, robust and standards-based mobile Linux based platform, ALP is designed to provide handset manufacturers with faster time-to-market while supporting the goal of operators to offer revenue-generating services, applications and content.'