[selowitch]

I hate to support Microsoft, but since Palm for Mac seems to be headed for a disaster with the lack of support under Cobalt (although a variant of PalmOS 5, called Garnet, will continue to support Macs), I am actually considering getting my next PDA from the Evil Empire.

Any thoughts? Talk me out of this....

[dampeoples]

Third party will release software for the platform. Use what's useful, PPC or Palm.

[selowitch]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
Third party will release software for the platform. Use what's useful, PPC or Palm.

Yeah, MarkSpace. But it'll cost $30.

[Timo]

There's this bit from PalmOne to consider:

Here's palmOne's stance on the Mac HotSync brouhaha:

1. PalmSource has announced a dual-OS strategy. Palm OS 5 -- renamed Garnet -- does have and will continue to support the Macintosh platform. Palm OS Garnet will be extended beyond the current 5.4 release, and it's been meeting palmOne's needs nicely.

2. palmOne has not indicated when it will implement Cobalt (Palm OS 6). We will implement it when we determine that it adds value to our customers.

I realize that most people do not differentiate the two separate corporate entities, but the company that delivers most of the Palm OS devices in the world, palmOne, supports Mac HotSync out of the box today and will continue to do so in the future.

http://www.macintouch.com/palm5.html#feb20

[selowitch]

Originally posted by Timo:
There's this bit from PalmOne to consider:


http://www.macintouch.com/palm5.html#feb20

Yep, that's what I was basing my earlier remarks re Garnet on.

[Elektrix]

I was thinking about this too for a little bit, but then I realized it didn't make much to say "Oh, so Palm OS isn't going to have native support for OS X any more? I'll go with PocketPC".... because all it means is that Palm OS and PocketPC will now be on a level playing field in this regard. It's not like switching to PocketPC will get you better native support.

I'm sure there are plenty of other factors to consider as well, but the fact that Palm OS itself won't have native Mac support with Cobalt probably isn't one of them.

From what PalmOne (the hardware people) at least have said, it sounds very likely they would just bundle the MarkSpace solution as a way of continuing to offer native Mac support.... or at least come up with some solution (some sort of coupon or whatever)

I just wouldn't recommend using the Mac support issue as a reason to go to PocketPC, if only because you're not going to get a better experience there. I would take a hard look at both Palm and PocketPC devices and decides which best fit your needs, which you liked the most, which you were most comfortable with, etc.

For me, personally, what it came down to is that I still just do not care for the PocketPC UI. But at the same time, I think PocketPC has improved significantly since the first few generations. At this current point I would say that I at least consider it "usable".

I'm probably going to be making a new PDA decision sometime soon. I'm currently still using a Palm Vx, which is obviously quite long in the tooth now.

-Elektrix

[Cadaver]

Either way, with PocketPC or Palm 6.0, Mac users will need to figure in another $30-$40 for sync software.

I've been using a PocketPC for about 6 months now - first a Toshiba e755, now an HP iPAQ h4150 - and I find it does what it does very well. PocketPC 2003 plus a piece of software called Pocket Informant 5 (replaces internal calendar/tasks/contacts) is a killer PIM. Syncs fine with The Missing Sync or PocketMac.

I used to use TMS up until last week - I switched to PocketMac because of (seemingly) better Bluetooth support.

My PocketPC even has big Apple on the 'today' screen

The only thing that the PocketPC + 3rd party software doesn't do as well as Palm 5.0 (and below) + Palm Desktop is sync the notebook notes. But this isn't to big of an issue. The PocketMac people seem to be working on it.

[selowitch]

Originally posted by Cadaver:
a piece of software called Pocket Informant 5 (replaces internal calendar/tasks/contacts) is a killer PIM. Syncs fine with The Missing Sync or PocketMac.

How well would this work with Entourage? Can it handle ALL of the fields? Is it prone to duplicate entries and other frustrations common to PalmOS syncing?

[osxisfun]

Seems like apple's isync and markspace has us convered.

I'm looking forward to buying the next treo (610?) so i will be testing this theory out later in this year...

[michaelb]

I'm still angry enough at PalmSource to consider this action too.

I think it was a dangerous move (and a rather insulting one) for PalmSource to say, "We're no longer going to support the Mac, but DON'T PANIC you little Mac cry babies, a 3rd party developer will take up the slack."

Because when you go to that 3rd party (Mark/Space) you find they offer Missing Sync for the Pocket PC as well, with every indication that the two platforms are going to be on a par as far as Mac users are concerned.

In other words, superior Mac compatibility has been taken away from the list of reasons why at least a few hundred thousand people might choose Palm. That's a dumb strategic move, even if it does save PalmSource a few development dollars on writing in-house sync software.

Cobalt better hope it has a kick-ass interface, because Pocket PCs are looking very compelling these days.

And there's this: if Apple is making iPods for HP users, why not HP making iPAQs for Apple users!

Just some food for thought. As a Palm'er since '96 (and Newton prior to it), I still admire the Palm OS, but I'm also still seething with anger at their "betrayal."

[KP*]

Sony Clie has never offered Mac support, and I've owned two, as have many other Mac users, and it works just fine. Yes you have to pay $30 to get what PC users get for free, and there are some special desktop conversion apps that you can't use (but wouldn't necessarily want to) unless you have VPC.

IMHO, it's a small price to pay for being able to use the best computers with the best PDAs. That said, I'm keeping an open mind about the transition to OS6. I'm looking to upgrade from my NX80, but will consider many factors, and so far what we know about the new OS, its Mac support, and what new devices the hardware makers will offer, is so sketchy I have no idea right now what I will do. But the Mac support thing doesn't worry me too much, if MarkSpace's solution works as well as their current ones do.

[jparisi]

Originally posted by KP*:
Sony Clie has never offered Mac support, and I've owned two, as have many other Mac users, and it works just fine.

How does all your conduits work with missing sync? Do you use any third party conduits?

[dampeoples]

Originally posted by selowitch:
Yeah, MarkSpace. But it'll cost $30.

Doesn't the Mac-PPC conduit cost money too? Did you already purchase stuff that works on the Palm?

[lookmark]

Seems to me that the chances of Apple striking some deal with PalmSource, or (more likely) updating iSync for superior iCal / Address Book support for Cobalt are higher than Apple doing the same with Microsoft.

[selowitch]

Originally posted by lookmark:
Seems to me that the chances of Apple striking some deal with PalmSource, or (more likely) updating iSync for superior iCal / Address Book support for Cobalt are higher than Apple doing the same with Microsoft.

An astute observation. I would tend to agree.

[KP*]

Originally posted by jparisi:
How does all your conduits work with missing sync? Do you use any third party conduits?

Third party conduits are up to the developers of each app, but most of the big ones do support Mac. Of course there are exceptions, but I have conduits for all the apps I really need (YMMV). I don't expect it to be much different with the switch to OS6. Regardless of what PalmSource is doing, some developers will take the time to add Mac compatibility and some won't.