Palm 5 OS!

[JimNoble]

Originally posted by GadgetLover
I don't disagree, but I will say that the PowerPC G3 chip in laptops is not too power hungry or heat intensive and, engineering permitting, could be--within the next two years--put into a PDA in the right configuration to work.

Laptop processor power consumption is still measured in Watts.

PDA processor power consumption is often measured in milli-Watts.

As for power consumption, hog-wash.... they are constantly improving battery technology and fuel cells are just around the corner.

I heard that the energy density of a mobile phone battery these days is close to that of dynamite. Do you really want more?

It really won't be too long before computers as we think of them are transformed into cell phones and PDA's.

Of course it could all happen the other way around

Jim

[ksv]

Uhm, enlighten me. What are the StrongARM processors based on? Who manufactures them? Palm OS 1.0-4.0 DragonBall apps wouldn't run on a StrongARM processor, would they?

[JimNoble]

StrongARM is an implementation of the ARM architecture manufactured by Intel.

Other ARM processor implementations are available from most of the major semiconductor manufacturers in the world (see http://www.arm.com/arm/semicon_partners?OpenDocument).

The DragonBall processors currently used by Palm are based on the Motorola 68k architecture, so you would be correct in assuming that current Palm OS apps would not run directly on an ARM processor.

(Motorola have a DragonBall product based on the ARM9 though - the DragonBall MX).

For more info about ARM, see www.arm.com

Jim