Thread: Palm OS 5.4

Pros: This was my favorite handheld OS a decade ago, back when Palm busted out onto the scene with its innovative PDAs and made ev eryone want one. Even today, Palm OS responds instantly and makes qUick work of everyday tasks, thanks to smart design decisions made years ago. Pick up a 755p and it's like visiting an old friend-that's because it essentially is the same old friend. All Palm OS devices include high-resolution, 320 by 320-pixel touch screen LCD and a stylus. Oftel third-party apps, which number in the tens of thousands, are better or Palm OS than they are on the other platforms. DataViz Documents To Go, in particular, is amazing.



Cons: Palm hasn't updated the OS kernel in years. That doesn't mean today's handhelds are defective-rather, you won't get contemporary features such as stereo Bluetooth, Bluetooth voice dialing, up-to date Web browsers, GPS, built-in video playback, or flashier interface graphics. Aside from the cramped though budget-friendly Centro, Palm OS handsets are larger and heavier than their competitors, and none of the latest hardware designs (such as sliders or dual-keyboards) are represented. Plus, Palm OS handhelds are notorious for crashing, though part of that reputation is thanks to third-party apps and doesn't necessarily apply to a clean out-of-the-box handset.