Over the last year or so I have been messing around with various handheld devices and software. One of the devices we designed as part of the original Blackbird line up included a very simple handheld device with a large display. We never got around to developing it for a number of reasons. One thing I will say, I had little faith in the available software for handhelds until Google Android was launched.
Now that we see phones like the HTC Evo coming out, and of course the Iphone and Nexus One the competition is making things very fun. The launch of the iPad also changes things, such devices makes reading books and magazines a joy, not to mention surfing the Internet. In fact, I am composing this blog on a tablet style device..no doubt everything is changing for the better.
What I found most disappointing is the way some companies force tons of specs into a mobile device, fancy hardware, fancy user interface, etc...yet they forget about the battery life. It's crazy, like what is the point of a mobile device with no battery life? I think it's important to balance the hardware with optimized multi-tasking, and still deliver a great experience which requires awesome battery life.
On the software side I love Google Android the more I play with it, also love Apple's iPhone OS. ...but seriously, unless you have had the opportunity to try Web OS from Palm you have no idea how good it can get. Over the last few weeks I have been playing with a Palm Pre Plus and the software experience is like no other phone I have used.
WebOS offers some sick potential to the mobility space. What makes it straight awesome is the ability to load and unload applications with the flick of a finger. This way you can take multitasking to the next level. It's easy to remove memory resident programs, and it makes memory management effortless, you don't even realize you're saving battery life when you shut down an app.
Nevermind the multitasking, but my favorite part of WebOS is the way it automatically merges and manages all my contacts from Exchange to Gmail to Linkedin to Facebook. I don't have to do anything, it just works. What else? How about merging multiple calendars into one color coded calendar?? Amazing stuff.
So I'm excited about the potential that WebOS brings to the table. I loaded a few games on my Palm Pre Plus, which thanks to the hardware choice actually display as good as any dedicated handheld gaming device. In other words, with a few tweaks I think the potential for delivering a killer gaming experience on a WebOS based device could very well make Sony and Nintendo green with envy.
I will be at E3 this year. I want to meet up with game developers, big and independent. We can dream about the future. Find me on Facebook if you're going to be there and have time to meet up.
Now that we see phones like the HTC Evo coming out, and of course the Iphone and Nexus One the competition is making things very fun. The launch of the iPad also changes things, such devices makes reading books and magazines a joy, not to mention surfing the Internet. In fact, I am composing this blog on a tablet style device..no doubt everything is changing for the better.
What I found most disappointing is the way some companies force tons of specs into a mobile device, fancy hardware, fancy user interface, etc...yet they forget about the battery life. It's crazy, like what is the point of a mobile device with no battery life? I think it's important to balance the hardware with optimized multi-tasking, and still deliver a great experience which requires awesome battery life.
On the software side I love Google Android the more I play with it, also love Apple's iPhone OS. ...but seriously, unless you have had the opportunity to try Web OS from Palm you have no idea how good it can get. Over the last few weeks I have been playing with a Palm Pre Plus and the software experience is like no other phone I have used.
WebOS offers some sick potential to the mobility space. What makes it straight awesome is the ability to load and unload applications with the flick of a finger. This way you can take multitasking to the next level. It's easy to remove memory resident programs, and it makes memory management effortless, you don't even realize you're saving battery life when you shut down an app.
Nevermind the multitasking, but my favorite part of WebOS is the way it automatically merges and manages all my contacts from Exchange to Gmail to Linkedin to Facebook. I don't have to do anything, it just works. What else? How about merging multiple calendars into one color coded calendar?? Amazing stuff.
So I'm excited about the potential that WebOS brings to the table. I loaded a few games on my Palm Pre Plus, which thanks to the hardware choice actually display as good as any dedicated handheld gaming device. In other words, with a few tweaks I think the potential for delivering a killer gaming experience on a WebOS based device could very well make Sony and Nintendo green with envy.
I will be at E3 this year. I want to meet up with game developers, big and independent. We can dream about the future. Find me on Facebook if you're going to be there and have time to meet up.
