Could this be what Palm is working on? The Boy Genius has a video posted of Microsfot CEO Steve Balmer demonstrating the HTC Shift. It's a pretty cool looking UMPC, but it's also a smartphone.

After watching the video I started thinking about the device Jeff Hawkins is expected to announce at the Mossberg and Swisher's D Conference in May. There's been some chatter that Palm is working on an UMPC, and after watching this video I'm starting to think we may see this type of device announced by Jeff Hawkins in May. While the device in the video is larger than a Treo, Steve Balmer explains that you can use your BlueTooth headset to make your phone calls on this full blown Windows Vista UMPC.

With Palm's announcement of their upcoming Linux Operating System, what better device to appear on than a Palm OS Linux UMPC Smartphone? The Linux OS will give Palm the ability to do a helluva lot more than we can do on current devices. What better company to introduce a device like this than Palm? They know their stuff when it comes to mobile computing. They've pioneered it, while Apple failed with the Newton, and soon Microsoft saw Palm's success and wanted in on the game.

I have a Samsung Q1 UMPC running Windows XP and if there was a way to run Palm OS Linux on it, while still giving me full phone capabilities, the Palm OS experience, and the thousands of Palm applications I'd fly to Summyvale and camp out to get my hands on this.

Expect something big in May (not the 755p,even though I already know I'm buying one). Something HUGE especially from the person speaking about the device. Jeff Hawkins, maker of the Palm Pilot, maker of the Treo, and now maker of Device X. He's got a great track record when it comes to mobile computing. Expect something that will be bigger than the Palm Pilot and Treo. Can't wait until May. Stay tuned.

Labels: palm, rumors, umpc

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/26/2007 07:00:00 AM