Palm, Inc. is the leader and standard bearer in the handheld market.
Building on the experiments and near misses of predecessors, Palm
introduced the first handheld device to achieve resounding success
in the marketplace. Several years later, we at PalmSource, the
software spin-off of Palm, Inc., continue to produce the operating
system that runs on the best handhelds in the world.
We also proudly develop, upgrade, and distribute the premier
operating system for handheld devices. The Palm OS ® is the
platform for a whole family of Palm-Powered™ products, including
many fine devices from other companies that license the Palm OS.
With a market share of 80%, the Palm OS platform is the first choice
of any developer who wishes to reach the widest customer base of
handheld owners in the world.

If you are a developer interested in writing applications for the Palm
OS platform, you should be aware of the diversity of Palm-Powered
devices that make up this market. They start, of course, with the
Personal Digital Assistants that help customers organize their
personal data, including address book, datebook, to do list, and
notes. Wireless devices are the newest frontier, combining the
advantages of a PDA plus wireless connectivity to E-mail and the
internet. Wireless products include the Palm ™ VII series and smart
phones. Beyond these more familiar devices, there are successful
products like the inventory readers with scanner attachments from
Symbol and scientific and medical instruments that use the Palm
OS.

PalmSource, Inc. achieved this unrivalled level of adoption by
developing design philosophies and practices that enable the
creation of breakthrough products. From the beginning, our design
has been guided by utility, portability, and focus. These principles
are an essential part of the culture, not just a catchy bit of
differentiation.

And they apply equally to hardware and software. In fact, at
PalmSource we try to integrate the two so completely that users don’t even need to think about the difference. If you are a developer,
your applications can blend in seamlessly with the Palm OS
platform. To achieve this integration, start with same design
philosophies and methods we use at PalmSource.
At first, you may find the principles a little unfamiliar, especially if
you have been developing for PCs or laptops. But that makes sense.
After all, a handheld is not a PC! By designing the PalmSource way,
you will learn to develop applications for a new and exciting kind of
electronic device. The challenges and rewards will be new, too. You
are entering the world of handhelds.

Additional Resources

• Documentation

PalmSource publishes its latest versions of this and other
documents for Palm OS developers at
http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/docs/

• Training

PalmSource and its partners host training classes for Palm OS
developers. For topics and schedules, check
http://www.palmos.com/dev/training

• Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base is a fast, web-based database of
technical information. Search for frequently asked questions
(FAQs), sample code, white papers, and the development
documentation at
http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/kb/