Palm (PDA)
| Company type | Public (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics, software |
| Predecessor | Palm Computing, Inc. |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, Ed Colligan |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Fate | Brand discontinued by Hewlett-Packard; brand later acquired by TCL Corporation |
| Successor | HP-branded devices (hardware), webOS (software) |
| Headquarters | California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, Ed Colligan, Leo Apotheker, Meg Whitman |
| Products | Personal digital assistants, smartphones, Palm OS, webOS devices |
| Parent | Hewlett-Packard (final owner before brand discontinuation) |
Palm refers to a now-defunct series of personal digital assistants (PDAs) and mobile phones created by the California-based company Palm, Inc., initially known as Palm Computing, Inc. These devices are widely regarded as trailblazers in the handheld computing market, playing a crucial role in ushering in the smartphone revolution.
The inaugural model, the PalmPilot 1000, was introduced in 1996 and rapidly captured consumer interest, driving the expansion of portable computing. This success contrasted with earlier efforts such as Apple's Newton, which failed to gain widespread acceptance, or remained limited in scope like Hewlett-Packard's 200LX.
The majority of Palm’s PDAs and mobile phones operated on the proprietary Palm OS, which was later licensed to various other OEM manufacturers. Some models ran on Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform. In 2009, Palm OS was succeeded by webOS, debuting with the release of the Palm Pre. By 2011, Hewlett-Packard discontinued the Palm brand, transitioning to HP-branded devices before halting hardware production entirely within that year.
In 2018, a start-up supported by TCL Corporation, which owns the Palm trademark, introduced a new device named Palm. However, this product bears minimal connection to the original lineup.
Early Development
The Pilot series marked the first wave of personal digital assistants developed by Palm Computing in 1996, at that time a division of U.S. Robotics.
The company was founded in 1992 by Jeff Hawkins, Donna Dubinsky, and Ed Colligan with an initial focus on creating handwriting recognition software called PalmPrint and personal information management applications named PalmOrganizer for PEN/GEOS-based Zoomer devices.[1][2][3] Their development efforts evolved into designing improved hardware solutions. Notably, Hawkins carried a wooden block approximating the Pilot’s size in his pocket for an entire week during its design phase.[4] Palm’s progress built upon earlier innovations from companies such as Go Corporation, Tandy, and Apple’s Newton project.
PalmPilot1000 and 5000 (1996)
The initial prototype for Palm’s debut Connected Organizer was known as "Palm Taxi". In 1996, the company introduced its first-generation personal digital assistants: the PalmPilot 1000 and 5000. After resolving a trademark conflict with Pilot Pen Corporation in 1998, Palm discontinued the "Pilot" branding, opting instead for names like Palm Connected Organizers or simply "Palms".
These early models did not include features such as infrared ports, backlighting, or flash memory but were equipped with serial communication ports. The 1000 model contained 128 kB of RAM, while the 5000 offered 512 kB, both operating on Palm OS version 1. An upgrade option allowed users to expand RAM to 1 MB through internal hardware replacement. Although initial Palm devices supported some internal hardware upgrades, this approach shifted towards external memory cards and firmware-upgradable flash memory starting with the Palm III lineup.
Subsequent generations (1998-2000)
The next iterations—the PalmPilot Personal and Professional—introduced backlit displays but still lacked infrared connectivity and flash memory. These models featured RAM capacities of 512 kB and 1 MB respectively and ran Palm OS version 2.
Following the trademark resolution, the "Pilot" designation was dropped from subsequent models. The Palm III brought enhancements including an infrared port, backlit screen, and flash memory enabling OS updates and additional data storage. Powered by two AAA batteries that retained charge briefly during replacement, it provided 2 MB of memory and operated on Palm OS 3. An upgrade card was available to bring earlier PalmPilot units up to the Palm III’s capabilities.
After being acquired by 3Com, Palm’s original founders left in June 1998 to form Handspring, licensing Palm OS for their Handspring Visor—a Palm OS device notable for its hardware expansion slot supporting peripherals.
Devices running Palm OS 3.1 included the Palm IIIx with 4 MB memory, the budget-friendly Palm IIIe lacking flash memory and expansion slots, the Palm V featuring 2 MB of RAM, and the Palm Vx which offered 8 MB.
The Palm VII provided limited wireless Internet access within the United States using Palm OS 3.2.
The Palm IIIc was the first to feature a color display running Palm OS 3.5, enabling support for color applications. Models such as the Palm V introduced internal rechargeable batteries—a feature that became standard in later releases.
Up until 2002, Palm devices utilized Motorola Freescale DragonBall processors from the Motorola 68000 family. Beginning with the Palm Tungsten, there was a transition to ARM architecture processors supplied by Texas Instruments, Samsung, and Intel—capitalizing on ARM’s established role in low-power mobile devices like the Apple Newton.
Tungsten, Treo and others (2000-2009)
By the year 2000, Palm commanded approximately a 74 percent share of the PDA market but began losing influence following the introduction of Microsoft's Pocket PC platform. By 2001, competitors such as Compaq’s ARM-based iPAQ and devices from Handspring started eroding Palm’s dominance.
In 2000, Palm Computing was spun off as an independent company named Palm Incorporated. In 2003, Handspring merged back with Palm to create palmOne after Palm Inc. split into two entities: palmOne focusing on hardware and PalmSource concentrating on software development. palmOne reacquired full rights to the Palm brand in 2005 by purchasing PalmSource’s stake and reverted to using the Palm name. ACCESS Systems acquired PalmSource in 2005 but sold the Palm OS source code back to Palm Inc. in 2006.
Over time, Palm handhelds incorporated features such as USB connectivity and began converging with smartphones. The "Treo 700w" represented a fusion of a traditional Palm handheld with mobile phone capabilities including e-mail, MMS, and SMS; it was also notable as the first device under the Palm brand to run Microsoft’s Windows Mobile instead of Palm OS. As multifunctional devices gained popularity, standalone PDAs declined in appeal. The Treo 650+ series integrated functions like camera, MP3 playback, Bluetooth connectivity, and cellular phone service. Similarly, models like the Zire 71 and Zire 72 offered comparable capabilities.
In 2007, Palm launched the Palm Centro, a slimmer smartphone operating on Palm OS that combined many features at an affordable price point and achieved moderate market success. Following this release, the Palm Treo 500v debuted with a similar design but utilized Windows Mobile 6.0 as its operating system.
webOS and the End of Palm (2009–2011)
Following its transition from PDAs to smartphones, Palm's once-dominant Palm OS grew obsolete, losing ground to rivals such as RIM (BlackBerry) and Apple (iPhone). In response, Palm introduced webOS, a Linux-based embedded platform featuring a unique interface built on web technologies. This system provided genuine multitasking through a card-oriented interface and gesture-based controls. Although webOS received acclaim within the industry, including commendations from Steve Jobs, its potential was limited by hardware shortcomings in devices like the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi.
Palm subsequently launched enhanced versions—the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus—which incorporated improved processors and increased memory. However, these models still trailed competitors in terms of display quality and CPU capabilities. After Hewlett-Packard acquired Palm, it released the Pre2, which addressed some hardware deficiencies, alongside the compact HP Veer and the more robust HP Pre3 in 2011. Despite these advancements, then-CEO Leo Apotheker unexpectedly terminated webOS development in August 2011, leading to a drop in HP’s stock value and playing a role in Apotheker's removal.
His successor, Meg Whitman, confirmed the cessation of webOS hardware production but ensured the platform's software heritage endured by initiating the open-source release of webOS and encouraging hardware manufacturers to adopt it.
Post-2011 Developments
In January 2015, TCL Corporation acquired ownership of the Palm brand name, excluding rights to Palm OS. A new Palm device was introduced in 2018 as a small Android-powered companion to larger smartphones. Developed by a San Francisco-based startup supported by TCL and NBA star Stephen Curry, this device targets the "ultra-mobile" segment with dimensions comparable to a credit card (1.99" x 3.80" x 0.29") and weighing approximately 2.5 ounces. Initially available exclusively through Verizon Wireless as an add-on to existing plans, it was later updated to function independently.
Trēo Smartphones
- Trēo Pro
- Trēo 800w
- Trēo 755p
- Trēo 750v
- Trēo 750
- Trēo 700p
- Trēo 700w
- Trēo 700wx
- Trēo 680
- Trēo 650
- Trēo 500v
- Trēo 500
Centro Smartphones
webOS Smartphones
Palm Devices
See also
- Palm OS — information and resources related to devices compatible with Palm OS
- WebOS
- List of Palm OS Devices
- PalmSource, Inc.
- Palm, Inc.
- Multimedia terminal mobile
External links
- Official Palm website archive
- PalmDB – Repository dedicated to preserving Palm OS software
- Palm OS Wiki – Resource for historical and technical knowledge about Palm OS
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