AtTeal Newsletter Issue 07 - PalmOS Software by TealPoint Software; Programs and Accessories for Palm, Visor, and CLIE

Community

TealTalk

Newsletter

Back Issue #1

Back Issue #7

Inside TealPoint
What we've been up to

Hardware manufacturers, eager to differentiate their products from the competition, have been pushing the limits of the operating system to support higher resolutions, better connectivity, and higher multimedia capabilities than PalmOS had previously supported. While this has greatly benefited the platform as a whole, the application and OS software has had a tough time keeping up, requiring hardware manufactures like Sony and HandEra to hack their own incompatible changes into the operating system to support the features they need, sometimes affecting compatibility and support. This lag can be plainly seen in the latest NR70 device from Sony, whose own shipped applications show glaring omissions in support for their own new features. Its wonderful full screen mode, for instance, is not supported by the basic PIM applications, but only by a slideshow image viewer which ships with the device.

We at TealPoint have not been immune to these changes. Five years ago, less than 20% of our development time was spent on maintenance and compatibility of existing programs, with 80% devoted to new features and new programs. This was possible largely due to the stability of the platform. Then came Visor flash memory. After that, came color. Then HandEra's high-resolution modes. Then Sony's completely different high resolution system. Then expansion cards. And jog dials. And now, PalmOS 5.0. Today, a full 80% of our development time is spent simply playing catch-up with changes to the operating system and in new devices, slowing the release of requested features and new programs. For us, there is another issue. Creating new features and programs is fun and rewarding. Maintaining existing programs for compatibility, however, is not.

>> Continued...

Products
Our Current Software Offerings

Visit us online for our complete product suite, including:

TEALAGENT 1.10 - updated July 8, 2002
( www.tealpoint.com/softagnt.htm )
A PC-based Palm data converter, installer, and web clipper which formats local, network, and web-resident data into standard Palm formats.

TEALAUTO 1.30 - updated Sept 13, 2002
( www.tealpoint.com/softauto.htm )
The complete automobile mileage, service, and expense tracking program, TealAuto supports unmatched features and customization options.

TEALDOC 5.01 - updated September 19, 2002
( www.tealpoint.com/softdoc.htm )
Powerful reader for Palm documents, e-books, and newspapers, supporting advanced features such as pictures, links, and flash cards.

TEALECHO 2.41 - updated October 4, 2001
( www.tealpoint.com/softecho.htm )
Digital "ink" lets you see what you write, vastly increasing graffiti writing speed and accuracy. No more writing blind!

TEALGLANCE 3.35B - updated April 13, 2001
( www.tealpoint.com/softglnc.htm )
Pop-up utility shows time, date, appointments and to-dos, and other useful information at power-up. See your day at a glance.

TEALINFO 4.20 - updated August 29, 2002
( www.tealpoint.com/softinfo.htm )
A system for creating and displaying interactive databases, reference works, and mini-application folios; a handheld reference library.

>> Continued on Next Page...