Tony Kingsmill from LoftCat has answered some questions for PDA-247 regarding webOS and LoftCat’s potential development for this platform.
1/ What was your initial impression of webOS and the Palm Pre hardware?
I only expected to see an OS so my initial thoughts were surprise to see both hardware and software announced. The hardware looks decent enough and I can see where Palm are aiming with the slide out QWERTY keyboard. On the software side Palm is talking up the ease of PIM functionality, which is obviously one thing they have done well in the past. I’m interested to see how easy to use the whole platform turns out. For me Palm OS simplifies everything such as connecting Bluetooth devices and installing programs.
2/ Do you have plans to develop for this platform, and can we expect to see some of your existing titles ported over?
As an independent developer so I need make tough decisions about what projects and platforms I choose. My core knowledge is based around Palm OS and Windows/Windows Mobile and even though Web OS uses industry standard development platforms there’s a considerable learning curve. Being able to take PDB files across to Web OS won’t help a great deal with my particular programs. On top of that I’m involved in several desktop projects as well as a new Palm OS application so taking on Web OS in the near future will be spreading myself too thinly. I’m watching Web OS development news closely though and taking another look at things in another five or six months.
3/ In your opinion, is Palm back in the game?
The recognised development platforms means a lot of programmers will potentially be able to get applications off the ground fast. It all depends on how many developers Palm can lure on to their platform, because those that do will be pretty much starting from scratch. Independent Palm enthusiasts could be important in getting the ball rolling. Perhaps most importantly, in an age where image is as important as what a device can do, marketing the new devices to everyone will be key to Palm’s success.
