Re: Further development on Windows?

Far be it from me to pretend to be any kind of Oracle ...

But I'm convinced that "small device" platforms are on their way out (big "duh", in my book).  Small devices are getting so "big", they can run full blown OS's (properly ported, of course)

For example, I have a Nokia N810.  Runs Maemo Linux, which was specifically designed for devices.  But lately, there has been a significant push to get standard Debian running on it.  There are three separate projects, if my count is correct.  One is an official Debian project (Mer?), not a Nokia one.  (the grassroots attempts are already quite workable on the device).

So, I think CESD targeted the desktop, because soon everything will *be* a "desktop" device.

The major impediments are Apple, all of the carriers, and Win CE (maybe the Pre as well, we'll see).  But I firmly believe they are fighting a losing battle.  (I include Apple until they release their store stranglehold)

So, if the "pocketable full-OS universal communications device" is just around the corner, even with the persistence of closed OSes, a "VM" is in the perfect development position to move onto all of them.  I'm pretty sure that's why CESD chose Java ... its already there on most established OSes that will be running these devices.

This is not a great revelation, I don't even pretend that it is.  VMware, Google, and Nokia are all working toward a level of abstraction that crosses all platforms.

The upshot being that I believe improvements in the desktop version of Shadow would be time well spent.   But if you don't carry over your users soon (as CESD seems to be achieving), you'll loose them ... uh, us.

I'm moving what I can off of the Palm onto Linux (Dell Mini 9), and having success with most applications.  And, I have specifically been looking (pretty hard) for a straight-forward notes/ToDo/PM piece of software.  And, quite frankly, I believe Shadow is in a niche of its own.

Ken

P.S. The only reason I have been looking for a replacement for the Shadow desktop is that it can not communicate directly with Outlook/Exchange without the Palm as an intermediary stop.

--- In [email protected], Jeff Mitchell <skeezix@...> wrote:
>
> On Thu, 12 Mar 2009, Knut Zakariassen wrote:
> 
> # 
> # IMHO, Evernote (http://www.evernote.com) has hit as close to the
> # perfect balance between local client and webapp as we are likely to
> # see anytime soon. Same deal with Foxmarks. Local app that syncs with
> # "the cloud" whenever access is available; paired with a good web
> # client that also can be used by handhelds.
> 
> 	There are a lot of online tools (see Basecamp 
> http://www.basecamphq.com/) for instance, and probably versions of 
> Sharepoint and so on.. big thing to get into.
> 
> 	I do think there is a niche for something more Shadowy, and the 
> trick of course is to carve a small piece of a very very large pie. But .. 
> hard to say.
> 
> 		jeff
> 
> --
> If everyone would put barbecue sauce on their food, there would be no war.
>