NEW YORK - Palm Inc. announced Tuesday that it was mulling a developing the Linux-based operating system on its Treo line of handhelds. Palm chief executive, Ed Colligan said they had been working on this for many years and that the first sets with Linux loaded should be out by the end of the year.
However he stressed that the company was not abandoning the Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform and would continue to sell it alongside the Linux one. Colligan said the introduction of Linux would "improve the reliability and performance and stability" of Palm products.
"We have been developing a set of system software that we will roll out before the end of the year that will allow us to take the Palm OS forward and to modernize it and to upgrade that functionality and to bring the user community and developer community forward on top of a Linux kernel," Colligan told analysts during a meeting in New York.
First reports stress that Palm's Linux-based platform would not be licensed outside. Access, the Japanese company, which distributes the Palm OS, is also thought to be developing a Linux-based version, which will be licensed to outsiders.
However Palm executives including Colligan refused to be drawn into commenting on rumors that the company was on sale and had hired Morgan Stanley to pursue a buyer.
