This architecture looks like hack

[matt olenik]

Originally Posted by linwiz311

And don't forget that Javascript can be compiled for better performance. If Palm feels it's not fast enough, they can use borrow some code from Google's open source V8 engine.

I thought it already used V8?

[linwiz311]

is google going to get in trouble for doing something similar? their os only has chrome, and probably only has built in links to google apps for email, documents, calendar, maps, search.

No. Microsoft got in trouble because they had a monopoly and then abused their market power to kill Netscape. They basically gave discounts to computer manufacturers to not pre-install Netscape.

Google does not (and probably will never) have a significant market share for operating systems and so it'll never apply.

[ADGrant]

Originally Posted by sambao21

i personally think a netbook is really only good for surfing the internet because they are just not very snappy for running office or quicken, i'd much defer those tasks to my real laptop.

even for internet, it's painfully slow when it comes to flash video. if chrome os can strip everything down so that i can surf the internet smoothly, and flash runs fast, i think it really does everything i want from a netbook.

Maybe you just don't have a particularly good Netbook. I run Quicken and Office 2007 on mine and the only issue I have is the size of the screen. I won't be deferring any of those tasks to a "real" laptop because I don't own one.

[Anonymole]

DevExpert,

I commiserate with you on your opinion of Javascript.

I too did quite a bit of JS + XMLHTTP work back when IE 5.0 first came out. And was affronted when this "ajax" acronym came around. Bah! I was doing "ajax" back in 99.
I worked out of San Francisco back then, and did quite a bit of ASP work. Now days it's all C# and Java, although I did enjoy my stint writing code in HB++ for the Palm5.0 - maybe they'll come up with a decent environment.


So, back to DevExpert's question - has anyone discovered a true interactive debugging environment for writing Pre code? Once this is available complex application construction will move much more quickly. I certainly hope we can get around the SQLite db inclusion problem too...

-AM

[sivan]

There is a command line debugger. Sure it's not pretty but it appears to be complete.

As for fancy IDE's, there are dedicated JS ones, they are not as evolved as ones for static languages, but the argument goes that you don't need that much code completion because the language is much more concise. And I somewhat agree. JS is far more expressive than Java or C#. Refactoring will be an issue as with all dynamic languages. Really, there's not much of a difference between JS, Python and Ruby for this kind of development.

I've also been through the '99 ajax days and have bitter memories, but it's been a decade, and JS development today is not what it used to be.

To get an idea, watch the webOS unit testing webcast Christian Sepulveda did. It's on YouTube.

And notice his IDE bu Jetbrains. They know how to create good IDE's.

[lmorchard]

Originally Posted by mosdl

I do remind you that Firefox's entire UI is javascript/xml and is quite hardcore...

Seriously. 246k worth of JS making up the core of your Firefox browser:

hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/file/tip/browser/base/content/browser.js

I'm too much of noob on this forum to post links, so just copy and paste the above. And there's more where that came from. Add-ons, too.

[mikekey]

this thread is like a windows vs OS X debate.

[balderson]

Originally Posted by mikekey

this thread is like a windows vs OS X debate.

And like 4 months old.

[mfive]

would love to hear the OP's opinion only a few short months later from bashing our platform and calling it a "hack".

Let's hear it guy!

[ADGrant]

Originally Posted by mfive

would love to hear the OP's opinion only a few short months later from bashing our platform and calling it a "hack".

Let's hear it guy!

Why would it have changed?

[IcerC]

The constant improvements, 3d games, and pdk.

[mfive]

Originally Posted by ADGrant

Why would it have changed?

is that even a legitimate question? I think webos has shown its true colors and the power that lies behind this platform. I'm not sure if you asking that really even dignifies a response...

[ADGrant]

Originally Posted by IcerC

The constant improvements, 3d games, and pdk.

The PDK is a very positive development but their has been some sort of unofficial PDK since the Pre was announced. It would have been impossible to develop the PalmOS emulator or the Sprint Nav without such a capability. Its great that they have made it available to the great unwashed though. It could really help the platform. The javascript/HTML only policy wasn't going to be very successful.

The 3D gaming hooks was technically quite impressive. I would personally rather play such games on a PSP with dedicated hardware buttons but the technology will have other applications.

None of these announcements really alter the WebOS architecture though so someone who thought it was a hack are unlikely to change their mind. They may even (and have) compared Palm's move to Apple backing down and making their native SDK available to third party developers.

[sublimexistence]

lol. yep. like a windows vs. os x debate. or a wii vs. xbox debate.
not to mention the kernel is linux...
so write a small javascript program to call up linux code
which is fully capable of any program you could imagine.
LEARN about something before you bash it.
I know almost nothing about programming, however I read your argument and laughed. It's javascript. It's EVERYWHERE, and increasing in capabilities as we speak.

[ADGrant]

Originally Posted by sublimexistence

l
LEARN about something before you bash it.
I know almost nothing about programming, however I read your argument and laughed.

You should perhaps consider following your own advice. You admit to knowing nothing about programming but feel qualified to comment on my argument. You probably shouldn't bother reading this thread, you should certainly not be posting in it.