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Palm Pre


h003

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how to go about it?

short answer: you don't.

 

long answer: you would need a Player application for the Pre. there are currently three different available:

- one is built-in on (and specifically for) Garmin Oregons and Colorados. no sense trying anything with this one

- other is for Windows Mobile. it relies on WinMobile API, which you don't have on a Pre (obviously)

- and the last one is unofficial and written in Java Mobile - so that it runs on smartphones and dumbphones. common pattern here is that you don't have Java Mobile on Pre either.

 

so if you wanted a player app, you would need to write it. Pre's API is JavaScript. that's a scripting language. which, not going into details, means that it will run slower than C or Java. (also, no, it's not similar to Java. just the names look similar).

in that, you would have to write a virtual machine for running Lua code. Lua is a scripting language too, so now you have scripting language within a scripting language. which would make the whole thing very slow. even though Pre's processor is more than sufficient to run Wherigo in itself, it will spend valuable power on "simulating" a language (javascript) that is simulating another language (lua).

 

rumors have it that there is a C-based API for Pre in the works. if that's true, then it wouldn't be that hard to port a player onto the Pre. as it is now, it's near impossible.

 

besides, for example on the iPhone, the app store license forbids applications like Wherigo player. it's possible that it is the same case with Pre

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I really doubt it's forbidden in the WebOS app catalog. Palm isn't like Apple, their system is totally open. But, even if it was, it could easily be released as a homebrew app at no cost to the developer. IF it were possible to develop one. What about the new WebOS PDK? Would that make it possible?

 

how to go about it?

short answer: you don't.

 

long answer: you would need a Player application for the Pre. there are currently three different available:

- one is built-in on (and specifically for) Garmin Oregons and Colorados. no sense trying anything with this one

- other is for Windows Mobile. it relies on WinMobile API, which you don't have on a Pre (obviously)

- and the last one is unofficial and written in Java Mobile - so that it runs on smartphones and dumbphones. common pattern here is that you don't have Java Mobile on Pre either.

 

so if you wanted a player app, you would need to write it. Pre's API is JavaScript. that's a scripting language. which, not going into details, means that it will run slower than C or Java. (also, no, it's not similar to Java. just the names look similar).

in that, you would have to write a virtual machine for running Lua code. Lua is a scripting language too, so now you have scripting language within a scripting language. which would make the whole thing very slow. even though Pre's processor is more than sufficient to run Wherigo in itself, it will spend valuable power on "simulating" a language (javascript) that is simulating another language (lua).

 

rumors have it that there is a C-based API for Pre in the works. if that's true, then it wouldn't be that hard to port a player onto the Pre. as it is now, it's near impossible.

 

besides, for example on the iPhone, the app store license forbids applications like Wherigo player. it's possible that it is the same case with Pre

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as a matter of fact, yes, PDK would help quite a bit.

it would mean that you can use readily available Lua for C, so the harder part is already done.

(disclaimer: even though it is possible now, i will not be the one to write the player. but i'm willing to provide assistance to whoever decides to do it)

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