So, Kent... where are these articles you keep reading over the last two years that talk about Microsoft "starting to catch with Palm"? Really, I'd be very curious to read one. I remember reading that Palm OS was dead when Cobalt didn't ship. That Palm OS was dead when Windows Mobile devices surpassed Palm OS devices. That Palm OS was dead when PalmSource was acquired by ACCESS. And that Palm OS was dead when Palm shipped a Windows Mobile Treo. It seems to me that you're the one who is late to the party, not Walt Mossberg.

Frankly, for someone who seems to be trying to exercise a more critical sense about Palm OS than you feel Mossberg is doing I find your assumption that the ACCESS Linux Platform will be the one that eliminates Palm OS for good to be a bit premature, maybe even naive. What evidence do you have that Palm (the main licensee of Palm OS) has any interest in hitching its star to ACCESS when seeking a replacement for Palm OS Garnet? If anything it seems to me the response from Palm has been extraordinarily cool to the idea.

Uhh, actually, sorry to have come off kind of aggressive in the previous comment. Looking around your sites a bit more it seems like you're a reasonably thoughtful guy (with some great design skills, BTW) and probably deserve a little more slack than I gave you. Peace.

You're kidding, right? Because all those "PalmOS is dead" stories you've read were true. PalmOS has been in a state of decline for many years now. Beyond Garnet, you need further evidence evidence that the platform is dead? And how exactly am I the one who late to the party when I have been writing about about Windows Mobile surpassing PalmOS for, what...two years now, at least?

And where on Earth did you get the notion that I believe Palm is going to adopt Access's OS? I never uttered such a comment, not even a hint. In fact, I'll guarantee they won't. Palm plans to eventually migrate entirely on to Windows Mobile.

You don't understand my point. Of course I agree that Palm OS has been in serious decline for years--dead in the sense that there are unlikely to be more Palm OS devices after some time the middle of next year.

But you wrote that "the entire mainstream media is equally inept at recognizing a trend in motion. I just love these epiphany news titles that read 'Is Microsoft starting to catch up with Palm?'". This is BS. I've seen the occasional article from fans like Mossberg that talk about how the Palm OS is still superior in certain respects to the competition, but no one that I know of, not even Mossberg, holds the opinions about the future of the OS that you attribute to them. Everyone seems to understand that Palm OS is on its way out and has for at least a year or two. You're knocking down straw men and it just seems rather comical.

You wrote: And where on Earth did you get the notion that I believe Palm is going to adopt Access's OS?

It was this bit that gave me that impression:
"After Access introduces an entirely new platform, eliminating PalmOS Garnet for good..."

So what should I buy... I have to take back my 700w tomorrow (15 days is up for a return).....? It's been very hard to get used to, and seems very clumsy compared to Palm.... But, I don't want to buy some dead something.

So which should I buy? I'm at the end of my 15 day trial for the 700w. Have used palm for years (have the 650) and it sure seems easier than the W.... But I don't want to buy a dead something...