Palm's Version of the App Store Debuts

Apple has enjoyed phenomenal success with its iPhone App Store, and many of its competitors are seeking to imitate this accomplishment. The latest of these is Palm, Inc., which has launched an on-device software store in conjunction with PocketGear.

This store lists 5,000 applications, of which about a 1,000 are freeware. Customers can search for software and then purchase and install it directly on a smartphone or handheld.

Palm says that 25 of its models can use this store, as long as they can connect to the Internet via either a cellular network or Wi-Fi.  This company has both Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices, and so its store offers titles for one of the other of these operating systems.

Those who would like to install the Palm Software Store on their device can visit PocketGear's website.

Everything Old Is New Again

The idea of an on-device application store is hardly a new one; companies like Handango have offered them for years, with limited success. This isn't even Palm's first try at over-the-air software sales.

But the popularity of the iPhone App Store has breathed new life into this concept.

The new Android OS debuted with a software store part of its basic feature set, and RIM announced this fall that it's going to introduce a BlackBerry version in a few months. There have even been rumors that Microsoft will introduce an application store for Windows Mobile.

Related Articles:

• Android Will Get Its Own App Store
• RIM Confirms BlackBerry Application Store will Launch in March
• Handango Bringing Smartphone Software to Best Buy Stores