Bad News for Office Docs Users: Docs2Go for webOS Delayed? 30
According to a recently published report on Palm Infocenter, the much-anticipated webOS version of DataViz' Documents To Go, an expanded version of the Doc View program bundled with the Pre that will allow for editing as well as viewing of Microsoft Office documents, may be delayed until early 2010. DataViz' Web page for the product still states that the company "will be releasing Documents To Go for webOS later this year," meaning 2009, but this latest report suggests that "coordination with Palm on a potentially-necessary ROM update for WebOS may hold up the whole shebang."
Even if it's true, this does not mean that Pre (and soon Pixi) users will not be able to edit their documents until and unless Documents To Go for webOS is finally released. First, the PalmOS version works under MotionApps' Classic (see this thread in the Official Classic forum for instructions on installation; the HotSync conduit works with the new Classic 2.0), so Classic owners have this functionality now. Second, Documents To Go isn't necessarily the only possible solution; other developers have written Office editing programs in the past for Palm devices (notably Blue Nomad's Wordsmith for PalmOS, which unfortunately does not work for now under Classic), and Pre users have had varying success editing via Google Docs in the Pre's Web browser.
Still, the relationship between Palm and DataViz (evidenced by the bundling of the reader apps with the Pre) and Documents To Go's overall sophistication across platforms made it the best and most likely tool for webOS users who need (or wish) to edit MS Office documents. The sooner it can come out, the better it will be for the Pre's prospects for business and educational sales.
30 Comments
Maybe I'm an anomaly, but I have no desire to edit files on my Pre - if I need to do some word processing or presentation editing, I'll open up my laptop and use the much bigger keyboard and screen to do it.
I still don't understand how PALM could have launched the app store without some kind of program like this.
Given this and the wide assortment of basic missing things in webOS it feels like PALM made a last minute choice to launch webOS 6 months early or something.
The device works, and works well. The "necessities" people on here have been complaining about are really more or less conveniences that we have gotten used to from using other, longer-established mobile OSes. I have never used document editing on the Palm (what's the point of typing out real edits on a keys smaller than my thumbnails), or message forwarding on any phone (why??). And things like video recording, image editing, tethering, etc. are bells and whistles. If Palm had wanted to, they could have delayed the Pre six months, but I doubt it would have made a difference. A lot of these "basic features," given what we know about the OS, will take more than six months to come (realistically more like a year). If Palm had waited longer they would have sacrificed their foothold in the market. I'm glad they released it when they did, and I've been using it daily since without any issues or complaints. It simply gets its job done.
It seems like just about everything that comes along as a problem or a product still to be released is accompanied by someone complaining that the Pre should never have been released without it. Just deal with it. Your tiny little idea of what should have been there from day one is obviously not enough of a deal-breaker to prevent hundreds of thousands of people from getting the Pre. If Palm, Apple, RIM, Nokia, etc waited until every one of those demands was met, no phone would ever be released.
I hope this isnt a trend to come...
Yet another reason why my purchase of MotionApps Palm Classic emulator has been worthwhile. It ain't perfect, but it works...
If you want text forwarding, just patch it.
My main gripe with palm isn't the apps but the updating that doesn't seem to affect much of the consumer wants that the majority of people have. If they want this phone to take off, they need to update the camera, get video recording, etc. Otherwise, the majority of public users will see it as a fad and move on. I for one want Palm to succeed, as I'm heavily invested not only in the company, but in the phone itself.
It's more of the same from Palm.
If you want your Pre to have the abilities that just about every other phone on Earth has... you have to wait... and wait... and wait... and wait...
Let's hear it for text forwarding! It's coming in 2016.
:'(
I can wait for a good solid version that is not buggy.
I have Docs To Go running perfectly under Classic is there really is not hurry as far as I'm concerned.
It's going to require a rom upgrade for the same reason that a major classic update requires a rom upgrade.
Classic's binary portion, and Document's to Go's binary portion are installed as part of the OS. Downloading the "app" downloads only the javascript portion.
Palm's app installer currently does not support the "post install scripts" which would be required to activate the binary functions like WebOS quick install and PreWare does.
THIS IS A DECISION and not an oversight on Palm's part. It's much more secure. Choosing how to deal with this is one of the major stumbling blocks in getting a binary SDK out for WebOS
Are you certain DTG has or requires a binary portion? Could it not be an issue of Palm releasing additional/special Mojo calls to satisfy DTG's needs. And if the App Cat can't install binaries, how did it install Classic? None of these are challenges, but as these occured to me, I think them reasonable.
The App Catalog installs the UI of Classic, the JavaScript-based wrapper around the WebKit plug-in that is the actual emulator. The plug-in is currently built into each version of webOS, a conceit made because Palm doesn't feel safe enabling third-party binary installation yet (although homebrewers have had it for months now through PreWare/WOSQI).
Sad to hear, certainly, but I had been wondering if Docs To Go's deeper functionality was a bit more sophisticated than Mojo, as currently implemented, could handle.
I'm thinking this is an issue with the app size limit?
I've probably been as vocal as anyone bout my need for this program on my Pre. DataViz's facebook page (if you read through the posts on their wall) has indicated a late '09 early '10 release for a couple of months. This was a huge disappointment for me as I was hoping to have DtG before my busy season started in September. So, I have been hobbling along carrying my Q9c in the same pocket as my Pre. No reason to spend all the extra money on Classic and the PalmOS version since I already have it on my old phone, right?
I still hope that Palm (or maybe even more so Sprint) will make a wise decision and subsidize the cost of upgrading the reader program (which was developed by DataViz) to the full version of DtG. After all, there's no sense in having both programs on the phone. Besides that, some sort of docs editing has been almost standard on Sprint-offered smart phones for a while, and since we were initially told that it would have this ability way back when the Pre first came out, I think that it would be the best thing for them to do.
On my Treo 680 - Doc editing is essential (have spent TOO much on D2G upgrades since my NX70)...
How about Quickoffice?
Can't say I want to keep paying for D2G upgrades... will there be a promotional price ala iPhone?
I guess, since I am awating a WebOS GSM phone... some .Doc/.Xls editing program will be available by then...
While I'd prefer a cloud-less app, I find that the mobile edition of Zoho works surprisingly well on the Pre. The "writer" interface is clean and straight forward.
I'm not an IT professional, but it seems strange that there are so many apps dedicated to the "extended" features of the Pre -- various apps for streaming media, social networking, and games -- but very little for the workaday tasks that make a device truly useful. How hard could it be to make a simple text editor, native to WebOs? An eReader? An RSS feed reader.
I think Palm made a gorgeous and versatile device. I'm grateful for the Homebrewers (and PreCentral) for filling the gaps.
Still, I have to wonder: for whom is this device intended? To whom is it marketed?
The developers currently in the biz are too small, so they work on funtime apps, which have the highest return on investment. Long answer:
Palm set out to create the greatest mobile computer, and they have created a nearly ideal foundation. The feature set IS a bit anemic, however...
It has always been hard to do work on a handheld. Either it lacks features (iPhone), is unstable (WinMob), or lacks usability (Blackberry).
What webOS lacks, unfortunately, is support. This is lack of support from Palm (aside from a point update every couple months), and from major developers.
Thanks: useful info.
Ugh. My wife is going to hate this. She needs this functionality on her phone... Yesterday.
I agree with Commenter #1 libb. I'd like it but I don't care too much until/unless we get a Bluetooth Keyboard.
Yeah, agreed. The slider keyboard is good, but I really don't want to try to do any serious work without a full-sized keyboard. In fact, I really don't see why DtG + BT keyboard couldn't replace my netbook for 80% of its tasks.
I don't deal with a ton of documents for work but I always had this feature on windows mob and was looking forward to it on palm webos. Classic is looking good but ubfortunatley data viz will probably not let me upgrade from palm to webos for free and thus I will pay 27 for possibley a few months. This sucks but isn't a huge deal.
Argh!!!!
Oh well good thing for google office :)
Good for reading docs, can't edit them from the pre though, unless I'm missing something. also cant open docs from the pre. I use google docs all the time, could be a good solution if made to work with the Pre.
Data Viz is compromising Palms potential in this aspect. My ability to currently view a Excel-generated .xls file is weak on the Pre, thx to Data Viz's poor initial contribution....now they are delaying further progress.... yet they fully serve the Iphone system..... more politics is all I see....Lets find another provider.....
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Forget .docs, screw .docs,I just want to be able to open and edit a .txt! Seems like it should be an easy extension to the email client...
Any second thoughts Docs To GO?????