Bill Day's Blog

OTA MIDlet Installation on PalmOS Devices

Following up on my earlier entry on Java for PalmOS Devices, Mel Seyle wrote me to ask:

Does this mean that I can now directly download MIDlets to my Palm Tungsten and run them? I used to have to convert my Java programs to Palm PRC files before uploading them on my Palm Vx to run under the KVM.

I don't have a Java-enabled Tungsten myself, but in preparing a follow-up to my earlier entry (Java for PalmOS Devices, Act 2), I came across some information that might help.

Ken Walker's comments in response to Russ Beattie's post about PalmSource getting the Java religion indicate that now that PalmOne and PalmSource are both shipping an integrated J2ME implementation, things are a lot simpler for J2ME app deployment to PalmOS devices:

I've OTA'd lots of MIDlets by browsing using WebPro to the JAD file. It hooks up to the Exchange Manager so after the JAD is downloaded the MIDlet HQ is invoked, jar downloaded, converted to a PRC and is good to run.

So, Mel, simply point your Tungsten at a MIDlet's JAD file and the runtime will take care of the conversion to PRC for you. Excellent news for both Java developers and Palm users everywhere!

Comments

• Treo 600
  I'm OTAing MIDlets onto my Treo 600 quite easily. I use the Handspring blazer browser to click on a jad/jar and after running the MIDletHQ application it is installed. The only annoying bit is that I have to quit blazer and manually run the HQ application but after that is done the application is well integrated.
  The VM seems fast and responsive, startup time is AMAZING!
  It crashed for me a couple of times and some MIDlets don't work, the 5 way navigator within the Treo works with some of the widgets and doesn't work with others (I installed the UI demo to check this).

  In a first glance I am very pleased with this release, I am very unhappy about the intention to charge for the final version (one of the reasons I didn't buy the device for quite some time) and I hope they fix the remaining bugs.

  One wishlist I have though: JSR 184 port!!!

  BTW not many connectors are supported and AFAIK not many additional JSR's that could be very useful. Media doesn't really work at the moment other than the simplest stuff.

  Posted by: vprise on March 30, 2004 at 10:42 PM

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