Re: [coldsync-hackers] Re: Looking for HotSync protocol documentation

["David A. Desrosiers" <hacker@gnu-designs.com>]

> > 	My answer from them back in June was very similar, but a bit more
> > harsh. Remember, this is their "bread and butter", and externally
> > documenting it will open up their IP to competitors.
>
> No it's not. Syncing isn't rocket science.  Their bread and butter is in
> the OS design and the hardware.

	HotSync(r) is something they own, exclusively theirs. It's the only
thing that makes the Palm device talk to the desktop. It is as locked-down,
legally, as could be. Without it, they do not have any desktop users, and
the Palm simply becomes like the old Casio handheld organizers. With HotSync
and the HotSync Manager, they can control any and all conduits (in Windows
and Macintosh) and can require that all of them go through HotSync Manager
before connecting to the Palm device. This is going to get much harder in
the very near future, with each Palm being "keyed" through HotSync Manager
on a per-device basis. If your Palm device doesn't properly authenticate
with HotSync Manager, you will not get a successful connection.

	They view this as their crowned jewels, AS WELL AS their OS. Their
hardware is not unique, nor is their OS, and in fact, Palm themselves, is
the *LEAST* advanced in the hardware department. Their OEM partners have
done more to the hardware than Palm has. Sony brought us the color screen
and "serially connected disks" (local storage/MemorySticks), Handspring
brought us the Springboard slot and the USB port/protocol (though it's still
really a serial device on that port), TRG/Handera brought us the CF support
and VFS beginnings, etc. Palm was absolutely last in line with hardware
advances.

	And... let's not forget, Palm is a software company, not hardware.



/d


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