Palm unveils WebOS developer kit for Pre

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 2 Apr 2009 at 08:49

Palm is inviting software makers to sign up for its WebOS developers kit, as momentum builds behind the forthcoming Palm Pre.

The Palm Pre has generated much industry excitement since it was first unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Now the company wants developers to start getting behind the platform by creating apps using its Mojo Software Developers Kit (SDK). Mojo has so far been restricted to a closed beta, but the company is now inviting applicants to register for early access to Mojo, although it's not yet available for download.

Third-party apps are becoming an increasingly crucial part of smartphone platforms, following the runaway success of the iPhone App Store. RIM launched its BlackBerry app store yesterday, while Microsoft and Nokia are doing likewise.

Palm's Mojo includes a messaging service, which will allow software manufacturers to alert handset owners to the arrival of a new instant message or software update, for example.

WebOS will also support an emulator for old Palm OS applications, allowing users to run their old software on the Pre.

There's still no word on an official launch date or price for the Pre, with the handset not expected to reach these shores until very late in the year or 2010.