So everyone's talking about the Palm VII. In case you've been out of the loop for a couple of days, here's the deal: Palm just announced a new handheld computing device in what used to be known as the "Pilot" line. This device, the Palm VII (yes, that's four higher than the current Palm III), will supposedly be no larger than existing Palm organizers, but it's got a killer feature: flip up the hinged antenna on the side, and suddenly it's connected wirelessly to the Internet. You can grab your email and surf the web (in a limited fashion) while you're, say, in the cab on the way to the airport. Now that's an organizer we could really use. You can read Palm's press release for the unprocessed marketing spin on the device.

That said, the reality of the Palm VII might not be all sunshine and lollipops. There's already a significant amount of skepticism that Palm can deliver on such a big promise; whereas Palm claims they'll have a billion users in ten years because of the wireless access, an Industry Standard article talks about some of the industry players who are underwhelmed by the hype. The biggest objection seems to be price; the Palm VII itself will cost $800, and the wireless access service is a minimum of $10 a month. However, that $10 only buys you 50 KB of data to transfer, which sounds shockingly low to us. A $25 plan gets you 150 KB of data, but that still sounds terribly low for one month if you get a sizeable amount of email. Additional kilobytes are thirty cents each. Sounds like it could really stack up, so you definitely wouldn't want to use the Palm to access "normal" email. Plus, you can't use your standard POP email account anyway-- you have to use a special mailbox from Palm. And web access is limited to sites that have made themselves Palm-compliant by implementing something called "web clippings." For a more detailed analysis of the Palm VII and what it can and can't do, we highly recommend Henry Norr's report over at MacInTouch.

Why are we talking about all of this here? Two reasons: first of all, since the Newton never really delivered on the concept of a pocket-sized electronic organizer, there are a slew of Mac users who carry Palm devices. But more importantly, remember that rumors have been flying that Apple's consumer laptop (code-named "P1") and next-generation PowerBooks will include wireless Internet access; even Computer Reseller News is reporting these rumors, now. Since the Palm VII isn't due until late next year, Apple could beat them to market. Of course, people who want to carry a complete wireless access device in their shirt pocket aren't likely to want to switch to a portable with an 11" screen, but don't forget the rumors of the MacMate; it's supposed to be a handheld, and if it, too, includes Apple's wireless access solution and it's small enough to compete with the Palm, things might get very interesting in the PDA market. By the way, we tried a Palm III again the other day. No thanks. We didn't need to learn a new way of typing to use a computer, so why should we learn a new way of writing to use a pen-based device? If the MacMate has real handwriting recognition at least as good as the MessagePad 2000's, sign us up-- wireless access or no wireless access.

Well, it's been roughly six weeks since Mac OS 8.5 hit store shelves, accompanied by much fanfare and Apple's claim that "it's like getting a whole new Mac for $99." While that may be just a slight exaggeration, we admit, we really like this version of the Mac OS. Not so much for the ballyhooed Sherlock-- it's nice and all, but nothing to kill for. Not for the native AppleScript, either; it's definitely faster in a noticeable way, but we don't use it so extensively that it's saving us hours of productivity or anything. Not even for the faster networking, which isn't helping squat when we transfer small files between the iMac and the PowerTower, or when either system prints to our LocalTalk printer. Basically, we like the new icons and the soundsets. Was that worth $99? Hey, style is everything, you know? ;-)

However, not everyone is thrilled with Mac OS 8.5. Specifically, that tiny contingent of users who experienced the hard disk equivalent of "Severe Tire Damage" after installing the upgrade are probably still pretty miffed about the whole thing. And there are other problems with the software, including AppleScript memory leaks, I/O bugs that lead to crashes and corruption of Filemaker databases, Sherlock proxy issues that prevent the Internet search feature from working behind certain kinds of corporate firewalls, etc. Sounds like it's time for a tune-up. Fortunately, MacWEEK reports that Apple is "putting the final touches" on Mac OS 8.5.1, a bug-fix release that's due out by the end of the month. When it's released, it'll be available as a free download from Apple's site. Don't want to wait a month? You may not have to; Apple Insider claims their sources say it'll be done within the next ten days.

With a "maintenance" release in mid-to-late December, you can pretty much assume that Mac OS 8.6 won't be coming in January. Not a problem; we're content to spend the holidays with a stabler operating system. Look what Santa left under the tree! Bug fixes! Or maybe they're better suited to be stocking stuffers?

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that everyone isn't out to get you. That's pretty much Microsoft's whole corporate philosophy, apparently, if the "Redmond Justice" trial is any indication. Over and over again, we've heard Microsoft's attorneys claim that they are the victims in this case: Netscape conspired with the government to destroy Microsoft; Sun conspired with Netscape and IBM to destroy Microsoft; AOL and Netscape are now merging to destroy Microsoft. Microsoft's legal defenses are sounding more and more like a militia manifesto-- though, of course, that doesn't mean it's not true.

According to a Washington Post article, Microsoft's latest claim is that Sun developed Java purely to "topple" the Windows operating system. In cross-examination of Sun's James Gosling, Microsoft lawyer Thomas Burt asked if "Sun wanted to have the world be a world of Java programs run on Sun computers." Gosling replied that Sun was trying to make Java successful, but denied that they were "trying to take over the universe." After all, the whole point of Java is that it enables programs to run on any kind of computer, not just Suns-- and not just Wintels. Of course, that "write once, run anywhere" ideal isn't all the way there yet, but it stands a significantly better chance of succeeding if Microsoft stops polluting Java with Windows-only technology.

But as everyone knows, the real case is being tried on the courthouse steps, as statements are made to the press by both sides. A Computer Reseller News article describes how a Microsoft general manager claimed that "today, Java and the Java platform is not a threat to Microsoft." But in doing so, he tacitly admitted that Java had been perceived as a threat in the past, and that Microsoft had put "obstacles" in its path; his justification was that "only the paranoid survive." It may be an Andy Grove (of Intel) quote, but it may as well be carved in stone over Microsoft's headquarters. Suppose they're stockpiling automatic weapons in Redmond right about now?