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Microsoft has a record of "persuading" manufacturers who license Windows to use their other software as well, so it's no surprise that the traditional PC companies entering the palmheld market are using Microsoft's operating system for palmhelds. It's gone by as many names as it has major overhauls: "Windows CE", "Pocket PC", "Handheld PC", "Windows Embedded", "Windows CE .net", "Windows Mobile", etc. The "Windows" name and logo imply that it would somehow be a better and "safer" companion for the Windows software on your desktop, but WinCE doesn't even run standard Windows-compatible software; only stripped down programs with the same names and limited file compatibility. Like its cousin, WinCE requires a high-powered CPU just to run effectively... not a problem on the desktop, but in a palmheld it chews up batteries at an alarming rate, and it's much of what makes these devices so expensive. (Ironically, the manufacturers just brag about the CPU speed as if it were something to be proud of, rather than a liability.)
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PalmOS is remarkable even just for maintaining its market share and momentum. Usually when Microsoft tries to take over a market, they steamroll the pioneers who blazed the trail. But the wide variety of devices from various manufacturers using PalmOS (including handheld organisers and laptop alternatives, and smartphones) are still very popular. The various models available offer most of the features you'd want: color, hi-res screens, wireless internet, slim cases, storage expansion slots, keyboards, phones, etc. for a wide range of prices (starting at a fraction of the cost of the cheapest WinCE-based Pocket PCs). There are thousands of third-party programs, plus add-ons like modems and keyboards and keypads and cameras and so on.
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Symbian OS (previously known as EPOC) is a rock-solid, genuinely multi-tasking graphical operating system, designed for pocketable devices, with a long history in the European PDA market. Now Symbian is becoming the OS of choice for high-end wireless phones, such as those from Sony Ericsson and Nokia, which can include PDA-style applications, wireless web browsing and e-mail, wireless gaming, Java, and more. (I've been using PDAs running the predecessors of the current Symbian OS for over a decade now, and wouldn't voluntarily trade it for any existing OS.)
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RIM BlackBerry users often use the phrase "cold, dead fingers" when describing the terms in which they'd give them up. Their key innovation is their always-on wireless e-mail capability, which RIM has gone to great legal lengths to maintain, and with phone capabilities now, it seems like they've incluced everything but the kitchen sink. Most models include QWERTY keypads which are a good alternative to scribbling on the screen. They include personal calendar, address book, and to-do list software, and a growing amount of third-party software is available.
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The Sharp Zaurus runs OpenPDA, a version of Linux (with Java) engineered for the needs of small devices. It works nicely with MS Office desktop apps (especially with the optional HancomMobileOffice software). When closed the Zaurus looks a bit like a standard backlit high-color PalmOS or PocketPC device, but it slides open to reveal a small thumb-ready QWERTY keypad for easier text entry. It also supports a stylus with good handwriting recognition. It's expandable with either CompactFlash or SecureDigital memory, and offers a wireless communication option.
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Sharp created one of the first great pocket organisers way back in the late 1980's, and its direct descendents are the current Wizard and YO models. The Wizard has been eclipsed in the North American market by the Palm/WinCE crowd, but the strength of the system's design has kept it viable (especially in Japan), and Sharp still produces a line of very functional, up-to-date organizers. Some models synch with desktop software and can run third-party programs, have impressive battery life, they're slimmer than all but the most expensive PDA's, and less expensive than even the discounted PalmOS models or Cybiko. There are also a gaggle of simple, very cheap pocket devices from Sony and other manufacturers that can be used to reliably store phone numbers, appointments, etc. if that's all you need.
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Or adopt an orphan. The current crop of palmhelds aren't the first; they're just the first to find a large enough market ready to use them. Many of the earlier ones had pretty good features, and since they're now considered "obsolete", they should be fairly easy and inexpensive to pick up second-hand. The original "PDA" was the Apple Newton, with handwriting recognition. It got off to a shaky start, but was improving dramatically when Apple changed strategy and dropped it. The Poqet PC was a real DOS PC with a real keyboard and PCMCIA storage, in a case smaller than a VHS cassette, that ran for months on AA cells. HP's LX computers were small, DOS-compatible machines with a still-loyal user base. Atari made the DOS-like Portfolio. Casio's Boss wasn't bad. And the earlier models of Sharp's Wizard and Psion's Series 3 line were (and still are) quite useful.
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There are some operating systems that aren't necessarily available in commercial products, but either can be installed by the technically savvy, or may be available commercially in the near future:
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The smaller Unix-like operating systems should be able to run on any machine powerful enough to run Windows. With that in mind, efforts are underway to port the open-source NetBSD to run on Windows-CE-compatible hardware. The supported units include machines from Everex, NEC, Fujitsu, Casio, IBM, Philips, Compaq, and Sharp.
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Similar efforts are underway for Linux. LinuxCE focuses on the hardware platforms that Windows CE runs on. It's not there yet, but given the speed with which collaborative projects like this develop, it may not be very long before a stable, fully-functional OS might be available for that "Pocket PC" you've been eyeing. Embedded Linux is an array of projects to develop Linux-based systems for completely new hardware, including tablets, pocketable computers, etc.
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QNX is a long-time player in the "embedded systems" industry (referring to devices with computing power built into them but not necessarily a standard "computer" user interface). The tech industry is heading this way, and QNX has been there for quite a while already. To my knowledge there aren't any palmhelds using it... but given the strength of their software, it'd be a good match. See their demo disk - which fits an operating system, TCP/IP, HTML server, and graphical web browser on a floppy diskette - for an example of what it can do.
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