On the Treo OS Hoopla

I honestly don't know what the big deal is. Rumor has it that PalmOne is considering making a Treo that runs Windows Mobile, although no one seems to know if it's the Smartphone or Pocket PC variant. PalmSource (the company that makes PalmOS itself) stock took a hit when the news hit Wall Street.

What's the big deal? PalmOne announced that they'd be open to using operating systems other than PalmOS back when it was first announced that PalmOne and PalmSource would become separate companies. If I were a stockholder in PalmOne, I'd be ticked if they weren't investigating using other operating systems. Putting all your eggs in one basket is generally not a great idea. Now PalmOne states they're also looking into Linux-based PDAs as well. Good for them.

But here's what I really don't get. Just because they're looking into using Windows Mobile or Linux in the Treo line, where does that imply that they won't be using PalmOS? I understood from the start that they weren't thinking about replacing PalmOS and becoming an exclusively Windows Mobile vendor. I imagine they'll offer a line of Treos, some running PalmOS (possibly some with Garnet and some with Cobalt), and some running Windows Mobile, and maybe even a Linux-based model. What's wrong with consumer choice? I say if PalmOne covers their bases by offering multiple smartphone OSes, they increase their chance of dominating the smartphone market.