Access has achieved a third beta release of its Garnet virtual machine (VM) for Nokia's Linux-based Internet tablets. The releases brings improvements to the included Palm Pilot PDA applications, while adding more complete support for the approximately 30,000 extant Palm Pilot applications, Access says.

(Click for larger view of the Garnet VM running on a Nokia N810)

Available for Tablet OS2006, OS2007, and OS2008, the VM enables some 30,000 Palm Pilot applications to run on Nokia 770, N800, and N810 Internet tablets, according to Access.

Nokia's N810, N800, and 770 Internet tablets
(Click any for details)

Access's Garnet VM aims to let Palm binaries run on Linux, regardless of whether they were written back when Palm Pilots used Motorola's M68000 Dragonball processor or later, after Palm switched to ARM processors. Originally written for Access's Access Linux Platform (ALP), the VM was first trialed on Nokia's TabletOS a year ago.

The Garnet VM supports Palm binaries
(Click to enlarge)

Access says the new release fixes several bugs in the Garnet VM core components. The fixes are said to enable greater application and game compatibility, for instance adding support for the first time for Megasoft2000's Billiard 5.0, and for Beiks LLC's Toxic Balls.

Additionally, the core Palm PIM (personal information management) applications have been improved, Access said. These include an addressbook, datebook, memo pad, and calculator.

Examples of supported applications listed by Access include:Google Maps
Snappermail
WiFile Pro
EzFTP
Pocket Tunes (Internet radio playback only)
Kinoma Player 4 EX
DateBk5
Britannica Encyclopedia
Bejeweled
PacMan
Raging Thunder
Village SIMThe VM typically requires 16MB of free space, and uses 3.5MB of RAM. A technical whitepaper about the VM can be found here. The beta can be downloaded for free (with registration) here, for TabletOS 2008, 2007, or 2006.


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