If you are like me, your first experience with a truly useful handheld PDA or smart phone was a Palm device.  That device ran the Palm operating system.  From the original PalmPilot to the Treo Pro, the Palm OS was simple and intuitive.  More importantly for lawyers, Palm OS devices synchronized with most practice management and time/billing software.  But with yesterday’s dropping of the final Palm OS device, the Treo Pro, the Palm OS is no more.  The only Palm devices now available are smart phones running the webOS operating system such as the Pre and Pixie.

This does not mean your existing Palm OS device will suddenly stop working.  But it does mean that when it is time to upgrade, you must opt for a device running a different operating system (Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android, webOS, iPhone, etc.).  You may want to begin your research now rather than waiting until your Treo Pro, Centro, or other Palm OS smart phone breaks or wears out.  When that happens, you will be too time-pressed for a replacement to thoroughly research your options.