How Palm Lost It

In 2003, Palm spun off its OS division into PalmSource, and earlier this month Japanese software company Access bought the company for $324 million in cash.

But Access' interest might not even have been the Palm OS. By acquiring PalmSource, the company gained Linux development resources for mobile devices in the U.S., France and China, including those from PalmSource's recent acquisition of China MobileSoft, a Linux software firm. It's possible the software firm could discontinue the OS, deciding instead to take the company's technology and engineers in new directions.