It looks like the new Palm Pre, which runs on the new Web OS operating system, will not work with older applications supported on the Palm Treo and other smart phones, as these will not be emulated. On the other hand, a Palm representative said the company will allow third-party emulation.

Palm announced that the Web OS is expected to guide its application and device development for the next decade. The new device is expected to be available from Sprint in the first half of this year. Palm will be setting up an online store similar to Apple's App Store for users to find applications for the Pre.

Furthermore, the company will also release a generally available software developer kit for building apps at some point close to the time of the public shipment of the device, which will probably be before July. The Web OS is based on Linux and developers familiar with CSS, Java and HTML will be able to easily build applications for it.

As for the touchscreen on the Pre, this does not come with a virtual keyboard as the iPhone and other smart phones do, meaning that users will rely instead on Pre's slide-out QWERTY keyboard. However, some common tasks, such as calling up an e-mail or a text field to contact a close worker or friend, will be accomplished with one touch, not several, as required with some devices.

The Pre uses a novel charging device that applies inductive technology via a round device shaped like a hockey puck, called the Palm Touchstone. Users must place the phone on the Touchstone in order to charge it. No pricing has been announced yet for the phone or for the Touchstone, but it's clear the phone will be sold exclusively by Sprint Nextel in the US for a time period that is not being disclosed.