SlingPlayer for PalmOS unveiled

Sling your home TV to the Palm 700p

(Credit: Sling Media)

The PalmOS version of the SlingPlayer Mobile software is now available as a public beta at Sling Media's Web site. The initial version of the Palm software is designed to run only on the Palm Treo 700p. The new software adds Palm to the list of supported platforms to which Slingbox products can stream home TV programming. To date, SlingPlayer viewing software has already been released for Windows (2000, XP, and Vista) and Mac OS X (Intel and PowerPC) computers and Windows Mobile handhelds and smartphones. Additionally, a Symbian version of the SlingPlayer is preinstalled on some phones available from British wireless provider 3.

We've been testing an earlier beta build of the Palm SlingPlayer for a few weeks, and--aside from a few minor hiccups--it works just as well as its Windows Mobile counterpart. The biggest drawback is it runs on only one device--the Treo 700p. We tried to run the software on an older Treo 650, but to no avail. (Palm says it may run on a Treo 680, but that phone's lack of 3G broadband will likely make for a pretty rocky streaming experience.) However, if and when future 3G-enabled PalmOS phones become available, it's a safe bet they'll work just as well as the 700p.

Once the software moves from beta to a release version, it will be available for a 30-day trial period. Thereafter, it can be purchased for $30 (the same price as the Windows Mobile version).