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Watch vendor Fossil, Inc. has licensed the Palm operating system from PalmSource for the first Palm OS watch called the WRIST PDA with Palm OS. Fossil plans to showcase prototypes of the WRIST PDA with Palm OS this week at COMDEX. Fossil currently has made a watch called the WRIST PDA before, but that watch is compatible with Palm OS devices but doesn't run the Palm OS itself.

According to the Fossil, the WRIST PDA with Palm OS is fully compatible with the Palm OS platform and will run all Palm OS applications. The WRIST PDA with Palm OS also features an illuminated grayscale touch screen that has a resolution of 160x160 pixels with a stylus integrated into the band for Graffiti input, 2MB internal memory and 2MB of flash memory, a Rocker switch user interface, infrared port to support beaming between all Palm Powered devices, a USB interface, and the standard Palm OS applications, including the Address Book, Date Book, Memo Pad, Calculator and To Do List. The Wrist PDA runs on a Motorola DragonballVZ 33MHz CPU and weighs 5.7 oz. It measures 35mm(w) x 51mm (h) x 12.5mm (t). The company said battery life is approximately 4 days based on an average use of 30 minutes per day with the backlight set to off OFF.

Fossil said the new device can be used as a stand-alone or secondary device. PalmSource views the agreement as another way to make the Palm OS more ubiquitous. "The flexibility of the Palm OS enables licensees to develop innovative and differentiated products," said David Nagel, president and chief executive officer for PalmSource, Inc. "Fossil's strong reputation in the watch and consumer product markets as well as its strong brand will extend the reach of Palm Powered products to new customers in new markets."

Fossil plans launch the WRIST PDA with Palm OS under two brands, FOSSIL and ABACUS, a new tech brand that targets the electronics distribution. Both versions of the new WRIST PDA are scheduled to be available in stores by the middle of next year.