14 DAY TRIAL // Sunnyvale-based mobile phone maker Palm needs to step on the gas a little with the development of applications for its newly launched Palm Pre device. Given the fact that the company has allowed only a small number of developers to access the Mojo SDK for the handset's webOS platform, it seems that the number of official software solutions for the phone is a rather reduced one, which doesn't seem to be a good thing for the Pre's popularity.
The App Catalog, the software portal for the Pre's webOS, only includes 30 applications at the moment, though owners of the handset can also enjoy apps developed for the older Palm OS via the MotionApps Classic Palm OS emulator, and there should be a few hundreds of solutions available at the newly launched MobiHand Classic App Store. But these are not the only solutions that go along with the Pre, as homebrew apps seem to be rising in number as well.
Moreover, their number is now reported to have surpassed that of the official solutions in the App Catalog, as they have just reached 31 apps. For what it's worth, it seems that Homebrew on the Pre is the most exciting thing for enthusiasts at the moment, and those interested in the area can find a variety of software available for their devices, starting from games and going all the way to hacking solutions.
The homebrew apps are indeed coming to the display with increased speed, which should determine Palm to come up with some more official solutions as well. The company has stepped into the matter, however, and more developers have been invited to join its webOS developers community, and things might turn to another direction in the near future. On the other hand, until that happens, it still remains the fact that the official App Catalog has less apps than the number of homebrew apps developed for the Pre.