Although Access and Palm have essentially parted ways - both companies are independently developing their own Linux-based Smartphone Operating System with PalmOS compatiblities - Access appears to have a bit of a head start with their Access Linux Platform. Case in point: they have just released a "Virtual Machine Beta" that allows Garnet - the latest version of the PalmOS - to run on Nokia's Linux-based Internet Tablets. The Virtual Machine appears to work very well -- although the site where the beta is being offered does ask for assistance in determining application compatiblity.

Engadgets points us to this TabletBlog post where you can find a video of the PalmOS VM in action on a Nokia Tablet, embedded below:

The Virtual Machine comes bundled with a few standard apps - Calendar, Address, Memo Pad, and Calculator. It also has a very small footprint - the VM app itself is only 3.5mb of storage space and allows for configurations of anywhere to 1mb to 32mb for Virtual Machine usage.

Still in beta, the VM isn't completely feature-complete, but it does have an app installer, works with (the original!) Grafitti, and is able to use networking features.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Access appears to intend to offer the Virtual Machine for free not only in its Beta form but also in its final version.

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