To many analysts, it didn't come as a surprise when Palm, Inc. CEO Ed Colligan (along with Microsoft chief software architect and founder Bill Gates and Verizon's CEO Denny Strigl) introduced his company's first Windows Mobile product, the Treo 700w (see our review), in September. That the device, which started shipping this month, would be a smartphone—the fastest growing handheld category—running the most sought after mobile platform by enterprises, and a Treo—the most popular model in the U.S.—was a no-brainer for the PDA pioneer.

At the same time, Palm has made a point - again and again - of emphasizing that it isn't abandoning the Palm OS. Colligan even sent an open letter to developers reasserting the company's commitment to the platform. Palm plans to announce three additional smartphone models this year, a mix - according to the Internet rumor mill - of Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices.

While manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola have long offered smartphones running a variety of mobile platforms, could this OS blend prove problematic for Palm customers?

Take the recent release of the Windows Mobile Treo 700w, for example. Windows Mobile should help Palm break into Microsoft-centric enterprises, who have held off from purchasing Palm products because they didn't run Windows.

Someone moseying into a Verizon store could mistakenly interpret the new smartphone to be a simple upgrade to the Treo 650: they look incredibly similar and, obviously, both have the Treo brand name.

While it may makes sense that Palm would leverage the popularity of the Treo name for a new (almost physically identical) smartphone to launch the Treo 700w, what does the average consumer think? If they're even thinking about the handset's OS at all.

While not everyone who owns a Treo cares what OS their smartphone runs, they certainly will, for example, if they 'upgrade' to a new Treo 700w and take it home to find none of their Treo 650 applications—for some, hundreds of dollars invested—don't work with their new phone.

Yes, there's the 'w' in 700w, but shoppers could just as easily interpret that to mean 'wireless' as any OS indication.

Of course, how many people who are spending several hundred dollars on an upgrade or new device don't know the difference between a Palm and Windows Mobile Treo? Chances are someone who is shelling out that much cash understands what they are getting, right? I wouldn't bet on it.

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