PDA Performance has released a "sneak peek" beta version of their Saguaro operating system. According to the website, Saguaro is the most modern desktop-centric design that revolves around the same world-class ease of use that you enjoy from your Palm every time you turn it on. Already three years in the making, it’s the new application platform that combines everything you know about your personal computer and love about your Palm into the most stunning mobile operating system, ever.

At the heart of Saguaro® is a true multitasking kernel that allows multiple Saguaro-compatible applications to run simultaneously. The kernel eliminates Palm OS limitations in the process, providing the most solid base upon which to build mobile software without breaking compatibility with your existing Palm OS applications.

I downloaded the beta on my Treo 680 and it really looks great! You can see it running on my device in the above photo. I can't wait to see the full version. I love widgets and they'll really add to the Treo 680 user experience in a fun way. Looks sort of like my Apple PowerBook desktop with the widgets. You'll notice the battery and the clock in the upper right hand corner of my Treo 680. (click on thumbnailed pic for full version) Plus there are the two cool widgets which are limited for now to the CNN news headline ticker and a nice weather widget. With the Weather icon showing at the top left of the screen, I clicked on "view", and this gave me the option to put in my zip code or city. I clicked on the CNN News icon on the application bar at the bottom of the screen and that brought up the CNN News icon at the top left of the screen. Then I clicked on "category" and was given different news options. I chose tech news and saw some interesting tech news headlines roll across. Sweet. I can never get enough tech news! ;-)

Here are some screenshots from my Treo 680:

The Saguara beta "sneak peek" is compatible with most newer Palm handhelds that have the following minimum requirements:

• Palm OS v5.0 (or higher)
• 320x320 resolution display (or higher)
• 100 MHz StrongARM/XScale ARM processor or faster (300 MHz recommended for best performance)
• 3MB of storage memory (RAM) to install Saguaro system executable
• 4MB of free storage memory to operate Saguaro
• 2MB of dynamic heap memory
• Internet connectivity (via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular data service

Head on over to the Saguaro "sneak peek" page and give it a whirl. You've got until April 27th to download it.