Palm Pre developer kit not due until "end of summer"

One of the biggest criticisms of Palm's would-be iPhone killer is its comparatively puny collection of apps—just 30 at last count, compared to tens on thousands for the iPhone. The good news? Palm is readying the developer kit that'll help third-party coders start writing more Pre apps. The bad news? It won't be ready until later this summer.

Palm told its developer community via blog post Friday (as reported by CNET) that its long-awaited "Mojo" SDK—the developer kit for WebOS, the new mobile operating system that powers the Pre—as well as the "developer services that support it just aren't ready yet."

Coders will have to wait until the "end of this summer" to get the SDK, according to the blog post. However, Palm says it will open its Mojo "early access program" to "thousands" of additional developers in "the next few weeks." Until recently, only a few hundred developers had "early access" to the SDK.

Still, the longer developers have to wait for the full Mojo SDK, the longer Pre owners will have to wait for more apps—and as Engadget notes, there were barely 30 applications in the Palm App Catalog as of June 17. (At least app-hungry Pre users managed to rack up more than 700,000 App Catalog downloads since the phone's June 6 launch.)

Personally, I'm amazed that we're still waiting for Palm's Mojo SDK, especially given that Apple's robust App Store is such a key selling point for the iPhone. Indeed, many of you have commented that you're holding off on the Pre precisely because of its near-empty catalog.

In an oblique sign that Palm's acutely aware of the application gap, its "Developer Network" blog is (apparently, anyway) taking a neutral position on WebOS app "experiments" built without the official SDK.

The blog doesn't exactly encourage developers to "experiment in ways that cross official boundaries" … but it doesn't discourage it, either, noting merely that "we believe our formal offerings … will provide the best experience for the vast majority of WebOS developers and users." Interesting.

So, question for those contemplating (or now owning) a Pre: How concerned are you about the Pre's scarce supply of apps (so far, anyway)? Confident that Palm's App Catalog will be well stocked by the end of the year? Or is the Pre's app selection just not that important to you?

Related:
Palm WebOS SDK release planned for end of summer [CNET]