Here is the “new-ness” you’ve been waiting for: the next-generation Palm operating system, code-named “Nova”. Alongside the first device to run it, the new OS will be unveiled next month in Vegas.

The details of new operating system (that would replace Palm OS 5), which the company has promised since October 2007, are still sketchy, but let’s try highlighting some relevant information on it.

According to Palm Chief Executive Officer Jon Rubinstein:

the goal is to create products that bridge the gap between Research In Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry devices, oriented to work and e-mail, and Apple’s iPhone, oriented to fun.

The company has lost share and its stock price has plummeted 80% since Rubinstein joined, Businessweek reported.

It’s interesting that Mr. Rubinstein was just mentioned BlackBerry and iPhone that need to be bridged, but the touch-screen pioneer company didn’t talk about Nokia and Android, which have similar market with this niche. Both Nokia and Android smart-phones were also strong in both productivity and entertainment.

Moreover, Palm wants

the platform would be capable of acting as an OS for not only smartphones, but gameboy like consoles and e-book readers.

I was personally not sure whether we really do need to bridge the gap between a Blackberry and an iPhone, or even between Symbian-based Nokia and Android smart-phones. Each product and brand has own market and fans.

Frankly speaking, it’s not easy to put the incoming Palm device on the smart-phone market map today, since there are many other fierce competitors out there: Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson, just name it…

However, Palm believes they can grab 2% of the market. Above all, let’s wait until they unveiled their next-gen OS and device at CES 2009.