As it plans a new operating system release for the next month, Palm has launched a version of a online store to allow direct downloads and purchases for Palm’s mobile devices. Palm’s Software Store offers a catalog of more than 5,000 titles, including games, which Palm users can purchase and download on their mobile devices. In its previous version, Palm owners were required to download an app or game to a computer, and then transfer the software from the computer to the mobile device.

Palm’s mobile store supports more than 25 Palm devices, such as the Centro and Treo Pro, and about 20% of the available titles are free to download. Software is available for both the current Palm OS as well as Palm devices that run Windows Mobile. To access the store, a Palm user needs to install a free mobile-store software on the device.

App stores for mobile devices are now commonplace. Apple’s App Store for the iPhone and iPod is the best known, but Android-based phones have a marketplace for third-party software, and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is expected to launch its own store in the first quarter of 2009.
The apps available in these stores will increasingly factor into consumers’ decisions when buying a new mobile device.

Palm has lagged behind its competitors in recent years. Earlier this month, the company stated its sales would be half what analysts were projecting for the quarter, and it has laid off about 10% of its workforce.
The new Palm operating system is the Linux-based Nova OS will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The OS is expected to offer never seen before features and be accompanied by related products.