Comments on: Where Are You Going, Palm? http://tewha.net/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/ A blog on technical stuff by Steven Fisher. Cat pictures not included. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:11:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Jonathan Hays http://tewha.net/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Jonathan Hays Wed, 25 May 2005 19:59:22 +0000 http://www.objectsatrest.com/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/#comment-21 Steven, IMHO, the success of PalmSource hinges on whether or not they can convince a vendor/licensee to build a low end/cheap/for-a-penny phone built on the PalmOS. The reason why Symbian has so many devices in the field is because they are given away by the vendors. It's fairly obvious that if the general public doesn't understand the virtues of product A vs. product B, they're going to go with the cheapest model. Period. From what I've seen in the Microsoft products, they are going to have those for-a-penny phones in about a year. That's how long PalmSource has to sink or swim. Again, all of these are solely my opinion and I'd love to be wrong, but all the indicators point in that direction. -Jon PS. Too bad you couldn't make it to the DevCon. It's fun! Steven,
IMHO, the success of PalmSource hinges on whether or not they can convince a vendor/licensee to build a low end/cheap/for-a-penny phone built on the PalmOS. The reason why Symbian has so many devices in the field is because they are given away by the vendors. It’s fairly obvious that if the general public doesn’t understand the virtues of product A vs. product B, they’re going to go with the cheapest model. Period. From what I’ve seen in the Microsoft products, they are going to have those for-a-penny phones in about a year. That’s how long PalmSource has to sink or swim. Again, all of these are solely my opinion and I’d love to be wrong, but all the indicators point in that direction.

-Jon

PS. Too bad you couldn’t make it to the DevCon. It’s fun!

]]> By: Steven Fisher http://tewha.net/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Steven Fisher Wed, 25 May 2005 15:54:56 +0000 http://www.objectsatrest.com/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/#comment-20 Ben, Reading my post, your commend, and my comment, I've realized my post neeeded an update tagged to the end. Thanks for keeping me honest. :) -- Steve Ben,

Reading my post, your commend, and my comment, I’ve realized my post neeeded an update tagged to the end. Thanks for keeping me honest. :)

– Steve

]]> By: Steven Fisher http://tewha.net/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Steven Fisher Wed, 25 May 2005 15:49:58 +0000 http://www.objectsatrest.com/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/#comment-19 Ben, I know you can't comment on specifics. I just want you to know I appreciate just the good feelings coming from your direction, and I hope it works out better than I'm afraid of. I should have mentioned, though, that I think if one of the companies can save the situation, it's PalmOne and not PalmSource. PalmOne might actually teach the pig to sing. It's a tough task, but it just might be possible. PalmSource, on the other hand, has a really good money incinerator going building its second system. I think if PalmOne is going to succeed, it's going to have to be in spite of PalmSource instead of with them. I hope there's a buyout clause somewhere in there PalmOne can activate for when PalmSource dies... Ben, I know you can’t comment on specifics. I just want you to know I appreciate just the good feelings coming from your direction, and I hope it works out better than I’m afraid of.

I should have mentioned, though, that I think if one of the companies can save the situation, it’s PalmOne and not PalmSource. PalmOne might actually teach the pig to sing. It’s a tough task, but it just might be possible. PalmSource, on the other hand, has a really good money incinerator going building its second system. I think if PalmOne is going to succeed, it’s going to have to be in spite of PalmSource instead of with them. I hope there’s a buyout clause somewhere in there PalmOne can activate for when PalmSource dies…

]]> By: Ben Combee http://tewha.net/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Ben Combee Wed, 25 May 2005 15:40:25 +0000 http://www.objectsatrest.com/2005/05/where-are-you-going-palm/#comment-18 I don't agree with you about palmOne; I think they have a definite direction -- they currently have four product lines aimed at different segments of the market but using a common OS platform. We've just reclaimed the name that people still associate with hardware devices -- people still call them PalmPilots! palmOne has more software engineers than PalmSource, and we're working on providing a value-added set of applicatons and libraries on top of base Palm OS Garnet. While I can't talk about what we're doing the future, I think you'll continue to see a series of handheld computing devices that focus of the needs of large sets of customers and innovate, sometimes in design or price point, sometimes in new features. I don’t agree with you about palmOne; I think they have a definite direction — they currently have four product lines aimed at different segments of the market but using a common OS platform. We’ve just reclaimed the name that people still associate with hardware devices — people still call them PalmPilots! palmOne has more software engineers than PalmSource, and we’re working on providing a value-added set of applicatons and libraries on top of base Palm OS Garnet.

While I can’t talk about what we’re doing the future, I think you’ll continue to see a series of handheld computing devices that focus of the needs of large sets of customers and innovate, sometimes in design or price point, sometimes in new features.

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