Comments on: Donna Dubinsky Interview

In a recent CNET interview, Palm and Handspring co-founder Donna Dubinsky makes some interesting comments about Microsoft and makers of Pocket PC handhelds:

We're better at synchronizing with Windows than they are. [The handheld industry] has to acknowledge that Windows is the leadership and the clear standard on the desktop. But they keep persisting and believing they have to put Windows in this. And so they keep trying to fit it. They keep reducing and reducing the number of calls and APIs, of course making it less and less robust in order to be able to fit it in. And then by doing so, they're losing the key thing they gain by it being Windows, which is compatibility. So now it's not compatible, but it's still Windows, which is too big and a processor hog.

 I agree

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/25/2000 6:30:00 PM #

Very simple reply, Amen!

 Making choices simpler

zzami @ 8/27/2000 9:00:00 PM #

Yeah, the Pocket PC platform is pretty cool...I admit that. 64 K colors, video, sound, MP3 support are bells and whistles and they certainly live up to their name.

When someone asks me how to choose a PDA, I'll always advise them to make their choice based on software first, then hardware. If you go by hardware first, it's not hard to reason why the Pocket PC is very impressive. Months later down the road, when the novelty of video and music wears off, the Pocket PC users might just realize it's basically the simplicity, wealth of available software and wide user base that extends a PDA's usefulness. With that in mind, it's not hard to guess why Palm is the leader of the pack!

Just my two bits' worth here. :-)

 Short Answer

mguice @ 8/28/2000 9:21:32 AM #

Bill's Arrogance. Look for Windows next on a Cray Supercomputer - reducing it to the effectiveness of an 8088.