Palm On Track with Wireless Handhelds

Talking to investors at the J.P. Morgan H&Q Technology Conference, Palm Chief Financial Officer Judy Bruner briefly discussed her company's plans for wireless handhelds. She said Palm is on course to deliver a new version of the wireless Palm VIIx by the end of this year. It will first be available with service from Cingular Wireless.

She also said Palm is developing a handheld with built-in GSM service for Europe but she wouldn't give any details or a delivery date.

Palm has been saying for months that they will be releasing a successor to the aging VIIx. The new wireless device, typically referred to in rumors as the m700 series, will have real-time e-mail reception. This means that device constantly looks for new e-mail and notifies the user when some is received.

This device has been referred to as the "Blackberry killer" because Palm's CEO Carl Yankowski promised back in February that Palm's handheld would be better than the Blackberry. "We can do everything that (Research In Motion) does not," he said.

While the Blackberry's sales have been small compared to palm's, the VII series has often been compared unfavorably to the little device, which already offers real-time e-mail.

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what about color?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 8:33:27 AM #
How will the rumored device compare to the new m500 series? Is there a built in anteana or is is more like the VIIx. I have been hearing about the always on capabilities, but does any one have any further info on this?

RE: what about color?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 2:47:38 PM #
Color should be available in the m705 series.

m700 Pics!!!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 8:46:04 AM #
Hey, PalmStation has some pics of the m700.

http://images.palmstation.com/m700/m700front.jpg

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 8:54:03 AM #
Here's the back http://images.palmstation.com/m700/m700backedit.jpg

Don't know if these are real. That they are in B&W makes me doubt them. It is easier to fake photos if they aren't color.

If real, Palm had to move the SD to the side so the top is all antenna. Wait, I just saw that it doesn't have IR. That really makes me think this is fake.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 9:16:48 AM #
Sorry, but this device is uggly

Tom


RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 11:22:10 AM #
Looks like something out of a 1960's space movie, yuck.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 11:23:12 AM #
The to do list button at the bottom has been replaced with one for email!

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
GregGaub @ 5/4/2001 11:30:10 AM #
I hate to say it, but it looks real to me. I'm not sure why it's B/W, and yes it could easily be a fake... but how many times do we have to see a leaked photo, claim that it's a fake, then find out it's not? I'd put money down that this is 100% real.
I won't comment on the appearance or features... but I, for one, believe that the photo is authentic.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
bcombee @ 5/4/2001 11:35:24 AM #
One reason for B/W -- someone stuck the device in a photocopier, and the pictures we see are scans of the "copies". I doubt Palm would let anyone photograph these at this stage of development -- these probably are very unwanted leaks.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
twizza @ 5/4/2001 12:32:16 PM #
i agree that this could possibly be the new VII. but i dont liek teh design either. maybe add some more curves on teh side and a soft graffati area and then we could see something nice. actually i might jsut play with it a bit myself jsut to see what kind of designs can come from this. looking at the pic you can tell that it does have a color screen. [i am a photographer's assistant and i jsut have an eye for these photoshop jobs.]

jsut another note on the design. if this device wont come out till lata in da year. it is a good chance that it will change some.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2001 1:52:02 PM #
Are you sure it has a color screen? If so, this thing will kill the M505. The size looks about the same, which is really the only benefit of the M505 besides color. Plus with that volume control, it may actually incorporate a real speaker. And email! If they want to stay below $500 for a palm device, there isn't much space left.

Oh wait, I just saw the contrast button on the top right of the graffiti area. As far as I know, none of the color devices have a contrast feature, just monochromes.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
bcombee @ 5/4/2001 2:40:55 PM #
Where are you seeing a volume control? The front page screen has what looks like a volume control at the bottom, but I think that is more likely to be a wireless strength indicator.

RE: m700 Pics!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/8/2001 2:51:03 AM #
I think saying a handheld device looks like something out of a 1960s science fiction film is one of the nicest compliments you can pay. I'm sick of superfluous curves. These photographs depict a lovely minimalist design. It looks Swedish or German, like a Volvo or Porsche. Americans aren't known for industrial design; this product may help.

Cingular Wireless not a new carrier

bcombee @ 5/4/2001 11:36:52 AM #
By the way -- BellSouth Wireless Data, the provider of the Mobitex network that the current Palm VII/VIIx use, is now part of Cingular Wireless. This new device is probably still on the Mobitex network -- IMHO, a good thing, since the VII/VIIx coverage area has been quite good. It also allows for the small, power efficient radios seen in the RIM devices.

Cingular as carrier for first m70x?

johnbartley @ 5/4/2001 6:57:00 PM #
Implications of using Cingular as the carrier are:

1) Cingular operates GSM 800/1900 and TDMA 800 nets in the States as well as MobiTex.
2) Cingular does not provide data over TDMA now - so this is likely a GSM device, not CDMA (sorry, Qualcomm), with any hope.
3) Given the ATTWS decision to add GSM alongside its TDMA/AMPS net, the writing's on the wall anyway for the end of TDMA.
4) With ATTWS on board the GSM bandwagon, that will mean 96% of the US population will have GSM data service by EOY 2002.
La belle Canada's already got devent GSM coverage in iots urban areas as well.
5) It should not be difficult to engineer a different GSM 1800 or 900/1800 version of the m70x for the rest of the world.

Therefore, the m70x will allow an incremental strategy, just like Palm did w/ the VII early rollout in Manhattan before the rest of the US.
They will be able to cover Anglo North America & Quebec first, and expand out with a m7yx reengineered for Euro-Austral GSM frequencies once the bugs are worked out in the states.

Wonder if SMS will be included in the basic software load? Sure hope so!

--
See the (unofficial) PalmOS Wireless FAQ at http://palmwireless.cjb.net
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trade in

jim @ 5/6/2001 12:06:53 AM #
when the new palm 700 comes out.Could you trade in your palm 7x.
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