Palm Launches Referral Program

Posted By: Ed Wednesday, March 20, 2002 9:49:22 AM

Palm Inc. has begun the Palm Pays Back Promotion, in which people who convince their friends or family to buy a Palm handheld can get "Palm Bucks" to buy merchandise from a special online store. Currently, the only handhelds that are part of the program are the i705, m515, and m130. This program is designed for individuals, not organizations or websites, as each person can collect a maximum of 500 Palm Bucks.

In order to get the Palm Bucks, people need to be registered as a Palm Champion.

The program allows customers to buy their handhelds wherever they want. After the purchase, they need to go to a special Palm website to register the new handheld and log the product serial number and email address of the Palm Champion. As an added bonus, they will receive free software, including two games: Bang! Bang! and Eye of Horus by Astraware.

The Palm Champion recieves 45 Palm Bucks for each i705, 40 Palm Bucks for each m515, and 25 Palm Bucks for each m130 purchased. They can then use these to buy products like cases, content cards, styli, and even an m125 or m500. Prices in Palm Bucks are generally the same as they are for regular money. For example, the Palm m500 series hardcase is $40 or 40 Palm Bucks.

The catalog includes some special bundles and Palm plans to add exclusive items to the catalog.

Palm Bucks can't be redeemed for cash.

This program is in effect from March 20 to May 20, 2002, in the United States only.

"Word-of-mouth has always been one of our most effective marketing benefits,'' said Ken Wirt, senior vice president of marketing at Palm. "The Palm brand remains No. 1 in the handheld market because of the tight-knit, passionate community of people who love Palm handhelds and recommend them to everyone they know. Now, with this program, we have an effective way to reward and motivate these Palm Champions with attractive incentives.''

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Other sales employees?

ColonelKlink @ 3/20/2002 11:02:35 AM #
AARGH! I've already registered my m130 and m515!

I looked at the terms and it doesn't say anything about employees of stores that sell Palm products not being elgible for this...only Palm employees, suppliers, related companies, and agents...unless I'm a Palm AGENT!

Reward money can only buy a small subset of items

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 11:30:03 AM #
I found out that the reward money you earn can only buy a very small set of items from Palm store. :(

RE: Reward money can only buy a small subset of items
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 11:54:27 AM #
You are right, Palm should give YOU a new m515 for every m130 you refer...
Complains and more complains :o(

RE: Reward money can only buy a small subset of items
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 10:22:29 PM #
If a salesman sold a palm, he can got "real money" for commission.
But, if a customer invite his realtives to buy a palm, he got "palm bucks". And, that "bucks" are only availabe for some products of palm.

So, this is not "complain", it's just UNFAIR.

RE: Reward money can only buy a small subset of items
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 3:09:40 PM #
it's all crappy items....they should let you buy anything!

Spam spam spam

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 12:07:20 PM #
"send 'you should really know about these great new products' emails to your friends. "

Yeah, lets spam all of our friends and family. Is this the best marketing plan they could come up with? I love my palm, but I'm not going to get everyone I know on a mailing list.

RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 12:22:58 PM #
Companies who starts referral programs like this should be sued for generating spams. I really don't know which address to bloack for spaming, do I block all my friends and relatives' email address from now on ? Thanks alot Palm !!

RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:18:11 PM #
If you are worried about 'friends and family' spamming you for email to get you to buy a new palm, then you do not have friends or family as they should know that you have one already :p

RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:46:46 PM #
Another great program brought to you by Palm Inc. marketing genius.

RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 2:56:20 PM #
>..... "marketing genius"

What ?!! you called that "marketing genius" ?

RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 3:26:53 PM #
" What ?!! you called that "marketing genius" ? "

Can you say 'sarcasm'!


RE: Spam spam spam
jjsoh @ 3/20/2002 7:31:52 PM #
mmmmm... SPAMŽ.


Jim
RE: Spam spam spam
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 9:58:06 AM #
sarcasm???
this one is called "irony".

Recommend Palm Products??

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 12:14:08 PM #
I'm not anti-Palm trolling here, but I could not, in good faith, recommend any of Palm's current lineup to anyone I know.
From what users have been saying, some m515's still has the electrostatic charge buildup problem. Add in this sidelight software bug, and $400 seems unjustifiable for such poor quality. My Palm V has never had *any* problems...the m500-series is a substantial disappointment for a longtime Palm user like myself.
The i705 is overpriced for what it does, and unless instant-notification for email is an absolutely necessity for your profession, it simply isn't worth it.
The m130 would be a good value if not for the small screen. I've tried the m100-series screen, but I'd take a normal-sized monochrome screen over a color m100-series size anyday.
And by the way, I haven't mentioned Sony once, so don't start calling me a pro-Sony zealot. :)

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:14:52 PM #
well i'm going to mention sony and the innovations they've been implementing.

and i'm going to mention pocketpc's as well just because of the innovations they've been implementing.

palm's only innovation is a marketing gimmick to get people to throw away $400+ bucks on a glorified organizer!

if i'm going to throw away $400 bucks, i might as well invest and enjoy some worthwhile bell and whistles too.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:21:52 PM #
"some m515's still has the electrostatic charge buildup problem"

The least you could do is read the news before you start blabbing nonsense you idiot. Any child could know by now that the problems were the cradles which are now being replaced by palm free of charge.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:24:42 PM #
Yeah...some cradles that are being shipped with the m515 still have the problem, despite being the supposedly corrected "E" version, therefore, m515 users still have the problem...

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
Altema @ 3/20/2002 1:32:19 PM #
I don't think that MS making multiple attempts to get PPC running properly could be considered innovation. Sony, yes, I could accuse them of actual innovation, but not PPC.

In regards to the "sidelight software bug", one guy having a problem with his own Palm does not make it a bug.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:39:50 PM #
There is a full blown price war from now until summer. What's a $20-50 bucks gift?

I can already smell Sony making their promotional move to push the NR when it land in US, while PPC is dumping over stock redying the new Xscale.

so unless Palm is giving $100-150, this is a big yawner.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 1:52:34 PM #
Quote:

"The i705 is overpriced for what it does, and unless instant-notification for email is an absolutely necessity for your profession, it simply isn't worth it."

Can anyone tell me how to get the i705's functionality on *any other* device?

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 2:16:21 PM #
RIM. and cheaper too.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 2:36:58 PM #
> RIM. and cheaper too.

I want to do something besides just email. Can the Blackberry edit MS Word documents? Or spreadsheets?

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 3:00:59 PM #
>>"some m515's still has the electrostatic charge buildup problem"

>
The least you could do is read the news before you start blabbing nonsense you idiot. Any child could know by now that the problems were the cradles which are now being replaced by palm free of charge.
<

The least you could do is read the news before you start blabbing nonsense you idiot. Any child could know by now that the problems were NOT ONLY the cradles which are now being replaced by palm free of charge.



RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 3:08:23 PM #
> some m515's still has the electrostatic charge buildup problem

It is completely, absolutlely impossible to determine that based on just a few (often anonymous) postings to this site about USB sync problems.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 6:47:17 PM #
> I want to do something besides just email. Can the Blackberry edit MS Word documents? Or spreadsheets?

actually at practical level neither can't i705 without a desktop. ie. it's email by proxi, and not attachment friendly, hence it can't handle office file attachement. By the time one has a desktop accessible than the point of handheld office file manipulation become moot.

if emailing office files wirelessly and editing on the spot is important than get the coming soon (around June) PPC phone edition. Jornada 928 or Thera. It would use CDMA network instead of the limited i705 network. there is no hassle with "web clipping" and mail by proxie, but instead a real HTTP, HTML, and smtp standart, not to mention "Voice phone"

so, I don't know what is the real advantage of i705, in term of RIM and the up coming Microsoft smartphone. The device was conceived during the mid 90's when web clipping and email by proxie were sufficient. But now, as you put it yourself as a small enterprise application, it is not.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 12:08:32 AM #
"actually at practical level neither can't i705 without a desktop. ie. it's email by proxi, and not attachment friendly, hence it can't handle office file attachement. By the time one has a desktop accessible than the point of handheld office file manipulation become moot."

You have obviously not used one, or would not be making a statement like that. i705 can handle an word attachment just fine, without a desktop. The proxy is handled by the Palm.net server, therefore you do not need a desktop to receive messages.

You do need a desktop if you are trying to receive messages behind a firewall. However plain pop accounts can be received just fine. I do use one and receive at least 30 messages a day with attachments...


RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 12:58:19 AM #
receiving it is just dandy, big deal, the original question is actually viewing and manipulating Office files. One can receive an Office file, but would need a desktop to convert it to Qoffice or others using desktop.

don't tell me there is this $30 buck service from Corsoft.

so basically, can one get a WOrd or Excell file from friend in i705, view it manipulate it and sent it back without a desktop. (and no, your friend don't have a Qoffice converter in his computer. Just Office)

i705: rip off
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 1:03:30 AM #
the i705 is way too expensive, considering the extra monthly fee, I think its only worth $250-300 (monochrome, 16mb - thats it)

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 1:34:47 AM #
i705 death is near.

Spotty wireless coverage, limited software/hardware capabilities, no voice, crippled web ability, etc etc....

basically it can't compete with smart phones, or PDAphone, like Treo or PPCphone.

RE: Recommend Palm Products??
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 1:56:33 PM #
Quote:
"Can anyone tell me how to get the i705's functionality on *any other* device? "

So, the answer is "there is no other device," at least nobody here could name one. I'm a programmer. I put a 128mb SD card in my 705 and keep all the source files there that I could ever want to reference. I have several books both for recreational reading and professional reference on it. I have 100+ software titles on the device. I can take the 705 home, use the folding keyboard or not, create a MSWord or Excel file on it, print it out if necessary, use it at work in the morning, etc. I can get all my email (I don't want attachments when I'm not in the office. If someone wants me to proof or add some text, they send me text). I can browse almost any website I want (clipping or not). I can FTP. I can use AIM (even like a pager).

I've had Palms, Psions, and PPC devices. When I bought my 705 I had money to spend on any device. The only one that can do all this, that exists now, with a viable service plan (my experience with coverage is that it is near-perfect, YMMV), with enough software to get some real jobs done, is the 705.

What about website referrals?

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 4:11:04 PM #
How about credits for web referrals a la the HandSpring Linkshare program? A lot of us developers have sites with niche Palm OS software that people visit to decide whether they are going to buy a handheld or not. Perhaps Palm has such a program that I don't know about.

Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms

I.M. Anonymous @ 3/20/2002 6:12:26 PM #
I'm not anti-Palm or anything. I, myself, is an owner of a m505. After owning my Palm for more than half a yr., I still can't recommend my friends or family to get a Palm. My m505 is a decent device. It's good looking and it's got a color screen. But other than that, there's nothing really special about it. It takes forever for Palm and other companies to make peripherals like GPS, mp3 player, etc. for the m series. Palm-powered PDAs r cool. But why would anyone wanna buy a Palm when u can get more if u get a Sony?

RE: Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 12:59:35 AM #
I agree too. I used to own a Palm Vx and loved every minute with it. After that, nothing that they have released seems close to what the other Palm licensees have done i.e. Sony and Handspring comes to mind.

Come to think of it, I don't even qualify for it because I just couldn't make myself buy a Palm m515 and went for the Sony T615 instead.

Phew, I think I can keep my friends still.

RE: Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 1:07:22 AM #
Totally agree. I used to have a IIIxe, very nice, rugged pda which i used for a couple of years.
I chose the T615 instead of the m505 as an upgrade not only becouse of the extra features and Sony's reliablility but becouse I also noticed that the color screen of the m505/515 is *not* white, it has a very annoying white-brownlish hue and a black grid that gives me headaches!

RE: Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 6:29:57 AM #
I wonder if any T415 user would agree.

RE: Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 7:13:31 AM #
T415 is as disposable as M500.

RE: Real Friends Suggest Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 8:56:46 AM #
I've had a IIIx and an m505 and have been very happy with both of them. I'd recommend Palm's handhelds to anyone. In fact, I do so all the time. On my suggestions, several of my friends got handhelds and they all love them.

RE: Real Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/21/2002 3:28:26 PM #
Damn you lost quite alot of palm bucks already LoL.

Word of Mouth

PIC mobile user @ 3/28/2002 6:16:21 AM #
If Palm recognise the value of word of mouth it may explain their financial problems! I'm the unhappy owner of an M505 and would strongly advise people to look elsewhere for their next pda.
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