Inventory Leak Shows New Palm Product Codes?
If there's one thing we can gather from the recent spate of leaks, it's that the folks who come up with inventory codes at Palm are not big on dramatics. Rather than go for cool code names, like "Nighthawk" or "Lentilbreath", their preference is for decidedly more staid letter/number combinations like P100, designator of the original Palm Pre.
This habit does not look like being kicked anytime soon: an anonymous tipster has sent those crazy homebrewin' monkeys at PreCentral.net a photo of Sprint's inventory management system which reveals two previously unknown Palm devices showing up as: PALM 120 and C40. If we operate on the same assumption as last week's Verizon leak, we can hazard a guess that the PALM 120 could likely be some sort of variation of the rumored Palm Eos. But C40? That's new. New and interesting. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled.
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RE: Mini-trablet?
Screw convergence
Palm III->Visor Deluxe->Visor Platinum->Visor Prism->Tungsten E->Palm LifeDrive->Palm TX->Palm Pre
Visor Pro+VisorPhone->Treo 180g->Treo 270->Treo 600->Treo 680->T-Mobile G1->Palm Pre
http://mind-grapes.blogspot.com/
RE: Mini-trablet?
Pat Horne
RE: Mini-trablet?
"My Pre's gonna stand out from the crowd, by golly."
Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?
RE: Mini-trablet?
I have one of those rental agreements for my LCD TV, where you pay x amount per month rather than buy outright. Coming up on the end of the term and the company is getting desperate to extend. Keeps sending me letters offering me cool gadgets... the Mini is enticing.
RE: Mini-trablet?
i'm thinking -
1. Dell Mini 10 or equivalent
2. wait for Windows 7 pre-installed - on/after October 22, 2009
3. WIFI "N"
4. Camera - if available
5. Get Max RAM Available
6. MS Office (Word and Excel)
7. Extra Power Card
8. Standard Battery is fine - i don't want the extra bulk/weight/lip.
9. Good video chip (for smooth Youtube etc.)
10. Bluetooth Module
11. Intel Atom?
12. Hi-Res/HD Display since 10" screen?
13. Case?
anything i'm missing?
RE: Mini-trablet?
If you really care about video performance. it might be worthwhile to wait for nvidia ION chipset based devices. However right now it's still unclear whether that platform will have a real impact.
As far as having a higher resolution screen, I would be a little wary about battery life. Larger screen usually means higher battery drain. At that point 11" models might be a better alternative.
Warning for those who want to upgrade the OS to Linux: beware of the Intel GMA500 graphic chipset. This is really a third party product that Intel has rebranded. Unlike other chipsets, no official Linux driver exist and alternative implementations are quite limited. For the time being it's better to stick with the older GMA850 (mini 10v, for example) and avoid machines that use the G500 (like the mini 10).
--------------------------
Hey Admin: Why do we have to keep two profiles?
RE: Mini-trablet?
i've been hearing complaints about the Dell Mini 10 Touchpad. the built-in buttons are PIA.
any truth in this?
i guess i'll have to go test one. Best Buy???
RE: Mini-trablet?
Check your email.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->?
RE: Mini-trablet?
i just checked one the Dell Mini 10 at Best Buy. 10" is just too small of a screen to browse comfortably with. maybe i could/would get used to it but i'm not so sure. the problem is not the font size - the problem is that you only get like 1/3 or less of a web page. you have to constantly keep scrolling!!! i think the floor for acceptable widescreens is 13-14" or greater. 10" is just too damn small. maybe because i'm coming from a 17" but still 10" cuts off too much web page IMO!
also - the Mini Touchpad does not have real click buttons - they are integrated and difficult to use IMO.
lastly - for shiits and giggles i checked out the basic Inspiron. looks cheap! CHEAP PLASTIC BLACK casing makes this thing look really CHEAP (like Palm Pre toy black plastic)! if i was to get a Dell Notebook - it would have to be a Dell Studio. the Inspiron has become the ECONOMY model and very very cheap looking.
RE: Mini-trablet?
Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?
RE: Mini-trablet?
Hey Palm! Where's my PDA with Wifi and phone capabilities?
Predictions
P101=Verizon Pre. I predict the exact same hardware specs but with a noticably different OS/ROM image that it warrants a new model number (perhaps with PTT or tethering support or Verizon's new app store loaded by default?)
Palm 120= Sprint's version of the Eos. Same FF & specs as rumored earlier.
Palm 121= Verizon's version of the Eos.
I forsee 3 possibilities here for the C40:
#1 C40= Ultra low-cost Sprint-exclusive handset.
#2 Clamshell version of the Eos
#3 The C40 IS the Eos and the P120 is instead a Pre refresh
I'll go on a limb and predict #1. Sprint and Palm are teaming up for a "cheap smartphone with dumbphone pricing + reduced-cost unlimited plan" for the holiday season. Basically, Sprint's version of all of these enhanced dumbphones that are really proliferating nowadays (see Verizon's new data plans starting in Sept with the Samsung Rogue etc).
I think this is going to be a even more downdized version of the CDMA EOS. It'll still have 4GB internal flash memory but whatever the regular EOS brings to the table, this one will reduce it even more (no GPS or wi-fi, lower-resolution camera, slower CPU, possibly lower-resolution or smaller screen, limited feature OS?)
Ruling out the above theory #1 (a bit of a reach, I know), I wouldn't even be surprised to see Palm distinguish between the GSM & CDMA versions of the EOS. Perhaps keep the "Centro" moniker alive for CDMA markets but call the GSM version something new (EOS etc)?
In that case, then we might be seeing a Pre refresh or two followed by the CDMA Eos as expected.
In all fairness, the Centro debuted on CDMA, had its greatest sales success on domestic CDMA carriers, was only 3G-capable in CDMA form, and only received a hardware refresh on one CDMA carrier. It's also had essentially a 2-year shelf life in some form or another in CDMA form, so it's no surprise that the "Centro" branding would carry more cachet for VZW or Sprint than overseas on a GSM carrier or in unlocked form.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->?
Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
# Story Highlights
# Analyst: Apple's exclusive deal with AT&T to offer the iPhone may end within the year
# Opening up the iPhone to other carriers in the U.S. could boost Apple but hurt AT&T
# In several other countries, Apple has struck recent deals with multiple carriers
# Verizon is rumored to be talking to Apple about getting the iPhone on its network
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/01/iphone.wireless.carriers/index.html
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Of course the iPhone is going to eventually leave AT&T. Apple want world domination just like any other company and tying yourself to one carrier forever simply won't get you there. The Pre and Android phones are eventually going to force them to break up, as they spread to every carrier and snag the customers that might have been Apple's.
RE: Is Freak losing his grip on reality?
>as they spread to every carrier and snag the customers that might have been
>Apple's.
So if the Pre and iphone were on the same carrier, a consumer would choose the iphone?
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Apple hired CDMA engineers last year. They've got a deal in the works, that's for sure. AT&T is shooting itself in the foot with this MMS and tethering tomfoolery. It does nothing to promote their image.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
freakout wrote:
Of course the iPhone is going to eventually leave AT&T. [...] The Pre and Android phones are eventually going to force them to break up, as they spread to every carrier and snag the customers that might have been Apple's.
But will Apple make more money by leaving AT&T than they are making by staying with AT&T? That's is the real issue. Apple's is much more profitable in the mobile phone business than other companies exactly because they have good exclusivity deals, and profits count more than market share.
So no, it's not obvious that Apple will leave AT&T. They would have to get equally good deals where ever else they go.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
i think Apple is willing to give up short-term profits in exchange for world domination. market share = mindshare = world domination.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Besides which, I thought they'd stopped the contract profit-sharing deal with AT&T in exchange for a bigger subsidy on the handsets? ( http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/09/apples-lucrative-iphone-revenue-sharing-goes-away-replaced-wit/ ) So there's really no advantage to remaining exclusive any more.
Tim
Sometime PIC blogger
Treo 270 -> Treo 650 -> Treo 680 -> Centro
I apologise for any and all emoticons in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
>It just doesn't make sense to me that they'd want to stay with AT&T forever.
Nostradumbass - everyone and their mother has known from day 1 that AT&T's exclusivity was only for a limited time.
Talk about stating the obvious!
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Apple seem to have decided they don't want to dilute their brand identity by selling cheaper computers, and honestly, the current recession has proved this a smart strategy. Their sales have scarcely slipped, even though they've mostly maintained their prices.
Freak, yes, they gave up the sharing of monthly fees. I'd think that they couldn't get the same very high subsidies if the phone wasn't exclusive though, and they've also forced AT&T into the position of really just a service provider, a level of control other American carriers have been very reluctant to give up. Verizon, for example, seems to brand every thing that goes out over their network. I'm trying to imagine red wall paper and a big swooshy v on my iphone with no success.
At some point, sure, the iPhone won't be exclusive to AT&T in the US. But there's not guarantee that day is soon. Not with the kind of money Apple is making with the current setup.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
we are not talking about laptops here - we are talking about $199 iphones and 99 cent apps!
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
And sure, we're not talking about laptops. But my point was Apple might not necessarily see a need to get the biggest audience possible as quickly as possible. They launched the iphone exclusive to a carrier because they figured they would make the most money like that. As long as they still think they'll make the most money with exclusive deals, they'll stick to that model, right?
Which doesn't mean they won't dump AT&T tomorrow. It just means they don't *have* to dump AT&T and it wouldn't be shocking if they stayed exclusive.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
But officially Apple runs the App store at a break-even rate, so in theory they're not to worried about maxing out numbers of sales.
I think you are mistakenly associating the App Store with the original business model of the iTunes music store. But if you're serious, then that's the dumbest comment I've ever seen posted on this site.
Apple gets a cut of 30% of all app sales. They need to pay the reviewers and the people who run the catalog, as well as the hardware and bandwidth to sell all of those apps to millions of people. But this is no doubt a billion dollar business, and Apple literally just supplies a storefront and gets rich off of other developers' work.
What you're thinking of was the original iTunes music store model. They sold songs on iTunes, and after factoring in all expenses and licensing fees, they broke even. But this was advantageous because it sold more iPods. However, cost reductions and price increases have left Apple with profit margins north of 30% on each purchase, by some analysts' estimates.
The company is a flat out money-making machine. They profit from both the hardware AND the software, and they have the most highly-regarded and trusted brand in all of retail. Strictly from a business standpoint, they're the perfect company. They found a way to profit handsomely from everyone else's work.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
As long as they still think they'll make the most money with exclusive deals, they'll stick to that model, right?
But that's the thing - I can't see where the money is for them. The top-of-the-line iPhone goes for $199, which isn't any cheaper than any of their major competitors. You've got the Pre @ $199 (w/ rebate), the MyTouch @ $199 etc etc. I doubt they'd have much trouble getting a similar deal off Verizon or Sprint, who would undoubtedly be keen to have such a popular device.
And from Apple's POV, the CDMA networks would represent a massive pool of potential new customers to tap. From a business perspective it seems simply foolish to ignore them.
The point about Verizon wanting greater control is a valid one, but you'd think that after seeing what a success a largely unblemished iPhone has been for AT&T, they'd be willing to cede a little power.
Troll-bot:
if you post on a public forum - be prepared to explain yourself.
To you? Might as well explain myself to my microwave. It'd probably be more enlightening.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Remember, Verizon HAD their chance to get the iPod the first go-around. They're not likely to make that same mistake twice. They also likely could've had the Pre, the 2nd hottest device currently on the market, but that's another subject for another time...
Apple clearly distinguishes between their mass-market CE products and their PCs and prices them accordingly. The iPhone, iPods, most iPod apps, and the more pedestrian products such as the AppleTV are fairly reasonably priced in comparison to the competition. But Mac desktops & notebooks still command a price premim no doubt due to their brand cachet, build quality etc.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->?
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
In response to this, I ask: what the **** is the point?
People want it on Verizon for the service. They're not going to have that huge, ubiquitous network with a new 4G roll out. Therefore, if Apple were planning to expand to Verizon, it would be on CDMA. This is further established by the fact that they hired CDMA engineers last year.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
bosco - maybe time for you to pack up the civic and move to CA?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onl8wmVwLW4
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
still, I'd assume they were.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
It would be like AT&T releasing a 3G phone, and not providing an EDGE fallback.
RE: Is AT&T losing its grip on the iPhone?
Even with a fledgling LTE network, having Verizon's mighty EVDO footprint to fall back on is much more attractive to those "oops, there goes my AT&T 3G coverage" followed by "oops, there goes my AT&T coverage entirely" scenarios currently facing iPod users.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->?
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Mini-trablet?
Please, SOMETHING to drive another stake in the heart of Nokia.