Palm Announces Board Changes

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Tuesday, September 4, 2007 7:52:35 PM

Palm has filled a regulatory statement with the SEC that reveals a few upcoming changes on Palm's sitting board of directors. Palm says that Scott Mercer has decided to remain on the board following the closing of the recapitalization transaction with Elevation Partners. Originally Mercer intended to resign along with current chair, Eric Benhamou, following the close of the deal.

Current member Bruce Dunlevie has announced his intention to resign at the close of the Elevation deal. Mr. Dunlevie had served as a director of Handspring since October 1998 and is a Managing Member of Benchmark Capital. Dunlevie also serves on the board of Numenta, Jeff Hawkins' brain theory technology company.

Palm says that the departures of Mr. Benhamou and Mr. Dunlevie will enable Fred Anderson and Roger McNamee, managing directors and co-founders of Elevation Partners, and Jonathan Rubinstein to join the board of directors upon the closing of the transaction.

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wow

VampireLestat @ 9/4/2007 11:02:48 PM #

wow

RE: wow

thefez @ 9/5/2007 6:32:52 AM #

Sigh!

Sad day.
Still a Palm aficionado.

We sorely need a Palm Steve (Jobs).
Maybe better if he comes with some Handspring/Handera/Zodiac genes in his DNA. ;-)

RE: wow

hambug @ 9/6/2007 4:18:53 PM #

Agreed, but even if Palm had an Apple (Steve Jobs) type person I'm sure they would find a way to squash their creativity.

That's Gotta Hurt

gadgeteer @ 9/5/2007 1:12:14 AM #

Outch!

RE: That's Gotta Hurt

VampireLestat @ 9/5/2007 1:30:34 AM #

Blam! Pop! WraCkk! Whiz!

Batman!!!

RE: That's Gotta Hurt

SeldomVisitor @ 9/5/2007 6:36:16 AM #

I do not see any significance to one longterm director deciding to stay and another longterm director deciding to leave, other than the one deciding to leave is a strong Hawkins fan.

What am I missing?

RE: That's Gotta Hurt

TreoAnon @ 9/5/2007 11:54:47 AM #

What you are missing is whether this transaction will still occur and just how EP are going to sell $400M of CV-lite junk bonds into the current credit markets.

How is the share holder voting going?

The Other Shoe Drops

mikecane @ 9/5/2007 7:54:58 AM #

I was waiting for this to happen. (Or something like it.) Another puzzle piece falls into place.

you know what....

VampireLestat @ 9/5/2007 9:21:50 AM #

I decided I am pissed.
I was looking forward to buying that Fn Foleo.
I bought my Treo 680 because of it.

it was smaller than a laptop, instant on, quiet, super portable

Now I blame all you asses who trashed it in the forums.

RE: you know what....

SeldomVisitor @ 9/5/2007 9:45:25 AM #

> ...Now I blame all you asses who trashed it in the forums.

Silly person.

It was trashed because it should have been canceled, it was not canceled because it was trashed.

RE: you know what....

VampireLestat @ 9/5/2007 9:55:18 AM #

The mobile computing world is worst off now.

Palm should have taken a 3 pronged approach:
- Smartphones.
- PDAs.
- Foleos.

And focused on 1 multitasking Palm OS on a Linux kernal.

Now we have NO new PDAs, no Foleos, just the same old tired bunch of Treos (which are good mind you) but insufficient to be a serious mobile computing company.

RE: you know what....

rmhurdman @ 9/5/2007 12:18:56 PM #

Palm should have been a capable company, run by competent executives. Then they would have been able to do all the things everyone would have liked.

But that world only lives in fantasy, and now you're stuck with a Treo680 and no Foleo and no upcoming PDAs.

RE: you know what....

VampireLestat @ 9/5/2007 12:40:06 PM #

yeah... jussssssssst great. Just great.

The more I think of it, the more angry I get. I bought this 680 specifically in expectation of the Foleo. I would have stayed solely with my TX otherwise.

Now that I have it, I am comfortable keeping it because of the cool keyb and reliability of the 680, but thats not the point; Palm just pulled yet another major backstabbing on its customers.

I wait years to risk buying a Treo, I buy one, and then WHAM!, they pull the plug on the Foleo.

Right now, the TX and 680 are integrated and very functional in my life, otherwise, 99% sure I would be buying one of those new HP PDAs to be announced this month.
A switch YET AGAIN from Palm to HP is possible, but please. please please HP... dont release horrible crappy devices like the last line.

The next big issue no many are talking about right now is the pending Palm OS development disaster.
I have a feeling developers pretty much have had enough with Palm. It was a disaster when PDA-Killer Colligan went over to WM, and then ALP, and now we know there are 2 Linux OSes. This is ridiculous; actually we are WAY passed that now.

Seriously, PDA-Killer Colligan should be fired. Someone has to be accountable.
He brought Palm out of the red because of cell phone growth luck. But as an OS company (which they are and are not) and as a diversified mobile computing company, Mr. PDA-Killer Colligan has failed.

RE: clarification

BaalthazaaR @ 9/5/2007 2:04:35 PM #

Right now, the TX and 680 are integrated and very functional in my life, otherwise, 99% sure I would be buying one of those new HP PDAs to be announced this month.

Are you saying that the TX & 680 are integrated with each other or integrated into your life?

RE: you know what....

ExPalmUser2 @ 9/5/2007 6:04:32 PM #

@VampireLestat
What are those HP devices which are going to be announced. Can you give me links to some info on them. Because I'm considering buying a Fujitsu-Siemens C550 and if I wait for a month they might get out of stock.

RE: you know what....

VampireLestat @ 9/6/2007 1:17:56 AM #

ExPalmUser2,

HP just announced them today.
See http://www.pocketnow.com/

RE: you know what....

ExPalmUser2 @ 9/6/2007 8:31:51 PM #

Thank you!

RE: you know what....

soulcoach @ 9/7/2007 4:15:04 PM #

The troubling part of the Foleo cancellation is that everyone knows Palm's recent track record has not been great. With the new HP handhelds being announced one wonders if Palm is now just another mobile phone dealer rather than an innovator? I was going to purchase a TX but now I will wait on the HP lineup to see what their new devices look like.

Where Palm missed the boat is that they saw the Foleo as a corporate device. There is so much pent up demand for cheap mobile computing that I believe Foleo device would have done well in the educational space as well as for a second computer for Mom or Dad . The kids have the desktop and mom and dad can use the Foleo.

FYI Asus is working on a 399/299 laptop that should fly off the shelves later this year.

Frank