IBM to Discontinue Palm Clones

For years, IBM has sold handhelds that were basically Palm Inc. models except with an IBM logo and a black casing. The company has decided to stop this practice, according to Cnet. A recent IDC shows IBM's WorkPad line was never very successful, accounting for only 2% of the handhelds sold worldwide in 2001. IBM will still sell WorkPads until it runs out of stock. Thereafter, the company will continue to sell Palm-branded handhelds both online and to its enterprise customers.

IBM's explanation for dropping the WorkPad was it wanted to focus on making its PC business more profitable.

It has long been believed that the main purpose behind the WorkPads was convincing nervous enterprise buyers that handhelds were a "safe" purchase. Branding with the IBM logo was supposed to help. It's possible that this is no longer necessary as customers are much more familiar with Palm and the Palm OS.

Sales may have been small but the WorkPads were popular with some users who liked the black casings.

IBM began the WorkPad line all the way back in 1997.

Thanks to Reggie for the tip. -Ed

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WorkPad

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 4:44:52 PM #
I am not sure what this means: "IBM will still sell WorkPads until it runs out of stock. Thereafter, the company will continue to sell Palm-branded handhelds both online and to its enterprise customers."

How will they still sell WorkPads after they run out? Or will there be new Palm-branded handhelds not called WorkPads?

I am a WorkPad c3 (Palm Vx) owner. I only went with the c3 because I got a great deal on it. I must admit, it has served me quite well and the black color does look cool, although it is a bit of a dust/smudge magnet.

4s

RE: WorkPad
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 4:52:19 PM #
They will sell "Palm-branded" devices thereafter. As oppossed to the IBM-branded Workpad devices. In other words, they will just sell normal Palm units.

RE: WorkPad
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 5:10:54 PM #
They will just sell the Palm m505 or m505 or whatever not a IBM branded clone. Like a reseller.

RE: WorkPad
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 5:22:11 PM #

Bummer...

I was looking forward to the next generation of Palm handhelds being sold as IBM models.

I absolutely love the look of the WorkPads. Their jet black sleek look is iresistable to me..

Oh well, hopefully someone else comes out with a black device.

RE: WorkPad
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 5:37:29 PM #
Ah. I see now. Thanks for the clarification. The Palm-branded thing did not register at first. :-)

4s

The Black Palm

I.M. @ 2/13/2002 5:40:08 PM #
IBM Workpads were never a home-run idea to begin with. To most users, they were simply the "Black Palm" They never really add enough IBM'ness to differentiate the product. I know they had some Lotus stuff in there but nobody really uses that stuff unless they are forced to, anyway.

IBM should just by Palm and be done with it.

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 5:46:08 PM #
please nobody dignify that horrible comment with an actual response. It was obviously just an attempt to get a rise out of everybody.

RE: The Black Palm
higgy @ 2/13/2002 7:29:53 PM #
They are black palms. Go to the IBM website. I guess in the era of Political correctness we could call them palms with a coal colored paint job.

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 8:34:42 PM #
Palm didn't have much brand recognition when IBM came on board. Now Palm has very good brand recognition and the reselling and relableing is not needed. This is just a cost saving measure.

Also, as far as the name "black palm", I heard it all the time with no slur ever intended 'til you came up with it. Are you trying to pick a fight? PC died Sept. 11th, that is what go us into the trouble we are getting out of now.

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 8:51:27 PM #
AMEN!

RE: The Black Palm
ardiri @ 2/13/2002 10:29:43 PM #
actually, after getting my hands on the 'black palm's (i got a c505 right here), the differences in hardware are pretty much NULL. however, the main difference in what you get in the box is software. the IBM models have sync tools specifically for IBM products such as lotus notes - they are distributed on seperate CD's, which, technically can be installed on other Palm units :) IBM did nothing much different that michael jordon or claudia did with palms - branding.

the black c505 is nice tho :) hits a sweet spot for me, but, not as big a sweet spot as the SONY units :)

// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 12:43:03 AM #
Lotus Notes is the biggest piece of **** software in the hsiotry of software. I has a lousy interface, and an worse "database". It unreliable, slow, and requires an army of administrators, "developers", and servers. Intranets made Notes obosolete long ago. The only people who even try to defend Notes are Notes developers (if you can call someone who does Lotusscript a developer) because they can't do anyhting else.

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 3:51:47 AM #
If you think Notes is bad, you never used IBM TopView.

RE: The Black Palm
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 9:23:35 AM #
Ouch! on the Lotus Notes comments.

In our company (HMO) the Notes developers need to know much more than Lotus script to even get in the door.

The market also seems to pay them well. A developer with only four years experience gets $80 to 95k a year. I wish I did.

LOL IBM

jayhawk88 @ 2/13/2002 6:01:42 PM #
"IBM's explanation for dropping the WorkPad was it wanted to focus on making its PC business more profitable."

Heh. That kooky IBM. They got more business stategies than Oracle.

"Our PC's are the core of our business. Except when they're not, then it's all about our workstations and servers. Unless you'd rather talk about Linux of course. But then you'd need web services and consulting, which we really feel is IBM's greatest strength. Did we mention our renewed commitment to our PC line?"

I realize they're a big company and all, but Big Lou really needs to pick a heading and just go for a while.

RE: LOL IBM
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 7:21:09 PM #
IBM's primary focus is servers, storage, and services. Their secondary focus is the peripheral things that rotate around that - ie ThinkPads, PC's, etc. Not enough margin in the commodity $300 PDA business. I'd rather be an IBM shareholder than of Apple, 3COM, or Palm........

RE: LOL IBM
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 9:21:09 PM #
You know, that's why they've been a pretty stable business over the last little while. If one part of the business is doing badly, they're diversified enough that the negativity won't permeate *all* of their business. The company is big enough to allow its groups an impressive level of autonomy. There are disadvantages to being that big, and you're unlikely to hear about an excessive amount of growth, but high flyers have farther to fall...

In any case, I too am saddened by the passing of the Workpad. My first Palm PDA was a PPro-style Workpad that I got with a discount at an IBM Warehouse outlet. The styling was just so much more refined, but like it's been said, they really weren't at all a separate product from the Palm-branded units at all.

rgds,

K. Tran

RE: LOL IBM
mrscarey @ 2/13/2002 9:46:09 PM #
Unfortunately Big Lou is dropping the tiller and handing over to Sizeable Sam Palmisano this year. IBM has the really annoying ethos of "continuous improvement".....I thoroughly agree with the last comment. Let the ship run on its own for a bit and then see if you are going off course.

mrscarey

palmist and visionary

RE: LOL IBM
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 11:32:19 PM #

I think it was strictly a business decision. and BUSINESS is what IBM is all about. they are calm cool and collective. ie STABLE.

How much money could they be making by being an OEM from Palm anyway. If they were making the devices then I think they would continue selling WorkPads.

Besides, the PDA market is probably a small market for big blue. A company more than twice the size of Sony, it probably could care less about competing with devices that are packing mp3 players and video playback.

chow

RE: LOL IBM
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 7:08:38 AM #
"IBM's explanation for dropping the WorkPad was it wanted to focus on making its PC business more profitable."

IBM has lost Billions of dollars on its' PC business since it 'invented' the PC in 1981. They have been focusing (unsucessfully) on making their PC business profitable for 21 years. How is this going to make a difference?

This is off topic but...

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/13/2002 11:42:21 PM #
Ok, this is way off topic, but I was just wondering if I was the only person out there who spends more time reading web sites like this one and checking out new Palm programs, then I spend actually using my Palm?

RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 12:07:16 AM #
Oh god, don't remind me.

I've spent more time researching and shopping for my current palm than I've actually used it.

Gah.



RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 12:15:15 AM #

wow ;)

I'm not that weird after all...

RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 5:03:28 AM #
been reading 4 a long time, haven't even bought one, was thinking bout the trgpro, then visor prism, then m505, then t600 and now m515...i still havent bought ONE!!!!

RE: This is off topic but...
PalmPowered @ 2/14/2002 8:17:20 AM #
Scary as h**l, isn't it? I have eight news sources on Avantgo, three of which are Palm related. I check PIC first every time!

-If you only knew the power of the Palm side-
RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 7:43:34 PM #
I'm guilty of that too. Pathetic, isn't it?

RE: This is off topic but...
LarryGarfield @ 2/15/2002 1:51:16 AM #
Dude, that's the fun part! :-)

--
This post is ROT26 encrypted. Reading it is a violation of the DMCA
RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/15/2002 7:45:47 AM #
i just cancelled my m125 order after i fell in love with the m130 :)

cyrus

RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/15/2002 6:03:14 PM #
Indeed. Let's hear it for Palm getting back on track!

~Also an m125 awaiter.

RE: This is off topic but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/15/2002 6:09:42 PM #
I mean m130 awaiter. I am so excited I can't even type it write (crap I mean right)

~me

Cool, discount time!!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 12:11:51 AM #
Hopefully that means we IBM staff get a special offer like we normally do on end-of-line items :-) Hopefully also means less wait between Palm releasing a new model, and it becoming available through IBM staff discount!

RE: Cool, discount time!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 3:18:20 AM #
Don't wish to pee on your parade but looking at the IBM EPP page, the handheld sectiojn has gone completely.

RE: Cool, discount time!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 3:49:23 AM #
It may interest handheld users, If their workpad 's price is around 10-20 % cheaper than the original Palm series. Do you think so?

Unfortunate loss

PalmPowered @ 2/14/2002 8:19:01 AM #
The coolest thing about the WorkPad c505 (aside from the black casing) was that when you wanted one, your company and the people who hold the purse strings did not question an invoice coming through from IBM pertaining to handheld computers. Buy something from Palm though like a modem or a keyboard and red flags went up everywhere ("is this stuff for those personal organizers everyone's using? I'm not paying for that")

No matter how you cut it and how well Palm is now recognized, the vast majority of people out there still believe a "Palm Pilot" is a personal organizer with no other functions than a Day Timer would have-a gadget with no useful purpose. On the other hand, if it has the name IBM on the case, then it is a perfectly "respectable" product that will benefit the workplace. Palm may have the market on handhelds, especially when compared to IBM but that blue acronym still commands a lot more respect in this world than Palm may ever have.

-If you only knew the power of the Palm side-

RE: Unfortunate loss
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/17/2002 2:16:40 AM #
I don't know if it's as bad as you say. At my work, anything Palm related is alright. Anything PocketPC related shoots up the red flags. I'm sure that an IBM branded PocketPC (gah!) would raise a few eyebrows. Perhaps it's just my area, but several offices have the same attitude.

Of course, with Sony slapping MP3 players in PalmOS devices, the red flags may start shooting up for Palm PDA's soon.


RE: Unfortunate loss
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/17/2002 2:40:56 AM #
"if it has the name IBM on the case, then it is a perfectly "respectable" product"

I wonder where you work because my experience is quite the opposite.

We used to work with Palms but recently the IT department decided to switch to Sony. (don't know why)

workpad c500 for S$199!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/14/2002 11:25:25 AM #
Just for everyone's info, the workpad c500, i.e the equivalent of the palm m500 (but in black) was offered at S$199 over the Chinese new year holidays. I guess that means it's like US$120 thereabouts.... S=Singapore

RE: workpad c500 for S$199!!
higgy @ 2/14/2002 4:40:27 PM #
Where in Singapore. I am visiting there next week. Also would it have a localization of the palm os, or the same as we have in the US?

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