1 Million Zire Handhelds Sold and Counting
Palm Solutions Group announced today that sales of the original Zire handheld have passed the 1 million mark. The Zire has been the fastest-growing handheld in Palm's history.
"By focusing on what matters most to the mainstream, we delivered the first consumer handheld to break the sub-$100 price point and reached a previously untapped market," said Todd Bradley, president and chief executive officer, Palm Solutions Group. "And the mainstream responded -- first-time handheld purchasers, including students, families and individuals, have embraced the Zire handheld as an affordable way to organize their busy lives."
The Zire was introduced last October as the first $99 handheld, it continues to be the most affordable and lightest-weight Palm branded handheld to date.
In the United States and Europe, the Zire was the best-selling handheld during the holidays, according to The NPD Group, and currently continues to be among the five top-selling handheld models. The NPD Group data also confirmed the Zire handheld had the highest sales figures during its first three months after introduction of any handheld tracked by the market-information company.
Related:
PIC Zire Review
Purchase a Zire from Palm.com
Find the lowest Price on a Palm Zire
Thanks to Craig Simpson for the tip.
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RE: i believe that
Yes, women stereotypically are less tech saavy; but, you know, some day, I'd like to walk into Radio Shack and not be treated like a moron just 'cause I've got breasts.
RE: i believe that
So don't be all like, oh i'm so cool and savvy because I have boobies.
Yeah, talk to the hand.
RE: i believe that
1) As a member of the human race, I apologize for "crusty".
2) Radio Shack treats EVERYONE like an idiot. Don't take it personally.
Jon Acheson
"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."
RE: i believe that
You took the first comment very differently from the way I did. I took it as simply noticing that he was seeing a number of Zires used by women, where PDA's typically are used disproportionately by men. It is probable that buyers of this particular device aren't particularly technically inclined, but that would be true of people from either gender.
It is factual that this product is reaching women in greater numbers than by (all) other PDA's, and that this PDA is directed at both women and people who are less technically inclined (these characteristics can exist in the same person). I think that noticing that, and observing further that male PDA users are somewhat more likely to be power users, does not in any way disparage women. To assume on the basis of statistics (however true) that a *particular* women automatically would be more ignorant than a *typical* male user would be fallacious.
By the same token, it would be noteworthy if an unusually large number of males suddenly were buying a typically female-dominated device. Here, it might also be possible to infer correctly that the typical male was less inclined to use the device to its potential than the typical women. Again, however, this would be merely an examination of the probable.
elo
RE: i believe that
But it's true: I've also seen more women buy the original Zire than men.
I think if Palm reintroed it with a backlight, they'd sell *two* million.
RE: i believe that
"... even with cute, non-technical women with a love of children above career that work via aestetics above technology are using a Zire."
that way we can distinquish those women who are in a more traditional role and those brave one's in a man's world?
That works for ms. ;)
RE: i believe that
So, uh, electronic paper -- when do you think that and microdrives will make PDAs as tiny as playing cards?
RE: i believe that
But what about profits?
Since their channel (the Targets of the world) is great at getting cheap product out there, I would tend to say 'yes', but I don't know for sure.
I'm sure Palm would rather have 1M Zires sold than, say, 175K. That much I do know.
(on a side note, I saw a Zire 71 at my local Target on Saturday, in the same type of plastic hanging box thing as the Zire next to it - I was surprised to the 71 being marketed the same way as the Zire. Interesting...)
RE: But what about profits?
RE: But what about profits?
Thomas
Check out the Palm Tungsten|T review at www.comp-talk.co.uk
RE: But what about profits?
That said, think of the million Zires out there, whatever percentage of those users upgrade they are much more likely to upgrade to a PalmOS device than the competition.
RE: But what about profits?
RE: But what about profits?
_____________________________________________
"Why should I care about posterity? What's posterity ever done for me?" - Groucho Marx
RE: But what about profits?
-- er, could it be because BOTH are Zires?
RE: But what about profits?
RE: But what about profits?
I don't get it, but maybe that is why Palm is #1 and I'm not
For the money, as long as you can do so little of what I would want to do on a PDA, I would far prefer a 4 meg Casio PocketViewer, Sharp Yo with 10 meg for $50, Royal Lineo or about any old Sharp Wizard or Casio Boss that would keep appointments and a few (very small) notes. But, that was never what I wanted a PDA for. I want it to create and carry written documents. Anyway, the Zire 71 is worth so much more than 3 times what this Zire is, that I would never buy this $99er.
But, there it is. Congratulations Palm.
Palm is probably especially happy with these results as almost every one was sold at a full profit margin. That is, the Axim cost Dell $170 and they've sold less than 200,000 of them at prices from $152-249. Most of those were sold at $175 during $50 rebate with 10% off sale prices. But, the Zire cost Palm about $35 each. They sell them to all sorts of places for anywhere from $50 (special price for ordering several thousand at one time) to the tire company that gave them away with a set of tires, all the way up to $80 each wholesale to resellers who sell only a couple a month. Palm is making big money on these. Palm has made at least a couple hundred million bucks profit on the low end Zire since introduction. That makes it the most profitable model since the original Ipaq by my reckoning and the most profitable model for Palm since the Vx.
And all just to make me feel like a fool for thinking that no one would ever buy a Zire.
RE: I don't get it, but maybe that is why Palm is #1 and I'm not
1 million units x $99 = $99 million.
Consider this....
Step 1 - sell cheap very basic unit to target potential users.
Step 2 - after they get used to it, offer a $50 trade in so they can upgrade their units. More sells for the higher end units = $ & hardly no expense incurred for the offer since they will most likely resell the trade in units.
Pretty clever way to build up brand loyality.
___________________________________
Yankees, Steinbrenner,...... I will never turn to the dark side.
RE: I don't get it, but maybe that is why Palm is #1 and I'm not
I wrote:""Palm has made at least a couple hundred million bucks profit on the low end Zire since introduction."
Sweetlu corrected:
"
1 million units x $99 = $99 million."
Of course, my math is off by a factor of 10. I should have come up with 20 million.
Thanks.
RE: I don't get it, but maybe that is why Palm is #1 and I'm not
according to David Letterman's scientific study of the phenomenon... about 50% of Americans are really bad at math. And the other two thirds aren't all that much better ;-)
Alessandro
RE: I don't get it, but maybe that is why Palm is #1 and I'm not
They most definitely haven't even made $99m in revenue off of these. I have no idea what the actual costs are. The cost to the retailers for these units was likely something like $60.. based on that guess Palm has brought in a maximum of $60m in actual revenue. If these cost $35 to make, then their profit (before operating expenses) was ($60m - $35m) or $25m.. I have no how idea how accurate it is, but much more than the $99m thrown out before.
Palm Taking Advantage Of The Un-Savvy
Anyone with a little PDA experience would consider the Zire either over-priced or under-powered.
Palm Taking Advantage Of The Savvy
You fail to understand that most PDA buyers are not fanatics who's lives revolve around their devices. Most people buy PDAs either because they want a simple organizer for phone numbers/addresses/daily schedule/to do lists (or else because they think they look good). You may be shocked to know most people seem to get by just fine without adding any third party software (other than the occasional game) to their Palms.
Like most consumer electronics that have been around for a while, Palms have now reached the "commodity" level. The problem for Palm is that these basic PDAs can potentially cannibalize sales from more lucrative higher-end models. If the average person in the market for a new PDA is honest about how they will really use their Palms, most would actually be satisfied with a very basic PDA.
Can it be true?
RE: Can it be true?
Sony alredy owns Palm.
Sony alrady controls Palm, so they're presumably behind this strategy. Two years ago, Palm was on life support. They wouldn't still be here unless Cousin Sony decided to keep them around. Now that Sony/Palm have effectively removed Handspring and HandEra from the PDA marketplace, Sony will eventually consolidate their position in the high end and as an entertainment device. The Palm name still has some cachet, but unless Sony decides to rebadge CLIEs with the Palm name, eventually "Palm" will primarily be producing the bargain basement $50 - 100 models, leaving Sony the rest of the market.
Conspiracy Theory 101
A little history, lest we forget:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=4324
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=1889
Wonder who's making those Palm color screens these days...
RE: Sony alridy owns Palm.
Sony already owns Palm. They provided Palm with the money to survive the past two years and have also made Palm's color screens for years. Palm is just a brand name for Sony hardware. Just ask Palm. They'll tell you. Eventually.
Right now, no-one knows what consumers (typical buyers rather than the people reading sites like this) really want and are willing to pay for in their PDAs. So Palm/Sony are throwing out as many permutations and combinations as possible, hoping to see what sticks. Form factor/resolution/screen size/Graffiti/Virtual Graffiti/keyboard/MP3/wireless/digital camera/voice recorder/cellphone/microwave/popcorn maker/etc. - it's all a guessing game. But depending on what sells, Sony/Palm will quickly narrow their focus. PalmNet, Web Clipping, Springboard modules, monochrome screens etc. will all go the way of the dinosaurs as only the fittest ideas survive. Some good ideas will also get thrown out with the bath water. (What ever happened to Actual Software's MultiMail PRO after Palm took over the company? Will anyone remember the HandEra and their AutoCF program in a year? Did the Springboard architecture deserve to be abandoned?)
Handspring and HandEra tried to battle the mighty Sonyzilla and are now licking their wounds. Handspring management at least had the sense to know when to cut their losses and stop competing with Palm/Sony. HandEra was too naive/arrogant to give up and is now moribund. At least they still have some of their engineering talent left. The may eventually get revenge on Palm/Sony by moving to a certain other platform and advancing it the way they did the Palm OS. Palm/Sony should have just bought HandEra last year. HandEra could have actually produced a solid PalmOS 6 by now and more importantly, would not pose a threat to Palm/Sony.
You are dismissed, Grasshopper.
RE: Sony alredy owns Palm.
RE: Sony alrudy owns Palm.
http://www.handera.com/services/Projects/PalmPartners.htm
But HandEra threw all their eggs into the Palm basket and ended up getting shafted by them. They deserved better than this.
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-231459.html?tag=bplst
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-256216.html?tag=rn
http://news.com.com/2100-1041-997317.html?tag=mainstry
RE: Sony alredy owns Palm.
never thought it would sell
no backlight??? low memory??? i guess people who bought it didnt know any better.
at the time it was released you were better off purchasing a 2nd hand palm vx on ebay.
well...just a thought.
RE: never thought it would sell
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i believe that