Comments on: Rumors Continue About Palm/Handspring Merger

One of the most persistant rumors in the handheld industry, almost as long-running as the one that Apple is going to release another handheld, is that Palm and Handspring are working on a merger. Unstrung is fanning the rumor fires this time, quoting an unnamed industry watcher who says Credit Suisse First Boston is trying to bring about a merger of the two handheld companies. However, Handspring's CEO Donna Dubinsky is resisting the idea because she doesn't want to work for a large company where she won't be in control.
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Just a rumor

abosco @ 7/10/2002 4:18:52 PM #
Rumors will continue, but if you can't trust an anonymous rumor from an anonymous executive, then who can you trust??? I agree it would be a good decision to merge the companies and they could POSSIBLY become profitable. It pains me when I see such high technology companies not even making ends meet.

Ed, on that last line, do you mean nostalgic instead of nostalic?

•Bosco
My Palm m105 is my baby, but is that child abuse when I drop it?

Donna...

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 4:34:35 PM #
I think that Donna Dubinsky should not be in charge anyway. If I had absolute control over Handspring (which I quite obviously do not) I would find a new CEO. Donna is not a good one. She drove a company worth over a hundred dollars a share into the ground. I know some of this is because of market conditions, but still. Donna is always slipping up with the press, and really hasn't done anything good for the company in a long, long time.
RE: Donna...
Foo Fighter @ 7/10/2002 4:42:01 PM #
If I had the power to eject any senior officer at Handspring, Jeff Hawkins would be the first to go. He, much like his company, was grossly over-hyped. His ideas are tired and boring. And he offered little in the way of innovation. Sony bested him in every direction while he held on to outdated products and old ideas.

So much for the "Great God of PDAs".

RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:03:02 PM #
>>I know some of this is because of market conditions, but still.

Some of it? HS, like just about every tech firm out there, lost its sharevalue because of the market.

RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:12:21 PM #
Actually, By suggesting HS lost it's share value because of the market implies that these companies were valued fairly to begin with. The market was overhyped and overvalued, and now the market has corrected itself towards more realistic expectations.

I always think of the internet firm (forgot it's name) run by a bunch of 20 somethings. They received about 30 million in VC, through a 20 million launch party in Vegas, and spent another 10 million on advertising A sure sign the end was near.

RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 9:49:42 AM #
Donna is one of the worlds most important entrepreneurs today!

She is an incredibly intelligent person with amazing business sense and discipline. She's also a very important female role model for young women today.

No, I'm not a crazy feminist, I'm not even a woman, but I just think you might see what I mean if you look a little deeper into who she is.

She reminds me of a young Steve Jobs.. but smarter and with less ego. :)

RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 11:15:06 PM #
liar
RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2002 2:01:09 AM #
huh a young Steve Jobs !?
I don't se that, she's not a guy, how could she be like young steve jobs ?

did steve jobs sell Apple to 2 different company !?
dteve jobs was all about revolution, he thought apple ][ is not good enough so he started the Lisa projet to over throw Apple ][, did donna do something liek this to the pathetic Palm OS ?? Not untill she left Palm INC. people start to realize that, maybe high res screen is better, maybe color screen is easier on the eye, maybe having multimedia is not such a bad idea.
She is nothing but a business person who doesn't know what to do with a computer product.

RE: Donna...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2002 5:33:52 PM #
A company is not worth $100 per share just because some fool was willing to pay that much at the height of a speculative mania.

A company is worth $100 a share if it earns sufficient profits to justify that price. Handspring has never made a profit.

One more word of advice: Don't give up your day job.

Merger?

mikecane @ 7/10/2002 4:40:54 PM #
What would Handspring have to offer Palm? Really nothing. The Treos have cheap screens and don't seem to be selling.

Handspring is most likely sunk. Too bad, too.

RE: Merger?
Foo Fighter @ 7/10/2002 4:50:05 PM #
Why is it "Too bad"? All's fair in love and business.

It's called competition. If your company doesn't offer consumers the products they want, you are going to fail. This is what happened to Handspring. They are selling products that offer no compelling features or value. Just more of the same generic Palms that already flood the market.

Sony has surpassed Handspring as the number 2 PDA maker. There is a lesson here, I think.

RE: Merger?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:24:17 PM #
Handspring is dead the day Sony release second generation Clie.
RE: Merger?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 11:37:30 PM #
so where's Sony's Palm phone? too bad you can't check your email on a Clie
RE: Merger?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 12:43:33 AM #
If you think Treo phone is going to save HS, you got to be kidding.

1.Kyochera and Samsung will have them for lunch in no time next months.
2. and Microsoft will clean up whatever left of it.

RE: Merger?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 8:45:24 AM #
>too bad you can't check your email on a Clie

You mean it's too bad _you_ can't check your email on a Clie. Some of us Clie owners have no need or desire to check email every second of the day, but I can understand how it makes a lot of people feel important to be "connected" 24 hours a day.

RE: Merger?
Take1 @ 7/12/2002 3:48:30 AM #
Handspring has seen it's last days if they keep doing what they are doing. They are at the rear end of hardware innovation (no large hi-res screen, slug processor,and 12-bit color) and will suffer even more when the new OS5 stuff hits the market.



RE: Merger?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2002 6:16:16 AM #
Handspring is living on borrowed time. I had my Prism and Minstrel S and was a die-hard HS fan until the present ball was set in motion by Donna's boo-boo about bye-bye Visor and the subsequent phasing out of the springboard [it HAS begun!] and the Visor line.

I picked up a Clie T615 last month, trading up 3 weeks later to the new T665 and am not looking back. My wireless was never really "there" anyway, invariably frustrating me when I most wanted it to work. The Clies are far superior to any of the 3 Visors I owned and helped make the disconnect of my wireless a few days ago painless. Not to mention the fact that I always held my breath hoping I didn't get stuck in a reset loop [aka hard reset] when I switched modules. I don't have to deal with that with my Clie.

They're bumbling geeks in the worst way - they're oblivious to the needs/wants of their users. I can't wait for them to DIE!

Two Apples do not equal a Microsoft!

Foo Fighter @ 7/10/2002 4:59:42 PM #
One thing that merger supporters fail to realize is that two financially weak ventures, when combined together, do NOT equal a financially strong company. Will merging with Handspring give Palm Inc. a cash positive balance sheet? No. They will still be taking losses and the situation could worsen, as mergers can be very expensive.

And what does Handspring have to offer Palm? Treo? Please....anyone can glue a cell phone onto a Blackberry. Kyocera and Samsung marketed very successful products that outsell the Treo.

The only thing Handspring has to offer Palm is more DEBT, which they don't need.

RE: Two Apples do not equal a Microsoft!
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 6:56:43 PM #
Who wants to be like M$ anyway? Do you want to charge your handheld every 2 hours?! I don't and not many other people. Just as many pc users want a M$ handheld to sync smoothly with Windows, mac users want a PDA that does the same on OSX. I don't think it will make a difference whether these guys merge or not. But we don't know what they have up their sleeves either.

Another thing, when did this rumor start anyway? I never read any concrete evidence, just people in forums shooting their mouth off.


They still could make it!
Galapagos @ 7/10/2002 7:13:29 PM #
Handspring has been distinguishing its new line of TREO-Communicators and PDAs from all of its competition by using a thumb keyboard for input and integrating a cellphone-unit into some of its models. If Palm and Handspring would merge. The former Handspring-line would be the "keyboard"-organisers that the old Palm did not produce.

Other than that Palms market share would increase and there would be one competitor less in the hardware arena. After all Handspring is currently eating away at the sales of low-cost models with its greatly reduced Visor Edge and lowpriced Visor Neo as well as its Palm m130-basher Treo 90.

RE: Two Apples do not equal a Microsoft!
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 2:13:28 AM #
Who want's to be like Microsoft?! Who doesn't? They're the most successful software company in history. Whether you think you agree or not, you ALL agree. Raise your hand if you're accessing this site using Mozilla on Linux. Well, congratulations to the five of you out there. As for the rest of you, it sure is easy to bash Microsoft while using their software isn't it!

Don't get me wrong, I have a Visor Platinum, and am thinking about buying a Treo. I'm not talking about handhelds here. The discussion topic is successful (or not so successful) companies. The fact of the matter is that Microsoft is much more successful than Handspring and Palm are. Everyone who's using their software agrees with me whether they like it or not.

Interestingly, Donna Dubinski has been at the helm of more than one company hasn't she. Take not as to how each of these companies is doing.

RE: Two Apples do not equal a Microsoft!
Thaddeus Cultt @ 7/11/2002 4:43:43 AM #
If Microsoft is doing everything right, how come they don't have 80% of the handheld market?


TXC

"...in the end the only one left smiling was the Jester, and his was only painted on..." - TC

RE: Two Apples do not equal a Microsoft!
Take1 @ 7/12/2002 3:55:11 AM #
To be fair, MS isn't playing in the entire PDA market. They are targeting the upper half, in which, Sony is the only real competitor. Palm owns the dirt-cheap market and mid-priced market with their products. Handspring's in the gutter with the Neo and Visor products and deluding itself with the Treo priced as it is.

merger? of course it makes sense!

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:13:27 PM #
Palm + Handspring= Palm Springs! Just as Palm + Be=Palm Beach

Palm and microsoft should merge

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:43:34 PM #
It has been the case for a while now that Palm on not making huge profits so they should merge with a big company like microsoft. Imagine having a Palm handheld but with windows on it. This would really shift some units.
RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:51:19 PM #
"This would really shift some units."

To the trash bin maybe. If you're going to run windows on a handheld, one might as well go all the way: http://www.tiqit.com/

-Craig

RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 5:59:23 PM #
For the nostalgic, they're even using a Palm III stylus with it: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/tiqit83/smallimages/10.jpg


RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 6:17:02 PM #
Brilliant. We'd get the limited Palm APIs with poor Microsoft implementation quality, if they didn't just drop Palm software altogether. Well, I suppose, if Palm chooses to self-destruct in this way, maybe then Symbian would have a chance.
RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 6:31:39 PM #
LoL .. I thin it's about time ppl realize that Palm OS is not going to make it in the smartphone business.. Symbian robably won't make it in the PDA business but hell the smartphone market looks much bigger.
RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 6:14:34 AM #
I think you'd have to move the reset around to the front where it's easier to get to.
You know.
For all that rebooting.

RE: Palm and microsoft should merge
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 10:28:38 AM #
Um...How can I sum this up?....OK, in a word, NO!

Donna's convenience

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 6:16:55 PM #
So, because Donna doesn't like to work for a bigger company, she would run the business into the ground and lose the shareholders money? I don't know whether a merger would or would not be good, but I do know that that's not a good reason. In fact, I think if that were the reason, it would border on fraud, since she her responsibility is to the shareholders, not her own whims.
RE: Donna's convenience
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 7:13:04 PM #
Heh, like that has mattered in coporate America for a long time... personal whims are what it's all about obviously - and that's why your economy is screwed and you have seen numerous, massive company crashes recently...!

Good 'ole US of A... eh?

RE: Donna's convenience
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 9:29:32 AM #
>and that's why your economy is screwed

Define 'screwed economy' moron.

RE: Donna's convenience
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 12:48:21 PM #
Moron? EXACTLY.

Big, beaurucratic companies getting brought down to earth (which is different than "crashing", Mr. Jack*ss), is exactly the economic condition that gives small, smart startups the ability to stay alive, and then thrive.

I don't know where you're from. Your country probably has a lower murder rate than the U.S.....fair enough.

But I guarantee your people *WISH* they had the freedom and happiness that we in the U.S. enjoy. These tough times make us closer, not snottier.

I bet you've never even spent 5 MINUTES trying to think of something that nobody else had!

Enjoy your sick country, you jealous idiot.

Handsping?

Omnitron78 @ 7/10/2002 8:12:15 PM #
But they keep dropping products --- I was on their site today and the Edge is now listed as NO LONGER AVAILABLE, just like the Prism.

If a merger doesn't occur quick, it will be a Visor-less Handspring merging with Palm...

RE: Handsping?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 11:11:52 PM #
They are going all Treo from now on. though I doubt they'll survive this way.
What sells a PDA is price and hardware (honestly not the software). PPC sucked because of it's form factor, it's just too big, and Sony is more than capable of making/selling those Treo 90 like device for like $200-250, how could Handspring possibily survive? With Companies like Toshiba joining the PPC camp, PPC hardware will keep getting smaller and smaller. I could see in the near future it'll be Sony VS Toshiba VS iPaq VS SonyEricsson VS Nokia.

That nostalic feeling ...

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 9:18:36 PM #
is gone. Those two took some decent ideas for the Visor a few years ago and the number 2 PDA market share and ran them into the ground. They seem to be good at having one good initial idea for a company and have no clue as to where to go with it after that.
RE: That nostalic feeling ...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 10:02:09 PM #
So, you didn't really care for their tooty fruity flavors?

So much for PDAs...

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 9:26:19 PM #
When I bought my first Visor Deluxe a few years ago, the future looked bright. Palm had a new competitor with some exciting new ideas. Prices were dropping.

Now, years later, prices are the same (since they keep dropping all their low-end products). Handspring has dropped the one thing that set them apart (Springboard) in favor of the dumbest idea I have ever seen (Ugly cell-pda monsters). Microsoft STILL can't figure out what the consumer wants.

Almost makes me think I should start my own company. With competition like this, how hard could it be?

RE: So much for PDAs...
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 3:03:00 PM #
Exactly. The whole PDA sector is lame. It was really exciting a couple years ago, but not much has changed since then. Palm still controls the majority of market share but the Palm OS is just about the same it was in the beginning. Where is the innovation?

Handspring has attempted to be innovative on the hardware side, but there's only so much you can do with an outdated OS.

Sony has done some interesting things, but once again the outdated OS holds them back.

Microsoft has made some strides with PocketPC 2002, but still can't get the simple stuff right. I like my iPAQ but it's far from perfect.

The only "PDA" I use everyday is my BlackBerry, which I use only for wireless email and calendar. But it's not good for much else and it's expensive. I tried the 5810 phone version and didn't like it.

I think a real catalyst for this sector will be if PalmSource releases a much improved OS. OS5 doesn't appear to be much of an improvement, but hopefully it will be. HandSpring is done unless someone buys them.

I wish Sony would buy Palm and really put the heat on Microsoft with their innovative style, not just with PDA's but other platforms as well like the PlayStation vs. X-Box.


My head is going to explode

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 10:03:49 PM #
this is too much

Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 10:10:11 PM #
Thats all both these turds are worth!! Boy those Treos are FLYING off the shelves!!
The only successful Palm company as of late is Sony. They WILL absorb both Palm and Handspring for some Sony stock and no cash... mark my words it will happen. In the current state of both campanies this would be the best thing to happen for the shareholders and the consumers.

RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 11:17:39 PM #
They got those 2 dollars for 2 BigMac deals here, please just gimmie the money instead of buying some companies that's still losing money ...
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
abosco @ 7/10/2002 11:44:41 PM #
I hate it when people say Sony will buy everything. Why didn't Sony buy Panasonic??? Or Sharp??? It's competition! Why not eliminate them like microsoft does??? Simple... buying Palm and Handspring will accomplish nothing and will stunt the handheld growth. You obviously don't know anything about economics. Take a class or two, then you can post about this.

•Bosco
My Palm m105 is my baby, but is that child abuse when I drop it?
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 12:52:16 AM #
OOOhh yes you are mega smart. Do you or DID you own stock in Palm or Handspring? Check the market sporto, neither company is worth a crap right now! Wouldtn't you rather have a INOVATIVE company making COOL PDA's or one that rebadges them and sticks a keyboard on it! Please tell me what your GAY ass M105 does that a PALM III cant do? UMMM what would that be? Now a Sony NR70V can do a HELL of a LOT more than a III can and you piss ant M105.
When YOU learn something about ECONOMICS then post again!
Bet you invested in Pets.com.. you flake!
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 1:37:43 AM #
"I hate it when people say Sony will buy everything. Why didn't Sony buy Panasonic??? Or Sharp??? It's competition! Why not eliminate them like microsoft does??? Simple... buying Palm and Handspring will accomplish nothing and will stunt the handheld growth. You obviously don't know anything about economics. Take a class or two, then you can post about this."

I really don't see how buying Palm and Handspring will stunt Handhelf growth LoL. Palm Inc. has nothing but their name left, and Handspring is in a even worse situation, they are digging their own grave right now by releasing those so called smartphone, instead of competing in an area that they are (kinda) the leader, they goes to challenge Nokia and SonyEricsson.

RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 8:25:27 AM #
All this bickering is truly amusing! Sony need not buy anyone but the OS that is making them a market leader, Palmsource. Palm, inc the hardware company is doomed just like HS. Doesn't anyone realize that once again, Americans create a truly unique an innovative product (Automobile/TV/PDA), and the Japanese slowly & quietly perfect it!
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 8:51:54 AM #
> Wouldtn't you rather have a INOVATIVE company making COOL
> PDA's or one that rebadges them and sticks a keyboard on it!

Isn't that what Sony's been doing for the last year? Rebadging PDAs and then sticking a keyboard on one. Palm outsells Sony 5 to 1 in PDAs, and that isn't changing. When Palm starts selling hi-res OS 5 devices (very soon), Sony's only advantage is gone. Long gone.

Sony squanderd every chance they had by going after the wrong segments of the PDA market and blowing tons of R&D money on their latest flavor of the month. All of Sony's effort has left them barely second, but essentially tied with Handspring, a company that pretty much everyone here knows how poorly they're doing. They're barely outselling some PocketPC and other OS PDA companies as well. In fact Sony will lose marketshare as OS 5 devices start to come out.

Sony will drop out of the PDA market within the next year unless they can gain significant marketshare. That is the business model of big companies like Sony, as they won't continue to bleed money into a market that isn't showing significant return.

> Please tell me what your GAY ass M105 does that a
> PALM III cant do? UMMM what would that be?

Cost about one-third as much. Provides good returns to Palm because of high quantity sales and lower production and supprt costs.

> Now a Sony NR70V can do a HELL of a LOT more than a
> III can and you piss ant M105.

For at least 4 times the cost, and actually it doesn't DO that much more. The same applications are there. It is essentally just a N610C with a slightly better screen and a poorly designed keyboard (that actually just provides space for the massive battery that is needed). 99.9% of people don't need it, and that has everything to do with economics.

> When YOU learn something about ECONOMICS then post again!
> Bet you invested in Pets.com.. you flake!

Come back after you invest in a course in English and grammar. Maybe grow up a little too, while you're at it.

RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 10:00:29 AM #
Actually, Sony only needs to buy Palm to get the rights to the OS. Then they can save the $10 or so that they must pay Palm for every unity they sell. Handspring actually has nothing to offer Sony as a company, though I'm sure some of the engineers (some of which originally designed the OS while at Palm) could cross over to Sony. If Sony buys Palm, Handspring withers and dies unless they are secretly developing their own OS.
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 12:29:41 PM #
When Sony came out with N710C, someone (probably you) said that Sony will leave the market within six months!!! I still see new innovative Clies. No wonder Palm/HS stock is doing so well. With such good forecast skill like yourself, investor will bleed to death. I bet you own shares in Palm or HS. Check the price of Palm and HS stocks and compare them with Sony. Check the trend and tell me how much Palm and HS stock prices have dropped. You must be one of them that bough it when the prices were in the $80s. Keep dreaming .....
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 6:32:09 PM #
If you are basing stock prices for Sony on their PDA sales, I'd suggest you get someone else to do your trading for you. You have zero understanding of how these companies work or what their respective markets are.
RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
Take1 @ 7/12/2002 4:02:05 AM #
Sony's device do a LOT more than any Palm device. period. I agree if Sony bought Palm things would become a lot more innovative in the Palm OS. DeFacto Hi-res+ support, audio, and video would be nice. You'd actaully have an OS that would do what the PPC does without the overhead or bugs!

RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2002 10:28:41 AM #
> if Sony bought Palm things would become a lot more innovative
> in the Palm OS. DeFacto Hi-res+ support, audio, and video

I'm assuming you mean bought PalmSource. Sorry, but Sony's only "innovations" with Palm devices are in hardware. Their hi-res is a poor software hack, and any serious audio capability came from added hardware (at the expense of battery life) not software. If Sony ever buys PalmSource, I'm buying a Zaurus.

RE: Sony buys Palm and Handspring for $2
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/12/2002 10:35:10 AM #
> Sony's device do a LOT more than any Palm device. period.

Other than some play MP3s and provide a built-in camera on their MOST EXPENSIVE model, I have no idea what you mean by this. They don't DO anything more than any other Palm.

Palm = calculators

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/10/2002 11:32:46 PM #
Of course readers of a Palm site will bash Handspring for vacating the PDA paradigm -- the calculators of tomorrow.

An entire Palm PDA is one button on the Treo. I'm amazed that anyone would just settle for a Palm Pilot "organizer" device, and still have to carry a phone and possibly a laptop for web surfing and email.

It's even more amazing that others would pay a hefty monthly fee just to carry a simple phone around. For that same monthly price, you could have a palm phone that actually does something such as email, web, schedule, thousands of contact information.

That is the future, but Palm and it's titanic management is not heading that direction.

RE: Palm = calculators
abosco @ 7/10/2002 11:48:08 PM #
That is the future, and Handsping could have done a much better job on the Treos. They are not selling NEARLY as well as Handspring thought they would.

BTW- Palm IS heading in that direction. Didn't you read the story about Eric Benhamou hinting at 3 new handhelds, an entry-level Palm, a power-user's Palm, and a smartphone?

•Bosco
My Palm m105 is my baby, but is that child abuse when I drop it?

RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 12:45:23 AM #
if you actually believe what they are saying, Palm is heading everywhere and would be in total world domination by now.

...but it ain't

I'd believe it when I see it. As of now, I don't see they actually can execute what they are saying they are going to do in the smartphone arena. And not, that would not be M505 glued to a blackberry and calling it smartphone. Smartphone would be the entire infrastructure, from server , services, all the way to actually attractive device.

Observing Treo and m7xx, things won't be pretty for Palm.


RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 1:31:19 AM #
you know I think Palm doesn't even know what the word Low End means, a $100 dollars palm !? look at your lowest end palm right now, it looks like a piece of Crap.... and it's $199 dollars ... I wonder what feature will palm put in that $100 dollars model.
RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 2:30:14 AM #
"I'm amazed that anyone would just settle for a Palm Pilot "organizer" device, and still have to carry a phone and possibly a laptop for web surfing and email."

A. You're wearing your Palm ignorance on your sleeve apparently when it comes to the abilities of PalmOS devices.

B. Your amazement at non-Treo use would vanish if A. wasn't the case. Treo is a hybrid compromise, and master of very little. As a PDA it lacks expansion, flashable OS, high-res (and now in many cases - graffiti). As a phone it lacks tri-mode/band ability (on both their GSM and CDMA versions) to make it useful on the majority of networks. At this rate their 1xRTT enabled model will be out before they've added the GPRS upgrade to the GSM models. And it's not surprising the Treo 300 is a Sprint exclusive. It's not even dual mode. So as a 1.9Ghz model only, Sprint is really the only National CDMA carrier in either the US or Canada that you'd reasonably want to try using it on (I would remind those who might interject with the former Clearnet in Canada, that that's no longer the case post-Telus merger. The Western 1.9Ghz coverage has been substantially dismantled and sent out east, leaving a drastically reduced and spotty 1.9Ghz footprint in BC and AB).

As for convenience for data calls, I can connect my HandEra 330 to my Samsung 8580 and get a data connection in about 6 seconds with QNC. Without GPRS, a GSM Treo is going to take much longer to negotiate a circuit switched data call, complete that call at a lower data rate than my QNC one, and pay more than the $5/mo flat rate I do for data currently.

Put that together with the price it's selling for here (I can buy a HandEra 330, a small flip handset, and a data cable for less than a Treo), and I can't see them flying off the shelves.

RE: Palm = calculators
Loccy @ 7/11/2002 12:09:42 PM #
I personally don't think Handspring sees their future in the US market. The Treo is clearly a machine styled for the European market and I predict it'll sell like hot cakes over here. In Europe mobile phones are far more a way of like than in the States -- virtually EVERYONE has a mobile. People without mobiles are the exception, not the rule.

I think Handspring are trying to get in early on the developing market for covergent devices like the Treo. Ultimately the allure of one unified device will win out. Speaking personally, I have had a combined PDA/phone for the last two years (two Nokias and now the Treo) and I would never go back to carting around multiple devices. At the end of the day, I need to be able to carry around my diary with me, my phone with me, and the bonus of mobile internet is nice too.

The thing people seem to forget is that the Treo is not designed for Palm afficionados. For examples, I've always stayed clear of Palm because I hated Graffiti and wouldn't have even entertained the Treo had it not had the keyboard. Even if a pen-based machine read my handwriting perfectly, I can type faster than I can write anyway (even on a Treo thumb-board).

Also remember that SMS (text messages) are absolutely HUGE in Europe, especially the UK. I predict many textaholics will buy Treos and any similar machines that hit the market purely for the ease with which SMSes can be sent. And I am not that unique in the UK with my requirements, either. If the Treo is marketted properly in the UK, there is the potential for Handspring to grab a HUGE marketshare here.

The Treo is a great unit as a phone, and a decent enough PDA. There are better PDAs out there (although I think you'd struggle to flip that on its head and find a better phone) but ultimately, what do you want from a PDA? I want my diary, my contacts, and mobile internet. Most people won't even be that bothered about mobile internet, although WAP (another thing the US doesn't seem to be into yet) on a Treo-sized screen might change that.

Handspring are trying to get in early on a new market, and it's a market the US isn't really ready for yet. But that doesn't mean they don't have their heads screwed on. And it doesn't mean they aren't going to sell well in Europe.

RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 3:26:54 PM #
Stop with the all the "Treo's don't have flashable ROM comments"! What would you like Handspring to do, put this into every Treo made knowing full well that the Palm OS 5 cannot run on the Treo's dragonball processor? If your going to comment about a product, good or bad, at least know what your talking about.

Is the Treo perfect, no. However, since it is afirst generation product it does seem like a fine product. Keep in mind that the products coming from Kyocera and Samsung are great phones that can be used as organizers. The Treo is an organizer that can be used as a phone. Will the next generation of Treo's have an SD slot? It seems possible since Handspring has put it into the Treo 90. A first generation product is just that, a first try. Remember the first Sony Clie and Palm Pilot? Each generation has gotten steadily better. Why is it so easy for people to bash the first genertion Treo's instead of waiting to see what comes next? Heck, I don't even own a HS and I'm defending them. Maybe its time for everyone to quite bashing and wait to see what comes next!

RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 4:49:39 PM #
Well, maybe it can't run PalmOS 5, but as least v4.01 would be nice. Currently it's running 3.5.1H. Flash ROM is a very nice feature.
RE: Palm = calculators
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 10:59:42 PM #
Also, isn't there supposed to be some kind of patch to support message notification (or something like that). Another item that wastes RAM because of no flash ROM. Sorry, but I would've bought a Visor years ago if Handspring had put up the extra couple dollars to include flash ROM. As it is, I never bought one and am glad I didn't.

I Love The Insight

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 3:06:39 PM #
I love reading everyones truely insightful comments on this rumor. Lets see, Palm is bad, Handspring is bad, Treo is bad, Donna is bad, Ed's spelling is bad, merger is bad, Sony is good...bla, bla, bla! Lets face it, none of us have any idea what it would be like to run a company like Handspring, Palm, Sony or any other high tech company. Further, none of us has any idea if a merger between Palm and Handspring would turn out to be a good or bad decision. It would be very interesting to see them try, if only to stop the repeated Handspring bashing that goes on in these chatrooms.

It amazes me to read comments from people supposedly devoted to the Palm platform bashing any of these companies. They all add something unique to the picture and make the platform stronger as a result. For me the best case scenario would be for there to be no merger. The more competition these companies have the more innovation there will be which, obviously, is good for all consumers. With that in mind I would tend to think all of the mindless bashing that goes on at PIC would stop. Why so many of you cant't understand this is beyond me.

Would Sony be doing such a great job with their Clie's if Handspring and Palm were not out there putting out equally great products. NO! Are the Treo's bad products? NO! Is Palm dead NO! Is this merger a good idea? Who knows! Are the people who continually write childish, mindless and unintelligent comments at PIC every going to understand that they annoy the vast majority of us that come to this site for information? NO! Too bad, because at one time PIC was a great website that brought together Palm enthusiast's to share information and discuss the platform.

RE: I Love The Insight
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 3:37:06 PM #
I could'nt have said it better myself!
RE: I Love The Insight
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 3:50:53 PM #
Well Said. The truth is competion spawns invoation. The mores the better.

SOMEONE should buy the Visor line. It's a great utility PDA

I.M. Anonymous @ 7/14/2002 4:40:54 PM #
The Visor's Springboard slot is just the right size for making the PDA a great utility PDA. The size allows for many types of connectors and wires to be attached or for the PDA to be attached to something with a springboard-like connector attached to it.

From home security systems to medical devices, the Visor would make a great UI and data collector for the embedded market. Not a bad PDA either.

Someone should buy the productline and keep the Visor product alive. Not kill it like Donna is doing.

IMHO
( Palm, Symbol, Handera.... you listening? )

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