Comments on: PalmInfocenter Holiday Break
Many thanks to everyone for the well wishes, and offers of support! I am felling much better and more rested. I really just needed catch up on sleep and take a short break from working.
Regular news updates will resume the week of Dec 20. The discussion forums are currently being worked on and should also be back online soon. In the meantime, give the gift of the Palm OS., check out the Holiday Shopping Guide. Last minute shipping ends soon.
Thanks again for your patientence and happy holidays to everyone.
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RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
hey gfunk - so much for your recent statement that PalmOne is selling Treos "faster than they can make them". Do you research next time!!!
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
Certainly seems to lend some credence to the crowd who says PLMO and PSRC should have never split.
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
Thanks for the Holiday cheer there. With a flagship like the T5 it's a wonder that PLMO is not pennys.
But, had you been posting regularly over the past few weeks you would have been stunned to watch the price go from the high 20s into the 40s. The "little engine" has been on fire until revenues were found to be less exciting than the excitement was about. In short, the stock is doing well and has been outperforming the market for the approx past 6 mos.
Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
>"News for Gekko: In the long run, nothing matters."
Typical Liberal moral relativism.
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
Typical Liberal resort to personal attack when the Liberal can not come up with a substantive retort.
In my little corner of the world Palm has made what looks like across the board $50.00 cuts except for the T5, which has one of those "buy me and get this free" type offers that equal $50.00. Intrestingly, the T3 was on sale for $279.00.
Happy Holidays all!
"The Anglo-Saxon-Scots-Irish people are the most warlike people in history, and their enemies forget it at their peril. "
RE: PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
http://www.americabeyondcapitalism.com/
Thanks Mike. This is OT, but I really have no other way to ask you this but have you read this book? If you think its worth reading, then I will check it out. I agree with his thesis that liberals need to rethink their beliefs. I believe that liberals generally (and the Democratic party in particular) are in the same place that conservatives and the Republican party were after November 1964.
Rick C
Thanks, Ryan
Ryan - Thanks for your hard work and efforts with this site. You're right - most of us don't have any idea how much work goes into it - so we don't always appreciate your efforts. I hope you feel better soon - watch out for the "strange" next time - lots of disease out there!
GG
RE: Thanks, Ryan
<><
RE: Thanks, Ryan
RE: Thanks, Ryan
Keep up the good work and hope you're feeling 100% again soon.
------------------------------
- Steve Smith
RE: Thanks, Ryan
We should all let you know that we appreciate your efforts.
Thankyou for keeping us informed....and I hope that you get better soon....and why not take a well deserved break. We will miss the articles while you have time off but we will all still be here waiting for you to return.
RE: Thanks, Ryan
May I suggest my home remedy for the flu; whiskey...and lots of it. It may not help the flu symptoms but you'll forget all them in time. :-P
-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
dizzy flu
---
David
RE: Thanks, Ryan
If ever you need any help, don't hesitate to contact me somehow.
----------
Technology Reporter at www.dailygadget.com
RE: Thanks, Ryan
Sounds like an inner-ear infection, or something thereabouts. Inner-ear problems typically impair equilibrium, resulting in dizziness, a sense of spinning, or this "seasickness" you describe. They go away in time.
Dr. Foo recommends that you see your doctor next time this occurs. And take two HotSyncs and call me in the morning. You'll be getting my bill in the mail in two weeks. Oh, and I DON'T make house calls. :-P
-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Thanks, Ryan
-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Thanks, Ryan
Here at PIC, we don't discriminate.
Ryan, get better soon, man. Orange juice!
-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T637
RE: Thanks, Ryan
(More history to puzzle the wee ones!)
Aw, here's a hint:
RE: Thanks, Ryan
Tungsten T3 + T610
RE: Thanks, Ryan
antoinerjwright.com
RE: Thanks, Ryan
Ryan, I don't know about the Yankee version of the crud, but the one down here would let up for a day or two and then pop you again.
Orange juice, rest and relaxation is all that will really kill it.
Happy Holidays
Rick C
RE: Thanks, Ryan
---
David
Where is PalmSource?
Japanese PalmSouce route me to http://palmsource.palmgear.com
RE: Where is PalmSource?
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Where is PalmSource?
--
Ben Combee
http://palmos.combee.net - PDA programmer weblog
haterz...
If you are going to rely on only a few devices and their accessories to survive, they need to be stellar. The woefully undermemorized Treo650 - their "upgrade" to the wildly successful Treo 600 - should be enough to give people the jitters about where PalmOne is standing and heading.
Personally I hope the company gets it's act together soon and tests things in the "real world" before releasing them, as their performance of late has been extremely disappointing to those who are their most loyal customers. But it's not a good sign when so many buyers of last year's model return or avoid the "upgrade" in droves because it doesn't contain even enough memory to do what the Treo 600 could do.
Add up all the lost sales resulting from skimping $10 bucks of memory on a $600 device, and what could have been a wildly successful rollout becomes miserable PR from the people who were the most likely promoters of your product.
All your hard work
RE: All your hard work
Thanks for all you do and get well soon! PIC is a great community.
Buuuut, if you don't make it back quick, I'm going to hack the site with my M100/sled modem and post a headline story on "4K Memo Limits and The Threat to Western Culture". In other words, don't stay gone to long!
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." :-D
Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: All your hard work
I think I speak for everyone (okay, *MOST* everyone!) when I say get well soon. Take your time and recover, and I'm sure we'll all be here ready to spew bile and conspiracy theories, insult one another, and be general wankers when you get well!
Seriously, PIC is a great site, and thank you for all you do. We spend lots of time insulting and second guessing you, but we hardly ever take the time to say thanks.
Flash RAM problem
RE: Flash RAM problem
Crashes on the T5/T650 are just a figment of your imagination. Either that or you must be a "Power User".
RE: Flash RAM problem
While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
(Watch all the kiddies who don't know history go bonkers! "What's he mean? What's he mean?")
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Haig
The Wikipedia is a wonderful resource for those things that make you go hmmm...
Doug
----------------------
What's in YOUR pocket?
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
Now I will stump the Wiki by saying, You deserve a No Prize!
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
He DID say that, after all.
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
Perhaps, but you won't stump the True Belivers. :)
1000->Personal->IRUpgrade->TRGPro->HE330->Treo 180
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
Does this mean your career and credibility are going down in flames like Al's did after that remark?
Also, since he was NOT in fact in charge, then I assume Ryan still is.
"The Anglo-Saxon-Scots-Irish people are the most warlike people in history, and their enemies forget it at their peril. "
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
-- but the Irish at least have a sense of humor.
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
RE: While Ryan is gone, *I* am in charge
Only because they're drunk most of the time. They get mean as hell once they sober up.
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Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
E-T: e-tellurian
I wonder how E-T is making out without the PIC forums???
"completing the e-com circle with a people driven we-com solution"
RE: E-T: e-tellurian
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: E-T: e-tellurian
_________________
Sean
Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
See the OQO for free!
The latest issue of Mobile PC magazine (hot orange cover) has a (bad!) two-page review of the OQO (they blast the screen, but no OWNERS have; maybe they got a heavily-passed-around unit?). There are some ACTUAL SIZE PHOTOS of the thing. Man, is it small!
If you have one of those old Sony clamshells (hello, abosco!), take it with you and hold it up to the picture of the OQO keyboard. How do those keys compare with the CLIEs? Larger? Smaller? And spacing?
RE: See the OQO for free!
Nokia 3650 bluetooth magnate
RE: See the OQO for free!
RE: See the OQO for free!
Tom's Hardware Review
The OQO: WindowsXP in the Palm of Your Hand
http://www20.tomshardware.com/mobile/20041214/index.html
Christmas wish list for Palm.
I've used PalmOS PDAs since they first came out and if you don't mind, could you give me the following things for Christmas, 2004?
12 Christmas Wishes:
1) Improved quality control for ALL your PDAs. Many of us are now afraid to buy anything with a pa1mOne logo because chances are it will self-destruct within a few months. (Exhibit 1: Tungsten E. Exhibit 2: Treo 600.) Do you even CARE about quality anymore?
2) A "Treo 700" with 64 to 128 MB of NORMAL RAM, better quality phone components, no external antenna, and keyboard buttons that don't break within one week.
3) A phone-centric "Treo 200" based on the Sony Ericsson S710a.
4) An updated Tungsten C with better quality screen, better case, better buttons, Bluetooth and lower price. Or get innovative and take on Blackberry by including a cellphone radio as well.
5) Fix the Data Manager (Data Mangler?) bugs. If you can't fix them, hire some engineers who can.
6) Stop using NAND Flash. Now.
7) Cut the PDA lineup to just three models.
8) Stop outsourcing tech support to India.
9) Stop outsourcing PDA construction to China.
10) Dump the Tungsten 5 and release a Tungsten 7 with 320 x 480 (OLED?) screen, integrated Bluetooth + Wi-Fi, dual SD and CompactFlash slots, voice recorder. You really need to start competing with PPC hardware and provide value for money. I'm afraid "The Zen of Palm" is not an excuse for you to provide c r a p p y hardware.
11) Licence some best of breed apps like Ultrasoft Money, BackupMan, TealLock, etc and include them with all your PDAs.
12) Release a (bug-free) PDA running PalmOS 6. Assuming a bug-free PalmOS 6 exists. Assuming anyone has written any apps that need PalmOS 6. Assuming PalmOS 6 has any significant advantages over PalmOS 5.
Thank you.
Yours truly,
The Voice of Reason inside your head
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
You appeared to have forgotten to ask Santa to drop a bag of coal on Nagel's house, Considering all the kind things you have said about him over the year, I can only conclude you are getting soft.
"The Anglo-Saxon-Scots-Irish people are the most warlike people in history, and their enemies forget it at their peril. "
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
Exiting China and India would put palmOne at a significant cost disadvantage relative to its competitors. Where would you suggest they relocate these operations?
NAND offers serveral advantages over NOR flash, the most important being that it is nonvolatile. This is the direction the cellphone and PDA industries are moving. Get used to it.
Likewise, you have obviously bought into the OLED hype. Ever try using an OLED display outdoors on a sunny day? I didn't think so. OLEDs also have problems with rapid color fading that make them unsuitable for PDAs.
Your high school librarian can help help you with your research.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
Rumor has it there are already some pretty hot coals being placed under Nagel's feet. PalmSource is a house of cards and Nagel has sucked so many millions out of its anemic carcass that VampireBoy will likely soon be moving on to some fresher meat.
Funny how people like Gasse, Nagel, Jobs etc always manage to do well - even when their companies are/were fighting desperately to stay alive. The greed in Corporate America is truly astounding.
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
NAND offers serveral advantages over NOR flash, the most important being that it is nonvolatile. This is the direction the cellphone and PDA industries are moving. Get used to it.
Likewise, you have obviously bought into the OLED hype. Ever try using an OLED display outdoors on a sunny day? I didn't think so. OLEDs also have problems with rapid color fading that make them unsuitable for PDAs.
Your high school librarian can help help you with your research.
Many feel that continuing to use incomprehensible tech support workers and factories that produce self-destructing hardware has already done more to damage Palm's name - and thus sales - than has been saved from lower costs. And once Palm loses a customer this way, do you think they will ever come back? Not likely. Palm's declining market share, impending hardware glut (remember 2001?), massive quality control problems, ongoing OS bugs and lack of vision (dumping Cobalt and switching to PalmLinux after three years of development and no shipping devices to show for it?) all portend a disaster of epic, Netscape-like proportions.
Palm could easily put tech support in Des Moines (Handera-land) or any of a hundred other dumb-a$$ hick towns with a semi-educated population and low cost of living.
After eight years of outsourcing hardware, if Palm doesn't know how to get quality manufacturing, it's time to throw in the towel.
NAND's "advantage" could be obviated by including a $10 app (BackupMan) and a $10 SD card with every Palm. And remember: data on NAND Flash does not survive a hard reset. Not good, given how crash-happy the Tungsten 5 and Treo 650 are. Until PalmOS doesn't choke on NAND Flash, this "el-cheapo flash" has no business being on Palm's PDAs.
You obviously have never used Sony's VZ90. If your only experience with OLEDs is from cellphones made a year ago or (more likely) from reading about them on the Internet, you really need to S T F U.
It appears that you're the one needing to spend a little quality time with the librarian. Don't feel bad - I've heard that many librarians are repressed sex maniacs. Maybe (even you) might get lucky. Stay in school, Buddy.
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
My wish list:-
1. p1 must continue its commitment to making units which appeal to average users; rather than trying to impress geeks like us with gee-whiz gadgets. They must not waste resources on 'bleeding edge' technology. Just go with what works, and continue to do it better than anyone else.
2. The p1 designers must be told to write 'FORM FACTOR IS IMPORTANT' 100 times on a whiteboard. They must be told, in no uncertain terms, to stop designing bricks like the TC, T3 and T5 and go back to thinner and lighter units which fit well in the hand. Better battery life wouldn't hurt either.
3. p1 must invest much more in marketing, with greater emphasis
on the benefits of using a handheld computer in daily life. The key is to sell solutions; not computers.
4. p1 must do more to educate IT managers on the benefits of p1 units in the workplace. Let me give you an example of what I mean - the deputy head of our IT department told me 2 weeks ago that WinCE is better than PalmOS, because WinCE allows Word documents to be edited - she had never heard of Documents to Go! (I'm not sure how how to address this problem, but a starting point would be to sponsor articles in some of the leading computer magazines and buying some advertising space wouldn't hurt either.)
5. The Treo line must be pitched better, with more emphasis how it outdoes the RIM Blackberry line in every way.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
1) Competition
2) Competition
3) Competition
4) Competition
5) Competition
6) Sony to cram the features of their U series in an OQO-style pocketable device.
Bugger PDAs.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
I agree with most of the points outlined above and I agree with Voice that outsouring tech support is butcherng the "reputations" of many companies. I recently spoke with a corporate buyer who just bought a bunch of MPC machines (the old-timers here will remember them as the remnants of Micron's PC division) due in large part to their outstanding phone tech support staff. I agree with the predictions that we'll start seeing a renewed focus on tech support at least for higher-end -product lines. Imagine that, P1 having Tungsten models carry longer warranties and domestic tech support staff as a reason to justify >$200 pricetags and non-day glow color schemes!
OPEN LETTER TO PALM1 MANAGEMENT
Palm1 needs to go back to the simple basics. The best PDA I ever had was the Handspring Visor EDGE: metal-body, metal stylus, perfect-size with an extremely ultra-slim body, corner LED to let you know its charging and to silently alert you, a cradle, and a hard metal flip cover that actually protected the screen...too bad my Edhge recently went DOA after nearly 3 years of faithful service. Even 3 years old, it still looked cool and garnered attention from onlookers. I had a Sony Clie for a while, I believe it was the T60, but eBayed it after a few months and went back the HS Edge. So, now I look for a replacement and see what's out there and I am NOT at all happy with the offerings. Handspring is gone, Sony is gone, so Palm1 has NO competition and thinks they can make whatever they want and we will buy it - well, do we have a choice other than to turn to the dark side (aka PPC) ?
Couldn't Palm1 come out with an "Edge"-type model with a color screen? I saw the Tungsten E and Zire 72, but they lack one very IMPORTANT thing : NO f---ing cradle! Excuse my language. I would hate to keep plugging in a power plug and a hotsync plug every time I want to charge up the unit or hotsync it with my PC. What happened to the cradle? Did the bean counters force management to eliminate the cradle? A cradle... a link for the PDA and the PC. Now, a missing link! Bring back the cradle!!!
I read PIC and see how Palm1 is trying to make the PDA a replacement for the notebook computer - adding all the bells and whistles in the T5, but, unfortunately, in a very ugly looking body. They would have been better off using an old m515 body then the one they have on the T5 now. And the plastic, shiny body on the T3... another disappointment. The blue paint body of the Zire 72 peeling off so much that they had to make a Special Edition model without the blue paint to fend off all the complaints from Zire 72 owners whose blue Zire 72 naturally turned into a "special edition" silver. I was even tempted by the basic Zire 31, but the 160x160 screen on it, even though it's in color, turned me away - it actually hurt my eyes when I used it for 5 minutes at CompUSA - but, again, there lies a bigger problem : no cradle.
Palm1 is failing in a simple step to design a decent looking PDA body - if the body at least looks decent, then all the other bells and whistles packaged with it will be a winning combination. But, once you fail at the first step...
Like I first said, if Palm1 would just design a basic PDA (a la Handspring Visor Edge, but with a 320x320 color screen) and package it WITH A CRADLE then I think they will appeal to a mass audience and have a successful and profitable product. Keep it simple and cheap - no flash memory, no voice recorder, no camera, no vibrating alert - just a decent, usuable metal stylus and, please, a cradle.
Any recommendation on a a new PDA for now? Thanks everyone for letting me vent and enjoy the holidays. And Ryan, get well soon - we need our daily dose of Palm-related news, rumors, upcoming models, complaints, and etc.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
http://www.expansys-usa.com/advsearch.asp?srch=all
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Corrected links for new CLIE TH55
Non-Bluetooth version ($540): http://www.expansys-usa.com/product.asp?code=111907
Yeah, those prices are obscene, but I don't know anywhere else that's selling new ones. eBay's not worth the hassle.
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
Possibly the last best PalmOS handheld.
Certainly the last best US-released Clie.
RE: Christmas wish list for Palm.
Possibly the last best PalmOS handheld.
Dynamism is now selling the VZ90 for $899. Once you've seen the OLED in person, nothing else will do. Still, the TH55 is the best tablet-style PDA sold in the USA. If Sony could have just given us another revision of the TH55 design, it probably would have been perfect. These things are going to be collector's items in a few years.
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Ahnold gives Gekko a heart attack
"Report: Schwarzenegger suggests U.S. Republicans move leftward"
Enjoy those lumps of coal on Saturday, Gekko ol' bean!
The good news: my (3rd) T5 runs like a champ!
No problems.
I love this Palm as it's in the spirit of the Vx, only with a high res color screen, using the full screen (with virtual graffiti area). Best part is it DOESN'T have a slider and it has good battery life!
For some reason, I can write using G2 much better then on my old T/E, so I don't have to use Tealscript anymore.
It's near perfect for my needs.
RE: The good news: my (3rd) T5 runs like a champ!
How's the search bug treating you?
My Prediction? MORE PAIN.
RE: Search not a problem
Seems fine to me.
More embarassment for Palm: Treo 650 hacked to pieces!
Strike 1: Bluetooth DUN enabled. Sprint purposely wanted this left off the Treo 650 so users would not be able to turn their phones into Bluetooth modems. (Sprint sells a seperate wireless service for laptop users.) Lazy Palm programmers left the ability in, chosing to "hide" it behind a line of code. All that was required to turn Bluetooth DUN back on was a two byte patch. Two bytes. Wow.
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=63250
Strike 2: Wi-Fi for Treo 650 enabled. Funny how a single Treo user with no access to the source code managed to do what Palm hasn't/can't. Yes, it's a crude and nasty hack at this point (hard resets the Treo 650 after every use), but Palm should hire the hacker and fire all the useless appendages currently cluttering up its programming department.
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=64490
Strike 3: Palm is planning to release a Treo 650 patch to fix the unit's horrible sound quality. Only problem is, some dumba$$ from Palm supposedly sent out a beta that used a loader which allows users to flash ANY custom ROMs they want. Treo 650 users can now customize and re-flash their ROMs at will. It also seems unlikely that Palm will be able to stop anyone from easily unlocking their phones. (And users can already play games with the MSL.)
One unexpected positive is it appears that users may be able to flash an upgrade to Bluetooth 1.2. In a bizarre twist, the loader required to flash a Pocket PC ROM is also included!!!
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=66518
The hypocritical moderators at Treocentral deleted references to the files needed to customize the ROM, yet didn't censor the threads on enabling Bluetooth DUN and Wi-Fi. Go figure. You can get everything you need here (at least until Palm wakes up and shuts The Bad People™ down by sending out the Palm Lawyers™...):
Heads are gonna roll over this at Palm. Rule # 1: Don't EVER do anything to pi$$ off the carriers...
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Instructions for how to hack the Treo 650. SWEET!!!
Instructions for how to customize the Treo 650 ROM as taken from a post here:
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=66966&page=1
Shadowmite's instructions:
1) You must have a SD card reader/writer for your computer
1a) Insert your SD card
1b) Change the name of your palm folder if present to bak or whatever other than palm
1c) Copy the palm and rom folders inside the zip file onto the root directory of your card
1d) When finished with Faisal's instructions please delete the new folders you added and rename your palm folder back.
INSTRUCTIONS AS POSTED BY FAISAL:
1. IMPORTANT!!! Plug your device into the charger first. Hot sync if you have not already. Remember. At the end of this, you will have to hard reset your device, so you will lose everything on it.
2. When you put the card in the SD slot, it should default to the "Card" applications menu.
3. Tap the ROMUpdater app. It will take you to a screen with a lot of text.
4. Type "rev cvt2" (no quotes). Hit the return key.
5. Type "ace" (no quotes). Hit the return key.
6. After the flash is complete, it will say, "PLEASE HARD RESET YOUR DEVICE". Here is how you do it:
a) Remove the battery cover and use the stylus to do a pin reset, located on the left side of the battery.
b) Quickly look at the LCD. You will see a bar moving from left to right. Before it reaches about midpoint on the bottom of the screen, press and hold down the RED phone button until you see the Palm logo.
c) When you see the Palm logo (the moving bar is gone), release the RED phone button. You will be prompted to press the up button to erase all of your data. Please do so.
7. Follow the steps to recalibrate your touch screen.
8. You are done! Re-sync your data and turn on your radio by pressing and holding the RED phone button.
Now to modifying your own ROM (OPTIONAL and not for the faint hearted, you can just flash with one of the ROMs posted by Shadowmite):
Few notes first,
* First do not delete all the MM files, some of them are needed for the SD card.
* Verizon hacked phones are a problem at this time, be careful.
* If your ROM flash fails DO NOT DO a hard reset BEFORE you re-flash with the original ROM. You could lose your phone to an eternal hard reset loop if you do not have a functional ROM before you hard reset.
* The ace-palmos.zip size cannot be over 6.8mb or something very close to that
Instructions by SaliRace
1) Start with a known working version of the ROM
2) Unzip the file ace-palmos.zip to another working folder on your desktop
3) Remove any .PRC files and any other files related to the program you are trying to delete. (BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU DELETE), I recommend starting with one of Shadowmites ROM updates as he has stripped most to the bare bone. Add any PRC files you wish to include in the ROM remember the size cannot exceed 6.8 mb.
4) Open up the boot.conf file in a text editor (used Word and it worked fine or better yet NOTEPAD) and remove any db= references to the files you just deleted. This stops the boot file from looking for those programs, which would otherwise cause it to stick in a reset loop. Add the db="new prc you just included in the ace-palmos.zip" without "". NOTE: not all PRC files can be loaded into ROM, esp those who will modify its size after entering serial number (Patched apps or apps that save the serial number info on RAM are fine, research this in other threads before you add you fav prc file).
5) Save this new boot.conf file and overwrite the old one
6) Use WINZIP (or something equivelant) to re-zip the folder an name it the same ace-palmos.zip
7) Using an MD5 checksum utility (available here as an attachment), run a checksum on the new ace-palmos.zip, open the file named ace-palmos.zip.md5 again with NOTEPAD, paste the NEW checksum value with the new value given by the MD5.
8) Copy the Palm and ROM folders to your SD card (After renaming the existing PALM folder if it exists), and run the updater. If the checksum utility did not create the right totals, it will tell you so, and will no update. Therefore, do not worry if you are not very comfortable with the MD5 utility, it gives some room to experiment.
Follow the instructions by shadowmite and Faisal above, then a hard reset when prompted to do so (ONLY HARD RESET IF YOU WERE ABLE TO FLASH THE ROM WITH NO ERRORS, if you get any errors re-flash with original ROM available at shadowmite's website).
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Ryan, can you do a news item on this?
Sprint may end up raking Palm over the coals re: all the holes in the OS now being eXp!01teD, but it's great that the power users can still customize their devices. I had thought that NAND Flash would have made the Treo 650 even harder to hack, but then Palm's programmers not only unlocked the door but also left the door wide open and their wallets on the front steps!
It will be interesting to see if this or a similar ROM upgrader can be hacked to customize the Tungsten 5...
******************************************************************
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Treo 650 hacked to pieces!
This offer also extends to any other Treo power user that would like to write something up on this new development. Email it to ryan @ palminfocenter ... you know the rest. Big TIA!
RE: More embarassment for Palm: Treo 650 hacked to pieces!
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Sad, sad, story.
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Really?
Nothing wrong with staying anon. (Journalistic hoo-haa and all that.)
Lemme guess, the Chinese make more code for less?
(I really hope I'm wrong.)
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Also, better make sure the blokes over at The Register don't try to steal your "scoop" ;-)
Ryan: glad to hear you're feeling better! Keep on getting plenty of rest.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
That palmOne DOESN'T HAVE ANY PLANS to EVER use COBALT? Guys, palmOne is now driven by the Handspring folks - the Handspring people were on OS 3.5.X forever and only went to 5.0 because the market forcibly pushed them to the ARM base. Oh, and a Cobalt license costs more. Oh, and it'll cost more to support it AND the existing base for some time?
That palmOne could walk away from Palm OS in 2006? Been there, done that. They're trying to smell the money so they can survive.
That PalmSource is having trouble getting new licensees, or any licensees, to sign on to Cobalt? Been there, done that.
That Sony moved away from PalmSource for exactly the same reasons that palmOne doesn't use Cobalt? Been there, done that.
That PalmSource is going to a Linux based OS? Been there, done that.
That PalmSource is hoping that they can grab onto a big chunk of the market in China? Now here is the under-reported story
The only thing I think they've learned from the Cobalt mess is that the Be engineering staff does good work that nobody wants.
Face it - Nagel has bet the farm on the Cobalt, Linux, and Asia. It might work, but it won't be easy. The folks at PalmSource seem to have realized that they didn't have a viable business model. Can they right it in time? Who knows. One can hope.
Can palmOne survive the way they're going? Seems to me the one thing that PalmSource does very well (they have one of the best support teams in the business) is the one thing that palmOne does poorly. A good support organization drives a good QA team to make sure your product doesn't have any unnecessary surprises when it goes out in the field. The T5 and the Treo 650 weren't ready for their closeup.
Not a good way for the year to end if you are a Palm OS developer.
So what's the big news again?
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
http://www.nature.com/news/2004/041220/full/041220-6.html
-- keep making those calls, kid! Evolution will have its revenge!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Thanks for that tidbit about cell phones. Geez, I thought I was safe, now I'll have to keep myself away from all sources of radiation, so that means no cordless phones, no computers, no microwave, no refrigerator, no television, no sun, no stereo, no palm- nevermind.
Really, this whole thing's been blown way out of proportion. Yes, microwaves and what have you can cause irreverseable damage to cells at the DNA level, but there are several things I have to say about that (please don't take this as patronization, just a rant at society):
(1) Cell phones do not put out that much radiation. Putting a lab rat in the microwave is not the equivelant of cell phone use. I know, that's an exageration, so don't patronize me.
(2) We've been using devices that produce copious amounts of electromagnetic radiation since Marconi invented the radio.
(3) We are also exposed to natural radiation ALL THE TIME. UVA, UVB, solar, microwave, gamma ray, etc., all from that big burning ball of gas we depend upon.
(4) Trying to claim that the cancer rate is on the rise (aside from the results of carcinogens such as those found in cigarettes) is ludicrous. Yes, diagnosed cases of cancer are on the rise. That's diaganosed. Fifty years ago, how many people did you meet who had cancer? More than you know. Modern medicine has increased our ability to find and treat tumors that we never even knew existed. If we were to go back fifty years, we'd find that many 'natural' deaths were the result of cancer. Hell, everbody has cancer. Do you have a mole anywhere? That's a benign form of cancer. Most cancers are caused by random gene mutations, the same kind of mutations that made you different from your sibling (assuming you have one and that he/she is not your identical twin). It's genetics, folks.
End Rant. This post will self-destruct in ten seconds.
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
(1) Hitler was a bad man
(2) He rose through power in the German government
(3) He killed his opponents
(4) He rallied a depressed Germany to revenge
(5) He conquered France
(6) He attacked Russia
(7) He bombed Britain
(8) He killed the Jews
(9) US comes to the rescue and beats Hitler's little Nazi toosh
(10) Yay, USA!
There is little mention of the Reichsmordwoche, his alliance with Mussolini, persecution of homosexuals, the elderly, gyspies, and others, how he was able to rise to power with the support of the people, etc. Most of the history taught in the United States is taught from the view of the USA at that time:
We sat there twidling our fingers, watching Europe fall under Germany, again, but didn't want to get our hands dirty. Japan attacks, so we declare war on Japan, Japan declares war on the US, Germany declares war on the US, US, declares war on Germany, long silnce filled with the war in the Pacific, and then D-day. It's very one-sided. Thank goodness I have the History Channel.
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Destroy! Kill! Destroy!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
I've been wonderins: How old are you?
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Old enough not to use a dumba** handle.
Old enough to have better things to do with my time than to wonder about other people.
Old enough to know better than Gekko how the world *really* works.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Okay, I'll respect you're privacy.
>Old enough not to use a dumba** handle.
Too bad it seems that you've grown out of a good sense of humor and become a grumpy ole' crumudgen.
>Old enough to have better things to do with my time than to wonder about other people.
I dunno, you seem to spend a lot of time thinking up ways to insult Gekko.
>Old enough to know better than Gekko how the world *really* works.
Ooh, I sense a little bit of frustration here. Is this because you've grown too old to adapt to change? That's pretty sad if you wish to be involved in the Palm world, or the real world, for that matter.
Cap'n Hair
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Me, hidebound? I voted for Nader!
Gekko is the one who is still in the swoon of that disgusting indictment, "Wall Street." Too bad he can't clone Catherine Z-J. I'm sure he'd like that...
How many lumps did you get for Xmas, Gekko? One or ... T5? Hahahaha.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
I like my hole, thank you very much.
>Me, hidebound? I voted for Nader!
While I will agree that Nader had a few good ideas, you practically threw your vote away. I know, 'I was making a statement", etc, but why not vote for somebody who has a chance of winning?
>Gekko is the one who is still in the swoon of that disgusting indictment, "Wall Street." Too bad he can't clone Catherine Z-J. I'm sure he'd like that...
We all know that Wall Street is not a good gauge of a company, but Joe Public doesn't know that. When the news tells him that the stock market is down for the third day in a row, he begins to think that we're headed into a depression. And why would you clone HER? Sheesh.
>How many lumps did you get for Xmas, Gekko? One or ... T5? Hahahaha.
I think you meant TE2, right?
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
As for an anwer to the question on "why would you clone HER?" the gallery in this site, http://come.to/czj , may go some way to answering that question. That face... that hair... those legs... the buns... that rack! Too much for an 18 year-old to handle! ;-)
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Odd you don't find CZJ attractive though; looked awesome in Intolerable Cruelty (I know, crap film). How about Winona Ryder? I guess these are all old sheilas to you, Cap'n (and I'm 30 years older than you). Since PIC forums are deceased, perhaps we should start an OT thread on hotties right here.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
You mean you don't find her violent case of herpes hot?
>>You may even appear on video!
Remember that rumored second video circulating around? That is NOT, I repeat, NOT Alex Bosco.
On another unrelated note, The Simple Life 3 was shot for a short time ten minutes from my house. A friend of mine at my high school went over there for an interview for Methacton (my high school), and while he's under an NDA as to not be able to say what happened, he can tell us at the very least what the public saw. He came out of the house in only his boxers, and there's a picture of him mostly naked with Paris and Nicole sitting on either side of his lap. I'm sure he contracted HPV, herpes, and hemorrhoids just by that.
-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T637
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
And should be.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Why not vote for someone who really wants to CHANGE things?
God, you're not only young, you're politically stupid too.
Democrat/Republican: Two brand names for the SAME PARTY!
As if that ambulatory stiff Kerry *ever* had a chance. Right. Not with that crackpot he married!
Next!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Right, okay, do you think that America is the same place it was five years ago? No. Anybody with half a mind can see that GW Bush has change the United States. Its up to you to decide whether he did it for better or for worse.
>God, you're not only young, you're politically stupid too.
Thanks, I enjoy your petty insults. Apparently you haven't matured emotionally as fast as you think.
>Democrat/Republican: Two brand names for the SAME PARTY!
Honestly, name five (that's 5) significant items that lead you to say that the Democrats and Republicans are one and the same.
>As if that ambulatory stiff Kerry *ever* had a chance. Right. Not with that crackpot he married!
Well, Kerry did have a chance. If he'd dumbed himself down for Joe Shmoe American he probably could have won (or at least come closer).
Kerry: Too much technical talk, and crap like wind surfing
Bush: Despite infacility with words, still appealed to the core of a good chunk of people. And picked up voters turned off by Kerry.
Nader: Wasn't even in the ballot in my state. Or a lot of other states. Was he even on Larry King Live this time?
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
>"As if that ambulatory stiff Kerry *ever* had a chance."
Wrong word. "ambulatory" means mobile.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
(1) am-bu-la-to-ry
adjective (1598)
1: of, relating to, or adapted to walking - also: occuring during a walk
2: moving from place to place: Itinerant
3: capable of being altered "A will is ambulatory until the testator's death."
4a: able to walk about and not bedridden "Ambulatory patients."
4b: performed on or involving an ambulatory patient or an outpatient "Ambulatory medical care." "An ambulatory electrocardiogram."
(2) am-bu-la-to-ry
noun (Plural: am-bu-la-to-ries) (ca. 1616)
A sheltered place (as in a cloister or church) for walking.
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
I guess you could say Kerry was physically wooden/stiff but his political positions were "ambulatory".
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Ooh, burn!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T637
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
What really blows my mind is why people are so enamored with "Reality" TV in general, considering NONE OF IT is real at all. All these shows are scripted and the so-called contestants are actually paid actors. Even if it were legitimate I STILL wouldn't watch because there is no redeeming quality to such trash. It's just another form or voyeurism. Reality Tv's only real purpose is to sell products, or rather advertising to viewers. Just by tuning in you've become a sucker. The same can be said for TV programming in general, but there is far better content out there...or at least you can find better ways of wasting brain cells.
No wonder Americans are becoming obese. They sit on their fat arse and live vicariously through someone else's life. Hey! I've got a REAL reality show that you can enjoy and even participate in yourself; it's called LIFE. Tune in every day, it's on 24 hours and you don't even need a TV.
I rarely watch TV these days. Thank god for DirectTV. If it weren't for BBC America, The History Channel, Discovery Channel, Sci-Fi, AMC, and TCM I'd never use a damn television at all except as a viewing medium for console gaming.
-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Then why the hell can't I vote some people off the planet? See? This stuff only works on TeeVee! That's why it's fun.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Dianne Hackborn: When will you be leaving PalmSource?
I was sorry to hear what happened with PalmSource, but this wasn't surprising given the lack of leadership at Palm. We are all fortunate that PalmOS 5 has proved to be so versatile - we will be using this OS version for many years to come.
TVoR
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
HAHAHAHAHA!!! Cop out! Chicken! Coward! Spineless! Gutless! Weasel!!
In fact, EVERYTHING we ALREADY KNEW about you!
Even behind a fake name, he has no fekkin GUTS!
What a note to end the year on.
Please go away now. Forever.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Too bad about your source.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
PS, there are a lot of smarties on this board.
-Ryan
webmaster@palminfocenter.com
History repeats.
For years, I've been one of Palm's most vocal critics, always with the hope that honest criticism could "encourage" them to fix the many problems that have been obvious to those of us who are longtime Palm supporters. A few of Palm's management team are lurkers at Palminfocenter and they're all fully aware of the company's mistakes. These guys aren't idiots. Some things - like the Treo 650 Memory Disaster™ - the company has been forced to respond to quickly, in order to avert a PR and sales nightmare. Other problems were known design compromises that the company had no intention of ever correcting, so in some ways, it's a waste of time asking them to fix certain "issues".
PalmSource is hurting, but they still have a LOT of good people working for them (for now). While it's sad to see the way Palm(Source/One) has been looted by its executives over the years, given who's currently in charge, I don't expect that to change. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so I'm going to bow out of the PalmSource commentary for now. As long as slash and burn panic mode doesn't set in, PalmOS will survive. And remember, this is a mature OS with a huge user base. PalmSource could be an attractive acquisition for a company with an interest in obtaining a turnkey mobile business platform.
Anyway, I hope you understand my position.
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
Mikey-poo: Go **** yourself. Really. I'm not sure what you have "burned into [your mind]", but I hope it will finally knock some sense into you. Feel free to believe whatever you want to. I (and most likely everyone else here) don't care what you think. You are merely a loudmouthed ignoramus with shockingly little true understanding of even basic technical or hardware matters. The fact that you spend dozens of hours per week pouring over every Palm-related site on the net, yet still continue to spew an endless amount of drivel shows you lack the ability to learn from what you read. Hopefully someday you'll understand why everyone here with any knowledge about PalmOS knows you are about as clueless as the newest newbie. At least most newbies know enough to S T F U until they've learned enough to contribute something useful.
A couple months ago I said that an English localized VZ90 was recently spotted in San Francisco. Don't believe me? Whatever, Mike. Next time I'll make sure to take some photos so you can cry "Fake!" as you keep pining for something to replace your S320. Don't be jealous of others with better lives than you, Mike. You sad, sad, little old man.
Take care, Sweetie.
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
RE: Holiday SHOCKER! The REAL Cobalt story revealed!
"The dumbest people I know are those who know it all." - Malcolm Forbes
Power to Go: $50!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Power to Go: $50!
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: PIC Forums
RE: PIC Forums
c:/tumbleweed.exe
@
@
@
@
@
@
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: PIC Forums
Your mind resembles the wings of an Ostrich, It enables you to Run, though NOT to Soar! -- Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay
RE: PIC Forums
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: PIC Forums
I just saw a live one at CUSA today and the fekkin touchscreen was UNRESPONSIVE! How's THAT for a sales gimmick? (Couldn't get out of the stupid stupid stupid Setup app!)
Meanwhile, other people were playing that that abomination PPCPE from hp... *it* had a -- gasp! -- *working* screen!
RE: PIC Forums
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: PIC Forums
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
Is this a business or a charity?
This is all very well and I don't want to appear to be totally scrooge-like, but let's not forget one thing; unless I'm mistaken, PIC isn't a charity or a benevolent organisation for Palm users, it's a business and I assume that it makes its money from advertising and from the irritating pop-ups that we all endure.
Given that this is the case the business isn't being very well run and if most of the users of this site encountered such bad service from other commercial organisations they would, very rightly, be shouting from the rooftops.
I haven't being paying a lot of attention to the site lately but one thing that I have noticed is a lot of broken promises about the reappearance of the discussion forums. Where are they? When are they coming back?
If I were an advertiser on PIC I would by now be looking at alternatives for my budget. Traffic flow on this site must be one tenth of what it was a few weeks ago.
Frank Wilkinson U.K.
RE: Is this a business or a charity?
I think it's one guy's idea to bring PalmOS news, information, and community forums to the internet.
What it grew into, either by choice or by circumstance is something more. Possibly more than can be maintained indefinitely.
Unless you are a shareholder and stand to lose money, or if you wrote massive amounts of code to bring the thing to life and stand to lose time and credibility, don't worry about it so much.
It's Ryan's thing to do with as he pleases, we just get to watch and make our little comments.
I would like to see PIC thrive, but something is preventing that, either blockage from without or lack of will from within.
Right now I feel like we're all just checking in to see it it's still breathing.
Like the very PalmOS itself. Hmm... metaphor anyone?
RE: Is this a business or a charity?
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
Update on Sir Ryan...
Have patience, young grasshoppers.
RE: Voice of Treason
"People who think they're smart annoy those of us who are."
RE: Voice of Treason
RE: Voice of Treason
;-)
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
ET's Walls
Forensic crime scene snapshot of ET's walls at home as a result of PIC forums down:
http://www.jessicawitte.com/installation_performance_sculpture/2002/Satis(f)Action%20Tour/wall%20writing.jpg
ah...the good old days...
"The past can't be brought back. Dwight Eisenhower said that the good old days (as we remember them) will never come back again, because they never were. We can turn the clock back, but time rushes on. The river of life runs one way and never back upstream. You can't beat the baked-cake back into the batter, the concrete sidewalk back into the cement mixer, the cut lumber back into the tree, the grown person back into the child. If you are yearning for the good old days, just turn off the air conditioning. Nostalgia is like grammar; you find the present tense and the past perfect. The good old days are gone, no matter how we tend to idealize or fantasize."
“We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today. I don't think it was, and I would advise you not to wait ten years before admitting today was great. If you're hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time.” - Art Buchwald
“The past is never there when you try to go back. It exists, but only in memory. To pretend otherwise is to invite a mess.” - Chris Cobbs
“Romance like a ghost escapes touching; it is always where you are not, not where you are. The interview or conversation was prose at the time, but it is poetry in the memory.” - George William Curtis
Latest Comments
- I got one -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Don't we have this already? -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -richf
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -dmitrygr
- Palm phone on HDblog -palmato
- Palm PVG100 -hgoldner
- RE: Like Deja Vu -PacManFoo
- Like Deja Vu -T_W
PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
Here's my contribution to PIC during the "Holiday Break"...
Troy Wolverton
PalmOne Backlog Has Investors Backing Out
By Troy Wolverton
TheStreet.com Staff Reporter
12/17/2004 12:37 PM EST
URL: http://www.thestreet.com/stocks/troywolverton/10199799.html
Shares of palmOne (PLMO:Nasdaq) plunged Friday after investors were unnerved by the company's earnings report.
The stock was recently down $8.57, or 20.1%, to $33.98.
Although the device maker met the Street's earnings expectations for its second quarter, it issued disappointing guidance for its current quarter. Perhaps more disturbingly, the company reported a sizable backlog in its inventory, particularly in its flagship Treo line of smartphones.
Following the report, the company's stock also was hit with a series of downbeat analyst reports, including at least two downgrades.
"PLMO faces multiple challenges ahead," wrote Andrew Neff, an analyst with Bear Stearns, in a report issued Friday. "Fundamentally, we are concerned about PLMO's device-only business model that is heavily dependent on the success of a single product."
Neff lowered his rating on palmOne shares from "peer perform" to "underperform" and decreased his price target range to $29 to $32 a share from $34 to $38 a share. (Bear Stearns has performed noninvestment banking business for palmOne in the last year.)
The handheld device and smartphone maker said after the bell Thursday that it earned $24.69 million, or 48 cents a share, in its just-completed quarter. That result was up from the second quarter last year, when the company lost $4.11 million, or 11 cents a share. Excluding discontinued operations, the company last year would have earned $2.63 million, or 7 cents a share.
The company's revenue rose 38% from the year earlier period to $376.2 million.
Excluding stock-based compensation and other noncash charges, the company would have earned $27.22 million, or 53 cents a share, in the just-completed quarter.
Wall Street had predicted the company would earn 53 cents a share on this basis on sales of $373.14 million. The company had predicted that it would earn 46 cents a share on a GAAP basis in the current quarter.
But while the company met the Street's estimates for its just-completed quarter, it gave disappointing guidance for its current period. The company now expects to earn 17 cents a share in its fiscal third quarter on sales of about $280 million.
In contrast, analysts had predicted the company would earn 30 cents a share on a GAAP basis on sales of $318.09 million in its third quarter.
PalmOne did offer an above-consensus forecast for its fourth-quarter outlook, and maintained full-year earnings guidance. For the fourth quarter, the company now expects to earn 45 cents to 55 cents a share on sales ranging from $360 million to $380 million.
The Street was predicting 40 cents a share in fourth-quarter earnings on sales of $343 million.
On a conference call on Thursday afternoon, company officials attributed their change in part to seasonality in the company's handheld business, and in part on a simple timing issue. Although the company still plans to roll out its new Treo 650 smartphone to its existing wireless carrier partners by the end of its fiscal year, the device won't be available on some of those networks until later than the company originally expected, company officials said.
"We would like to emphasize that our guidance for the full fiscal year remains unchanged, and we are comfortable with our plan," said Philippe Morali, the company's interim CFO.
But a number of analysts found themselves most uncomfortable with palmOne's plans.
The company's ability to meet its annual guidance is now heavily dependent on its fiscal fourth quarter, noted Pat Chiefalo, who covers the company for Merrill Lynch. That increases the risk that the company won't be able to meet its outlook, because one or more of its key carrier deals could be pushed back to its next fiscal year, he said. Chiefalo reduced his rating on palmOne shares to "neutral" from "buy."
"We believe the data points and expectations on Treo provided by management substantially increase the risk to our investment thesis regarding Treo uptake in the near term," Chiefalo wrote in a research note issued Friday. (Merrill Lynch has provided noninvestment banking services for palmOne in the last year.)
A related concern among analysts was the inventory position held by the company and its partners. At the end of the second quarter, palmOne and its carrier partners were holding nearly 21 weeks worth of Treo smartphones in inventory. Additionally, the company and its distribution partners held another 9.6 weeks worth of inventory in its handheld devices. Both of those figures are well above the company's targets, analysts noted.
Company officials played down the inventory swell. Handheld inventory was at a reasonable level considering that distributors and retailers were bulking up for holiday sales, Morali said. Meanwhile, the smartphone inventory had much to do with the transition from the older Treo 600 to its recently released Treo 650, he said.
"Carrier partners that are currently only selling the 600 have indicated that they are satisfied with their inventory position going into the holidays," said Morali. "Therefore we are comfortable with current channel inventory levels."
Again, the company's comfort didn't necessarily console Wall Street. In order to reduce its inventories to more normal levels, the company will have to double its market share in the smartphone market in its fourth quarter from its third quarter, wrote Needham analyst Charles Wolf in a note issued Friday.
"Given the Treo's $600 retail price point before carrier subsidies, we believe that such an increase in market share is highly unlikely," Wolf noted, maintaining his "hold" rating on palmOne shares. (Needham has provided investment banking business for palmOne in the last year.)
http://www.thestreet.com/_tscfoc/stocks/troywolverton/10199799.html