Comments on: 2 Millionth Palm Centro Sold

2 Millionth Palm Centro SoldPalm has announced that it has now sold over two-million Palm Centro smartphones. Available from almost 20 carriers worldwide, including the three largest carriers in the United States, Centro has reached more young adults and women, as well as a broader range of household income, than any prior Palm smartphone. The Centro is on store shelves in more than 25 countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

In addition, recent data released by AdMob, the largest advertising network on the mobile web, states that Centro is among the top 10 devices worldwide for mobile Internet.

Return to Story - Permalink

Article Comments

 (57 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down

Bite it, Palm: 1,001 iPhone apps!

mikecane @ 7/29/2008 11:24:25 AM # Q
No worries, Mike, Palm's still 'well positioned'!
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 11:35:29 AM # Q
"In another room, a few executives watched Carl Yankowski's interview on CNBC, taping it for playback at the employee meeting that was to commence in minutes. After CNBC announcers gushed over "the most talked-about IPO," the camera cut to Carl Yankowski in the Nasdaq studio. Usually a compelling public speaker, Yankowski seemed out of his element. When asked about larger screens for palmtops, he answered stiffly, "We are well positioned whichever way the market goes."
As the interview came to a close, the reporter said, "I've got to ask you about your suit." Yankowski smiled. He was wearing a very special suit, he let on, designed to satisfy the public's high expectations from Palm's IPO. The shiny pinstripes woven into the otherwise standard wool suit were made from threads of pure gold. CNBC cut back to the studio anchor. "Was that for real?" he asked the correspondent. The Palm managers assembled around the TV set looked at each other. "We're not showing this video," one of the executives decreed. Then they walked out to start the employee meeting."

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0471089656/


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Reply to this comment

great little product

Gekko @ 7/29/2008 12:35:49 PM # Q

i still don't understand all this animosity and vitriol towards the Centro. it's just as powerful as the latest Treo AND it's lighter, smaller, thinner, sleeker, and more modern looking - it rivals the BB Pearl in terms of size/weight/sleekness/form factor - it makes the Treo look like a brick/dinosaur. AND Centro has Outlook EAS and My Location support etc. as well. AND it's only $99!!!!!!

What in the F do you people want?????????????

RE: great little product
Doo @ 7/29/2008 1:01:54 PM # Q
I couldn't agree more Geko. PIC has become the Palm Bashing site. Nothing new to see here. I'll be at Brighthand and Palm Addicts.

RE: great little product
Puck @ 7/29/2008 1:06:40 PM # Q
(Whew!) How 'bout wanting you to lighten up?

Puck
RE: great little product
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 1:33:49 PM # Q
WHoa, everyone! Settle down. The Centro's more powerful as far as under-the-hood hardware (more available RAM, less lag, better camera quality etc), yes, but not as productive for power users. The Centro is hobbled by an impossibly small keyboard & screen, and underwhelming battery capacity.

I'm not saying that the Centro is a bad device--certainly not relative to other <$100 handsets and not relative to older Treos. But it's not THE perfect "one size fits all" device for every type of user.


The Treo COULD have everything the Centro does if Palm WANTED it to. There's no genuine technical limitation the Treo cannot support My Location, the latest versions of VersaMail & Blazer etc etc. Garnet is still OS 5.x, just like it has been since 2002.


With Palm already crying the blues about razor-thin Centro margins and the marketplace becoming more competitive by the day, the only way to sustain the Centro's momentum going into the fall/holiday season is with more new colors & price drops.

What the Centro improves on from the Treo 755/680 on one hand is mitigated by dimished capabilities on the other hand. Keep in mind that the entire POS market is currently served by a SINGLE device (Centro), with the 755p/680/all remaining PDAs effectively EOL'd and dead in the water for all intents and purposes. That's not a good indication from anyone's perspective that Palm will be able to support Nova/Garnet/WinMob this time next year.

IMO, Palm would have been wise to release a higher-end, higher-margin POS device (at least for CDMA markets) alongside the Centro last year or alongside the 800w this year. But with Palm essentially going forward with a 3-OS, 3-smartphone line, I think both the user & developer communities would appreciate a clearly worded, non-waffling public statement of support for the Garnet platform/devices at least through next year AND some kind of roadmap + w/ proof of existence that Nova is indeed not vaporware.

At the very least, a mildly refreshed Centro 2 with a larger screen/keyboard (maybe along the lines of the rumored Treo 850 FF) & a 3.5mm headphone jack would be a solid way to bridge the gap until Nova is ready. Sad to say, I fear such a beast seems highly unlikely as there have been zero leaks or rumors of anything new from Palm aside from the usual Treo 850 & Treo 500 replacement rumors that made the rounds months ago.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: great little product
JackG @ 7/29/2008 1:38:16 PM # Q
Add me to the list of those who are tired of all the Palm bashing in the comments on this site. The Centro is the best Palm OS based phone on the market, and it is fast and stable.

I've added the new Treo 800w to my collection, and I find it too is fast and stable. I like the look and feel of both devices, and I still prefer the Treo/Centro form factor over the competition. I'm glad Palm still offers a good product, and that they've seemingly learned from the 700p fiasco.

RE: great little product
MikeT5 @ 7/29/2008 2:19:38 PM # Q
A while back, I wrote about my hesitancy to move-up to the palm smartphone platform, thinking I would lose all of the benefits associated with my T5's larger 320 x 480 screen, especially for landscaping complex spreadsheets. Well, about a month ago, after having experienced yet another frustrating wi-fi session at a purveyor's hotspot at a local shopping mall, in which I was unable to re-login an interrupted active session, I marched over to my mobile carrier's outlet and purchased a new palm Centro (over a comparable Treo), right then and there, and haven't looked back. This isn't to say I have abandoned my T5, which I still love and find useful for working on large documents and spreadsheets with my portable keyboard, but the convenience of carrying one small device with superb 320 x 320 resoluton, instead of two devices-cell and pda-coupled with instant access to email and the Internet/web cannot be beat. After working-out a few issues with Versamail, following a clean install of my productivity apps, etc., the Centro has performed flawlessly, becoming as indispensable a business tool to me as any previous palm device I've owned-even moreso. I suppose that much like many smartphones on competing platforms, the Centro can be a kids phone too. Frankly, I don't care-that's fine. The Centro just plain works and works well as a business tool. My wife, who uses a work-issued BB 8820, cannot get over the Centro's small footprint and how well it runs its programs. She loves its smaller, full keyboard, and wishes her company would make the switch, provided they do so with push email. For now, I am still working-out how best to maximize and optimize the Centro's main memory in conjunction with an expansion card for lauching programs. That said, those programs that I have successfully relocated to, and launched from, the card, have worked well.

RE: great little product
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 3:06:08 PM # Q
I'm delighted to hear all of the happy Centro users' comments. But again, one size does not fit all, and MikeT5's comments reinforce the main message the PIC faithful have been trying to clobber Palm with for the past 4-5 years:

The market is (well, WAS-the iPhone/various WinMob/BB Thunder + Bold stole much of Palm's potential marketshare and the mindshare of both current & future users) SCREAMING for a 320x480 Treo.

Not EVERYONE wants a tiny 320x320 QWERTY device, especially users that are data/media/web-centric (iPhone + virtual keyboard), as opposed to voice/e-mail-centric (square screen + QWERTY).

I don't keep a 4-year old PC around for doing productivity work b/c my new one handles both gaming & productivity tasks far better than any older device. For a 5/4/3 year-old Palm handheld to have any features (large screens, 3.5mm headphone jacks, 128mb RAM, internal storage volumes etc) that trump Palm's current smartphones is just pitiful.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: great little product
LiveFaith @ 7/29/2008 3:09:26 PM # Q
Edited due to sexual reference ... ** What in the * do you people want????????????? **

Mekk,
Let's start with HVGA, WiFi(g), BT2, 3.5mm audio, 1,600+mah, 624mhz, Palm OS, SDHC ... all for $299 + a freakish US contract. Pretty much the same thing we've been begging to spend our money on for fours years. Apple listened and has started marching toward similar goals, but as we know their iPhones/Touches have just flopped and nobody wants them. :-o

The Centro is great for those who don't care to view much and can type on the micronic keyboard. My son (16) has one and it's great. Pretty impressive device otherwise at the price point IMO. Just not what I'm looking for.

Currently milking another 6-12 months at exorbitant ATT fees for my currently renewable Treo 680. Palm offers noting to upgrade to besides a pretty color, so I'll wait this last time. If the "Nova era" produces more SSS and typical innovation, then I'll throw in the towel. I'll make the painful switch to WM, RIM, or Apple.

Not that both of you didn't already know this of course. :-\



Pat Horne

RE: great little product
palmit @ 7/29/2008 3:56:51 PM # Q
Centro keeps Palm in the game and its going to be an interesting 2009 for Palm if they can pull off this comeback!

RE: great little product
mikecane @ 7/29/2008 4:02:49 PM # Q
>>>>What in the F do you people want?????????????

To drive you crazy!

In this:
http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/your-weekend-smart-car-pr0n/

RE: great little product
Gekko @ 7/29/2008 4:42:28 PM # Q

less IS more, mofos. less is more.

RE: great little product
queueman @ 8/5/2008 4:36:15 PM # Q
I agree with Gekko. I was really leaning toward a Blackberry Curve after I broke my Palm m515 and wanted to replace it with a smart phone. Then I looked at the Centro. I was familiar with the OS and have found it easy to use and versatile. I bought the Verizon Centro mainly because I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the $30/month for data, which is required on Blackberry but optional on Palm.
Anyway I got the Centro after searching reviews and finding about 99% favorable ones. I also got the e-mail and web.
I've only had the Centro for about 1 1/2 weeks, but, so far, so good. It is as easy to use as any Palm and the integration of functions is very smooth. I got an e-mail from my brother with his new phone number and was able to copy and paste the number right from the e-mail to my contacts.
Centro is being marketed as a starter smart phone, but it is fully functional as a complete smart phone. I like the QWERTY keyboard better than the odd one on the Blackberry Pearl.
I am pretty happy that I bought the Palm and would recommend the Centro to others as well.

Reply to this comment

This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W

toroco @ 7/29/2008 2:02:18 PM # Q
In addition to selling the 2 millionth Centro, all signs are pointing to the 800w being a runaway hit as well!

From http://www.thestockmasters.com/PALM-07292008.html

"JP Morgan says Palm's channel checks at more than 20 Sprint and Best Buy Stores yielded a consistent takeaway: there aren't enough Treo 800Ws to meet demand."

This has led Palm shares to gain 13% in one day.



RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
stellaboy @ 7/29/2008 2:33:07 PM # Q
This is just great news. I hope it means that they can confidently put more r&d into Nova and make headline news with that.

pilot 5000 >Palm V > m505 >Tungsten T >A bad win mo 5 pda >Clie Peg ux50 > Tungsten t3 >Treo 680 >Centro
RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
JackG @ 7/29/2008 2:56:24 PM # Q
Thanks for the post toroco. What a refreshing change of pace for the comments section. I for one love my new 800w, and feel that Palm has a winner with it, just as it does with the Centro. Maybe this will be a good one-two punch combo, with the Nova devices delivering the knockout (to use the boxing analogy). I'm rooting for them, coming from the perspective of a long time Palm user.

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
SeldomVisitor @ 7/29/2008 3:08:55 PM # Q
I think it might be important to note that JPM said a little more than "can't get enough".

Why don't you fill out your relating of that particular "analyst" note?

"5 per week" is probably a good place to start, no?

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
palmit @ 7/29/2008 4:09:55 PM # Q
I checked my local Sprint store for the 800W, they were out of stock.

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 4:24:24 PM # Q
I've checked 5 local BBs (in NC & SC) and none of them have had the 800w in stock or even had a demo model on display. They've all had Centros, of course, but no 800w in sight. Sprint corporate stores remain the only places I've seen with 800w's actually available for demo and for sale. I guess this is one of those YMMV, regional sort of things.



Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
SeldomVisitor @ 7/29/2008 7:48:07 PM # Q
Well, since no one has bothered to actually QUOTE what that JPM "analyst" =really= said, I guess I will.

Did he say "they can't get enough of them"?

Yup.

Does that mean they're selling a gajillion of them?

Nope.

Huh?

Because he ALSO said:

== "...800W Channel Inventory is very lean. We conducted 800W
== channel checks at more than 20 Sprint and Best Buy stores. The
== stores reported strong demand for the recently-introduced 800W,
== but nearly all of them complained of a lack of inventory. Four of
== ten Best Buys (offering the 800W at $180 with a 2-year contract)
== in the NY tri-state area complained of zero inventory, and weekly
== deliveries of just 5 units, which sell out nearly immediately. We
== heard similar complaints at Sprint stores, where inventory levels
== ranged from zero to just 5 units, typically..."

5 units a week, at best, per store.

They're selling as many as they can get!

Giggle.

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
sbono13 @ 7/29/2008 8:28:59 PM # Q
To be fair and accurate, you might mention that the analyst also estimated 180,000 Treo 800w's would ship for the quarter. So maybe they are only selling 5 per week per store, but apparently, there's a lot of weeks and a lot of stores, and 180,000 would be pretty damn good for Palm. It's not a gajillion, but it's a helluva lot.

As a tip, 1 per business day sounds even worse than 5 per week, assuming you are looking to spin things in the most negative light possible.

RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
SeldomVisitor @ 7/30/2008 8:09:48 AM # Q
There are 12 weeks in a quarter - assuming each one is "maxxed out 5 per store"ed by Sprint and BestBuys, you're talking about 10,000 per week or 120,000 (about 2000 stores if BestBuy's approximate 1000 stores is any guide). The OTHER 60,000, a significant number, are mailorder?

I always use quotes around "analyst" for a reason.


RE: This is a good news day for Palm: Centro And 800W
toroco @ 7/30/2008 11:30:31 AM # Q
Thanks to the replies and fuller details to my original quote.
The 800w is not ramped up to sell like the iPhone, it is more of a business commodity and as such has hit Sprint retailers in lower initial numbers. No exciting in-store frenzy here.
But, this preliminary news reveals that there is some traction in the market for the 800w.
A device that competes favorably to WM competitors rather than cannibalizing other Palm devices is a good move, and incidentally no secret since last years announcements.
3 million in a week? Impossible, but half a million by years end may be doable.


Reply to this comment

Now wait a minute

mikecane @ 7/29/2008 4:01:10 PM # Q
Keep dreaming! What happens when Nova comes out and the phones *its* on are NOWHERE NEAR $99?

Also, don't you think Apple can't keep dropping the iPhone price?

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 4:31:07 PM # Q
1. Nova will likely never ship, so that's a moot point

2. It doesn't matter how low the iPhone price goes, the Centro is an affordable, unpretentious device with a small, light formfactor and a great combination of a touchscreen and physical keyboard.

Centro is "easy to use" AND has a cool, free Faceboo app AND is available in lots of cool, hip colors. Plus, it's a "3G" device that's been available for nearly a year now, long before the iPhone 3G. AND it's available on both CDMA & GSM carriers & unlocked GSM versions!

3. Palm doesn't care what happens NEXT quarter or certainly not next year. All they want to do is sell as many 800w's & Centros as they can TODAY and stockpile cash.



Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
palmit @ 7/29/2008 6:20:54 PM # Q
"Nova will likely never ship, so that's a moot point"

You got to be kidding. They would look so bad if they didn't release a new OS next year.

RE: Now wait a minute
AdamaDBrown @ 7/29/2008 6:33:01 PM # Q
Not to nitpick, but the Centro's only "3G" on Sprint and Verizon.

Frankly I think that the comparison between a SRP $99 phone and the iPhone 3G only goes so far. Yes, they're both smartphones, and yes, they both are targeted at a more consumer-centric demographic. But the iPhone targets a much higher end audience, more power-user, more media-friendly. The Centro is lower end, favoring the basic keyboard phone audience, and those who want a few smartphone abilities without the pricetag that comes with the full monty.

Until and unless the iPhone drops to the $99 price point, there's always going to be very limited overlap between the two markets.

RE: Now wait a minute
AdamaDBrown @ 7/29/2008 6:48:04 PM # Q
palmit wrote:
You got to be kidding. They would look so bad if they didn't release a new OS next year.

Yes, it would. But the signs of Nova's life aren't good: there's been no platform buzz, no previews to software developers, no released toolkits, no leaked screenshots, no preproduction hardware, no media buzz about features, no news about tie-ins to external services... In short, none of the things that lead up to the actual release of a real live OS.

Add to this the fact that even if they hit their supposed release window, they're going to be going up against Windows Mobile 7, Android, the next iteration of OS X Mobile, and the newly retooled Blackberry platform. And Palm is NOT a software company: they've never developed an OS. They're strictly the old Palm Inc.'s hardware division. So chances are that it's going to be longer and harder than they originally planned for.



RE: Now wait a minute
palmit @ 7/29/2008 7:25:19 PM # Q
They are not positioning this new OS up against Win Mob and I got to believe they hired additional people to help with the software. I'm not saying its going to be easy but I still believe it will be released next year.

RE: Now wait a minute
mikecane @ 7/29/2008 7:46:07 PM # Q
>>>The Centro is lower end, favoring the basic keyboard phone audience, and those who want a few smartphone abilities without the pricetag that comes with the full monty.

The Full Monty of course would have to include the voice & data price plans. Which, according to the article here at PIC, wasn't trotted out for a comparison of Centro v. iPhone.

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/29/2008 8:04:15 PM # Q
Adama;

I was dead-serious on #1 & #3. #2 was so heavily tongue in cheek that I still don't dare risk eating dinner tonight lest I bite my tongue off. Watch the Colligan interview on the CNBC news item and you'll quickly see the tired retread arguments of the "small, cheap, easy to use, Facebook app blah blah blah" that I was referencing. And, c'mon, y'all know I'm fully aware of FrankenGarnet's 3G GSM limitations! It was Colligan that stated the Centro had been 3G since its introduction last year, not me (thus, again, the "3G" comments in #2)!

Apple & Palm are targeting somewhat different markets at the moment, yes. But Apple is quickly approaching the critical mass of total mass-market acceptance with the iPhone line (I predict we are less than a year away from a smaller/cheaper iPhone Nano-esque device) much like the near-ubiquity the iPod has achieved over the past 4-5 years.

With ALP pretty much now dead in the water (article coming on up shortly), I agree with Adama that the signs of life for Nova aren't good. I'll even go on a limb and fast-forward to, oh, November or so and predict that Palm quietly announced on their blog that Nova is being canned in favor of "smaller, sleeker, lighter, easier to use Garnet OS 2" targeting only $100 and below devices for these trying economic times. I'm only half-kidding here, folks. I NEVER expected Palm to latch onto the "low-price" bandwagon so aggressively. Next thing will be the limited edition lime green Centro with an eco-friendly 550mAh battery!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
Gekko @ 7/29/2008 8:06:14 PM # Q

hkk - check your PM.

RE: Now wait a minute
mikecane @ 7/29/2008 9:18:56 PM # Q
>>>I'll even go on a limb and fast-forward to, oh, November or so and predict that Palm quietly announced on their blog that Nova is being canned in favor of "smaller, sleeker, lighter, easier to use Garnet OS 2" targeting only $100 and below devices for these trying economic times.

OUCH!!!

What people are missing here is that Palm is stealing *Nokia* sales. Nokia's specialty has been small cheap (and dumb!) phones.

I'll love Palm for helping to kill kill kill Nokia.

RE: Now wait a minute
sbono13 @ 7/30/2008 12:03:32 AM # Q
Do you have any evidence of Nokia-killin by Centro? Notwithstanding that Nokia has increased their market share in the past year to a record 40% of the total cell phone market, they don't have much in the way of sales to lose in the US, where Centro is seeing the majority of it's success. Nokia sells over a million handsets a day, so Palm is going to have to try a bit harder if they want to make Nokia notice them.

RE: Now wait a minute
AdamaDBrown @ 7/30/2008 12:19:57 AM # Q
If Palm's going to kill Nokia, it's gonna need a bigger boat. A MUCH bigger boat. And some nukes.

hkk, I was mostly thinking of the whole comparison, not just anything you said... but I do get your comment, having seen the Colligan quote.

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/30/2008 12:58:08 AM # Q
Yes the parallels/competition between Palm & Nokia are practically nil. I mean, for one thing, Palm is all in cahoots with Sprint (and to a much lesser extent, Verizon) and traditionally pushing CDMA devices in the USA.

Nokia hardly even gives the CDMA market a 2nd thought and couldn't even be bothered with Sprint or Verizon with more than the occasional token CDAM dumbphone.

Palm's best chance for making Nokia, ahem, "notice" them would be to whip out a proper TX2 running Nova that one-ups the N8xx Internet Tablets and comes in several variants (3G CDMA, 3G GSM, wi-max, wi-fi/BT).

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
AdamaDBrown @ 7/30/2008 2:20:41 AM # Q
They are not positioning this new OS up against Win Mob and I got to believe they hired additional people to help with the software.

They can say that, but the reality is that they ARE competing against Windows Mobile. There's only so many niches in the smartphone market, and WM is playing for all of them. Wherever they aim Nova, they'd be hitting WM and to a lesser extent Apple.

I'm not saying its going to be easy but I still believe it will be released next year.

Shrug. It's not impossible, but I'm starting to get the same feeling I did with first Cobalt, then ALP: the longer things go, and the quieter it is, the less confidence I have.

RE: Now wait a minute
SeldomVisitor @ 7/30/2008 8:14:03 AM # Q
> ...I mean, for one thing, Palm is all in cahoots with Sprint (and
> to a much lesser extent, Verizon)...

Ya think?

Did ya see the most recent "customer percentages"? Especially note that CHANGE in percent:

== "...In fiscal years 2008, 2007 and 2006, our largest customers
== represented the following percentages of consolidated revenues,
== respectively:
==
== Sprint Corporation represented 41%, 24% and 14%;
==
== Verizon Wireless represented 13%, 18% and 30%; and
==
== AT&T, Inc. represented 11%, 14% and 11%..."

From Palm's most recent 10K.

RE: Now wait a minute
Gekko @ 7/30/2008 8:16:55 AM # Q

Now waiiiiiiiiiiiit a minute...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az-XhTBnlOc

RE: Now wait a minute
palmit @ 7/30/2008 10:04:52 AM # Q
"the longer things go, and the quieter it is"

Let's see what happen's in 2009!

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/30/2008 10:24:39 AM # Q
Ah, SV, thanks for that carrier-related tidbit.

Look at the awful drop in Verizon % from FY '06 to '07 & '08? And of course the obvious rise in Sprint percentages.

IMO that shows that the 700w & 700p debacles really cost Palm & Verizon some individual customers. Verizon hasn't been quite as enthusiastic about Palm's offerings ever since and both the ignored/delayed handset releases AND the numbers clearly show.

If Sprint goes tits-up...or just continues to churn customers at a horrendous rate, what will Palm's fortunes be adversely affected?

With the "official" SERO loophole now closed, rock-bottom pricing & Sprint service are not the no-brainers they were previously.

UNLESS you are the iPhone juggernaut (and who else is?) then having one "hot" device (800w) on one mediocre carrier is not going to bring anyone back from the brink.

Are those exclusivity agreements really in Palm''s best interests anymore, given their need to live hand to mouth from quarter to quarter? Wouldn't they be beter off hitting the ground running with an 800w on, say, Verizon, Alltel Sprint, and Telus simultaneously?


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
SeldomVisitor @ 7/30/2008 10:41:13 AM # Q
According to Colligan there is no exclusive. From the most recent earnings call:

== "...James Faucette - Pacific Crest Securities
==
== Great, and then maybe a question for you, Ed, is that on the new
== product launches that you've got set up for the second half of this
== calendar year, and specifically the Windows Mobile refreshes I'm
== referring to, should we expect that some of those products, or maybe
== all of them will initially launch with exclusives, similar to what
== the Centro did? Or are these going to be products that are more
== likely to find their way into multiple channels within a relatively
== short period after initial availability?
==
== Edward T. Colligan
==
== You know, each one of the different launches will have a little
== different dynamics and - but in general, they will be pretty
== broadly distributed early out the gate, and so I wouldn't - you know,
== they are not going to be exclusive for any period of time, you know,
== in any particular region..."

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/30/2008 10:53:36 AM # Q
SV;

Thanks A-GAIN for the info! So that sheds some light on the rumors making the rounds that VZW decided to take a pass on the 800w! Perhaps (hah!) an 800wx is waiting in the wings? Throw in a higher capacity battery, a faster CPU, a brighter LCD and fix the "standalone GPS" problem & the 800w would suddenly become a much more compelling device.

I still wouldn't rule out the 700wx WM6 update from Verizon. For one thing, it's still easier to find a 700wx from Verizon (locally in-store & online) than it is a 755p, even though the 755p is a far newer, cheaper & sleeker device.

Either Verizon are sitting on a massive inventory of unsold 700wx's or they just have some particular fascination with the device to warrant keeping it around and going through the costs & headaches of rolling out the WM6 update. My guess is that they're going to blow out $99 700wx's w/ WM6 pre-installed this fall to get rid of 'em and also to give Verizon another "cheap" Palm smartphone alongside the Centro.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
nastebu @ 7/31/2008 10:10:03 AM # Q
>> I got to believe they hired additional people to help with the software.

I can't believe retooling Palm as easy as putting out a want add.

I know nothing about software engineering, but one thing that struck me this last year is how hard a project like Nova is. Apple, which is a software company, and which has pretty much unlimited resources and the ability to attract and hold the best possible intellectual capital, has taken an entire year to get the iPhone SDK done, and there are still clearly plenty of problems with it. Likewise, Google, which probably has even better people than Apple, is not exactly cranking out Android.

I'm left very curious about what the inside of a project like this looks like. I imagine it's much less an assembly line sort of thing where you can hire a building full of worker bees to break it into small parts and churn it out, and much more a question of building a tightly knit team of extremely talented people. Palm is at a major disadvantage in trying to build a team of extremely talented peple.

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/31/2008 11:07:32 AM # Q
Again, my fearless prediction to end the month of July, 2008:

(Disclaimer: I know NOTHING about software engineer or OS development but I'm just making a fearless prediction based on a longtime history of Palm-watching and their ZERO experience in previously writing anything in-house)


NOVA as a "prosumer-oriented, iPhone competitor" has been quietly shelved and Palm are scrambling to revamp Garnet for Centro-like devices. They'll basically be trying to bring it up to what Cobalt would've been circa 2004/2005. Palm is going to refocus their non-WinMob products entirely on being the best <$100 smartphone experience possible:

- >4GB volume support (sector addressing vs. byte addressing) (a biggie)

- BT A2DP and/or BT 2.0 EDR support

- 802.11g support

- >128MB RAM support. IIRC Cobalt went up to 256mb so this might make for a reasonable cap for budget-oriented devices

- GSM UMTS/HSPA support (This would be a biggie but unlikely)

- EVDO Rev. A support (also unlikely unless the carriers manadate it)

- Possible BT/wi-fi/cellular simultaneous multi-radio support

-Newer/faster CPU support w/ possible support for on the fly over/under clocking & CPU throttling support to save battery power

Still no protected memory or multitasking/multithreading of course but a Garnet overhaul would let them at least crank out another year or two's worth of lower-end hardware and be fairly competitive, especially if the Centro's momentum carries through into next year.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Now wait a minute
SeldomVisitor @ 7/31/2008 12:07:00 PM # Q
There is total merit in a Palm attempt to be The Commodity King of low-cost smartphones.

If...

If they had no competition that was significantly larger than themselves.

If they actually had sufficient steady-state volume to begin to make actual money off those low-cost phones (that is, to overcome the costs of marketing, etc, that are closer to fixed costs thus surmountable by volume...maybe).

If they had the "cache" to maintain consumer re-interest past the first round.

If...

RE: Now wait a minute
hkklife @ 7/31/2008 12:24:54 PM # Q
Do you mean "cachet" (ie prestige, not a repository for short-term computer memory or hidden items)?

Or is that an oh-so-clever play on words for describing Palm's, ahem, "smaller than before" cash reserves/marketing warchest?


I think what Palm is always hoping for is to remain a notch below wherever the mass-market BB & the iPhone(s) are.

Example: iPhone is at $199 now & BB Pearl is at $100-$150ish now. So Centro 1 is therefore at <$100 now & will be widely available "free" next year.

Presumably Centro 2 (presumably with higher-end specs but sharing identical FF as Centro 1 so as to save on tooling/fab costs etc) will take the $100 spot. and continue to undercut Apple/RIM offerings. It's not a gret long-term strategy but it COULD buy them another 12-18 months IF they can keep growing the volumes and improve their margins...and they don't have a 650/700p/700w/LifeDrive-style disaster with any new future products.


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Reply to this comment

Europe

danceman @ 7/30/2008 6:02:38 AM # Q
I just wish the Centro was at most 99 euros but its 299 euros here in Europe. In my country Portugal no carrier is selling it.

Another request would be better camera, at 299 euros all phones have 2 mp or even 3,5 mp.

Reply to this comment

Sold-in or sold-through?

SeldomVisitor @ 7/30/2008 8:44:31 AM # Q
Does anyone have a link to where Palm says that "2 million sold" number is attached to the words "sold through"?

[that is, sold to end-customers, not to resellers]

Reply to this comment

Interesting change to Palm.com

hkklife @ 7/31/2008 11:22:07 AM # Q
http://www.palm.com/us/products/index.html


Palm's rearranged their products page into 3 distinct categories:

"Smartphones Palm OS"

"Smartphones Wndows Mobile"

"Handhelds Palm OS Garnet 5.4"

Now, how/why is Palm distinguishing between "Palm OS smartphones" and "Palm OS Garnet handhelds"?

Last I checked, everything running Garnet that was still in production was running 5.4.9 other than the E2's 5.4.7
So it sounds like whatever the "new" OS is going to be based upon, they're going to still call it "Palm OS Something"


P.S. In another tragic example of Palm not paying anyone to proofread, the WinMob products column lists the 700w/wx as being available for AT&T. YIKES!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Interesting change to Palm.com
SeldomVisitor @ 7/31/2008 12:01:40 PM # Q
They still have to change their Management Page. Doesn't show their just-hired SVP of Global Operations (to replace Ron Rhodes?) and also hasn't removed Jeff Hawkins though his latest (and last) SEC filing says he's a "former officer" rather than "Founder and Member of the Exec" as it did before.

Reply to this comment

now this is a cool idea

Gekko @ 7/31/2008 11:31:59 PM # Q

LG's Decoy Hosts Removable Bluetooth Earpiece
By Charlie Sorrel EmailJune 13, 2008 | 8:12:07 AM

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/06/lgs-decoy-hosts.html



RE: now this is a cool idea
hkklife @ 7/31/2008 11:40:26 PM # Q
I've tried it but I went with a Moto V9m instead. I love just that no-frills Moto approach & the superb RF performance.

The LG Decoy looks great and has a superb-feeling slider (not stiff and heavy like the old T|T sliders) & screen. But the directional controller is quite fiddly and hard to actuate, the exposed keypad keys are a tad small for heavy SMS usage and the BT earpiece is not really that comfortable (as expected). I would also imagine the built-in earpiece battery life wouldn't be spectacular either. But it's amazing what they've been able to do as far as miniaturization on a regular dumbphone, isn't it?

I'd love to see this concept refined further and continuously improved.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

Reply to this comment

Analyst: 3 million iPhones sold in first month

Gekko @ 8/11/2008 11:05:54 AM # Q

Analyst: 3 million iPhones sold in first month
Momentum isn't showing any signs of a dip; sales blow past expectations.
By Scott Moritz, writer
Last Updated: August 11, 2008: 9:24 AM EDT

NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - Talk about your summer scorchers.

One month after its debut, Apple's new iPhone has hit the 3 million sold mark, according to analyst Michael Cote of the Cote Collaborative.

"They are seeing unprecedented demand," says Cote, adding that there appears to be no signs of a let up yet. Cote, a former T-Mobile executive, has been extremely accurate with wireless predictions in the past.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/08/technology/iphone-3m.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008081109


"We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone," he said. "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in.'"


RE: Analyst: 3 million iPhones sold in first month
mikecane @ 8/12/2008 5:53:08 AM # Q
Gekko, I don't know why you're using the Colligan quote. For one, they've sold 2 million Centros. That's not bad. Second, you *have* a Centro, so obviously you're not lining up for an iPhone. Third, Palm has sold that many without having people line up.

What am I doing?! Defending Palm? Someone give me a pill or something...

RE: Analyst: 3 million iPhones sold in first month
Gekko @ 8/12/2008 3:20:20 PM # Q

king of all eejits -

1. apple sold the 3 Million 3G iphones in ONE MONTH. this doesn't even count the original iphone.

2. i have a centro because i like Sprint's UNLIMITED EVERYTHING $99/month plan. i'm also not ready YET to give up the Palm PIMs which i've been using since 1999 and have ~4,000 contacts on.

3. and if i would switch to iphone my days here on PIC as your nemesis would be over.

4. your next blog of incoherent ramblings really should have this title -

http://tinyurl.com/6gd36q



Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: