Has the Palm OS Improved Your Life?

If you answered yes, PalmSource wants to hear about it. PalmSource is running a contest looking for examples of how the Palm OS has made your company more successful, your business life more productive, or your personal life more enjoyable.

The person who provides the most compelling, original and clear description of how Palm OS has improved their life will win the Palm Powered handheld or smartphone of their choice.

The contest entry form can be found here. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years or older at time of entry (21 if a MS resident, 19 if an AL, NE or PA resident). The contest ends on June 9, 2003.

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I guess only Americans buy their products?

Xizor @ 3/20/2003 12:35:20 PM #
Just a small rant... the majority of these online contests are only open to US residents! Unfortunately I guess the Canadian, European, etc... market isn't as important enough to warrant inclusion into promotional contests, etc...

Good luck! Those of you who can enter!

T

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Michael Mace @ 3/20/2003 1:11:11 PM #
Thanks for the comment, and I don't blame you for being upset. I checked with our web team about it, and they said they wanted to do the contest internationally but it's very difficult (because of conflicting laws) to set up something that runs across national boundaries. They promised to check with our lawyers again and see if there's any way at all to do it. If not, we'll look at doing something else for people in other countries and other languages (no promises until we learn more, but we'll do what we can).

In the meantime, we're sorry.

Mike
CCO, PalmSource

RE: We wicked Americans
mikecane @ 3/20/2003 1:14:46 PM #
Poor baby. We should feel guilty? Did Nokia or Ericcson ever run contests? British Telecom? France Telecom? What about all the stuff Sony only offers its Japanese customers (including many, many contests)?

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Fammy @ 3/20/2003 1:19:16 PM #
Internatinal contests would be nothing but a nightmare. This is merely a way for PalmSource (a US company...) to generate excitement in the US market. I don't think they are trying to exclude the rest of the world.

I am sure there have been many cool promotions elsewhere in the world that US citizens have not been able to participate in.

_____
Fammy

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
scowan @ 3/20/2003 1:38:53 PM #
If you do expand the contest to Canada it is required by law that Canadian Residents answer a skill testing question like (27-2)/5 =

to include europe and asia in the contest might be a nightmare but Canada is still the US market especially since NAFTA

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
huggy @ 3/20/2003 1:45:30 PM #
After what your f***ing president did today, I say you americans should be EXCLUDED from EVERYTHING. just BANNED.
RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
rluxemburg @ 3/20/2003 1:53:23 PM #
Keep the politics elsewhere please.

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
useybird @ 3/20/2003 2:09:44 PM #
Why do Canadians have to answer skill tests? Do Americans think they are stupid? Also I think something like this contest was already run in Asia recently.

-------------------------------
Microsoft is the root of all evil.
Right, Bill?
RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
hoodoo @ 3/20/2003 2:12:53 PM #
it's a canadian law for contests that you have to answer a "skill-testing question". Usually the question is some math equation that one can answer without a calculator, such as the example above.

Of course, radio stations will ask the winner something really hard, like : "John, what is your name?" , thus making a mockery of the whole thing. I have never figured out why this law exists.

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
coop @ 3/20/2003 2:49:08 PM #
Back in the "old days" when lotteries (called "games of chance" then) were illegal, it _was_ legal to have contests were skill was required. This made it legal for local businesses, community groups, etc., to run local competitions to raise their community profile.

People quickly realised that they could still run a "no skill required" contest, as long as they added the "skill testing question" to the end.

Maintains the letter of the law, but totally guts the intention. But it does keep winners of the "cruise for two to Cancun, Mexico" on your local radio station happy. And after all, that's what it's about...

coop

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
sixty-four @ 3/20/2003 3:08:25 PM #
huggy says:

"After what your f***ing president did today, I say you americans should be EXCLUDED from EVERYTHING. just BANNED."

huggy, why don't you put your money where your mouth is and boycott everything American?

Whoops. Better get your ass off of this *American* site.

Whoops. Better trade in your PalmOS handheld for a unit that uses an OS not developed in *America*.

Think before you open your ignorant mouth next time. I could care less what you think about my government's actions in Iraq right now, but you take stupidity to a whole new level when you condemn everyone in this great nation because of it.

----
Forty Six and 2 are just ahead of me

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
ocspub @ 3/20/2003 3:13:35 PM #
> Poor baby. We should feel guilty? Did Nokia or
> Ericcson ever run contests? British Telecom?
> France Telecom?

No, you shouldn't feel "guity." But assuming you're
in the US... have you ever bought anything from
British Telecom or France Telecom?

This is a contest for PalmSource customers. And they
do have a global customer base.

That said, I understand the legal technicalities
around running global contests.

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
huggy @ 3/20/2003 3:20:39 PM #
Hey Sixty-four...

don't worry, I WILL

don't worry, I HAVE ALREADY, just came to say hello :-D

don't worry, sony will buy palmsource soon and,

¿¿¿GREAT NATION??? WHERE?!!!

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
huggy @ 3/20/2003 3:28:43 PM #
Anyways, you're right. I just let go my anger. It is not your fault, probably none of you guys. I apologise for being so rude. Hell, I just can't believe what they're doing!

For your info, I'm spanish, spain is supporting bush in this matter -but I'm not-.

cheers,

-------------- huggy ---------------

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
VisorMiser @ 3/20/2003 6:31:21 PM #
"After what your f***ing president did today, I say you americans should be EXCLUDED from EVERYTHING. just BANNED."

Yo huggy-pooh--if your profile is veracious and you're really in Spain--did you notice that OUR president was fully supported by YOUR president? (Smart man, he is!)

Just move a little North and you'll be right at home with the French, the self-described "counterweight" to American influence in the world.

Personally, I'm one American who's tired of finishing Europe's wars. Their laissez faire "pacifist" attitudes don't intervene with dangerous & oppressive regimes even on their own continent (in Germany, Romenia, Italy, Albania, Yugoslavia/Bosnia, and that's just the last 60 years), much less elsewhere.

In the 12 years that the UN has played cat & mouse with Saddam, he has put his opponents to death by the thousands; and raped and pillaged many times more. You forget that the reason the no fly zones in northern & southern Iraq were established was because Saddam was bombing his own people.

I'm proud to be on the side that had guts enough to stand up and tell the world, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!" and to put an end to it.


the VisorMiser
_______________________
Where will ya be when ya get where you're goin'?

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
mikecane @ 3/20/2003 7:12:53 PM #
>>No, you shouldn't feel "guity." But assuming you're
in the US... have you ever bought anything from
British Telecom or France Telecom?

I watch BBC America and Antenne 2, do those count? I notice you didn't mention the cellphone companies or Sony. I despise cellphones, so no. But I do have a CLIE.

My comment was apparently being posted seconds after Mace posted his; had I seen his comment, I would not have posted mine. I thought I was second in line!

Hmmm... I see someone from Spain will be boycotting American products. Let's see, what great products from Spain should we boycott? Uhh... (just joking; I like Spain -- except I wish South America would get on their a** for reparations!)

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Pepper @ 3/20/2003 7:20:28 PM #
C'mon guys, lets keep politics out of this. Many of us have spent our entire day thinking about the war, and it'd be nice if we could use our leisure time to take at least a minor mental break from the stress this is putting on many. Politics and Palms are two seperate issues -- lets try and keep things on topic

-Pepper

I love my Palm . . . do you?

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
mikecane @ 3/20/2003 7:36:39 PM #
Ryan's next site: PalmPoliticalInfocenter!

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
ocspub @ 3/20/2003 8:25:42 PM #
> Hmmm... I see someone from Spain will be
> boycotting American products. Let's see,
> what great products from Spain should we
> boycott?

To bring this back to the topic of Palms/Handhelds --
when was the last time you saw (or bought!) a handheld
made (=manufactured) in the US?

(I think the Treo I recently broke was assembled in
Mexico... which would qualify as "American product",
I guess.

And there's no need to boycott the PalmOS --
PalmSource is based in Northern California, which
isn't part of the "Coalition of the Willing" ;-)



RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Fernando @ 3/20/2003 9:59:35 PM #
" (just joking; I like Spain -- except I wish South America would get on their a** for reparations!)"

umm... mikecane, i'd hate to break it to u but spain isn't in south america, it isn't even near....

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Lo_Pro @ 3/21/2003 12:03:48 AM #
Umm, Fernando, I think he KNOWS Spain isn't in South America or "isn't even near". (Who doesn't?)

He was referencing how Spain is the country that colonized most of S.America (Hence, every country in S.A. speaks spanish except for Brazil-->They speak Portugese<--and another country that I can't remember right now, that I think speaks french)

Lo_Pro

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
SonofWan @ 3/21/2003 5:29:14 AM #
Well my palm has helped me in keeping up to date on the war using avantgo. What I don't understand considering the urgency to invade Iraq is the complete inaction when it comes to Israel.

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
mikecane @ 3/21/2003 7:21:59 AM #
Thank you, Lo Pro. You got my point in 1. Fernando is still trying to catch up...

Someone else made a good point: When the hell was it that *any* of us bought a 100% Made in America product?! Even Japanese products are being made in China these days! (Sony just signed to move Playstation production to Chinese factories!) (I guess when we order our Chinese food, we better start getting some language lessons. -- except my tongue was not made to say things like "Bong wa chah nah!")

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
PalmSide @ 3/21/2003 9:55:27 AM #
> Personally, I'm one American who's
> tired of finishing Europe's wars.

How many european wars did you finish, Visor Miser?

I'll keep the politics out of here, but I'll never get how people can be that eager to throw bombs on innocent families they don't even know.

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
mikecane @ 3/21/2003 10:15:23 AM #
Did you read (read, not see) "Black Hawk Down?" Some "innocents" aren't. Read the book and you'll understand what I mean. (As for our involvement in Solmalia to begin with, we were suckered and never should've been there. Perhaps in a few years we'll find out the same about Iraq...)

/politics off

RE: I guess only Americans buy their products?
Stockholm not Oslo @ 3/21/2003 7:26:28 PM #
In responce to the guy that can't name the french speaking country, it is French Guyana...but this is part of France

-Me
(I know geography)

why can't people outside the USA enter a simple competition?

killah fury @ 3/20/2003 2:37:01 PM #
I don't understand? Palm had a sort of contest (with no prizes, admitedly) on their site a few years ago (which I won!) on how/why Palm OS machines had improved their users lives... why can't users from outside the USA win a competition????!!!!

Would not want to win.

bigfoot @ 3/20/2003 2:59:29 PM #
I won't enter out of fear of actually winning a Palm PDA. I am waiting for the Garmin iQue 3600.

Cheers

RE: Would not want to win.
kezza @ 3/20/2003 3:17:17 PM #
The article says "palm-powered." last i checked, the Garmin iQue ran the PalmOS, thus making it a Palm-powered device. note that it says "palm-powered handheld or smartphone of your choice," not "the palm-branded handheld of your choice."
This is a palmsource contest, not a palm hardware contest.

--------------------------------------
"Well, if it isn't the leader of the wiener patrol, boning up on his nerd lessons"
http://stirwise.com

Left out again...

Pepper @ 3/20/2003 7:06:44 PM #
I'm really disapointed in the disregard many companies feel for the market under 18. I've owned 7 Palms and although I'm only 15 I feel my opinion still counts. I decided to submit my experience with the Palm OS for the sake of market research, but it is disapointing to be left out simply because of my age. I don't see why companies often ignore the youth, it is quite easy to add in your rules that if a minor wins the prize goes to their parent/guardian.

I'm sorry, inequality (age based or otherwise) is one thing that really gets to me

-Pepper

I love my Palm . . . do you?

RE: Left out again...
mikecane @ 3/20/2003 7:37:50 PM #
>>I'm only 15 I feel my opinion still counts

-- yeah, but ONLY you feel that way.

(Just kidding.)

RE: Left out again...
VisorMiser @ 3/20/2003 8:06:26 PM #
Pepper, you're anything but the average 15 year old when it comes to Palm expertise! and your opinion should definitely count!

That said, no one has to tell you or me that on the internet minors are targeted for LOTS of things, most good but some unspeakably sinister. For that reason--and since American society is lawsuit-addicted--companies are ultra-protective, defensive even, against being charged of targeting minors in a way that parents or watchdog groups would consider predatory.

The result is kind of like with spam filters, some legitimate communication gets blocked with the bad stuff.

You should figure out a way go give PalmSource your 2 cents worth anyway! And for what it's worth, I'm WELL over 18 and high appreciate your contribution on PIC.

the VisorMiser
_______________________
Where will ya be when ya get where you're goin'?

RE: Left out again...
sralmas @ 3/21/2003 8:59:00 AM #
. . because it is the law. While you might be a consumer and have tons of useful insight, you are also a minor. Sad, but true. Don't worry, you'll have an entire lifetime ahead of you to be nagged by companies looking to "go to school on you" for market research and otherwise soliciting you for their business. :-)

RE: Left out again...
Lo_Pro @ 3/21/2003 4:34:14 PM #
I concur with sralmas on this one. Trust me, I work for a Market Research outfit!!! You have PLENTY of time to be pestered by us!!! We WANT to know what you think about everything, so our clients can more effectivly sell you stuff :-))

REALLY!!!

(I can't wait 'till I graduate so I don't have to do this anymore---> REALLY!!!)

I really think twice, even three times now whenever ANYONE request ANY information from me about ANYTHING.

SHADY!!!


Lo_Pro

RE: Left out again...
Michael Mace @ 3/21/2003 9:36:38 PM #
Hi, Pepper.

Sorry you were left out. To be really honest about what happened, we used an outside company to help us write the rules, because those of us who moved from Palm into PalmSource haven't done this sort of contest before. They set the entry guidelines.

That's not to make excuses, I just don't want you to think that we have something against younger users.

The web folks here have gone back to the contest company to see if there's anything we can do. As was the case for folks outside the US, I can't promise anything, but we'll see what we can do, at least for future contests.

And by the way, thanks very much for submitting your story anyway. You're a good sport.

Mike
CCO, PalmSource

I would like to thank Michael Mace...

chesstiger.com @ 3/21/2003 5:04:20 PM #
for taking the time to visit the place AND to post a message from time to time.

I'm surprised nobody else notices it.

I think it tells a lot about the philosophy of the PalmSource management. And why PalmOS will succeed.

Thank you Michael. It is definitely appreciated.


//
// Christophe Théron
// author of Chess Tiger for PalmOS
//

RE: I would like to thank Michael Mace...
Michael Mace @ 3/21/2003 9:46:08 PM #
Hi, Christophe.

You're very welcome! Several of us at PalmSource lurk here and in a few other forums frequently, but we don't always have time to post.

I was really excited this afternoon when I checked in and saw that there were 35 replies to this thread. "Wow, people are really excited about the contest," I thought. It was a little disappointing to see that only a couple of the replies were actually about the contest.

I guess it's not realistic to expect something as serious as a war not to have an impact online, but one of the things that I really love about the web is that people usually react to one-another as individuals rather than as a particular nationality or other label. I hope that as the immediate tensions and frustrations fade, we'll be able to move back toward that.

Mike
CCO, PalmSource (but that last bit was me speaking as an individual, not a company spokesperson)

RE: I would like to thank Michael Mace...
chesstiger.com @ 3/21/2003 10:33:55 PM #
I really hope there will be more on-topic posts. Actually I wonder why the off-topic posts have not been "moderated" (deleted).

I could say a lot about the way PalmOS has improved my life, but my example would probably not be chosen as being close enough to the average people.

What I can say is that the PalmOS economy is for me a reality, and it has changed my life. By porting Chess Tiger from the PC to the Palm I have brought a state of the art chess program to the PalmOS platform, which has been in return welcomed by the community.

The PalmOS community is extremely reactive and well informed. You can get almost immediate feedback for your products.

In return, the community will be merciless for second class products. With PalmOS you get the opportunity and tools to develop and market products, but you have to work hard and deliver the best you can.

That's the deal and I like it. The PalmOS market rewards merit and talent more than big money investments. I expect this community to stay alive and undoubtly many new companies and talents will keep on emerging from it.

I would not say the same about the other competing OS for handhelds. I'm not sure everybody has realized it, but sooner or later it will become obvious. It's a domain where money will not buy the heart of the customers.

One last request Michael: PalmSource, please keep on rewarding merit by keeping the competition open and fair. Let the developpers compete with each other. Do not compete with them in any way. It seems to be your strategy already, and it's an extremely wise philosophy.

Best regards from the Caribbean islands!


PS: my site's URL is http://www.chesstiger.com, I hope I'm not breaking any rule by posting it here.


//
// Christophe Théron
// author of Chess Tiger for PalmOS
//

RE: I would like to thank Michael Mace...
Tuckermaclain @ 3/22/2003 4:08:56 AM #
Pretty nice when somebody @ PalmSource reads and contributes to this site. Makes me feel like we're heard. Good job!

RE: I would like to thank Michael Mace...
mikecane @ 3/22/2003 9:52:46 AM #
It's good to know he still has his job. Although if Palm's perceived leadership continues to erode...

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