PDAGreen Shutting Down

The parent company of PDAGreen has decided to discontinue the Palm OS focused PDAGreen software site and merge it with PalmGear.com following the recent acquisition by Power By Hand.

PDAGreen recently sent out the following message to its registered developers:

We would like to express our sincerest thanks to you for being a PDAGreen.com developer. As you may be aware, PocketGear.com, the parent company of PDAGreen.com, was recently acquired by PowerByHand, Inc. PowerByHand is the worldwide leader in mobile content and solutions and the corporate parent of many mobile content subsidiaries including www.palmgear.com. In order to operate our business as efficiently as possible and maintain our excellent level of customer service, our team has decided to combine our Palm OS sites, PDAGreen.com and PalmGear.com. Combining these sites will reduce the time required to manage our Palm OS channel and will dramatically increase the amount of content available to our customers in one location. Effective July 1, 2004, all traffic to www.pdagreen.com will be redirected to www.palmgear.com. PalmGear.com is the longest running consumer application site in Palm OS history and we are confident that you will enjoy your shopping experiences there.

Thanks to Rick Sands for the tip.

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Unbelievable

UZI4U182 @ 6/21/2004 4:02:34 PM #
Yet another company swallowed by PalmGear.

UZI4U182@suscom.net
Main PDA: NX70v + WL100
http://clieflash.shorturl.com
RE: Unbelievable
trophyofgrace @ 6/21/2004 4:54:56 PM #
PalmGear is beginning to remind me of Wal-Mart and other large retail chains...

-->Visor Deluxe-->Palm m125-->Palm m505-->Ipaq 1945-->Tungsten E-->Zire 21-->Zire 71, Ipaq 1945
RE: Unbelievable
DevPOV @ 6/21/2004 5:06:47 PM #
Truely. They have recently adjust their take up to 33%+/43%+ which will force developers to raise prices which is not good for anyone but PalmGear.

RE: Unbelievable
gmigueis @ 6/21/2004 5:31:38 PM #
No surprise. Developers had the option of recieving PDAGreen.com and PocketGear.com sales money on the same check (or something like that). The connection was pretty clear. Not even sure if it was an independent biz at all!
There's always Handango.com and PDAssi.de and PDATopSoft.com. And at least one more one I can't remember now! There are alternatives to PalmGear and this move can be the perfect launcher for the not so well known stores...

RE: Unbelievable
fridael @ 6/21/2004 6:20:15 PM #
DevPOV, where exactly did you read that PalmGear increased their take to 33%? AFAIK, the standard commission is still 30%. At least, that's what the Reseller Agreement on their site says.

Just wondering where the 33% is coming from.

RE: Unbelievable
patchwork @ 6/21/2004 7:53:43 PM #
I'd heard from a developer who will now be using PayPal exclusively, about PalmGear's commission. Because of the commission, they won't be moving their software to PalmGear.
===


-P-A-T-C-H-W-O-R-K-
A Trini Palm Nut
III - IIIe - IIIx - M500 - T|T - ??

Come visit Trinidad & Tobago at
http://www.visittnt.com
http://www.triniscene.com

RE: Unbelievable
DevPOV @ 6/21/2004 9:10:36 PM #
The new rates of 33%+ and 43%+ are taken from this leter:

Date: 06/01/2004

PalmGear, a division of PowerByHand, is committed to furthering our position ...

To enable PalmGear to aggressively launch more affiliate distribution channels, including some of the world’s leading carriers, we need to ensure our Reseller Agreement is more in line with carrier requirements and those of our other web properties. This includes calculating royalty rates based on a Gross Revenue minus Transaction Costs model.

Below is the new formula for calculating royalties which goes into effect on July 1, 2004:

Actual Sales Price minus Transaction Costs equals Net Sales minus Royalty Rate equals Net to Developer.

An example for an application with a sales price of $19.99:

$19.99 sales price
-$1.12 (minus transaction cost*)
$18.87 net base for royalty
-$5.66 minus 30% royalty rate (40% for Premier Partners)
$13.21 net to developer

*Current transaction costs are estimated at 3.85% of gross plus $.35 per transaction.

Developer Transaction Adjustment will take effect on July 1, 2004.
Allowance is made for thirty days notice effective June 1, 2004 that our Agreement has been amended.

At PalmGear we are committed to aggressively providing our strategic partners, developers and customers with technical enhancements and superior service to strengthen our position as the industry leader in the Palm Powered™ software marketplace.

We wish to thank you for your valued partnership and know that you will understand the necessity for this transaction adjustment.

If you have any questions or inquiries, please contact us via email at partnerservices@palmgear.com.

Thank you.

Our Best Regards,

The PalmGear Team

RE: Unbelievable
fridael @ 6/22/2004 3:43:00 AM #
DevPOV, I'm working on a commercial PalmOS product, so that information is very helpful. Thank you. Most likely, I'm still going to host and advertise my product at PalmGear. (Though not exclusively.)

I'm wondering what Handango's exact commission is now.

RE: Unbelievable
DevPOV @ 6/22/2004 8:49:10 AM #
Yes, I will continue to list also.

But it's getting to the point where I wonder: For example, this month, they basically put all software on 15% off without asking the developers. They didn't advertise or give any other special condsideration with this. So any software bought by users essentially upped the commsion to 45% if the developer was on the normal contract and 55% if the developer was on the premier program.

RE: Unbelievable
fridael @ 6/22/2004 10:27:23 AM #
Well, actually I think the special promotions are good for both PG and the developer. They do generate more sales.

For instance, last weekend I bought Bonsai for $29.71 and only because of the 15% discount. (While I really like Bonsai, I think the full price of $34.95 is just too high.)

Developers should not put all their eggs in one basket, though. I'm also going to sell my product through eSellerate, which has a variable commission ranging from 10% to 15%. I don't expect too many sales through them, but every little bit helps. I'm also reserving some of my advertising budget for Google ads to see if those have any significant effect. Realistically, advertising on PalmGear/Handango is still the most direct way of reaching your audience.

At any rate, the situation is better than it was two years ago, when PG nearly went bankrupt because of the Handango lawsuit. At least we still have two major players in the handheld software market instead of just one.

RE: Unbelievable
djr @ 6/23/2004 6:37:22 AM #
I would suggest for developers to look into distributing their software on the emerging European software market too. Pdassi (http://www.pdassi.de) is strongly expanding into other European countries (Netherlands (http://www.pdassi.nl) and Italia (http://www.pdassi.it) and is also powering the official German Palmsource softwareshop. It might be not as big as Handango or Palmgear by the looks of it, but it really helps sales because they offer localized descriptions and paying in local currency (also non-creditcard payments!) and are more than willing to help you into localizing your own software.

For Dutch Palm-users: http://www.palmclub.nl

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

helf @ 6/21/2004 8:48:08 PM #
I HATE palmgear!! aaargh!!
Developers, are you listening?
VisorMiser @ 6/22/2004 5:37:01 PM #
After 3 years of doing business exclusively with PalmGear, I now haven't done a dime's worth there for just shy of 2 years.

PalmGear is morphing more into a mini Micro$oft with its every move. I have deleted apps off my device after the trial period because they were only available at PalmGear. I can't blame developers for offering their goods on PalmGear, but if anyone wants my business I must be able to buy it elsewhere. Same goes for sale prices, can't be PalmGear only there either.

I'm another one who Google's the developer and registers on his/her site as my first choice.

the VisorMiser
_____________________________________________________________________
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. -- Sir Winston Churchill

Use Google to find developer's site + bypass PalmGear.

;-o @ 6/21/2004 11:29:42 PM #
If more people bought from developers directly, PalmGear couldn't get away with screwing everyone.

Boycott PalmGear NOW!

RE: Use Google to find developer's site + bypass PalmGear.
godschoice @ 6/22/2004 6:39:58 AM #
I'm from Motown (Home of the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons). Around town, for many years, we have heard similar crys about Automobile prices being hi because of dealerships. If people could buy straight from the manufacturer - the cost would be extremely lower. Well every attempt to do this has failed. The courts have blocked any attempt for the manufactures to open their own "dealerships".

Palmgear.com (Handango, Tucows, etc) is sort of like a Palm OS software dealership.

People go to the Palm OS dealerships because they have a larger choice of different developer's wares. A small percentage of people find it on Palmgear and then take the trouble to buy it from the developer - but most simple buy it from Palmgear because of the convenence.

The US market is built on this principle. If we could buy our peas from Delmonte directly then the supermarkets wouldn't get their markups either. These are distribution channels (dealerships, markets, Palm OS shop sites). The majority of the products would go unknown without these channels.

Palmgear has setup agreements with the larger Palm OS news sites to (1) Further their distrubution channel and (2) Bring further awareness of the developers' products to people who would normally not know about the products (or Palmgear for that matter)

Developers can sell their wares without the dealerships but in most cases it comes down to this: Developers can have 100% of nothing or 70% of something.

Carl Brooks
http://www.palmloyal.com
(By the way I have a sub-distribution agreement with Palmgear as do PIC)

RE: Use Google to find developer's site + bypass PalmGear.
;-o @ 6/22/2004 7:57:52 AM #
(By the way I have a sub-distribution agreement with Palmgear as do PIC)


So you're going to look fairly at both sides of the issue, aren't you? There's a big difference between a fair markup and screwing small developers. PalmGear crossed that line many years ago. Maybe Kenny can use the added pilfered profits for another party cruise on the "Love Boat"...

Developers hard-earned money shouldn't be blown on getting bimbos for the Ken-Meister. That's just wrong.

Everyone should listen to YOU?!
mikecane @ 6/22/2004 10:08:24 AM #
>>>That's just wrong.

And you obviously have a high sense of what is right and wrong.

RE: Use Google to find developer's site + bypass PalmGear.
maven @ 6/22/2004 10:13:52 AM #
Hey, finally something from ska I can agree with!

I strongly urge all Palm OS software purchasers to do what was suggested above, and buy directly from the developers web site. Thats how I purchase all my software - and it helps the developer a lot.

btw: My latest purchase, Songbook, is a great program and I highly recommend it for all you guitar players out there (not a paid endorsement, and I have no connection to Linkesoft. Just a happy user) http://linkesoft.com/songbook/

-Maven

This is ridiculous

vesther @ 6/30/2004 4:37:42 PM #
This better not become a monopoly and/or antitrust issue. If so, I'd be mad.

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