Palm CEO - Pocket PC a dangerous competitor to Palm

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.com.com/2009-1040-898519.html?tag=rh_benhamou">http://news.com.com/2009-1040-898519.html?tag=rh_benhamou</a><br /><br />CNet has a thirty minute taped interview with Palm interim CEO Eric Benhamou.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/palminterview.jpg" /><br /><br />Some of the comments from the interview interspersed with my thoughts in italics.<br /><br />• He went into a lot of detail about the split of the company into two divisions - hardware and software and the management that will run each. The Palm Source split will be totally complete in a few months.<br />• We are at the end of Phase 1 of the handheld market. Phase 2 is just starting. Phase 2 will be far larger than Phase 1. PIM takes a second seat. Very powerful ARM processors will enable Palm to take advantage of a ten-fold power increase allowing multimedia objects like sound and photos. This will open up the enterprise market. <i>Doesn't this sound like what Pocket PCs did two years ago?</i><br />• Less than 5% of Palm OS devices (under 1.1M) have been deployed in the enterprise by IT staff.<br />• The magic Palm OS can do <b><i>everything</i></b> the Pocket PC can do with half of the memory and processing power. <i>So, why bother upgrading to ARM? I've also yet to see an MP3 or JPG file shrink one iota as I moved it from a Pocket PC to a Palm.</i><br />• i705 sales will really depend on a new Palm server product to be released sometime this summer. Siebel is one of Palm's partners in getting this ready. <i>I presume this will be in direct competition to Microsoft's now defunct Mobile Information Server as MIS is being integrated internally to Exchange's next version. Palm will <b>not</b> compete with Exchange but rather work with it. Palm Inc. in fact uses Exchange Server internally.</i><br />• Symbian is a competitor, but at a disadvantage. He avoided talking about the technology though.<br />• There was mention of a Treo competitor, but no details. This would also compete with Smartphone 2002 devices.<br /><br />Thanks to Foo Fighter for the link.

[jpzr]

• The magic Palm OS can do everything the Pocket PC can do with half of the memory and processing power. So, why bother upgrading to ARM? I've also yet to see an MP3 or JPG file shrink one iota as I moved it from a Pocket PC to a Palm.


what a wuss! this statement is a SCAM and Microsoft or somebody should sue this guy for this... (Palm doesn't even have filesystem and I can find 1000 examples that Palm cannot do, but PocketPC can...)

[Foo Fighter]

what a wuss! this statement is a SCAM and Microsoft or somebody should sue this guy for this... (Palm doesn't even have filesystem and I can find 1000 examples that Palm cannot do, but PocketPC can...)


Well, in many regards, what Benhamou said was accurate. You can run the whole gammut of applications on a PalmOS device (database, spreadsheets, WPs, games, Doc readers, web browsers, PIMs, and various other user oriented apps) with a 33mhz processor....and it still performs as fast or faster than a PocketPC running @ 206mhz. That's a fact.

But it's safe to say the he is..shall we say..embellishing the issue just a bit. ;)

[jpzr]

Well, in many regards, what Benhamou said was accurate.

http://wirelesssoftware.info/images/pocketpalm.gif

Can You Dig It? :wink:

[Ed Hansberry]

Well, in many regards, what Benhamou said was accurate.
Can You Dig It? :wink:


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: 8O :lol: :lol: :lol:

[GregWard]

• The magic Palm OS can do everything the Pocket PC can do with half of the memory and processing power.

Why does he bother? Surely not that many people can be stupid enough to believe that one OS is THAT much different from another? A bit - maybe - but twice as good!

It IS absolutely true that PalmOS can run very quickly on a low spec processor but it doesn't DO much! Ever tried programming Palms? Dead easy to to the basics - dead hard to get anything that clever (though NS Basic is pretty good for anybody looking for a programming solution).

I'm not a big MSoft fan but it's insulting to imply their OS is that poor! The bottom-line, simple, truth is you get what you pay for - not just in cash but obviously all those juicy capabilities (colour, video etc) cost power and need more processer capabilities. You can't fight the laws of physics Jim.

The real issue here is that Palm are being very brave by attacking MSoft in their area of strength - as Ed says they've been there some time - instead of sticking to the Hawkins philosophy of "keep it simple". I wonder how many current non-users will really be attracted by a Palm PPC type device?

I hope they succeed - competition is good for the Consumer! But I have my doubts.

[jlc, just jlc]

I'd like to see my Jornada not lose the fromatting when I edit an Excel document, or do super/subscripts in Word, ala TinySheet and WordSmith.

[sk4rlath]

"I can do anything you can do better, I can do anything better than you!" :roll:

So Palms can HotSync and do other things at the same time? And they automatically sync as you go along? *watches Palm argument die* :D

Feel free to correct me if the Palm OS got a magic upgrade I wasn't aware of - I watch Pocket PC, not Palm. :wink:

[Venturello]

Where can I get the palm emulator for pocket pc?

Looks like a FUN way to make fun of my palm coworkers!!

:)

Thanks.

[Venturello]

Hey BTW http://www.wirelesssoftware.info nice site!

[jpzr]

Where can I get the palm emulator for pocket pc?


http://www.kodeness.com/

[Foo Fighter]

Benhamou seems to imply that Palm is moving more or less in the direction of PocketPC. 8O

By the way, is it me or does Ian Freid look like a chic? :?

[Foo Fighter]

Another thing I noticed is that CNET's journalists kept rudely interupting poor Eric in mid-sentence. Anyone see this?

[Ed Hansberry]

Another thing I noticed is that CNET's journalists kept rudely interupting poor Eric in mid-sentence. Anyone see this?


Yes, but it was because they couldn't tell when Eric was done with a sentence. He speaks very monotone. :wink:

[unxmully]

I can find 1000 examples that Palm cannot do, but PocketPC can...


Off you go then. 1000 examples shouldn't take too long.

[jpzr]

Off you go then. 1000 examples shouldn't take too long.


Palm cannot run PersonalJava just very micro java.
Palm cannot run .NET CF, PocketPC can.
Palm has no file system and I cannot therefore use it for storing
of my files (even my cell phone, Siemens SL45, has MMC card of size 64 MB and its own, Widnows compatible, file system... so actually I cannot imagine myself device without file system - Palm has no file system and it is simply too PRIMITIVE FOR ME, storing MP3, dictaphone recordings, documents, etc).

I cannot compile on Palm Java programs, but I can do it on PocketPC.
Just imagine: I can write, edit, compile (!) and run Java programs on PocketPC!

I cannot use on Palm many programs that need filesystem but they work on PocketPC, example is vim:
http://www.wirelesssoftware.info/more.php/83.html

I cannot edit ORIGINAL files on Palm - they need a lot of conversions - for examples graphics files, source code files - I cannot edit on Palm but I can pocket pc. On PocketPC I can copy files to and from servers without a need for converting to PDB format or other internal palm formats.

I can run on PocketPC several programs ported from Unix and other platforms like these one:
http://www.rainer-keuchel.de/software.html
... which really require processing power that Palm does not have.
(and moreover they require PRESENCE OF FILE SYSTEM that Palm does
not have...)

Conclusion: for MY PERSONAL NEEDS Palm is not enough, and above examples cover these needs. Maybe if somebody has very PRIMITIVE needs then Palm can satisfy him/her, not me though...

enough?

[unxmully]

[quote=unxmully]
Off you go then. 1000 examples shouldn't take too long.


Palm cannot run PersonalJava just very micro java.


But enought for those who know how to use it to write a WAP browser.



Palm cannot run .NET CF, PocketPC can.



As if many people care at the moment. In the future, when .NET has market presence, not now.



Palm has no file system and I cannot therefore use it for storing
of my files (even my cell phone, Siemens SL45, has MMC card of size 64 MB and its own, Widnows compatible, file system... so actually I cannot imagine myself device without file system - Palm has no file system and it is simply too PRIMITIVE FOR ME, storing MP3, dictaphone recordings, documents, etc).



So wrong you do yourself no credit by raising the point.

In my Clie I have a 32MB MS card which has a windows compatible file system. With the correct driver installed on my pc I can copy what I like to it - executables, documents, MP3 files whatever. I can even defrag the file system from my desktop. My Palm 505 also has a 32meg card in it, though this one is an SD card and support for desktop access is not as good as the Clie. Unless you buy a piece of shareware which does the same as the Clie driver and allows you to copy what you like to the card.

Add an adaptor to my 425 and I can play MP3s of a 128 meg MS. Or even video clips with gVideo.



I cannot compile on Palm Java programs, but I can do it on PocketPC.
Just imagine: I can write, edit, compile (!) and run Java programs on PocketPC!



As a Java developer myself I have to admit to being totally underwhelmed at the thought of using my Ipaq for development. Each to his own I suppose.



I cannot use on Palm many programs that need filesystem but they work on PocketPC, example is vim:
http://www.wirelesssoftware.info/more.php/83.html




Though peditPro is a recommended alternative.



I cannot edit ORIGINAL files on Palm - they need a lot of conversions - for examples graphics files, source code files - I cannot edit on Palm but I can pocket pc. On PocketPC I can copy files to and from servers without a need for converting to PDB format or other internal palm formats.



With Documents to Go editing word and excel files is possible and the conversions are handled when you add the file to the hotsynch process. And there is no need to keep copying pdb files around, let the application handle it for you. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about conversions. Graphics don't make it but then I don't recall Pocket Word being any too powerful in that area.



I can run on PocketPC several programs ported from Unix and other platforms like these one:
http://www.rainer-keuchel.de/software.html
... which really require processing power that Palm does not have.
(and moreover they require PRESENCE OF FILE SYSTEM that Palm does
not have...)



Some but not all of those are available. JVM we've covered. MP3 available, there's a small web server and graphics are no longer a problem for either Sony or Palm systems



Conclusion: for MY PERSONAL NEEDS Palm is not enough, and above examples cover these needs. Maybe if somebody has very PRIMITIVE needs then Palm can satisfy him/her, not me though...



Well why didn't you say. I read your comment as yet another clueless comment from someone who's not used any of the current generation of Palm OS based PDAs. Just shows how wrong you can be.



enough?



Well if we include the ability to compile Java, run some linux ports and .Net applications (strange mix that, .Net and the invention of Satan at the same time) that's a nominal 3. Only 997 to go.

Andy (Owner of a PalM M505, Sony Clie 425 and Ipaq 3630)