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View Full Version : When Delusion Meets Hyperbole


Vincent Ferrari
03-06-2009, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=conewsstory&refer=conews&tkr=AAPL:US&sid=aLU.GjaZD9Ao' target='_blank'>http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?...id=aLU.GjaZD9Ao</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"March 5 (Bloomberg) -- Palm Inc.&rsquo;s new Pre smart phone will lure customers away from Apple Inc.&rsquo;s iPhone when subscribers&rsquo; contracts start expiring in June, Palm investor Roger McNamee said. &ldquo;You know the beautiful thing: June 29, 2009, is the two- year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone,&rdquo; McNamee said today in an interview in San Francisco. &ldquo;Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later.&rdquo; Sprint Nextel Corp., the phone&rsquo;s exclusive carrier, and Palm have said they will start selling the device in the first half of the year. Palm, which pioneered mobile devices with its Pilot products more than a decade ago, is counting on the Pre to help reverse six straight quarters of losses totaling more than $650 million."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1236346919.usr18053.jpeg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Don't worry, Roger.&nbsp; We'll be checking back in with you come June.&nbsp; I don't envision lines around the block at the Sprint Store, though.</p><p>There's a name for these kind of hyperbolic baiting quotes in sports.&nbsp; "Bulletin board material."</p>

Jeff Campbell
03-06-2009, 03:19 PM
He's already wrong since I won't be exchanging my iPhone :)

doogald
03-06-2009, 04:21 PM
No, he's right.

“Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later.”

There will be far more than just one still using an iPhone a month later. ;)

Joe Johaneman
03-06-2009, 04:30 PM
I'll still have my iPhone. No one is going to be line camping for a Palm Pre.

The Yaz
03-06-2009, 05:58 PM
His comment would be funny if it weren't so sad...

The Pre is probably two years too late. As for the early adopters whose agreements are coming up, AT&T and Apple have first dibs on renewing them with the new pricing on the used 8GB 3G phones ($99).

The Pre won't be able to beat the positive experience of the iPhone product.

ptyork
03-06-2009, 06:46 PM
Discussions here are like Venezuelan parliamentary debates, and Yaz, you are obviously Chavez' secretary of the posterior. ;) :D It reminds me of the "debates" in the Palm forums two years ago over whether the iPhone would die within 6 months or 3 months. "Yeah right, yet another wannabe Treo killer--ha ha ha."

McNamee's statements and sentiments were silly, yes, but the broader point is valid. Palm shoud be hitting the market at a good time to catch folks at decision time. I bet there will be (short) lines for the Pre when it comes out. Nothing like iPhone mania, but come on, there were lines for the Bold, Storm, Vue, Instinct, and even RAZR. This is more worthy than most of those, and with the exception of the BB devices, has a far more loyal fan base willing to brave the elements to receive the first rev0.99 devices. I might even be one if it weren't for McNamee and Sprint being the sole carrier.

doogald
03-06-2009, 07:16 PM
With the economy as it is, this year I wonder how many people would be more tempted to ditch the smartphone altogether and just get a good, basic feature phone rather than pony up a couple of hundred dollars and a data contract for another smartphone?

Vincent Ferrari
03-06-2009, 08:01 PM
I am of the mindset that the Pre could be the first legit iPhone competitor since its inception. There's a lot to like and it's slick as hell. That being said, there's no way in hell there's going to be some mass exodus to the Pre after the 29th of June. I know they want to get all "rah rah" behind their product and all, but that just makes them look stupid.

encece
03-06-2009, 08:33 PM
If original iPhone users haven't done so already...upon contract completion...I'm sure many if not most will finally upgrade to the 3G (or newer?).

Janak Parekh
03-06-2009, 10:18 PM
If original iPhone users haven't done so already...upon contract completion...I'm sure many if not most will finally upgrade to the 3G (or newer?). Actually, you could (and many 1G owners did) upgrade to the 3G upon its inception, which extended your contract to 2 years from the 3G purchase date. So I'm signed until July 11, 2010.

In short, even though the Pre is attractive, it's highly unlikely I'll be switching on June 29, 2009. ;) I also wouldn't be surprised to see some new iPhone developments steal some of Palm's PR thunder around WWDC time.

--janak

Jason Dunn
03-11-2009, 07:24 PM
I am of the mindset that the Pre could be the first legit iPhone competitor since its inception.

That's my opinion as well - the UX seems fast, fluid, and the device, with a slide-out keyboard, could really appeal to people who don't like on-screen keyboards (and there are a lot of those people from what I've seen). No one should dismiss the Pre.