Engadget: "Dear Palm: It's time for an intervention"

[Janak Parekh]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/21/...n-intervention/

"Man, what a crazy year, right? We know things haven't really been going your way lately, but we want you to know that we haven't given up on you, even though it might seem like the only smartphone anyone wants to talk about these days is the iPhone. It can be hard to remember right now, but you used to be a company we looked to for innovation. You guys got handhelds right when everyone else, including Apple, was struggling to figure it out. And it was the little things that made those early Palm Pilots great...The problem is that lately we haven't seen anything too impressive out of you guys. Sure, over the past few years the Treo has emerged as a cornerstone of the smartphone market, but you've let the platform stagnate...So we've thrown together a few ideas for how Palm can get back in the game and (hopefully) come out with a phone that people can care about. (And we're not talking about the Centro / Gandolf.) Read on."



That image (the full size version is in the linked article) really drives home the point the Engadget points are trying to make: every single recent Palm device looks the same, with little formfactor evolution, while folks like HTC have been trying newer mechanisms to make handhelds more usable for a greater variety of applications. (That, and Treos still don't have WiFi. :roll Engadget doesn't skimp on the software discussion, either, and I think they've made excellent points. The only bright spot is that Palm recognizes this, as they replied to Engadget on their blog -- but only time will tell if they will respond with actual products or if they will merely fade away as the company that basically built two important formfactors and then stopped.

[Janak Parekh]

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/21/...n-intervention/

"Man, what a crazy year, right? We know things haven't really been going your way lately, but we want you to know that we haven't given up on you, even though it might seem like the only smartphone anyone wants to talk about these days is the iPhone. It can be hard to remember right now, but you used to be a company we looked to for innovation. You guys got handhelds right when everyone else, including Apple, was struggling to figure it out. And it was the little things that made those early Palm Pilots great...The problem is that lately we haven't seen anything too impressive out of you guys. Sure, over the past few years the Treo has emerged as a cornerstone of the smartphone market, but you've let the platform stagnate...So we've thrown together a few ideas for how Palm can get back in the game and (hopefully) come out with a phone that people can care about. (And we're not talking about the Centro / Gandolf.) Read on."



That image (the full size version is in the linked article) really drives home the point the Engadget points are trying to make: every single recent Palm device looks the same, with little formfactor evolution, while folks like HTC have been trying newer mechanisms to make handhelds more usable for a greater variety of applications. (That, and Treos still don't have WiFi. :roll Engadget doesn't skimp on the software discussion, either, and I think they've made excellent points. The only bright spot is that Palm recognizes this, as they replied to Engadget on their blog -- but only time will tell if they will respond with actual products or if they will merely fade away as the company that basically built two important formfactors and then stopped.

[signothefish]

That's some interesting stuff. Excellent and well-deserved spanking from Engadget. I think most Windows Mobile devices are in better shape right now than Palm. However, I do think they could be more user-friendly, less buggy, have better and exciting form-factors, and for crying out loud, ADVERTISE your products. Ed Colligan over at Palm exhibited a certain amount of humility in his reply, but I can guarantee you that internally at Palm, someone's getting chewed out.

[Mikey]

I agree with Engadget totally. Where is the 320x480 OR 320x320 WM Palm Treo? Certainly Palm had enough leverage with Microsoft (in the beginning) to get a 320x320 supported screen. Poor screen resolution, terrible battery life, low memory, & slow processors keep me from switching to Palm's products. I am forced to stick with a BB Pearl & Dell Axim x50v, I see no solution out there to converge, as I voiced in more detail in other posts. I repeat other posts re: converged devices. The Palm Treo 750 is Palm's latest attempt to converge yet it fails to do perform in any category IMO. Mike

[Timothy Rapson]

I hate Windows Mobile but I bought an Axim because there is simply no decent product left on the Palm side, much less a competitive innovative one.

It is very difficult being a PDA user these days. There is simply less and less choice and worse and worse offerings every day.

[bearxor]

Originally Posted by Mikey

I agree with Engadget totally. Where is the 320x480 OR 320x320 WM Palm Treo? Certainly Palm had enough leverage with Microsoft (in the beginning) to get a 320x320 supported screen. Poor screen resolution, terrible battery life, low memory, & slow processors keep me from switching to Palm's products. I am forced to stick with a BB Pearl & Dell Axim x50v, I see no solution out there to converge, as I voiced in more detail in other posts. I repeat other posts re: converged devices. The Palm Treo 750 is Palm's latest attempt to converge yet it fails to do perform in any category IMO. Mike

You've not actually USED a WM Treo have you?

[virain]

Originally Posted by Timothy Rapson

I hate Windows Mobile but I bought an Axim because there is simply no decent product left on the Palm side, much less a competitive innovative one.

It is very difficult being a PDA user these days. There is simply less and less choice and worse and worse offerings every day.

Hate Microsoft? Try Symbian, try Sony Ericsson P1. It has all the apps like windows, spread sheets, something similiar to MS Word, You can connect to MS Exchange with it. And it is not Microsoft! Mabe it will suite your needs for mobile computing better, and you don't need to carry two devices :lol:

[IpaqMan2]

Originally Posted by Timothy Rapson

I hate Windows Mobile but I bought an Axim because there is simply no decent product left on the Palm side, much less a competitive innovative one.

It is very difficult being a PDA user these days. There is simply less and less choice and worse and worse offerings every day.

Amen to this...

I have always been a fan of Palm from a distance, after all it was Palm that brought me into the world of PDAs back in 1999 - and it was Palm's lack of innovation that drove me away from them some years ago.

Still, I perfer PDAs over smartphones, and I can say this after having 2 of them for near 2 years - that us PDA users is a rare and dieing breed =(

[IpaqMan2]

Originally Posted by virain

Mabe it will suite your needs for mobile computing better, and you don't need to carry two devices :lol:

For me ther eis no problem carrying two devices. My cell phone is small fits in my pocket nicely, gets better reception than any windows smartphone I've owned in the past and last DAYS (not hours) with bluetooth turned on the phone on a single charge and it's speakphone kicks the pants off of my previous windows mobile phone. The cell phone is very rugged and takes a beaten especially when I need it to be while at work.

On the other hand, my separate PDA is a tool with one of the displays of any stand alone and almost every other smartphone available. I use my PDA while I am on calls, taking notes and looking up info, and am still able to hit the internet with bluetooth from my phone. Like I've said on my blog in the past.. I think most smartphones are toys, and any sidekick or iPhone would fill the giggles and needs of most people in the market with its cool looks, sms messaging and web surfing.

[Snail]

Originally Posted by bearxor

You've not actually USED a WM Treo have you?

Spot on! :wink: My Treo 750 performs perfectly (at least it does now I've realised that all those Today accessories really messed it up...) I've never been happier with any other WM device.

[Janak Parekh]

Originally Posted by bearxor

You've not actually USED a WM Treo have you?

I used a 700w extensively, and while it's not the 750 with its improved memory situation, the 750 still has a middling processor and a low-res screen that isn't well-suited for many applications, especially games. Certainly a decent device, and great if you want a good phone-enabled connected Pocket PC, but what's taking Palm so long to unveil the next generation of devices?

--janak