11-27-2002, 05:00 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Lower Priced Pocket PCs Will Change PDA Landscape
"The history of geopolitical conflicts is filled with examples of rival governments uniting against common enemies during wartime. It also happens all the time in tech. The latest involves turf wars over personal digital assistants. Dell entered the fray Monday, joining forces with longtime Lone Star State adversary Compaq (now part of Hewlett-Packard) in Microsoft's Pocket PC platoon. This brigade is out to wrest territory from Palm."
I really wonder if it weren't for the rumors of the Dell Axim back this summer if we would have the HP iPAQ 1910 and ViewSonic V35 at the price points they are coming out at. In any event, it is going to be good for the consumer. This USA Today article reprinted at Yahoo goes over each of these devices and contrasts them to each other and to some of the new Palm OS devices hitting the streets. Let the battle begin! 
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 05:50 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
|
|
No doubt I am in the minority here when I say this, but I believe low priced Pocket PCs will have very little impact on the PDA market. Dell's PDA in particular will go by largely unnoticed by mainstream consumers (Dell won't be selling them retail).
There are other reasons why PalmOS dominates, aside from price. The fact remains, the public prefers (read: LOVES) PalmOS. Of the several million PalmOS users out there, I would be willing to bet that no on is holding a gun to their heads forcing them to use these devices. Just look at Comdex; Dell introduced its PDA at the show on Monday, and yet the Palm Pavilion was PACKED every day. That says a lot.
One reason for Palm's decline in the market is because their products have been so damned boring. Quarter after quarter they release the same old tired rehashed designs. Now that has changed. Palm is exciting again. Sony is surging past HP as the number two handheld maker. And PalmOS is growing again. Where does this leave PPC? Not in a good position. We now have inexpensive Pocket PCs to choose from, but the question is....will consumers even care?
My prediction: Zire will be the number one selling handheld on the market this holiday season. Tungsten is going to leave Axim in the dust.
And the Pocket PC community will be scratching its head in wonderment.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:04 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
No doubt I am in the minority here when I say this, but I believe low priced Pocket PCs will have very little impact on the PDA market. Dell's PDA in particular will go by largely unnoticed by mainstream consumers (Dell won't be selling them retail).
|
They are getting good results at their retail kiosks, and if this experiment holds, they may start some small retail outlets.
Quote:
|
There are other reasons why PalmOS dominates, aside from price. The fact remains, the public prefers (read: LOVES) PalmOS. Of the several million PalmOS users out there, I would be willing to bet that no on is holding a gun to their heads forcing them to use these devices. Just look at Comdex; Dell introduced its PDA at the show on Monday, and yet the Palm Pavilion was PACKED every day. That says a lot.
|
The public has no clue about the OS. For someone that has never had a PDA, the OS is of no consequence, and there are lots of Palm OS people switching for the higher powered hardware/software possiblities with the Pocket PC. $249 64MB Axim or $299 H1910/V35 makes the $499 Tungsten look sort of silly.
Quote:
|
One reason for Palm's decline in the market is because their products have been so damned boring. Quarter after quarter they release the same old tired rehashed designs. Now that has changed. Palm is exciting again. Sony is surging past HP as the number two handheld maker. And PalmOS is growing again. Where does this leave PPC? Not in a good position. We now have inexpensive Pocket PCs to choose from, but the question is....will consumers even care?
|
Part of the Palm problem is the boring 1996 operating system that even with OS5, shows very little change to the user.
Quote:
My prediction: Zire will be the number one selling handheld on the market this holiday season. Tungsten is going to leave Axim in the dust.
And the Pocket PC community will be scratching its head in wonderment.
|
At $99 per device, Palm can have it. It will boost their market share, but their ASP will plummet to the sub $150 range and red ink will continue to flow. As for the Tungsten leaving the Axim in the dust, time will tell. The only thing I know for sure, the Tungsten brings a lot of the dust to the party already. :lol: :lol: :lol:
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:14 PM
|
|
Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 390
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
No doubt I am in the minority here when I say this, but I believe low priced Pocket PCs will have very little impact on the PDA market.
|
where have you been? It's all about price. It's the cost per feature price. He who offered the most feature at lowest price win!
it's as simple as that.
that's why expensive 'Zen' jibe doesn't fly...
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:17 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
They are getting good results at their retail kiosks, and if this experiment holds, they may start some small retail outlets.
|
Since the Kiosks are the only available means of actually looking at the Axim, I'm not surprised. But Dell is limited to only 9 states. That leaves a lot of ground uncovered.
Quote:
|
The public has no clue about the OS. For someone that has never had a PDA, the OS is of no consequence,
|
Not true. Consumers know the name Palm first and foremost. And they usually base their purchase decision, in part, to what people around them use. That means PalmOS.
Quote:
|
and there are lots of Palm OS people switching for the higher powered hardware/software possibilities with the Pocket PC.
|
And there are lots of Pocket PC users switching to Tungstens and Clie NR/NX handhelds as well.
Quote:
|
$249 64MB Axim or $299 H1910/V35 makes the $499 Tungsten look sort of silly.
|
Yep. Tungsten is still going to outsell them though.
Quote:
|
Part of the Palm problem is the boring 1996 operating system that even with OS5, shows very little change to the user.
|
I agree, but the fact remains...people like it that way. If they didn't, everyone would have dumped their Palms by now and gone with PPC..no matter the cost.
Quote:
|
It will boost their market share, but their ASP will plummet to the sub $150 range and red ink will continue to flow.
|
No. This time Palm is actually making profits from a cheap handheld. And it will go even lower than $99. Just wait.
Yeah, don't get me started on the dust issue. :evil:
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:19 PM
|
|
Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 495
|
|
Geeeeeeeeeez..... MAKE IT STOP!!!
A quote from the article...
"Major tradeoff: If you are seeking a PDA that is sleek and light, look elsewhere. Axim is bulky (6.9 ounces) and not nearly as handsome as the 5.6-ounce Tungsten or appealingly thin 4.2-ounce iPaq."
Hey! I know! Lets compare the DUAL SLOT Dell to handhelds with one slot!!!!
He obviously is not a pocketpcthoughts reader or he would have seen that the iPaq with DUAL SLOTS weighs over 1/2 a POUND!!!
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/foru...pic.php?t=4954
Will people ever learn..... :roll:
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:37 PM
|
|
5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,133
|
|
Re: Geeeeeeeeeez..... MAKE IT STOP!!!
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Cortex
A quote from the article...
"Major tradeoff: If you are seeking a PDA that is sleek and light, look elsewhere. Axim is bulky (6.9 ounces) and not nearly as handsome as the 5.6-ounce Tungsten or appealingly thin 4.2-ounce iPaq."
Hey! I know! Lets compare the DUAL SLOT Dell to handhelds with one slot!!!!
|
I agree that it's unfair to compare the two devices and just say "the xxx is better because it's thinner", unless that is the only feature that you and the people you are talking to are interested in. However, I don't think it's unreasonable to point out the size differences - for many people, the dual-slot feature may not be important, and they could be looking for the thinnest device at that price range.
So saying that no one would want the Axim because of its size is silly, as are statements saying that it is "too big" on an absolute level (esp. given the non-1900 iPaqs). But it is reasonable to say it's too big for one's particular needs (ie, if you want to put it in your pocket). And if I'm looking at the pros and cons - the tradeoffs of my potential PDA choices - size can certainly be a factor. Along with features like expansion possibilities, screen quality, screen size, etc. Size is a comparison metric. It just isn't the only one that should be compared.
That being said, I did order the Axim because of the dual slots (the CF slot in particular... if the Viewsonic or 1900 had CF instead of SD it would have been a much harder decision for me).
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 06:46 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
Quote:
|
The public has no clue about the OS. For someone that has never had a PDA, the OS is of no consequence,
|
Not true. Consumers know the name Palm first and foremost. And they usually base their purchase decision, in part, to what people around them use. That means PalmOS. |
That means PalmOS gets them in the store. When they try to write their name with grafitti and get nothing but jibberish, then pick up the cool looking Toshiba or 1910 next to it.....
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 07:04 PM
|
|
Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 864
|
|
It's all about price, a Zire is a glorified Day Runner, stick it next to a $200 Pocket PC (they won't because it's blister packed like a calculator) and then explain how the Zire can store phone numbers, and appoinments and how for a little bit more money they can not only do that but get a color screen, play MP3's, Movies, and have at a minimum 16 times the memory... hmmmm what would I pick, granted I am not an average user, but anybody with half a brain would take the one for slightly more with a grip more features. Stack a $300 Pocket PC next a Tungsten and give somebody 5 reasons why they should pay more for less.... Tungsten has less RAM, no Audio playback (I know it's coming but it's not here and it's not built in), no video playback,smaller screen (not talking resolution, talking physical size) and then tell them it's better, you can't and that's where Palm will lose the Zire is the right price for too little features(come on the the thing doesn't even have a backlight!) and the Tungsten too much $ for not enough features.
|
| |
|
|
|
11-27-2002, 07:04 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 41
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
... $249 64MB Axim or $299 H1910/V35 makes the $499 Tungsten look sort of silly.
|
Yeah, but the Tungsten has built in Bluetooth... add that to one of the others and, not only do you loose an expansion slot, but you also bring the prices pretty close to each other... well, add $150 to the price of H1910/V35/Axim and now you are at $450... now add the fact that you lose a slot, and that probably adds (for some at least) the other $50. Finally, add some more resolution, a well-known brandname, a new design, etc... and they aren't really priced that different.
Cracks me up. You were always defending the high price of some of the previous PPC offerings by saying that by the time you added such-and-such to a Palm, it would be in the same price range.
Now, whether or not the consumer cares is a bit different. My experiences have been similar to what the market reflects: People know Palm, people like Sony, and people like to buy what their friends/family already have.
Hans.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
