It is a done deal - HP overcame last hurdle to buy Compaq

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Symbol=US:HWP&Feed=RTR&Date=20020501&ID=1603659">http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Symbol=US:HWP&Feed=RTR&Date=20020501&ID=1603659</a><br /><br />The Delaware judge overseeing the lawsuit against HP filed by dissident shareholder and (soon to be former) board member Walter Hewlett dismissed the case. Hewlett said he would drop his challenge to the merger and now do everything in his power to make the deal successful.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hp-cpqlogo.gif" /><br /><br />So, what does this mean for Pocket PCs? No clue. What do I think? Glad you asked. ;-)<br /><br />People often argue over whether the Jornada or iPAQ will survive. My guess? Neither device <b> in their current form</b> will survive their past their current life cycle. All together now - <b><i>"DUH!"</i></b> Compaq said in early 2001 that the iPAQ in its existing form was only designed to last two years before being redesigned. June 2002 would mark that 2 year anniversary. However, given the new sleeves coming out in the next few months, it isn't likely we will see a July 2002 iPAQ that doesn't work with the existing sleeve system. I'd guess Compaq has given the iPAQ form a one year extension.<br /><br />Now, lets assume the mobile device groups from Compaq and HP get together this weekend and start working on a new device. Given the iPAQ has sold over 2 million iPAQ's, I would say the successor product by HP/CPQ will have lineage distinctly tracable to the iPAQ, not the Jornada. iPAQ's are in movies, tv shows, commercials, ads, etc. HP would be stupid not to use that free advertising and visual recognition. I don't however think it will be called an iPAQ. The iPAQ name has huge cachet in the Pocket PC world, but outside it is still called a Palm Pilot. HP has publicly stated that the Compaq name and brands will be phased out over time where there is an HP overlap.<br /><br />So, back to the new device these guys are working on this weekend. I would guess X-Scale, 64-128MB of RAM, integrated SD and a target size rivaling the new Toshiba e310. Unless they have one of these on the drawing board already (and they might!) I would say 2003 would be the earliest we would see a totally fresh device as opposed to a new iPAQ or Jornada with better guts in them. And it will bear the Jornada name, but visually will resemble the iPAQ. And of course the connector on the bottom will change and won't work with iPAQ <b><i>or</i></b> Jornada keyboards and accessories.<br /><br />The current Jornada 500 and iPAQ 3800 lines will live for another 8-18 months, getting new processors and more RAM, but keeping the basic shell. After that though, it is all new. Again - this is 100% speculation on my part. What do you think?

[Foo Fighter]

Say goodbye to the Jornada.

[entropy1980]

I am with you Ed but i hope they take some design cues from the Jornada, like the integrated screen cover, accesories that fit better (ie thumbboard). hopefully the best of both worlds will live on, is it likely... no but one can hope!

[humphrey22]

Go Carly...get bizzy....Go Carly...get bizzy!!

[ppcsurfr]

All I can say is that if they kill the iPAQ... they lose a big part of the market. If they kill the Jornada... the also lose a big part of the market.

I think the wisest thing to do is to keep them alive for another 18 months.

[entropy1980]

O they will be around for awhile....you can still get Ipaq 3650's new, plus they have alot invested in both platforms and they will run till they have adequately milked their investment, they may develop a new PPC together, but believe me they will continue to support the current Jornada and Ipaq (and any planned upgrades or updates) while there is money being made. The investment in design and infrastructure will keep them supporting both for awhile.

[orinoco]

So guys, lets keep on speculating: my sense is that the Jornada and iPaq platforms will continue to be supported for a while longer. HP has announced the integrated PPC/GSM/GPRS Jornada 928 already (available early summer in Europe, December in the US), and the Jornada 570 series, which are evolutions of the J560, and not even close to the iPaq.

The iPaq platform on the other hand has a lot going for it; just look at the recent release of sleeves, keyboards and other accesories, not even close to being compatible with HP products.

So: don't hold your breath for the "Super PPC" just yet. It will happen eventually. That is, if Toshiba doesn't buy out HP-Compaq!!!

My two cents...

Fernando :wink:

[JonnoB]

This could be a real boon to the PPC industry. I believe this to be a real growth market and I hope that HP understands that and keeps the talent from both teams onboard and does a good job of integrating them. The merged talent could really come out with some fantastic new products. What do you imagine the products be called in the future (18-24 months from now).. I suggest they have a naming contest... Here are a few of my ideas....

Jorpaq
Inada
JPaq
JoyPaq

[Kevin Daly]

Apart from the cover (which I like very much), there are a number of other areas where I wouldn't like to see the iPaq design eclipse the Jornada

- Software package - I personally think that the HP package is much better than what we get from Compaq
- Battery - I also think ALL Pocket PCs should have replaceable batteries
- Expansion options - The Jornada is far from perfect, but I am not enamoured of the sleeve approach. I would favour an SD slot (such as Compaq have lately taken to including) and then if possible a CF I slot *and* a CF II slot. A lot depends on what wireless capabilities can be built in - I think Bluetooth should be standard from now on, but what else can we cram under the hood and thereby free up space for add-ons?

And whatever the lineage of the eventual new machines, let's pray the designers take the dust issue seriously (HP at the moment seem to treat reports of dust the same way the USAF has always treated reports of UFOs...)

[eric linsley]

well the name ahs tot be the H-paq

as fro wha tis ogng tobe the best.
from what ive heard from my hp reps and others it sounds like that they are going to keep eht compaq brand if not in name.

the ideal is as alot of people had said is creatign a nice merger between the 2 currenct forms.

keep the large screen better speaker of the ipaq as well as teh expandbalitly.

ad din a replaceable battery and screen cover.

keep it thin

that il be tough.

[nz0eBoy]

I'm with my fellow countryman, Kevin, I hope HP/Compaq stick with a CF slot, Type I at least. Other manufacturers have shown they can fit SD and CF in the one form factor so the gurus at HP/Compaq should be able to come up with something.

It would be like Compaq users loosing there sleds, however, given that CF is a long established, and standard, form factor we HP users expect that it would be around for a while, when you buy something proprietary like a sled you should have in the back of your mind that it may be unsupported into the future.

My NZD$0.02 = USD$0.0086 worth.

[IpaqMan2]

In regards to the article:

It saddens me to think that the iPAQ as we know it will be phased out. I have always believed that Compaq had something special with the iPAQ and was always in the right directions in compardes to anything HP has done to the PPC. Even though HP's current PPCs are nice, it took them alot of trys before getting to where they are now. I am also not happy to know that all the accessories, (maybe 3 hundred bucks worth of stuff) that I have will no longer work... Palm has figured this problem out recently.. Too bad PPC OEMs haven't seen the light yet.

[Ed Hansberry]

Palm has figured this problem out recently.. Too bad PPC OEMs haven't seen the light yet.

Palm didn't figure anything out from what I understand. Kodak told them they would not make another PalmPix attachment if Palm didn't quit changing the base connector. Palm capitulated and standardized on the "universal connector."

Kodak has quit making the thing anyway. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Palm change the connector in a year or two claiming some OS5 functionality will benefit from it. :roll:

[eric linsley]

IpaqMan2 wrote:

Palm has figured this problem out recently.. Too bad PPC OEMs haven't seen the light yet.

palm has been horrible wiht this till recently and as for PPC devices
its natural for them to slowly be fased out

however what it recomend is buy as many gneriec accessoires as possible

cf modem
inklink pen
memory

it will be ashame if the sleds beocme worhtless.

however when they are lost hopefully they will have a more standardised form.

palm standardised HA....

[st63z]

In other news, Carly announces a surprise wedding to Mr. Palmisano, and thus begins the merger battle to end all merger battles. In a surprise twist, Gates joins Ellison and McNealy in crying foul...

[Will T Smith]

One thing we must remember is the merger teams "choose and go" strategy for dealing with redundant teams and products (it applies to virtually ALL of them). If they execute (pun intended) their plain as stated, they will choose a line of handhelds annoint it and jettison the other.

The BIGGEST stated reason for this merger is to capture a larger portion of the corporate-IT business. They want to serve everyone end-to-end (pun intended) like IBM does.

Having said that, Jornada is the obvious choice in a business scenario. It's well balanced and complete 'out of the box'. IT folks may like PLAYING with toys, however they hate SERVICING toys.

Providing handhelds to a corporate business fleet (I'll exempt vertical markets, which I believe iPaq is ideal for) requires standardization, simplicity. Can you believe the nightmare of making sure everyone has the right Expansion pack mated to the correct case. Providing multiple cases for users with multiple "packages" and data bags to hold all that stuff.

Above and beyond that the Jornada is just plain elegant compared to the in-your-face brashness of iPaq. I cannot see the VP withdrawing iPaq from his pocket. Oh yeah, and the battery life is STILL poor.

Mark my words. Jornada stays, iPaq goes. If they're smart they'll sell the brand or spin it off.