Handheld shipments slide in Q2, 2002 in Europe

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2002/07/23/rtr670957.html">http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2002/07/23/rtr670957.html</a><br /><br />Quarterly numbers usually come out of Western Europe first and those for the second quarter of 2002 have just been published. There is not a lot of movement either. Palm and HP (the iPAQ) are still the top two players and maintained their market share. Total sales for the quarter were 463,000 units and analysts at Gartner "Still forecasts 2.3 million units to be shipped this year, up from 2.1 million, but only if Palm and Microsoft manage to roll out successful new products in the fourth quarter."<br /><br />Ok, I know about the new Palm - the much anticipated OS5 devices, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2152">like the new Oslo</a>. What new Microsoft product is she expecting? <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2134">This one</a>?<br /><br />And I loved this quote. "The new processors and Palm operating software, which is developed and sold by a separate unit from the hardware division and which will be spun off next month, will bring most of the software applications to Palm-based devices that are now only available on Microsoft-based devices." Uhm... excuse me Ms. Analyst. Just because PalmOS devices will use ARM chips does not mean they can run any app compiled for ARM. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif" />

[Jonathon Watkins]

....will bring most of the software applications to Palm-based devices that are now only available on Microsoft-based devices."
HAHAHAHAha - now that's funny. I'd like to see the look on his face as he tries to load PPC app on his Palm. SELLLL PALM NOW - IT DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!
Priceless. :wink:

[PJE]

....will bring most of the software applications to Palm-based devices that are now only available on Microsoft-based devices."

Well, if they have to emulate the current PalmOS on the new device, why not go the whole 9 yards and emulate WinCE too... :wink:

I think the author meant that the device would have the power for PocketPC apps to be easily ported to the new device.

My 2c

[Pony99CA]

....will bring most of the software applications to Palm-based devices that are now only available on Microsoft-based devices."

I think the author meant that the device would have the power for PocketPC apps to be easily ported to the new device.


That was my assumption, too. Of course, unless you emulate the Windows CE/Pocket PC services, the port will not be easy.

I'm thinking the extra power of the ARM will make developers more likely to consider porting processor-intensive applications to the Palm. Another interpretation is that other developers will create applications with similar functionality to those on the Pocket PC, not that the exact same applications will be ported,

The one humorous thing I found is that, after years of hearing how much more software is on the Palm platform, some analyst is now talking about software moving in the other direction. :-)

Steve