Ok, Maybe There Will Be A Dell PDA In 2002

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://makeashorterlink.com/?V4A812052">http://makeashorterlink.com/?V4A812052</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4408">A few days ago I reported that there wouldn't be a Dell PDA until 2003</a>. It seems, however, Dell Canada may launch as early as November 18th! "At an official launch on Nov. 18, the company will reportedly take the wraps off both an entry-level and high-end handheld, both with colour screens. The company has been touring North America to brief press and analysts about the basics of the new personal digital assistants (PDAs), while struggling to keep specific hardware and pricing details secret.<br /><br />"Our goal for 2003 is to have at least a 25-per-cent [PocketPC] market share," Mr. Bonadero added. "We believe we will ship up to one million units. But even that may be a low-ball estimate, based on our price point ... Our president has said he'll eat his hat if we don't sell an absolute minimum of 30,000 before Christmas."<br /><br />"We have studied this space and learned from our suppliers, competitors and customers," a press briefing note from the company said. "The result is a customer-defined, highly refined mainstream PocketPC offering what we consider best in class [features]." The machines will be available from <a href="www.dell.ca">www.dell.ca</a> immediately after the Nov. 18 launch, and through Dell Direct Store kiosks in malls during the holiday season. The stores allow people to try the hardware, and then they can order the products they want on-line on the spot." <br /><br />Check out the last paragraph. :D "Dell will also deliver new models early in 2003, according to Mr. Bonadero. He says the company's goal is to produce a basic colour model at some point next year for less than $150 (U.S.), putting further pressure on the competition." Source: Numsquat

[bblock]

Damn! This can't help but bode well for the overall future of Pocket PC and it's widestream acceptance. Sure can't wait to see how they combine price with 'best-in-class' features.

[xbalance]

My expectations are so far out of whack on this 8O .

I can not wait for the high end Dell to be released. It sounds like from a price and feature perspective it is going to be the PPC I have been looking for since bought my Everex Manager so many years ago.

A moment of silence for the new Dell. Hopefully it will not be plagued by any of the annoying issues that have plagued almost every Pocket PC and Palm unit so far. Is that too much to ask :roll:

[Birdman]

A high end Dell with 2 integrated slots (SD & CF) that will be ready for shipping on Nov. 18 that will also have a range of accessory products ready to go (keyboard, etc.) that can be ordered by regular everyday Canadians for a price that is less than what Compaq is currently charging for their products, ....I can only hope. This may just be enough to keep me from waiting for a PPCPhone to come to Canada!

(I remember when I first ordered my ipaq 3635, it took almost 2 months from the date I ordered before the retailer was able to get enough product to move me up the list.)

[Foo Fighter]

Dave Johnson at PDABuzz said it best...."Viewsonic and Dell will do more for the Pocket PC platform in one year than iPaq did in 3."

[Ed Hansberry]

Dave Johnson at PDABuzz said it best...."Viewsonic and Dell will do more for the Pocket PC platform in one year than iPaq did in 3."
Puh leaze. The iPAQ took the MS PDA from obscurity to 3M units. That is an approximate bazillion % increase in unit volume. I wonder if there would be a Dell and Viewsonic Pocket PC if it weren't for the iPAQ.

Think about it.

[heyday]

It would be cool if they were selling them at Comdex..... Probably jus demoing them though....

heyday

[UGAMatthew]

So my question is.... How will Pocket PC competitors be able to compete? With Dell putting out a PPC's so cheap... how will others survive? Is it a case where the competition has high markups and will just have to lower prices? It's already obvious Palm's Tungsten will have to do some major price adjustments (currently $499) to even stay in the handheld market. But what about our other Pocket PC manufacturers? I realize that companies will be releasing their own low-end devices.... but when Dell's high end device only runs for $299?....

[ThomasC22]

Puh leaze. The iPAQ took the MS PDA from obscurity to 3M units. That is an approximate bazillion % increase in unit volume. I wonder if there would be a Dell and Viewsonic Pocket PC if it weren't for the iPAQ.

Think about it.

I actually am inclined to agree here. What Dell will do is to push the PocketPC into the Corporate market. Could they have done it without the iPaq? No, but then again, the iPaq couldn't have done it without the E100. My point is that each generation stands atop the shoulders of the last, and each time the splash has just gotten bigger!

As for the PDAs themself, I see a few interesting issues here. First, I don't see a great gap between the $199 and $299 devices. The speed will be practically the same between a 300mhz and 400mhz processor.

Then there's my one big fear here which is that the devices will be too cheap. You do get what you pay for and for $199 I wouldn't be surprised if they were skimping on the internal parts. and $150, don't get me started :roll:

[Andy Sjostrom]

Looks like I am not the only one talking about eating hats... :D

[Foo Fighter]

The iPAQ took the MS PDA from obscurity to 3M units...I wonder if there would be a Dell and Viewsonic Pocket PC if it weren't for the iPAQ.

True, but it never managed to get PPC out of the 20% bracket. DELL and View will, collectively, push more volume than iPaq ever did. And by the way, the iPaq's popularity is waning badly. HP has fallen to number 3.

[texeck]

I really don't care for the debate of who/what/when/why of the vendor wars. All I know is that the prices will fall as soon as these guys start selling on the basis of price and compete for marketshare and numbers of units shipped. It really doesn't matter that the LOW end prices are for low-end units. Even the high end units will come down in price as the cost gets harder to justify. And all of this --- is Very good for us!!!

Jingle bells, jingle bells... :D

[JornadaJ]

Then there's my one big fear here which is that the devices will be too cheap. You do get what you pay for and for $199 I wouldn't be surprised if they were skimping on the internal parts. and $150, don't get me started :roll:

{edited to fix attribution}

If you look at how Dell consistently undercut the competition in the PC market without skimping, there's some reasonable assurance they won't here...Just my guess. However, any way you slice it, prices are coming down...

[Rirath]

Great. :D

Still hoping for a US release shortly... but eh, maybe I'll even look into importing one if it's that soon.

[JornadaJ]

Oops, Sorry Ed... :oops:

[jschloer]

Well this just stinks. They'll have them in 2002, but the only way to get one is to import from Canada? I don't speak canadian......

[Ed Hansberry]

I wouldn't want one from Canada. The spell checker has too many U's in it. Colour, Favourite, etc. Blech. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

:lol: Oh my...this is just TOO funny...for once I'm happy to be Canadian! :lol:

[ThomasC22]

If you look at how Dell consistently undercut the competition in the PC market without skimping, there's some reasonable assurance they won't here...Just my guess. However, any way you slice it, prices are coming down...

Well, actually their low end products are pretty cheap. Have you ever looked in a Dell Dimension 2100?

Integrated everything, Celeron Processor, etc...

Plus their cases aren't exactly high quality (cheap plastic and all). I'm not saying this makes much of a difference in the PC world I'm simply saying that it makes a HUGE difference in the PDA world and that is what worries me.

[Numsquat]

I'm not to worried about the quality, any more than I would worry about the quality of the other PDA's. Hardware cost are going down and Dell isn't planning on these financially to support them, they want market share (consumer and enterprise) and they want it large quickly, so they are cutting the (high) markup you see with the other companies. If these were to be cheaply made and they had a lot of problems, that will hurt Dell in more ways than just the PDA market, the reputation will carry over to their other markets.

Dude, I'm getting a Dell :D .

[szamot]

I will eat my hat if this comes to Canada before it does to the States. I am almost tempted to buy 2 and microwave one just to say that I could before anyone in US could lay their hands on it and do the same. Yeah that sound good microwaved Dell with some Carbonera sauce - just for the hell of it.

[Paragon]

I guess the Dell dude's gonna be wearin' a touque! :)

Dave

[ThomasC22]

I will eat my hat if this comes to Canada before it does to the States. I am almost tempted to buy 2 and microwave one just to say that I could before anyone in US could lay their hands on it and do the same. Yeah that sound good microwaved Dell with some Carbonera sauce - just for the hell of it.

Wow, I didn't realize how many bitter canadians we had here :twisted:

Anyway, and no offense, but I just can't see Dell releasing something to Canada first. At the same time maybe, but I simply don't see the advantage to having the product in Canada first.

[Ed Hansberry]

Anyway, and no offense, but I just can't see Dell releasing something to Canada first. At the same time maybe, but I simply don't see the advantage to having the product in Canada first.
I wonder if the alarms go "Time for your appointment, eh?" :lol:

[Paragon]

I think they will say it's "about" time for your next appointment!

Dave

[MooseMaster]

They need to release it in the South first! Y'all don't know how cute Tennessee girls' accents are :D

[CoffeeKid]

So my question is.... How will Pocket PC competitors be able to compete? With Dell putting out a PPC's so cheap... how will others survive? Is it a case where the competition has high markups and will just have to lower prices? It's already obvious Palm's Tungsten will have to do some major price adjustments (currently $499) to even stay in the handheld market. But what about our other Pocket PC manufacturers? I realize that companies will be releasing their own low-end devices.... but when Dell's high end device only runs for $299?....

The Dell story tells how... and I think most PPC cognicenti know this too - markups on most PPCs (esp. the iPaqs) are astronomical - as much as 70% on some devices.

They're going to have to stop being so bloody greedy on the markups, and go for volume sales, like Dell does. But I'm guessing none of them will be able to touch Dell's promise of overnight replacements. Compaq did do this, but they had reason to allow it (corp-decision): massive markups on the original product sale.

Mark

[Steven Cedrone]

I think they will say it's "about" time for your next appointment!

Dave

More like "aboot time"... :wink:

Steve

[Jason Dunn]

At the same time maybe, but I simply don't see the advantage to having the product in Canada first.

Oh come on, quit being the stereotypical ethnocentric American! :lol:

I'm just speculating, but how's this: culturally, we're virtually identical to the US. Dell can release in a much smaller market (30 million people or so) that is very close to the US market. It would be like them releasing just to California instead of all of the US at once. But it's almost impossible to launch a product in the US and only sell it regionally, especially if you're an e-tailer like Dell.

[szamot]

Macdonald's has quite successfully tested a number of products in Canada before they were – well gone nowhere like its pizza. But I agree with Jason it is easier to release something in Canada than anywhere else because of our size, and no I am not bitter but for once it would be nice to have something at the same time or earlier than the rest of the world. He, ha go Dell.

[Ed Hansberry]

I'm just speculating, but how's this: culturally, we're virtually identical to the US. Dell can release in a much smaller market (30 million people or so) that is very close to the US market. It would be like them releasing just to California instead of all of the US at once. But it's almost impossible to launch a product in the US and only sell it regionally, especially if you're an e-tailer like Dell.

Another possibility is they simply don't have enough to satisfy US demand and would rather wait until they have adequate inventory and avoid the frustration customers had for the first 9 months of the iPAQ's existance. Being a smaller market, Canada is perfect for this.

[ThomasC22]

Uh oh, I made the Canadians angry 8O

Seriously, you have made some good points about Canada being a good testing ground for the US, I though, was coming from the other side of things. Basically, my thought was, imagine how upset you Canadians get when something is released here and not there, and then imagine that Dell is upsetting a much larger population in that same way, and you'll sort of see my point.

But hey, I know a guy in Washington that goes up there to pick up Perscription Drugs, maybe I can get him to pick me up a Dell why he's at it :lol:

[ThomasC22]

They need to release it in the South first! Y'all don't know how cute Tennessee girls' accents are :D

Yeah...um...No, Dell doesn't like Tennessee anymore :)

GO INTERNS!

[Ed Hansberry]

They need to release it in the South first! Y'all don't know how cute Tennessee girls' accents are :D

Yeah...um...No, Dell doesn't like Tennessee anymore :)

GO INTERNS!
Whaddya mean? We still have a plant here and Steve hasn't been fired. I just saw a new ad. He just isn't the only one anymore.

[ThomasC22]

Whaddya mean? We still have a plant here and Steve hasn't been fired. I just saw a new ad. He just isn't the only one anymore.

I didn't know about the plant, but it's time to face it Ed, Stevie boys been canned (god I hate that guy)

SURE, his agent says that a high level exec who won't go on the record says he isn't fired, but COME ON!

Steven's Toast, long live the interns (they're actually funny)

[Ed Hansberry]

Whaddya mean? We still have a plant here and Steve hasn't been fired. I just saw a new ad. He just isn't the only one anymore.

I didn't know about the plant, but it's time to face it Ed, Stevie boys been canned (god I hate that guy)

http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Oct/17/BIZ5.htm

As for the TN location, check out the manufacturing plants:
http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen/corporate/factpack_003.htm[/quote]

[ThomasC22]

http://www.news-journalonline.com/2002/Oct/17/BIZ5.htm


But notice in that article that the only one saying he hasn't been canned is his agent. And that she openly admits that his contract is up and that they haven't resigned. Plus, she quotes a "high ranking official" of won't go on the record. PLUS, the one person who will go on the record has said "all good things must come to an end"

Face it, your man is toast.

[Dell Dude]

Nooo!! Dude!! I can't be on my way out...I just bought a new car and house....!! I'm the DELL DUDE! 8O

[ThomasC22]

Nooo!! Dude!! I can't be on my way out...I just bought a new car and house....!! I'm the DELL DUDE! 8O

Two words, Ebay Motors :D

(can't help you with the house)