Chaos at i-mate's US Division; Most Laid Off

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/01/i-mates-us-outpost-implodes-most-laid-off/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/01/...-most-laid-off/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"We've caught wind from a number of employees -- or ex-employees, as the case may be -- that i-mate's US division in Redmond, Washington has all but disintegrated after a Friday bloodbath that saw the entire engineering, QA, and tech writing departments laid off, among others. Several honchos who weren't cut left anyway, perhaps unwilling to work in a ghost town or as a show of solidarity to their fallen brethren; notably, the Chief Software Officer and VP of Sales and Marketing are both gone, leaving a sales director to be promoted to the lofty title of GM of what seems to be all US operations. Apparently, the Dubai-based firm is in the hurt locker after its inability to get the Ultimate line (also known as "the basket with all of i-mate's eggs in it") fully deployed to retail channels in the time frame it had hoped, and meeting massive resistance from US carriers to carry the devices, it's been left with no option but to leave behind just enough employees to set up and maintain a web-based portal for purchasing unlocked devices in the States."</i><br /><br />While the Ultimate line may be <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=58407">doing well in Australia</a>, the same can't be said for the US. According to <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/01/i-mates-us-outpost-implodes-most-laid-off/">Engadget</a>, poor retail performance saw i-mate's US division enter mass layoff mode on Friday, with a few others voluntarily resigning. Best of luck to those impacted by this recent event.

[Menneisyys]

Bad news. However, as I have pretty mixed feelings on their lineup (there are / in the near future, will be much better VGA devices), I would only purchase these models at a severely reduced price (say, 300 bucks at most, without contract).

See http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,58501&amp;/menneisyys_mwc_report_on_i-mate.htm for more info &amp; my review &amp; comparison if interested.

[Ed Hansberry]

it was hard to get excited about iMate after they offered virtually no upgrades for their devices. heck, most of the time if you finally got them to admit a bug that was serious, they wouldn't fix it.

[netboy]

it was hard to get excited about iMate after they offered virtually no upgrades for their devices. heck, most of the time if you finally got them to admit a bug that was serious, they wouldn't fix it.

u need to do some homework! There's a rom update for Imate 6150 and 8150 leaked 2 days ago on 2/29/08!

[Ed Hansberry]

it was hard to get excited about iMate after they offered virtually no upgrades for their devices. heck, most of the time if you finally got them to admit a bug that was serious, they wouldn't fix it.

u need to do some homework! There's a rom update for Imate 6150 and 8150 leaked 2 days ago on 2/29/08!

OH REALLY??????????????? lolololo~ it seem sto t3h thE im,ate 615O anfd 8150 both run windows mobile 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 so u r saying tHat upgRadez wer eleaked that upgraed tejhm to windowZ mboile &amp;!?!?!?!?!?!?!? az f romr upd8s to teh existing plastform, tjey seem to doa bout 0ne for each devIce, buiyt rarley if ever wi7l they jus trel3ase a qiuX0r ram patch for a serIous isssue, of whic hiv3 haD sevaral ove rthey e4rtS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

[Paragon]

OH REALLY??????????????? lolololo~ it seem sto t3h thE im,...............................................e4rtS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

LMAO!!

[j92627]

From a Contributing Editor, this sort of response is rude and childish. In the past, this site used to promote discussion instead of discouraging it from its editors.


it was hard to get excited about iMate after they offered virtually no upgrades for their devices. heck, most of the time if you finally got them to admit a bug that was serious, they wouldn't fix it.

u need to do some homework! There's a rom update for Imate 6150 and 8150 leaked 2 days ago on 2/29/08!

OH REALLY??????????????? lolololo~ it seem sto t3h thE im,ate 615O anfd 8150 both run windows mobile 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 so u r saying tHat upgRadez wer eleaked that upgraed tejhm to windowZ mboile &amp;!?!?!?!?!?!?!? az f romr upd8s to teh existing plastform, tjey seem to doa bout 0ne for each devIce, buiyt rarley if ever wi7l they jus trel3ase a qiuX0r ram patch for a serIous isssue, of whic hiv3 haD sevaral ove rthey e4rtS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

[ADBrown]

OH REALLY??????????????? lolololo~ it seem sto t3h thE im,ate 615O anfd 8150 both run windows mobile 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 so u r saying tHat upgRadez wer eleaked that upgraed tejhm to windowZ mboile &amp;!?!?!?!?!?!?!? az f romr upd8s to teh existing plastform, tjey seem to doa bout 0ne for each devIce, buiyt rarley if ever wi7l they jus trel3ase a qiuX0r ram patch for a serIous isssue, of whic hiv3 haD sevaral ove rthey e4rtS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

For speaking that way, even in jest, I now need to hunt you down and light you on fire.

Seriously, was that necessary in any way?

[griph]

For speaking that way, even in jest, I now need to hunt you down and light you on fire.
Seriously, was that necessary in any way?
I'm still trying to figure out what Ed was saying! Is there a universal translator setting I am missing?

[jgrnt1]

I'm hesitant to add to the "pile on Ed" crowd, but stuff like that would get most people warned or even banned from many sites. Ed, I've witnessed cynicism and sarcasm from your posts on many occasions, and most of the time I appreciate it, but that was uncalled for. There are better ways to suggest that netboy was in error or that imate devices still leave something to be desired.

[yslee]

Oh dear I thought my "HAI I HERE U R |337Z0R AMIRITE" routine was bad, but I think Ed has blown it to bits. :lol:

[Ed Hansberry]

From a Contributing Editor, this sort of response is rude and childish. In the past, this site used to promote discussion instead of discouraging it from its editors.
I'm not trying to discourage anything. I figured if we were going to talk using chat abbreviations and such, I'd just use the The Dialectizer (http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/) since I can't keep up with the discussion any other way.

[virain]

I'm sorry, I-Mate who? :?:

[yslee]

I'm not trying to discourage anything. I figured if we were going to talk using chat abbreviations and such, I'd just use the The Dialectizer (http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/) since I can't keep up with the discussion any other way.

You cheated! And here I thought you were just good at talking like a moron. :P

[ADBrown]

For speaking that way, even in jest, I now need to hunt you down and light you on fire.
Seriously, was that necessary in any way?
I'm still trying to figure out what Ed was saying! Is there a universal translator setting I am missing?

He said that the Ultimates already run WM6, and each model is likely to get at least one minor update, but that the complaint was that i-mate doesn't offer OS upgrades for their hardware.

[alex_feinman]

[quote="ADBrown
He said that the Ultimates already run WM6, and each model is likely to get at least one minor update, but that the complaint was that i-mate doesn't offer OS upgrades for their hardware.[/quote]

Actually, this is common misconception caused by the fact that they can't offer ROM upgrades for anything manufactured by HTC (K-JAM, JASJAM etc), because they don't own the code. HTC naturally would not do it for them now that their relationships are in a tank. They used to be very good with upgrades for older devices and Ultimates were more than likely to be upgradable to 6.1

I-mate has their share of problems, but bashing them for OS upgrades is simply wrong. Besides why don't you just get a ROM for a corresponding DOPOD model? Or did HTC spitefully blocked those updates from being installable on i-mate range of IMEIs?

[Ed Hansberry]

Actually, this is common misconception caused by the fact that they can't offer ROM upgrades for anything manufactured by HTC (K-JAM, JASJAM etc), because they don't own the code. HTC naturally would not do it for them now that their relationships are in a tank. They used to be very good with upgrades for older devices and Ultimates were more than likely to be upgradable to 6.1

I-mate has their share of problems, but bashing them for OS upgrades is simply wrong. Besides why don't you just get a ROM for a corresponding DOPOD model? Or did HTC spitefully blocked those updates from being installable on i-mate range of IMEIs?
Not sure about the DOPOD connection, but I suspect it is IMEI based. However, iMate didn't offer upgrades for the PDA2K (and CDMA variants), which was technically sufficient to run WM5 and their relationship with HTC was splendid at that time, and that was one of their most popular devices.

As for them not owning the code, I am not sure how that is relevant. The ability to provide a ROM upgrade to a new version would have been spelled out in a contract if HTC maintaned so much control over the device. Either such a clause wasn't necessary, wasn't used, or wasn't bothered with. In all 3 cases, iMate chose not to offer the upgrade.

[griph]

He said that the Ultimates already run WM6, and each model is likely to get at least one minor update, but that the complaint was that i-mate doesn't offer OS upgrades for their hardware.
Thank you for the clarification.

[Menneisyys]

it was hard to get excited about iMate after they offered virtually no upgrades for their devices. heck, most of the time if you finally got them to admit a bug that was serious, they wouldn't fix it.

u need to do some homework! There's a rom update for Imate 6150 and 8150 leaked 2 days ago on 2/29/08!

OH REALLY??????????????? lolololo~ it seem sto t3h thE im,ate 615O anfd 8150 both run windows mobile 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 so u r saying tHat upgRadez wer eleaked that upgraed tejhm to windowZ mboile &amp;!?!?!?!?!?!?!? az f romr upd8s to teh existing plastform, tjey seem to doa bout 0ne for each devIce, buiyt rarley if ever wi7l they jus trel3ase a qiuX0r ram patch for a serIous isssue, of whic hiv3 haD sevaral ove rthey e4rtS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

LOLZ! :D Did you use a real 3l1Ti23r (“elitizer”) for this? :)

[Ed Hansberry]

LOLZ! :D Did you use a real 3l1Ti23r (“elitizer”) for this? :)
http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/ :)

[dommasters]

LOLZ! :D Did you use a real 3l1Ti23r (“elitizer”) for this? :)
http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/ :)
Ha ha that link is hilarious!
As for i-mate; all downhill after the breakup with HTC. I'm not sure it will survive.

[Larboard]

I was reading the dings on i-mate and everyone being laid off in the US office? Not true...From the requests for the Ultimates coming in, i-mate is taking off in the US market. It's true some disgruntled employees got laid off, but the rest of the US office is strong and moving up. Don't listen to some of the propaganda as why would there be huge orders for the Ultimates coming in. None of the other devices out there can touch the Ultimate line!

[Paragon]

I was reading the dings on i-mate and everyone being laid off in the US office? Not true...From the requests for the Ultimates coming in, i-mate is taking off in the US market. It's true some disgruntled employees got laid off, but the rest of the US office is strong and moving up. Don't listen to some of the propaganda as why would there be huge orders for the Ultimates coming in. None of the other devices out there can touch the Ultimate line!

LOL....Jim, is that you? ;)