Should Palm Scrap Nova And Use Android As Its Next OS?

[Ed Hansberry]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/10/01/why-palm-needs-android/' target='_blank'>http://bigtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.co...-needs-android/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Unless you&rsquo;re Google, these look like rough times to launch a mobile operating system. That puts Palm (PALM) in an awkward position. Things have not been going well for the beleaguered smartphone maker, whose founders arguably kickstarted the smartphone revolution 12 years ago. Eighty percent of its sales come from the troubled U.S. market, its Treo phone has given up market share to the BlackBerry and it has lost buzz to the iPhone."</em><br /><br />The article goes on to list a number of reasons why it makes sense for Palm to consider using Google's Android as the basis for its next platform rather than sticking with its homegrown OS, code named Nova. Had Android come out a year earlier, I am sure Palm would have given it serious consideration, but now that they are relatively close to releasing Nova (9 months is close when you consider their last OS was released in 2002) could they really switch now? I think long term that would be a good solution, but short term it would be a very rocky road.<br /></p>

[whydidnt]

I agree with the premise, but it probably is too late for Palm. It would have made a lot of sense for them to start working with Google a couple of years ago, instead of trying to build this from scratch themselves. They could have focused on emulation for POS applications, Exchange Sync and usability enhancements, and let Google worry about the core OS and radio stuff, which is obviously not Palm's strong suit. Of course since Palm outsources all it's manufacturing, they may still have been dependent on HTC to deliver. Without their own OS, what exactly does Palm do?

[caywen]

We'd have to actually see Nova before making a judgement. If Palm can create something that can compete favorably with iPhone OSX and Android then it might be worth pursuing. If they can provide a first-class developer experience, then I don't see why they shouldn't go for it. As long as they can provide the right experience for the right price.

Otherwise, I say they should go Android.

[Pony99CA]

<em>"Things have not been going well for the beleaguered smartphone maker, whose founders arguably kickstarted the smartphone revolution 12 years ago. Eighty percent of its sales come from the troubled U.S. market, its Treo phone has given up market share to the BlackBerry and it has lost buzz to the iPhone."</em>
I'm not sure I agree with that article. While things may not be going well profit-wise, the Centro sold a lot of units, the Treo 800w seems to have gotten good reviews as has the Treo Pro.

Hasn't the Treo Pro also been getting a lot of buzz?

Personally, I wonder why Palm can't just go with Windows Mobile completely. I understand some die-hard Palm fans wouldn't like that, but why do they have to develop their own OS at all?

If they want an alternative to Windows Mobile, what about Access Linux Platform (ALP), the OS being developed as part of selling PalmSource to Access?

Steve

[Pony99CA]

Of course since Palm outsources all it's manufacturing, they may still have been dependent on HTC to deliver. Without their own OS, what exactly does Palm do?
They probably design the devices and set the specs, do marketing, sales, carrier negotiations, etc.

I worked at a very small Pocket PC company that did something similar. They took an ODM's Pocket PC, specified certain items they wanted included (GPS-related) and did the testing. They also contracted people to create certain pieces of software for inclusion in the ROM builds.

Unfortunately, while the concept was good, the execution wasn't in a few ways and they've since gone out of business (or at least out of that business).

Steve

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Well, in many ways, Palm OS was great to use. I think even my i600 doesn't approach my old Treo 600 in that area. However, great usability meant squat when I couldn't get it to use the Internet the way I wanted it to. Palm OS didn't have browsers that kept that pace, and of course, not having 3.5G hurt...

My point is, Palm pioneered the usable PDA, then the usable smartphone. It would be nice if their new OS make new breakthroughs in that area in an era of always-on information flow.

[whydidnt]

They probably design the devices and set the specs, do marketing, sales, carrier negotiations, etc.

I worked at a very small Pocket PC company that did something similar. They took an ODM's Pocket PC, specified certain items they wanted included (GPS-related) and did the testing. They also contracted people to create certain pieces of software for inclusion in the ROM builds.

I'm sure Palm could do that. I question how viable the business model is when you are relying on your chief competition to actual build the device you intend to market. There isn't a viable way for Palm to deliver enough value, while still paying HTC to build the devices, while all the while HTC is building similar devices they can sell for less, if they chose.

[alese]

They should have made a decision to go with Android a year ago.
I think that even now Android is a better option than Nova - both short term and long term.
In short term they still have Windows Mobile so it's not like they would be without any new releases until the possible Android Treo/Centro and considering Android is already built and used (and Linux based, just like Nova) the development cycle to build a new device should be relatively short.
And in long term, I'm sure a small player like Palm won't be able to support and develop their own OS that is only used in their hardware (there is no way they will find a big Phone manufacturer to use their OS) and it has a small user base with little or no third party developers...

[Craig Horlacher]

I think it would be a good move for Palm. They have never had a good OS. Google does nearly everything right. Why not a mobile phone os?

People buy treo's because they recognize the name "Palm", not because they are good. I had one for work for about 6 months. It was the least reliable, most difficult to navigate, mobile device I ever used. I much prefer my iMate Ultimate (personal) and my blackberry curve (work).

Read reviews of treos and many people will complain about lock ups, dropped calls, and other goofy problems.

I think the palm OS may have been good for a device that was just a calendar and contact device but not for what they are supposed to do now.

[TOCA]

Why don't they just take a look at the World of today, and put the name to rest?

Back then (5 years ago) they had a strong brand, and some pretty good machines, at all price levels, even the cheapest entry level were covered by Palm. Lots of people started out with a Palm, because you got more power per buck, than you did on Windows PPC's, and better machines than RIM could deliver at the time.

For some hazy reason, some thing went haywire, while develloping their next generation OS, and the company were split in two, while RIM got their act together and started making consumer friendly good looking Blackberry's, WinMob pushed the bar to a much higher level, and PALM machines just started to become obsolete, old school, and old fashioned, only kept alive by a big crowd of die hard fans and MS haters.

Today the name is on life support, with the Treos, which are just Blackberry clones running on a WinMob OS clone, while the MS haters have left for a new range of devices, running on some sort of Linux, Mac OSX, Symbian, or even Blackberry, and the few PALM fanboys are becomming an extinct spieces.

If PALM for some odd reason decides to move on, and make their own brand new OS, they are facing the fight of starting all over, on a market which is now flooded by mobile OS's and a huge variety of models, which is surely the reason Apple decided to name their new PDA Iphone, instead of trying to bring the Newton back to life, even if the Apple Newton was as big amongst us PDA fans back in 2000, as the Iphone is in the press today.

PALM was good back then, they made the brand "Palm Pilot" the name of the game, but failed to keep up with the pace, and today it's only us oldtimers who remembers what a PALM was, let it rest PALM is dead, no new OS will ever bring it back, not even Android.

Unless some one decides to spend a Gazillion on advertising, then maybe PALM can steal a few market shares from Apple, RIM and Google.

Just my humble 2 cents worth.

[Pony99CA]

I'm sure Palm could do that. I question how viable the business model is when you are relying on your chief competition to actual build the device you intend to market. There isn't a viable way for Palm to deliver enough value, while still paying HTC to build the devices, while all the while HTC is building similar devices they can sell for less, if they chose.
I think Palm would have to shrink quite a bit (cutting their OS development team would be a good start), but I don't see why they couldn't do it. The value Palm would add would be making Windows Mobile (or Android) more user friendly.

Yes, HTC also is making WM more user friendly, but they don't have all of the ideas out there.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

PALM was good back then, they made the brand "Palm Pilot" the name of the game, but failed to keep up with the pace, and today it's only us oldtimers who remembers what a PALM was, let it rest PALM is dead, no new OS will ever bring it back, not even Android.
I disagree. The Palm name still seems to carry a certain cachet. As I mentioned previously, I've read that they've sold a lot of Centros, the 800w has gotten good reviews and the Treo Pro has a lot of buzz.

I think the Palm brand also still means more to Joe Newbie than HTC does.

Steve

[TOCA]

I disagree. The Palm name still seems to carry a certain cachet. As I mentioned previously, I've read that they've sold a lot of Centros, the 800w has gotten good reviews and the Treo Pro has a lot of buzz.

I think the Palm brand also still means more to Joe Newbie than HTC does.

Steve


That is true, in the US, but on this side of the pond, Palm is a name of the past, even the Treos are hard to find in stores.

The brand names, at least here in Northern Europe, are Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Iphone and HTC, in Asia, Sharp and Sony still holds some big shares, but they are almost non existing here (unfortunately), and Blackberry's are only found amongst business people, even if they are becomming more rare, due to WinMob (HTC) taking over that segment.

But if Palm can come up with a new OS that makes Iphone and Android look like a thing of the past, and get their "second to none" hand writing recognition engine implemented, they might stand a chance, and I would love to see some one making hand writing usable again. When it works, as it did on Palms, it sure beats the crap out of any microscopic keyboard, slide out or on screen.