03-09-2003, 11:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Samsung To Abandon PalmOS and Focus On Pocket PC?
http://www.bargainpda.com/default.asp?newsID=1232&showComments=true
bargainPDA had an interview with a person named Mac, which is a field tech for Airgate Solutions, a Sprint PC distribution partner. Even better though is that Mac has a friend within Samsung's design department. The whole interview is interesting, but here is the question that piqued my interest:
bPDA � "Do you have any insight on why Samsung is going with two operating systems? Sony also has this issue. Their Clie line uses Palm OS, but the Sony Ericsson devices like the P800 use Symbian. Sony�s CEO even thinks this odd."
Mac � "It is odd, but get this. The i500 is the last phone that Samsung will produce with Palm OS. This news I think is the news that will kill the Betamax of the millennium. Palm OS is surviving because of the cell phone bit and I think will die by end of 04 or beginning of 05."
I have been saying this for a long time. The PalmOS is not suited for phones. A PalmOS phone is a cobbled together device that has electronic duct tape holding it together. The Treo is a miserable email device compared to the RIM and not a great PDA since you are constantly switching between the keypad and stylus. Palm must go back to square one and integrate keyboard and joypad support into every aspect of their OS to make phone devices possible. Microsoft has done this with the Smartphone 2002 device but they too need to work on the Pocket PC Phone keyboard integration. The difference that I see is MS realizes this and is working on it. MS realized years ago that slapping the Pocket PC OS into a phone wouldn't make a great voice centric device and started almost from scratch with the Smartphone OS. Will PalmSource realize the mistake of trying to force a data centric OS into a one-size-fits-all solution for phones?
Obviously, Samsung doesn't think so.
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03-09-2003, 11:20 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 157
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I'm glad to hear it. Palm OS devices do nothing but confuse the consumer and even the cellular carriers. A Sprint representative was demoing products to my user group and he actually said that Samsung was coming out with a very small PalmOS phone that had reduced UI functionality. I knew he was talking about Windows Powered Smartphone, but obviously he was confused. This wasn't just some dumb salesperson either, he was the Sprint gadget guy, he had an HPC Pro, an iPaq, a Toshiba 2032 Phone, a Handspring Treo, and more.
I'm planning on buying the Samsung i700 Pocket PC Phone Edition when it is released in two or three months.
__________________
Charles Pickrell
Sacramento Mobiole Computing SIG
A chapter of the NorCal Mobile Computing SIG
www.mobilecomputingsig.com |
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03-09-2003, 11:27 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 797
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Re: Samsung To Abandon PalmOS and Focus On Pocket PC?
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
MS realized years ago that slapping the Pocket PC OS into a phone wouldn't make a great voice centric device and started almost from scratch with the Smartphone OS. Will PalmSource realize the mistake of trying to force a data centric OS into a one-size-fits-all solution for phones?
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That's the key point. You hit the nail right on the head.
Couple that with the fact that Palm never really had any competition (at least by numbers) until PPC 2002 came out, and now you have a company that has to stay competitive, so MS comes out with PPCPE and SmartPhone, and Palm comes out with, well, Palm OS. Again. No real changes, no real functionality.
It's funny, but I think in the long run, the lack of innovation on the Palm platform and all its hardware makes me wonder what they're thinking?!? How can you possibly compete with someone who's signing hardware manufacturers galore and constantly evolving their product when you won't even admit that your own product is flawed, or at the very least not suited for the applications people need anymore?
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03-10-2003, 12:00 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 516
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Re: Samsung To Abandon PalmOS and Focus On Pocket PC?
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
I have been saying this for a long time. The PalmOS is not suited for phones. A PalmOS phone is a cobbled together device that has electronic duct tape holding it together. The Treo is a miserable email device compared to the RIM and not a great PDA since you are constantly switching between the keypad and stylus.
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I agree that the PalmOS is not "suited" for phones in the sense that the OS was not originally designed with phones in mind. They (and their licensees) have, indeed, had to "cobble together" different components to get it to work as a smartphone. I also agree that the best way to design a great smartphone is to design it from the ground up to be a great smartphone. Danger has done this with less of a focus on the "phone" aspect and MS has done this with less of a focus on the data aspect.
However, despite the fact that the Palm OS was not originally designed for this purpose, I believe that the Treo is still the best option of the three currently. Handspring has done a good job of modifying the OS and built-in PIM apps where necessary to take advantage of the jog wheel and thumbboard (though they could/should have done even more customization in this regard). Comparing RIM to a Treo on the single aspect of email is true, but deceiving. It's kind of like those TV ads where a car company compares one feature of their car to that feature on another expensive car, then a different feature to that feature on a different expensive car, etc. The end result being to get the consumer to think that their car is better than all of those other cars overall. IOW, the Blackberry is a better device for strictly emailing. But if you want a multi-function device, the Treo is much better than the Blackberry. And I can tell you that the Treo's email capability is far from "miserable." In fact, it's quite good. I have a Treo 300 with Sprint, giving me unlimited data usage as part of my regular plan. The Treo 300 allows for always-on connectivity (along the lines of a cable modem as far as always being connected - though obviously not anywhere near as fast as a cable modem). There are over 10 email programs to choose from on the Palm OS (some free), each with different pros/cons, but the best one right now (assuming you only need POP3 access - IMAP support coming later), is the $35 SnapperMail which supports attachments and periodic fetching of new mail.
To really take advantage of email and instant messaging, you really need a thumbboard. In this regard, MS' dropped the ball with their SmartPhone design. As a result, I believe the SmartPhone will compete less with devices like the Blackberry phones, Treos, and HipTops, and more with devices like the myriad of color game-capable Java phones that have hit the market. The next version of the PPC OS with support for landscape will hopefully result in some interesting new devices. But, as with the Palm OS, the PPC OS wasn't designed for this either, so they have to "cobble together" the stuff, too.
Scott
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03-10-2003, 12:24 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Re: Samsung To Abandon PalmOS and Focus On Pocket PC?
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Mac Palm OS is surviving because of the cell phone bit and I think will die by end of 04 or beginning of 05.<!>
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This guys seems rather ignorant of the mobile market. PalmOS is growing. He talks as though it is on its last leg. And if he really believes that the dominant Mobile OS platform is going to completely die in the next twelve months, he must be smoking crack! :roll:
I agree, PalmOS isn't well suited to phones. Although I must say Kyocera's newest model is pretty damn slick. 8O I still believe this story is hogwash.
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03-10-2003, 12:36 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 140
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Barga!nPDA
I�ve been fortunate enough to be trading emails over the past week with Mac, who is a field tech for Airgate Communications, which is Sprint distribution partner. Mac is also fortunate to have a friend who works in design at Samsung.
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Come on! Where is your integrity when reporting on such stuff as this? Is this true because "Brian" has been e-mailing to "Mac" and "Mac" has a friend who said so? Or is it because you want it to be true?
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03-10-2003, 12:41 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by PlayAgain?
Come on! Is it true because "Brian" has been speaking to "Mac" and "Mac" has a friend who said so? Or is it because you want it to be true?
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LOL! :lol:
This is nothing but unsubstantiated rumor...not even from a "reliable" source. I seriously doubt Samsung is going to pull the plug on PalmOS. And I certainly wouldn't take the word of some guy named "Mac". But if Mac says so, it must be true! :roll:
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03-10-2003, 12:44 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 44
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I can assure you this exchange is legit. I don't agree with all of his points, especially the claims about Palm dying out. However, this exchange did take place. Take his comments with a grain of salt if you wish, I would expect as much.
Brian
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03-10-2003, 12:49 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by bargainPDA
I can assure you this exchange is legit.
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I don't doubt the legitimacy of this exchange, and I'm not calling anyone a liar. But I don't put any value in the claims made by this person. It's hearsay.
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I don't agree with all of his points, especially the claims about Palm dying out.
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His statement regarding PalmOS dying by Q4 2004 illustrates that he has no clue what he's talking about. This is utter lunacy!
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03-10-2003, 12:59 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 44
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Fair enough, I felt like you were questioning the report. I totally understand your concern. Part of the fun with these sites it to hunt down the rumors and who knows, his claim of moving to Pocket PC might be right. He certainly presents himself as someone who is deeply connected. As you say though, it could be off base...and so it goes.
Brian
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