05-11-2005, 03:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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pa1mOne Finally Figuring It Out?
http://brighthand.com/article/palmOne_Announces_Mobile_Manager_Category
"Mobile managers are designed for customers who are eager to take full advantage of the trend toward "digital everything" -- from documents and email to music, images and video, as standalone files or in organized folders." Ed Hardy at Brighthand talks a bit about the pa1mOne LifeDrive, which is a PDA with an integrated 4GB hard drive. While the specs are impressive, I do question how many PDA users will go for a device like this. We'll have to see. That isn't the point though. The point is, why, after 7+ years is pa1m just now figuring out that people want an all-in-one device? "..."digital everything" -- from documents and email to music, images and video, as standalone files or in organized folders."
Welcome to our world pa1m, where from 2000 and the first Pocket PCs, they have always been about digital everything. Technically you could go back even further with pure Windows CE devices like the Palm-Sized PC and Handheld PC starting in 1996.
"In studying customer trends, we found that some people want to carry dozens of documents and hundreds of songs while others want to carry a thousand-plus photos and enjoy videos," said Page Murray, palmOne vice president of marketing."
I'd like to see those studies. The footnotes might have something like "Property of Microsoft, November 1998" on it.  So to answer Mr. Hardy's question "Is pa1mOne Trying to Create New Category of Mobile-Computing Products?" the answer is no. They are still playing catch-up. What innovation will pa1m think of next? I bet they are cooking up something special, like being able to assign multiple categories to a single item. Or maybe they will go out on a limb and release a PDA based on Cobalt, the OS PalmSource released over a year ago. 8O
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05-11-2005, 03:32 PM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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I bet they'll find out next that some people want to run more than one program at once...
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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05-11-2005, 03:42 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Quote:
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Technically you could go back even further with pure Windows CE devices like the Palm-Sized PC and Handheld PC starting in 1996.
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Yes but the diff is that the Palm Sized PC sucked massive rear end. I mean black hole type sucking. But I digress...
This is a good move on Palm1's part...to bad they don't have a modern OS to go with the modern hardware. Its like putting Windows 95C on a 2005 laptop. Why?
As for the built in hard drive. Can't wait to see how many people over the next couple years start complaining because of failed drives though. I trust those drives as far as I can toss the plant they were made in.
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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05-11-2005, 04:00 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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I find this "new market segment" hilarious as well. Let's face it, it's simply a Palm with WiFi and a hard drive. There isn't any thing revolutionary about this device. It's simple evolution. They are still hamstrug by an OS that's core features were developed about 10 years ago - based upon hardware capabilities at the time.
It's interesting to see how many different ways PalmOne can attempt to market what is basically the same product they were selling 3 years ago as a Tungsten T or Zire 71. I would venture a guess that of all the mid to high end Palm has sold over the last 2 years, a very small percent were sold to NEW customers. Most were sold to existing Palm users who were looking for the one little feature left off the previous model. Palm has stayed in business by recycling the same old stuff for years and I think the "Life Drive" may just be the end of the Life Cycle of Palm. Where do they go from here?
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05-11-2005, 04:01 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
As for the built in hard drive. Can't wait to see how many people over the next couple years start complaining because of failed drives though. I trust those drives as far as I can toss the plant they were made in.
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I've got a bit more confidence in embedded HDs, but I am still looking forward to the combo HD/Flash drives coming out soon. 
Still, better very, very, very late than never for Palm eh! :wink:
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05-11-2005, 04:06 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathan1
As for the built in hard drive. Can't wait to see how many people over the next couple years start complaining because of failed drives though. I trust those drives as far as I can toss the plant they were made in.
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Indeed, I use to laugh at this until my Microdrive died. PDAs survive quite a long time, especially the ones with removable batteries, to the point where the HDs are the shortest-lived component.
On the other hand, most iPods seem to last quite a long time...
--janak
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05-11-2005, 04:16 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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I'm still sceptical about how trouble-free integrated HDs in PDAs will be. Thankfully, recent advancements in HD technology have improved the shock capacities of miniature and standard hard disks, but I'd still like to see things become a little more 'standard' and ironed out before it becomes mainstream in the PDA market.
Back on the topic of this LifeDrive, it's nice to see Palm finally figuring out the importance of integrated Wi-Fi. Yes, the hard disk is nice too, but all the other specifications are a snoozer. And no Cobalt? Come on... :?
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05-11-2005, 04:33 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 349
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Those of you who are veterans like me in the mobile computing world, it's really cool to think that several years ago, Microsoft was struggling to catch up to Palm with its fledgling devices such as the Sharp Mobilon, HP Jornada, and the Cassiopeias, among others of course, and Palm had such a stronghold on their niche in the market. Even movies loosely used the term "Palm" or "PalmPilot" when in fact some of those devices were actually Microsoft-based.
Fast forward to today and the Palm world is the fledgling one, with companies such as Tapwave, Sony, and Handspring drying out their inventories, a likely Windows port with the Treo device, and them just realizing now that people want more.
I honestly thought in my few fleeting microscopic moments in the past that Microsoft would eventually pull out of the market and leave it to Palm to dominate. But, I should have known better that that is not Microsoft's "way." Either they'll end up buying the remaining pieces of the Palm world, or Palm will dissolve into nothingness.
Of course, Microsoft is no perfect crunching megamachine. Where did I keep that copy of Microsoft Bob?
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05-11-2005, 04:34 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 312
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I have opportunity to go to a usergroup meeting which will feature PalmOne and the new devices. I will be real temped to mention the fact that they will be offering a device that offers features that has been offered on a PPC platform for 5 years! :roll: I'll probably get stoned (not the drug type either!) Aside from the internal HD, what else does the lifedrive do that a PPC does not?
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PDA Lineage:HS Visor->Visor Prism->Casio EM-500->Casio E-200->HP Jornada 568->Ipaq 1910->IPAQ 4150->IPAQ 2750 with Motorola RAZR V3->Imate K-JAM->Treo 750->HTC Touch Cruise
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05-11-2005, 04:52 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by jngold_me
Aside from the internal HD, what else does the lifedrive do that a PPC does not?
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Cause social dysfunction?
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Linear Mode
