The end for Palm OS?

[ppc]

Well guys, it seems to me that POS has pretty much reached the end of the road. Sony have now gone, but that's just one bad thing.

Symbol have left as well. "So what?" many may say. Most consumers have never used a Symbol Palm OS device, but they are the key to the corporate/industrial market. Symbol no longer supports POS (read: is no longer a licensee) and are only making Windows based devices.

The reason I was told is that users want Windows devices to be able to work best with their Windows corporate systems. Of course we all know that POS works with Windows just as well, if not better, but that's not the popular perception.

What the heck is going on with Palm? I have an old Symbol 1550 POS device which was great for it's time (about three years ago). There has been nothing to replace it. Where's OS6 with the features that business might want?

Palm seem to be betting the company on the Treo line which is scarey. They certainly have a better product than any of the MS smartphones but do they have the resources to compete in that market with the big boys? I wonder why they have allowed their industrial business to be lost without a fight?

What do you all think pa1mOne and PalmSource should be doing?

[CWolf]

You seem to be forgetting Tapwave, they are gathering quite a bit of a following with the PalmOS Zodiac...

[winexprt]

What do you all think pa1mOne and PalmSource should be doing?

What do I think they should be doing!?

If they have braincell one between them they will use this oppurtunity (Sony ending the Clie line) to pick up where Sony left off and make outstanding PDA's like Sony did, not just devices that are merely adequate ( T|3 excluded! :D )

[hamsammich]

I agree with winexprt wholeheartedly. This, I believe, is their only chance to shine in the market with new and innovative designs. Surely their design team can think of something other than that damned slider design or the Zire form factor. Not that those models are all bad, but definitely not earth-shattering nor market dominating.

[Sharkk717]

i second (er.. third) that emotion!

[Vidge]

As I have spent more time on the PPC boards of late (due to my recent purchase of a Dell Axim X30 to compliment my T3), I think was Palm needs to do is to get the word out that what you can do with the Palm is better and easier than a similar task on the PPC:
- The phone link application on the X30 lists 3 phones: the SE 39, 68 & 68i, while the Palm application has tons of phones
- Dialing via BT on the X30 cannot be done one-handed, quite an easy feat on my T3
- It seems that I cannot use my BT headset with my T610 when dialing a phone number from my Axim. Again, quite an easy thing to do on my T3.
- Pocket Excel and Pocket Word do not compare with Docs to Go or QuickOffice. Textmaker is 8 megs and is extremely slow on my X30. I have not yet been able to get PlanMaker to sync an Excel file (but I'm assuming this is operator error).
- Active Sync is nowhere near as simple as Hotsync
- Put 8 or 10 programs on a PPC and you're out of memory (even on 64 meg). An SD card is a required accessory.

As long as a device is pocketable, I really don't care what it looks like. And given the boxy looks of the Axim, I guess a bunch of other people don't care, either. It's what you can do with the device that counts. Palm must counter the perception that Windows stuff is only doable on a PPC device. It's either that or death, IMHO.

[Jim Cooke]

Absolutely correct, Vidge. OS 6 needs to duplicate the good points of the PPC, like multitasking, without becoming a clone of the PPC. It has to find a way to offer the benefits of the PPC and yet still be able to differentiate itself as the better choice. This is not going to be an easy task and it's going to require a lot of marketing. Palm needs to come out with OS 6 as a big hit and on affordable machines. They have very little room for mistakes before it leads to the end of Palm.

[ClieKun]

I am really getting a sick feeling with Palm OS 6. I feeling this might spell the end to the palm world. Why? Sony pullingout, and etc.........:(

[bobes]

well it's officially summer (in some places) and there's still no OS6 devices... that should ring bells... What Palm needs is to sign up big licensees which can lose a bit of money in the short run to deliver kick*ss handhelds... Otherwise all new product from PalmOne will stay at the same pricepoint... which will just drive ppl to PPC.

[bryus]

As I have spent more time on the PPC boards of late (due to my recent purchase of a Dell Axim X30 to compliment my T3), I think was Palm needs to do is to get the word out that what you can do with the Palm is better and easier than a similar task on the PPC:
- The phone link application on the X30 lists 3 phones: the SE 39, 68 & 68i, while the Palm application has tons of phones
- Dialing via BT on the X30 cannot be done one-handed, quite an easy feat on my T3
- It seems that I cannot use my BT headset with my T3 when dialing a phone number from my Axim. Again, quite an easy thing to do on my T3.
- Pocket Excel and Pocket Word do not compare with Docs to Go or QuickOffice. Textmaker is 8 megs and is extremely slow on my X30. I have not yet been able to get PlanMaker to sync an Excel file (but I'm assuming this is operator error).
- Active Sync is nowhere near as simple as Hotsync
- Put 8 or 10 programs on a PPC and you're out of memory (even on 64 meg). An SD card is a required accessory.

As long as a device is pocketable, I really don't care what it looks like. And given the boxy looks of the Axim, I guess a bunch of other people don't care, either. It's whatyou can do with the device that counts. Palm must counter the perception that Windows stuff is only doable on a PPC device. It's either that or death, IMHO.

Very well put Vidge.

The problem is that if you try to tell a PPC user that a Palm is more intuitive/easier to use they just dismiss it as propaganda. If everyone on earth has used Windows already then picking up a PPC is a snap they say. BULL!

[tpipher]

Palm needs to show us FACTS! Most of us adore the Palm OS because we are to some degree "geeks". The non geeks are those with the PERCEPTION that PPC is easier. If Palmone would dispell that then the perception would have to go. A HUGE marketing campaign needs to happen fast. Seems like Palmone has already gone back to sleep again.

[joejoe]

Palm needs to come out with OS 6 as a big hit and on affordable machines. They have very little room for mistakes before it leads to the end of Palm.

Affordable being the operative word.

Most people who buy PDAs do not frequent these boards or even know they exist. We live in a rarified world here where the most popular topics are those dealing with high end models. We're hardly representative of Palm's user base.

Most people go to a store looking for a handheld & basically buy what the salesperson says is good if it's within their budget. Palm should always being developing/improving its low end model to compete with the likes of Dell. Without such first-time buyers, Palm won't have an established user base to build on.

Concurrently, Palm should not neglect its high end users either. We provide the wider profit margin that helps Palm prosper. In other words, Palm should aim high but never forget to nourish its roots.

[sigelang]

Honestly, If palm put the TH screen in their T|x and priced it for 299, I would stick with Palm.

[depret]

joejoe, Vidge and et al,

Palm had an oppurtunity to put the nail in the MS PocketPC coffin but missed it. POS needed to release 3 price point killer devices while PocketPC was still trying to catch up.By killer devices I mean ground breaking without leaving the customer wanting more after 2-6 months. For example, TH55 without landscape support. On this point, geek users will still take the Palm over the PocketPC but not the first timer in front of an 18-24 year old salesman.The opportunity has passed with the HP summer releases. POS5 devices were probably the 'shot' PalmOne expected to win the PDA war. How do I know? Look at this forum, in general we are peaking over the wall.

depret

P.S. I hope I am proven wrong.

[winexprt]

It's Summer! (here in NYC at least)...where are our Cobalt devices!!!?? ;)

[ClieKun]

It's Summer! (here in NYC at least)...where are our Cobalt devices!!!?? ;)Well nothing in tokyo and not a sound for the shops and their workers. Even my friend that works in the related sony company does not know. So it seems like either sony is tighting up their rumors makers or there might not be a palm with the new sysem until oct or dec..................Maybe in 2 or 3 weeks we might know more.