CEO of Sony Wants to Buy PalmSource

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Sony's CEO likes the Palm OS so much, he wants to own the company. However, he is less happy with using Symbian for smartphones.

Read more at www.brighthand.com/article/CEO_of_Sony_Wants_to_Buy_PalmSource

[rldunn]

Hmmm, very interesting. What would Palm hardware do if Sony bought the OS? And I think a Palm OS Sony smartphone would make a lot of people very happy.

[Jun]

If PalmSource is bought by Sony then it would be a great news indeed considering the :

"...rough times for Palm, which recently cut staff and warned on Monday that sales for the just-ended quarter will fall short of expectations." from Cnet.com.

:D

[Blazefire]

I think Sony as a major partner in Palm would be okay, but as the owner of Palmsource I can't see good things happening.

[Narniahopper]

I hate to bring this up, but Sony buying PalmSource could be disastrous. Sony doesn't have the best history when it comes to supporting their hardware or software. Imagine a Palm OS that hinders developers at every turn, refusing to release API's and other information. They could even theoretically stop releasing details to other PDA manufacturers, making companies like Palm and Handspring a thing of the past. I'm not saying this is going to happen, but it is a possibility.

[clieconverted]

Originally posted by Narniahopper
I hate to bring this up, but Sony buying PalmSource could be disastrous. Sony doesn't have the best history when it comes to supporting their hardware or software. Imagine a Palm OS that hinders developers at every turn, refusing to release API's and other information. They could even theoretically stop releasing details to other PDA manufacturers, making companies like Palm and Handspring a thing of the past. I'm not saying this is going to happen, but it is a possibility.

Hate to say it, but I have to agree that SONY ownership of Palm OS would be bad. They already made a cash investment into PSG last year.

Now if SONY treated them as a subsidiary that ran its own shop but had the $$$ behind R&D that would be cool. maybe.

[OcellNuri]

I havn't read the article yet, I'm about to. But this is just a thought about the posts I have read so far.

It would be great if Sony bought then, hired back all of those people that were just fired, and let the company do it's own thing, but like clieconverted said, Sony could pour loads of cash into R&D. Sony could rival Microsoft.

[OcellNuri]

That is an excellent writeup. Looks like Sony is taking a step back and looking at what they are doing.

[peterh]

i can't see why it would be that bad?
I'm not really interested in ever buying a palm again now I've switched to Clie's (NZ90 coming tomarrow), and so far Sony has inovated around the palm platform more than Palm has!
At least with sony at the helm of palm source it would asure its survival and may reclaim microsofts small chunk of the market.

I think in the last year sony's sales and market share has increased the most out of everyone? I read it somewhere, correct me if i am wrong ...

[Convert]

All I can say is Compact Flash API........:mad:

When large companies take over smaller companies, the innovation dies.

[kstuart]

When large companies take over smaller companies, the innovation dies.

- Transistor Radios
- Walkman
- Trinitron
- Compact Disc
- MiniDisc
- Wega
- Clie: 320x320 and jog dial
- Clie: NR-70 320x480, clamshell, camera, keyboard

I think that's a pretty good record on innovation, which is why we are all here at ClieSource, in fact.

[Convert]

Originally posted by kstuart


- Transistor Radios
- Walkman
- Trinitron
- Compact Disc
- MiniDisc
- Wega
- Clie: 320x320 and jog dial
- Clie: NR-70 320x480, clamshell, camera, keyboard

I think that's a pretty good record on innovation, which is why we are all here at ClieSource, in fact.

Innovation, perhaps, but do you say proprietary? Do I need say Memory Stick?

[peterh]

Originally posted by Convert


Innovation, perhaps, but do you say proprietary? Do I need say Memory Stick?

maybe so. but if those tactics have always ensured its survival why change them now ...


and plus, Palm should of got its finger out and made those enhancements (mp3, hi-res,jobdial etc) itself.

if sony never looked at the potential of palm and just used pocket pc (god forbit, think of the kittens!) where would the palm OS be now? Not this far i bet

[aaronchow]

Originally posted by peterh
i can't see why it would be that bad?
I'm not really interested in ever buying a palm again now I've switched to Clie's (NZ90 coming tomarrow), and so far Sony has inovated around the palm platform more than Palm has!
At least with sony at the helm of palm source it would asure its survival and may reclaim microsofts small chunk of the market.

I think in the last year sony's sales and market share has increased the most out of everyone? I read it somewhere, correct me if i am wrong ...

We're not worrying about the hardware aspect, instead we're worrying about the OS side (software). Palm has been providing a very stable and easy-to-use OS for quite a while, and Sony is known to provide state-of-the-art hardware and often ignores completely the software part.

If Sony really owns PalmSource, then it has the possibilities that they will destory PalmOS, which kills all PalmOS handheld.

PS~Sorry, I'm too lazy to log-in

[Molerat]

^ (in reference to kstuart) That's all well and good, to a point.

As I've said before, the culture of Sony and the culture of PalmOS just don't mix well. Sony is an entertainment production company. The line is clear: *they* create the product, *we* purchase it. Sony is the producer, we are the consumer. Palm, on the other hand, softens the lines a bit. The various Palms serve to guide the platform for the masses, but it is the developer community that refines and expands the experience.

Sony has come in and done wonderful things with the Palm platform. But the problem is that it is their way or the highway, so to speak. Sony does not recognize the value of the Palm OS developer. If anything, Sony hinders the developer community. Want an obvious example? Look at all the CF threads around here.

But what about the camera? Or the audio player? Or the enhanced remote? What innovations have we seen from developers here? Sure we have "launcher wars" and "datebook wars," but what about the multimedia applications? Bueller? The fact is, we're stuck with the often unrefined ''solution'' Sony provides; and if you don't like it, buy the next model.

Sure, Sony could throw shedloads of cash at the the SonyOS platform. But I don't see how that will make the CLIE more competitive with Microsoft offerings. If anything, Sony (from a software point of view) is a *clone* of Microsoft's feature-creep philosophy. As far as I can see, many of Sony's applications are unpolished, undertested, half-baked hack jobs. The core functionality is implemented, sure, but the interfaces often vary and can be cumbersome and confusing. The fact that the basic multimedia applications have seen little improvement from the NR to the NX to the NZ indicate that Sony prefers form to function. How very PocketPC of them.

I, for one, will miss the simplicity and ease-of-use of the PalmOS.

[Our Blu]

.

[ClieMarty]

i would welcome sony buying palm/palmsource; just look at the facts; without the committment of sony supporting palmOS and entering the market with a lot of devices introducing new features; the whole palm-thing could have been dead already. and when i look what sony's apps under palm-os look like, i do think that they could really beef it up a bit. would we have hires without sony inventing it.

regarding sony and standards. sony wants to set standards. but i do not think this is bad. the day they invented the memory stick, it was a good alternative for flash media. and if they would have had more corporations joining in it might have been a real marketstandard by now.

i also like the thought of a company powerful enough to set something against microsoft. there are too much microsofted areas already. i do not need that bill is earning money from my mobile phone, my game console and stuff.

[TheSpies]

What would happen if they bought Symbian though? Would we start seeing Symbian powered Clies? That would suck.

[falafel]

Sony's history in the long-run is evidence of its commitment to studying consumer trends of the times, and delivering the products that we desire.. When Sony entered the laptop market with the Vaio, they recognized that many people wanted ultra-portable yet powerful laptops, and they delivered. Years before that, Sony had the insight to realize people would appreciate portable cassette players- hence the walkman was invented..
in terms of pure innovation, I would say that Sony is far more worthy of credit than Microsoft or any other corporate behemoth. Lets look at Microsoft whose Windows platform is really ripped off of Apple's original Mac OS.
Beyond innovation, Sony has never ceased to amaze me in their capacity to dish out products quickly, while still maintaining very high quality controls. Of course there are exceptions like the memory stick flaw on the NR70, but by and large, Sony products last.
Another area where Sony shines is in marketing. They know how to make a product "trendy" and this can do wonders for overcoming the notoriety of PDAs as a geek's organizer. Sony will commit themselves to stylizing the pda to truly fit every niche of society - an area where Palm has failed miserably. Palm tried to make PDA's trendy for college kids with their Palm m125 with its sporty face-plate - didn't quite do the trick because Palm advertisments continued to have corporate geeks,polished professionals, or suburban folks touting their products. I invision Sony making a commitment to spreading the Palm OS market with their past experience and resources which Palm lacks. The Palm OS is such a brilliant solution to organizing life, I believe the only explanation for it not being more prevalent is ineffective marketing. Once Sony puts both its feet in the game, it will make the PDA "cool", make more consumers incorporate pdas into their lives, and ultimately make the carrot stick even larger for software developers.

Just my 2 cents..

[hansschmucker]

*Note. Both Microsoft as well as Apple say they actually copied an OS developed by Xerox, which was never published, since the company didn't know how to do that.

[Vidge]

Originally posted by Molerat
^ (in reference to kstuart) That's all well and good, to a point.

As I've said before, the culture of Sony and the culture of PalmOS just don't mix well. Sony is an entertainment production company. The line is clear: *they* create the product, *we* purchase it. Sony is the producer, we are the consumer. Palm, on the other hand, softens the lines a bit. The various Palms serve to guide the platform for the masses, but it is the developer community that refines and expands the experience.

Sony has come in and done wonderful things with the Palm platform. But the problem is that it is their way or the highway, so to speak. Sony does not recognize the value of the Palm OS developer. If anything, Sony hinders the developer community. Want an obvious example? Look at all the CF threads around here.

But what about the camera? Or the audio player? Or the enhanced remote? What innovations have we seen from developers here? Sure we have "launcher wars" and "datebook wars," but what about the multimedia applications? Bueller? The fact is, we're stuck with the often unrefined ''solution'' Sony provides; and if you don't like it, buy the next model.

Sure, Sony could throw shedloads of cash at the the SonyOS platform. But I don't see how that will make the CLIE more competitive with Microsoft offerings. If anything, Sony (from a software point of view) is a *clone* of Microsoft's feature-creep philosophy. As far as I can see, many of Sony's applications are unpolished, undertested, half-baked hack jobs. The core functionality is implemented, sure, but the interfaces often vary and can be cumbersome and confusing. The fact that the basic multimedia applications have seen little improvement from the NR to the NX to the NZ indicate that Sony prefers form to function. How very PocketPC of them.

I, for one, will miss the simplicity and ease-of-use of the PalmOS.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. As much as I love my NR70V, I don't think Sony is focused at all on after-the-sale support of its products. They are truly interested in only selling you the next model, and it does not necessarily remedy the faults of the previous model. Sell the NRs with large screen real estate and then don't give the buyer any built-in apps (except Photostand) that support it. And if your unit breaks? Well, wait for a box, send it to Sony, wait for it to be repaired & then they'll send it back to you. (Come on Sony - how many years has Palm beendoing advanced exchanges?)

The ongoing argument regarding hires icon support for Datebk5 (see the Datebk Yahoo group for details) has its roots in Sony's failure to provide their API to developers.

No, let Sony do the hardware, and keep Palmsource away from them. I fear for all of Palm OS land should Sony buy the OS.

[SprSaiyan8]

in my opinion this could be good or bad the good thing is if sony buys palmSource they do have the finances to improve it but it really all depends on how sony leads it. stop focusing on greedeness you can produce great products and take care of your customers US and still making a profit

[rob_squared]

Sony owning palmsource wouldn't be the best of things considering how unlikely it would be for them to release OS upgrades (even for a cost).

[VLevyNYC]

Originally posted by rldunn
Hmmm, very interesting. What would Palm hardware do if Sony bought the OS? And I think a Palm OS Sony smartphone would make a lot of people very happy.

Many people indeed. At least the number of people on this board that want to see a Sony smartphone (http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=90511#post90511post90511). One of the articles from the lead post above mentions that the partnership has been a bust, and the two had planned to end it last year if certain goals were not met, which weren't. But for some stupid reason they decided to give it another shot (http://www.brighthand.com/article/Sony_Ericsson_Partnership_Survives). D'oh!!! I guess I'll have to relinquish my hopes for the short term.

But to add to this thread: If Sony buying Palm OS increases the chances that they would produce a smartphone, then I am ALL FOR IT.

[Importluva]

I think that Palmsource should stay Palmsource. If Sony buys them out, thats all good, but they need to leave them alone for the most part, and just back them with their huge R&D dept. I for one believe that the software and hardware divisions need to be separate in the best interest of the consumer.

[sindu]

Sony basically has 2 core business. One is hardware and the other is content. Hardware is the medium for the them to sell the content. Sony own major music and movie producer, not to mention the software company that produce games. Sony also produce TV, mobilephone, radio, portable DVD, walkman etc to deliver the content. If you were to look at the back of your Clie, it read " Personal Entertaiment Organizer" and hence the strategy for Clie is to position itself not as PDA but something that would deliver content (hence emphasis on multi-media capability.) In real life, the application programs that would organize our life such as agendus (except those of multi-media) would not need huge Nth mhz CPU or RAM or complex IO. And certainly not too many of us are putting a complex worksheet or write a long essay in tiny screen of PDA. But Sony has been know to take a long term view and they would want Clie or other Palm OS device they created in the future to be able to deliver the content. To create such a hardware, they would need to invest heavily on the OS that would operate their hardware, specially a hardware that has the capability to handle multi-platform content. With 3G near the corner, we would be able to download "content" to our clie anywhere anytime. Another scenario: your Sony WEGA is operated by Palm OS and remind you of an important phone call you need to make while you are watching TV or download "content" as what you have program via 3G or cable modem.

This is just my 2cent.

[Blazefire]

Somebody should now interview someone from Palm. Maybe they would sell to Sony if Sony just throws them tons of money and lets them do what they want, with a little prediposition toward what Sony wants in their Clie's (native ATRAC support, Hi-Res+, etc.)

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by Vidge


I agree with you wholeheartedly. As much as I love my NR70V, I don't think Sony is focused at all on after-the-sale support of its products. They are truly interested in only selling you the next model, and it does not necessarily remedy the faults of the previous model. Sell the NRs with large screen real estate and then don't give the buyer any built-in apps (except Photostand) that support it. And if your unit breaks? Well, wait for a box, send it to Sony, wait for it to be repaired & then they'll send it back to you. (Come on Sony - how many years has Palm beendoing advanced exchanges?)

The ongoing argument regarding hires icon support for Datebk5 (see the Datebk Yahoo group for details) has its roots in Sony's failure to provide their API to developers.

No, let Sony do the hardware, and keep Palmsource away from them. I fear for all of Palm OS land should Sony buy the OS.

Can't agree more. Sony innovation means you have to buy the next unit - smart marketing, but bad for the consumer. Here's another example beyond the failure of Sony to provide the APIs for their CF slot.

Wi-Fi SD card but no Wi-Fi MS?


http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wir...mpactflash.html

Where's the MS with Wi-fi - Falafel, ClieMarty, Peterh, anyone?

Diego

[Eric S]

I don't think it would be a good thing. PalmSource does treat the developers better than Sony does. Almost all the APIs developed by PalmSource are documented without an NDA. Sony and PalmSource both did a CPU-driven CD-quality soundsystem at the same time. Who has how many 3rd party MP3 players? Who has a 3rd party OGG player? And who has none.

Sony also kludged their version of POSE together, making no effort to make it possible to integrate it into the official version. I know HandEra POSE is integrated, and I'm pretty sure that most of the other 3rd party hardware developers have done the same.

There's just a different attitude at Sony than at PalmSource, and as a developer, that's what's important to me.