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-- If Handspring Debuts New Product, what about a buyback or trade up program? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=202)

Ok, there is a lot of hype already about a possible successor to the Visor. Who knows. But my thoughts is if Handspring offers a path for the early adopters of it's Visor an easy upgrade path such as a buyback or trade up program, I might be interested. If they screw me right after they release their initial product then they will definately lose a customer. They will probably lose much more than that considering many of my friends listen to what I have to say concerning gadgets and tech. What do you see as benefits/drawbacks to this approach?

I believe Palm offered a trade in program at one time, but not many takers.

Well I like the concept. What your saying is that the early purchasers are kind a like beta testers and we should be given a discount on our next purchase for braving the way so to speak.

I kinda doubt that Handspring will do it because it all depends upon where would you cut off the early purchasers. Also, if this were the case then every piece of electronic equipment I own would have been purchased at a reduced price because I didn't wait for the second generation before first buying the original.

Why don't you send an email to Handspring and put your name and my name down for this experiment?

I believe that the Springboard technology will more than offset any first generation obsolescense problem for awhile, provided they don't change the pins in the Springboard slots and outdate it.

------------------
Richard


Palm offered trade up's to beta testers but I'm not sure to the general market.



[This message has been edited by RSGMOOSE (edited 10-07-1999).]

Why put a limit on it, be the first company to offer a hardware upgrade plan all the way through and watch your customer base skyrocket. I am sure this would more than offset any money loss even if there were any, which I doubt. It could be as simple as what Diamond is doing with it's RIO 300, offering a 100$ rebate off the new model to send the old model back in, you can check on the RioPort page for this deal. The main thing is Handspring continues to get SOME cash from the people who risked their reputations as tech gurus and their hard earned cash on an upstart and it does not get venom and malice from the same crew when they come out with a new gadget that we all like but just spent 249 on the old one just so Hawkins and Dubinsky would have the juice to finance the really neat stuff.

What's this talk of getting screwed? Nobody made anyone rush out and buy a visor sight unseen, unheld, untested. We could have gotten a Palm IIIx instead--sooner, for less money and still have a significant amount of memory, basically the same size unit, all the same software compatibility, and with a lot more accessories available to you. But instead we chose to rush out and buy the Visor. We were not a patient group of people. And that's fine. But you can hardly call it getting "screwed" just because Handspring comes out with a new product a few months later.

You guys are great. This has to be the strangest discussion group I've ever seen. You sit around and discuss all the ins and outs of a product you've committed to buying, but which none of you have even seen or touched. The thing isn't even shipping yet for God's sake.

You call the CSRs once a day to make sure they got all your infomation correctly and ask if they shipped it yet then you change the color before you hang up. Then you post the conversation, verbatum to the list so everyone can compare the differences.

Now you pee in your pants because you can't get on their web site to check your order confimation or see what cases they have available. Maybe they skipped town with all your Visor reservations ever think of that?. THEY ARE PUTTING UP AN E-COMMERCE SITE. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. IT HAS TO BE DONE RIGHT - SECURLY AND RELIABLY. OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE BEING HIT WITH MORE REQUESTS THAN THEY CAN HANDLE. THEY WILL GET IT UNDER CONTROL. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. Go out and walk around the block a few times.

Now you're talking about trading your Visors in on the next model! You guys aren't interested in PDAs, you're interested in gadgets. Sheesh!

I do not have a PDA, yet. I have used a Franklin for the past 10 years. I joined this list earlier this week so I could come up to speed on the Visor. The company obviously knows the Palm platform, but it has no track record of its own. Will it go bust after a year? From what I READ the Visor is well designed and built. But I'd really like to touch it and play with it before I buy one sight unseen. How hard is the cover to deal with? I work in rough environments. I don't have the luxury of tossing the cover on my desk if it gets in the way. How good is the stylus? How does the Visor feel in MY hand? Admit it, there really isn't anything new here, except the Springboard port. Its still just a IIIx. 3Com has sold 50 million Palm Pilots, these guys haven't sold 1 yet.

Inexpensive? When I add the extra cradle I need to buy so I can use it with NT, a bag of quality styli and have it shipped to me it will cost $295. I found a IIIx for $210. When I add on $20 for next day shipping that's $230, $65 less than the Visor. I will have it tomorrow afternoon, not next month.

You guys should go get lives.



[This message has been edited by meeters (edited 10-07-1999).]

"Hype"?

There is no hype. There are *rumors*.

You want a "buyback program"? Here's one: Buy the visor. If something comes out later that you really want, buy that and sell your Visor to someone else.

Sheesh.

Meeters, you are right, some of us do just want gadgets, some of us need the pda but just LIKE gadgets. I sold my III to buy a IIIx when I found out about the Visor. For me, the Visor is a better deal and I am willing to wait for it for a limited time. But like anyone, I hate to be used, if it is for capital to finance better gadgets, at least that could have been said or hinted at. Who LIKES to buy a gadget only to have it's creators pop out a new and better product 4 months later and you either have to live with what you have or to plop down full price for the new price and eat the price of the old one because of no upgrade path. If this doesn't even bother you then you are the idiot the consumer industry has been looking for. For me I would like to think there may be another way.

Meeters, I mostly agree with you except for one thing: When we deal with Handspring, we're *not* dealing with an unknown. The people heading up Handspring are the people who designed the Palm and made it successful, and I gather a lot of their employees came from Palm as well.

There's probably less real experience behind the latest products out of Palm computing than there is behind the Visor.

Oh, by the way, I made only one call to the tech support line who, after answering all of my questions to my satisfaction, took my order. Why would I need to call back a million times???

AMEN Bearpaw! Let Handspring make their profit...and continue to evolve the platform.

Those of you convinced that Handspring is shafting us, what kind of facts have put the idea into your head that Handspring came up with the Visor, manufactured it, is in the process of bringing it to market, and their ONLY purpose is to develop capital? I agree that a profit margin is a factor in any business decision, but I really don't think that Handspring came up with a *KILLER* PDA, then decided to put out a "half-killer" PDA (ie: Visor) to get the funds necessary to bring the other to market. If you're upset about the new models, think about how those of us with a Palm V should feel - 6 months (give or take) after the introduction of the V at $449, Palm lowers the price to $249, and introduces the Vx at $449. No upgrade path. Sometimes stuff like this happens. I for one have ZERO facts about a second Handspring device. ZERO. All we've got is a few rumours floating around. If you're going to live your life guided by rumours, then you gotta be REALLY careful! Take them at face value. I could say that Palm is coming out with a color PDA by Q1 2000, but it's still just a rumor. No concrete basis in fact. Relax, enjoy your Visor, and here's the key - *get your money's worth*! At least the Visor isn't $500

Enough of this BS. I didn't put this topic up to whine about the Visor in any way. I wanted to find out who would be interested in an upgrade path similar to what has been done with the Diamond RIO 300. All of you have done enough whining for everyone.

I agree. When I started this topic about the SmartHand, I made it very clear SmartHand was not an upgrade to the Visor. It's made to exist alongside it.

Look, does the Palm V replace the Palm IIIx...NO!, or the Palm VII...ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Diamond isn't the only company offering deals on upgrades. Gateway does it. Lots of the local computer shops around here (I live in Austin, where there are a LOT of them) offer FREE upgrades if a better processor or video card (by the same manufacturer) come out within some amount of time after your purchase. I've heard that Dell will soon be doing this. It seems to be a trend. Handspring seems to be a trendy company.

Thanks ChrisB, it is nice to know that people can make posts without complaining about views other than their own.

It's also nice when people can be disagreed with and not whine about it.

Awww, it's a LOVE fest!

No, seriously guys, I do agree with you about how a high-tech company should treat their customers. Hopefully this is a growing trend to change the reality of the last 20 years.

I only strive to be perfect, evidently I have not made it yet Bearclaw.