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-- Handspring plans to exit "traditional organizer" line (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=20846)

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So, what are we talking about here? The end of Handspring and Palm devices? NO! The end of Springboards? That hasn't been said, and until HS says so, is merely speculation. While the current form factor may be abandoned, the capability to add peripherals to your handheld will remain.. either as a SD or CF plugin for now, or perhaps a new device specific format. But your current springboards will continue to work with your present Visor flavor of choice.

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This is what I get for leaving Pocket PC?

The demise of the Handspring Visor line has been discussed on these posts for some time now and more fuel has been added to this line of thought with HS announcing they will leave the "traditional" market.

I left the PocketPC and returned to the Palm OS several months ago. I choose the HS because of the springboard slot and the availability of modules. It's kinda sad that after investing so much in the new device to hear it's on its last leg. Luckily, I have a modem, gps and a memplug and only lack a MP3 player to complete my module wish list.

Where to go from here? It will probably take about a year to whittle down the Visor line to the Pro, Edge and Prism. The module development will become non-existant unless some venture capitalist decides to tap into the die-hard visor users.

Sony is too expensive and limited in their accessories. I don't really like the Palm M series. All this makes me yearn for my old Palm IIIxe that I gave up for the Pocket PC.

Alas, the Prism will suit my needs for some time and I can only hope that module availability will continue and that the non-flashable OS will last as well.

It's not the end of HS. They seem to be implying that they will not make units that don't have the wireless phone/data function. They know that they will be losing a huge market and loyal following if they abandon the Springboard slot.

I imagine they will make a larger Treo-like unit that can fit modules for Backup and the other cool stuff that made the Visors cool. Right now they're focusing on the Treo because they are banking the future on it.

The organizer market is saturated, so uniqueness is the key to profits. A communicator unit with the springboard slot (and color!) would be my ultimate PDA. I'm using a VDX with Visorphone, and I enjoy the convenience of having this "integrated" unit. I'd love to be able to use my Memplug at the same time!

Let's just wait and see. For those wanting to get a Clie...what can you do with a Memory Stick besides storage, digital camera, and GPS? I haven't heard too much about MS products. I'm not knocking the MS, but just compare the great number and cool Springboard items out there.

I think it would be crazy for HS to abandon the Springboard....that would create ANGRY HS owners....I may even consider abandoning HS if that were to happen.

Attn Handspring: Please keep the Springboard Slot!

I'm looking forward to see what develops in the next year.

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Million Dollar Bills, anyone?

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Well, I'm personally a huge fan of the Palm platform, and might return to the Handera, once their color unit is released.

That way, I'd get to use CF cards, CF modems, ethernet, etc, and still have the additional SD slot for memory expansion.

I just didn't like the slow sync times on the serial cradle...so knowing that the new Handera unit will be Color & USB, I might make the journey back to Palm...but not HS.

I predicted this just a few days ago.

HS did not help their Visor sales by announcing this so far ahead of time though.

But look on the bright side. When this happens, you'll be able to hop on ebay and get a Prism and 10-12 of the coolest SB modules for under $200! For the true enthusiast, this is far from the end of the line.

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That IS a Palm III form-factor in my pocket, AND I'm happy to see you.

This is good news for bargain hunters.

I see greatly discounted springboards in the future, making our 'outdated' visors more useful, or at least more fun, until wireless pda's reach the eutectic point of stabilzed price and broadly accepted standards.

50 ways to leave your Visor.

50 ways to leave your Visor
A short instructional guide

Step 1: Take your Visor and Visorphone, permanently attach them, and start working on form factor.

Step 2: Muck up the FCC filing for your fly new handheld.

Step 3: PreAnnounce your new handheld to deal with Step 2.

Step 4: Notice that gigantic freight train behind you, that's SONY. Get out of the way.

Step 5: Release 2 handhelds with pretty new cases so it looks like you're working, meanwhile give up on fighting Sony.

commentary on Step 5: why did they even bother, if they're thinking that there's no point to the Visor anymore?

Step 6: Send your dreamy exec to Comdex with demo units. wow everybody.

Step 7: Have your exec start making funny hints as to the release date of you new handheld., the treo.

Step 8: Discover, too late, that you have a parts shortage for the Treo.

commentary on Step 8: How long do you suppose they've known this? Either way, their failure to control the rumor mill (see below) has seriously hurt them, because we want it now, dammit, now.

Step 9: Call up former PALM executives, and ask them how they dealt with their mucked-up pre-announcement.

Step 10: Recall that when Palm pre-announced, their release was delayed because of parts shortages. You are now up the same creek.

commentary on Step 10: the PreAnnouncement doesn't seem so smart anymore, does it?

Step 11: Knowing, finally, that your parts shortage is going to seriously delay your release date, relax because you never actually put forth a release date, just Q1.

commentary on Step 11: phew! close one!

Step 12: Panic when you realize that what you said doesn't matter in the PDA business, what matters is what you allowed to become rumor.

commentary on Step 12: and they did. Hawkins talked. They were obviously talking fast and loose with Pogue.

Step 13: Troll the boards and realize the PalmOS groupies are becoming restless.

commentary on Step 13: Why can't they just leave you alone? Because they like you, they really like you. Don't forget that... oops, you did.

Step 14: Hold a conference call, dropping the bomb you've been hanging onto since Step 5 so that nobobody notices Step 10.

commentary on Step 14: why do corporations always hold "conference calls" for these announcements. Doesn't anybody have the cojones to just hold a press conference? How about a press release? Hello?

Step 15: Pray for parts.

Step 16: Repeat Step 15.

Step 17: Get the Treo on the shelves late, about the same time as your competitors new wireless handheld, which you've heard somewhere is called Skywalker--though you haven't really been paying attention.

Step 18: Wonder why you lost the business segment to your competitor. Wonder why the phrase, "head start," was so important to this.

commentary on Step 18: dumb dumb dumb

Steps 19-49 Look for another job as your company goes bankrupt.

commentary on 19-49: Foo, you are the smartest man alive

Step 50: Read email sent to you by a certain dietrichbohn, thanking your for the wonderful product he won in a contest. Shed a small tear as he condoles you on the loss of your company and asks why, with such a great product, you went under.

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Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dietrichbohn
Read email sent to you by a certain dietrichbohn...

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Re: Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
You don't sign your emails "dietrichbohn."

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Don't like somebody? Click "Profile" on a post and then click "Ignore "so and so's" posts". Voila!

Re: Re: Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dietrichbohn
I said a certain dietrichbohn, not just any dietrichbohn. How do you know I was referring to myself? There are plenty of dietrichbohns around.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Re: Re: Re: Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
Yes...well, how many of them won a treo?

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Re: Re: Re: Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
Yes...well, how many of them won a treo? How many are male?

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 50 ways to leave your Visor.

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Originally posted by dietrichbohn

Hundreds, I'm telling you, maybe even thousands. It's a big, big world we live in, D-R, full of Infinite Possiblities

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My reactions were somehow familiar. This has happened to us technogeeks so often before that we should probably become immune to it by now. I felt it with Commodore Computers, Geoworks software, and so many other times.

Even my favorite radio stations with fun, comfortable formats, seem to take pleasure in announcing new directions. What always burns me up in this is how hard the station worked to get you to be a loyal listener- they literally beg you to listen and tell all your friends to tune in. Then, when they switch formats looking for a new and different market segment, they seem to give not a second's consideration ot the previously loyal audience they have just swept away. Loyalty is supposed to be a two-way steet- but not, apparently, in today's world.

I do not begrudge new directions, creative changes, and so on. if Handspring thinks it can take the innovation we saw with the Deluxe and Prism (and maybe the Treo) and go a new direction- wonderful! I can't wait to see what they might be able to accomplish.

I really enjoy Handspring and some of the things they did- even some of their mistakes seemed amusing, like the mistakes a puppy makes as it learns better.

Hopefully, they will realize that their announcement for all Springboard makers to cease innovation and all potential customers to go elsewhere (isn't that what the announcement said?) was a similar error and they can will try to back away from it ("Announcment was 'premature' says Handspring CEO"- future headline?)

but- the damage is done, the disillusionment is setting in.

And yet...

You know- they still make cartridges for Commodore 64 computers. Sure, it is a cottage industry done more for love than money, but...

Geoworks is still alive as 'New Deal Software', and they have introduced some new software for the platform...

There are even websites devoted to Apple II and other 'obsolete' technology.

So, should we just roll over and die? H*** NO! I loved my Deluxe and I love my Prism! There are a lot of us out there, plenty to keep the current products and lines alive.

Maybe the retailers will abandon us, but we can still go via Internet. There are still modules to invent, and new uses to explore.

The V-Tech Helio PDA was abandoned, and options for it are vanishing even as we speak. But- it had no reason to live. It did not use a widely used and heavily supported OS, it was totally unexpandable, and it never sold all that well.

Our Visors should be able to serve us faithfully until the components wear out, and Gethightech-like places run out of spare parts!

The difference will be that our loyalties would switch from loyalty to the company, to loyalty to our user groups- whoch may be a smarter move anyway!

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Originally posted by Madkins007
The difference will be that our loyalties would switch from loyalty to the company, to loyalty to our user groups- whoch may be a smarter move anyway!

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Originally posted by dick-richardson
It's a smart move. They don't have the pockets of Sony. Even if they managed to pull innovation out of their ass, Sony would have it matched or beat within 3 months. Not an arena I'd want to compete in, either.

Although, if they're betting the farm on the Treo, CDMA better be just around the corner.

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__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

I for one am disappointed. I've spent a lot of dough on Springboard modules. Yes, Donna did not explicitly say HS was abandoning the SB slot, but that seems a logical inference: (1) we are getting out of the PDA market in favor of conncted organizers like the Treo; (2) the Treo lacks an SB slot; (3) with no expression of future support for the technology.

Of course, without such expression of support - in fact, without a new product with an SB slot in the not-too-distant future - no one is going to make SBs anyway.

That said, I don't think the sky is falling yet. I've had my Prism for over a year now, and it still does everything I want and need it to do. I'm a little tired of it's brick-like form factor, but it's a minor annoyance. I'm sure it will continue to serve my needs for another year or so.

Always looking at the silver lining, in some ways the announcement is liberating. I like some things about the Sony, some things about the HandEra, and some of the Pocket PCs are appealing despite their flaws. However, I have so much invested in SBs that I felt kind of locked into the Visor platform. I guess in another year or so that won't be an issue and I can buy whatever I want.

Smart Move

I think this is a smart move on Handsprings part. The organizer is becomming such a commodity with very small margins and quickly outdated. Wireless is the future and they are getting ready to play in a much larger stakes game. For me.... every since visorphone.... I don't switch modules around at all so the treo is perfect for me. All I wanted was more memory, smaller, GPRS and keyboard and it has all of that. Although it will be difficult to wait for color or cut teeth on the monochrome version first.

Re: Smart Move

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Originally posted by george_vc
I think this is a smart move on Handsprings part.

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The organizer is becomming such a commodity with very small margins and quickly outdated.

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Wireless is the future and they are getting ready to play in a much larger stakes game. [...]

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CF device CAN be used with a Visor.

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I'd love for you to show me ANY CF or SD device that plugs into my Visor, and works. They don't exist....that's the entire problem with the Springboard...its proprietary technology that hasn't been widely adopted by the Palm hardware vendors. Hence its downfall. Sure there's the MemPlug CF...but my CF Modem doesn't work, my CF Ethernet card doesn't work, I have to buy a freaking $299.00 springboard from Xircom if I want any kind of Ethernet capability.

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