Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 2

What would you do if you were Palm Inc. and your competitor was stealing business with cool features?
Look for there weakness, of course. Look for Palm to release a new OS soon, rendering the entire installed base of Visors somewhat obsolete. Then watch as they include an expansion port that is smaller and will generate more support right away because of the huge market share they enjoy. Hmmmm....

No wonder we are hearing rumors about new Visors having flash rom.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

I hardly think Palm is releasing a new OS (4.0) for the sole purpose of rendering Handspring products obsolete. After all, some of their own products are going to become "obsolete" in the process, such as the Palm M100.

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

uhh...Palm makes money on EVERY Palm OS device sold.

I doubt that they are looking to squash Handspring.

There seems to be a lot of conspiracy theories floating around these boards lately...

__________________
We're all naked if you turn us inside out.
-David Byrne

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Nah Man

I think Handspring has reached the point where it is uncrushable. It is now a serious player in the handheld space and is fast becoming a household name.

Besides Handspring is always one step ahead of Palm..When Palm released a 8 bit 256 color device, then up palm and released a 64,000 16 bit unit. Wasn't the Deluxe the first 8MB Palm handheld? The only thing that Palm is ahead with is the OS and that is because they built it themselves.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

---

Originally posted by homer
uhh...Palm makes money on EVERY Palm OS device sold.

---

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:

---

Originally posted by foo fighter
True, but 93-97% of total profits are still generated via hardware sales. Regardless of what margin of revenues Palm gets from OS licensing, the company can NOT afford to be overtaken in sales by its partners.

---

__________________
-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

---

Originally posted by dick-richardson
Isn't Palm moving away from making money on hardware?

---

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 194

Re: Nah Man

quote:

---

Originally posted by yardie
I think Handspring has reached the point where it is uncrushable. It is now a serious player in the handheld space and is fast becoming a household name.

Besides Handspring is always one step ahead of Palm..When Palm released a 8 bit 256 color device, then up palm and released a 64,000 16 bit unit. Wasn't the Deluxe the first 8MB Palm handheld? The only thing that Palm is ahead with is the OS and that is because they built it themselves.

---

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

Re: Re: Nah Man

quote:

---

Originally posted by b1lanceman
yeah, but palm has a color device for 120 dollars cheaper than handspring, and i have a couple of friends who said "why pay 300 dollars for a visor platinum when i can get a color palm for only 30 dollars more" and handspring still doesnt have a device with a slim form factor like palmVx or clie. also palm m505 looks like its going to have a slim form factor, an expansion slot, and 16bit color, not to mention flash memory.

---

__________________
-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Fight The Color

I really like that both Palm and Handspring have consistently provided products with added processing power and memory but without forcing me to buy a color unit to get the processing power.

I don't need color in my Visor, don't want it and rue the day that its forced down my throat in order to enjoy speed and functionality improvements.

I'm not sure how this relates to this discussuion string; I just hope that through the process of healthy competition we don't end up with feature bloat (aka Windows CE).

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I'm sure the IIIxe's successor will be monochrome. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the platinum.

__________________
-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

---

Originally posted by dick-richardson
I'm sure the IIIxe's successor will be monochrome. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the platinum.

---

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: St Petersburg Fla
Posts: 224

Backups!!!!

quote:

---

Originally posted by foo fighter, and others that have posted in this thread and other threads. Using Foo's as an example.

The Palm III series is slated to be replaced by the M300 line. Supposedly it will consist of the M300 which will sport a standard monochrome display, and the M305 which will have a 16bit (65k) reflective color display (like the iPAQ). Don't know what pricing will be like, but I'm hoping it will stay near the current price of the IIIc.

[/B]

---

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Well Bud...you may get your wish. I hate to tell you this, but the new Palm devices will have SD memory slots in the back. SD is basically a form of MMC memory which is about the size of a postage stamp. In addition, Palm is developing a whole line of attachment modules, ala Springboard, that fit into the SD slot to provide additional functionality. You'll see MP3 players, GPS recievers, scanners, wireless modems, and digital cameras.

[Edited by foo fighter on 02-10-2001 at 09:54 AM]

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 118

anyone notice how news from the handspring corners been pretty quiet of late while the palm rumour mill keeps churning? Yeah the Prism/Platinum were released a while back. Since then not a peep (or have i had my head in the sand?).

Why?

a) The fabled M505 (see foo's post above) has left handspring floundering.
b) This is calm before the storm (so to speak) and Handspring has learnt from the errant ways of innogear (and the rest). Something bigs cooking...

just a thought!

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

Handspring doesn't need to play FUD games. I'm sure there's new more compact Visors coming out, and I'll bet they come out around September, like the original Visor and the Platinum and Prism did. Here's what I'm expecting, two new units with one or more of the following features:

1. Slightly smaller color unit. With a Li-polymer battery they'll be able to build a transflective color unit in standard Visor form factor, replacing the Prism and going back to a single form factor.

2. More memory. I think Handspring will ship the first 16M PalmOS units this year. The existing 8M units will become the new low end, and replace the 2M units in the product line.

3. Multiple ports. They can move the MROM onto the motherboard, and make room for an SD card as well as the Springboard slot, using SD for flash and the Springboard for non-memory expansion.

I don't think Handspring will make a really small form-factor device without a Springboard slot, at least not this year.

__________________
Rev. Peter da Silva, ULC<br>
<a href=http://www.taronga.com/~peter/>Ar rug t� barr�g ar do mhact�re inniu?</a>

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: London
Posts: 3

I think the real challenge for Handspring is not at the top end of the market but at the bottom. I read yesterday at PalmInfoCenter that Palm has already sold a half-million of the M100s (three times the lifetime sales of the Palm VII, by the way).

I think Handspring has to (a) match Palm's price cut on the IIIxe and (b) market their 2MB Visor more aggressively (which they seem to be doing with their Wal-Mart deal) to compete with the M100.

For every power user drooling over the M505 or praying for the next-generation Visor, there are dozens of newbies who've just caught wind of the handheld revolution, but who aren't ready to plunk down $400-500 on a machine.

When I bought my Visor Deluxe in Nov 99, a big reason was the price. At that time it was one of the least expensive handhelds. I don't think we should lose sight of the price-sensitivity in this market.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Don't count Handspring out by any measure. They still have the yet unreleased "Palm V killer" up their sleeve yet. You may also see an assortment of non-Palm based devices from them in the near future. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Handspring branded Smart Phone in the coming months.

The Palm M505 and M300 will take the spotlight off the Visor to be sure, but don't mistake that for Handspring's outright defeat. The best is yet to come.

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:

---

Originally posted by foo fighter
The Palm M505 and M300 will take the spotlight off the Visor to be sure, but don't mistake that for Handspring's outright defeat. The best is yet to come.

---

__________________
-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 384

I believe that whatever new products that Handspring is developing, the new products MUST keep the springboard slot. Handspring's main theme has always been their springboard expansion, so I don't think they will release a product without the slot. This may put a limitation on their next form-factor. I am excited to see what new innovations Handspring are developing in their next generation of Visors.

__________________
Fat's