Registered: Jan 2001
Location:
Posts: 8

Data Link- hindsight is 20/20

Producers of very innovative, but failed, products such as the Geode GPS, Data Link, Visor phone,and makers of almost all springboard modules, needed the insight that all these products had to have a "critical mass" of customers to be successful. I, for one, will NEVER AGAIN be at the forefront for the $300's I lost on the Geode!

If enough springboard modules had been sold, of any kind, Handspring would still be supporting it. Handspring should have tried to get all springboard manufacturers to agree to an introductory discount program. Yes, I know this would have been a big gamble, and cost a lot of seed money, but that is how successful businesses are successful.


If Handspring/Sprint had an introductory offer of Data Links such that the first 10,000 customers got the Data Link free with activation and contract for X years (or whatever that 'critical mass' number of customers would have been) it may have succeded. Even better, ALL units bought before G3 activation got a free or heavily discounted DL (with activation and subscription). This, assuming Handspring wouldn't have "cut them off at the knees" by discontinuing the springboard support.

Sprint should learn from their own successes, without FREE phone giveaways, the cell phone industry would still be in it's infancy. Until wireless PDA's become discounted, they will be high priced novalties, used by few. I already have a Prism and a cell phone. Both would have to go bad, at the same time, for me to replace with the Treo...then there is the problem with the delicate screen.

The biggest problem with Treo type products, including the DL, are the delicacy of the screens. You can't treat them the way a typical cell phone is treated. A solution would be highly discounted, continuous, replacement insurance plan for screens only. Maybe $.25-.50 per month, on all plans with a PDA type product?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 23

Only 1000 DL users!?!

I was shocked to read in the CNET article that Sprint PCS secured only 1000 DL users. I remember going to their web site and looking for specials on DL. And until 3G (Vision) rollout the module was always costing $250. I assumed that they were selling well at that price and that that was the reason for not discounting. What a joke...