Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cedar Knolls, NJ
Posts: 38

Its got to be similar to the Qualcomm pdq 1600, except that it has a springboard slot...

Integrated PCS capabilities and CDMA is likely what makes it "high end" and competing with the Palm VII..



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Jason Perlow

Contributing Editor, PalmPower Magazine
www.palmpower.com

Sr. Technical Editor, Windows CE Power
www.windowscepower.com

Read My Articles at my home page:

www.argonautsystems.com

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 151

And what flash of brilliance tells you that's what it is? I mean, I hate to be skeptical here, but do you have any evidence to support your assertion or are you just throwing out a suggestion to the wind?

If you know something, I'm interested even if you're restricted by an NDA (which I doubt given that you're throwing out possible specifics), but if you're just thinking out loud, please say as much.

Personally, I think the PDQ is a nice concept but too big to be practical. Folks are buying up the Nokia and Motorola phones because of their size (SMALL) and the PDQ is just too big! From the same angle, the screen on the new WAP enabled phones is too small to be truly useful.

I'd rather carry an organizer (V size) and a phone unless someone can figure out how to make the speaker small enough to fit in my ear (hearing aid size) with a small receiver that is responsive enough to pick up my voice while not hanging out in front of my face (earpiece and receiver in one tiny unit). Then connect the ear unit wirelessly to the handheld viewer (Palm V size) so that I can see images, look up addresses, browse while talking on the phone. (Actually, I've seen just such an earpiece in use by a friend who's an engineer for Motorola--now ya just need to make it wireless. Bluetooth here we come!)

That's the future of voice and digital communications. Build it inexpensively and people will mob you to get their hands on it. Remember, you heard it here first folks.


[This message has been edited by Jackal (edited 10-08-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 23

DO you guys realize that the Visor Deluxe and the Palm VII are direct competitors? The only thing the 7 offers over the Visor is wireless, but the visor has more memory, expandability, all the things we've been talking about for so long. And with a wireless springboard module...it is better than the Palm VII. Palm has nothing to compete with the Visor, except cosmetic improvement, which are a user's preference anyway. So a SmartHand device is probably not even in the comparable PDA market. Color Visor may come and and other Visors, but Though handspring says it has four products in the works....I think Visor will be the only PDA. Handspring mentioned nothing about another handheld. The palms all share the name... so there will only be a Visor II or etc.

The smarthand will be, like has been said before, made to exist along side the visor. It doesn't have to compete with the Palm VII, because visor does that now!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 151

dqk57:

I agree completely here. People need to realize the Hawkins is probably looking way beyond the Visor/Palm handheld type device towards other means of leveraging his knowledge of the brain, technology, and consumer, into some pretty amazing devices. Think waaaay outside the box (I can't believe I said it, I hate that phrase), and you'll start to see the direction that Hawkins is probably going.

The Visor = Palm type device
The SmartHand = ?
Unknown #2 = ?
Unknown #3 = ?

Anyone got a good guess for what the next handheld device will be that will revolutionize our relationship with technology? My bet is that it's coming from Jeff Hawkins brain.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cedar Knolls, NJ
Posts: 38

For what other reason would the product name be prefaced with the prefix "Smart" if it wasn't a Smart Phone?

An integrated PCS phone/wireless data modem with a Visor/springboard slot is about as high end as Palm VII if not higher.

And no, I don't have any insider info at Handspring, although I consider myself an insider within the wireless PDA/PCS phone industry. I'm drawing conclusions based on what I know Handspring's competitors, such as Qualcomm and Symbian are doing.

------------------
Jason Perlow

Contributing Editor, PalmPower Magazine
www.palmpower.com

Sr. Technical Editor, Windows CE Power
www.windowscepower.com

Read My Articles at my home page:

www.argonautsystems.com

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

That is always a possiblilty, but my guy from Palo Alto made no indication to me that the SmartHand was a SmartPhone device.

From what I gathered it is a PDA.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 81

"For what other reason would the product name be prefaced with the prefix 'Smart' if it wasn't a Smart Phone?"

Because it's a "smart" something else?

A phone with PalmOS and a Springboard slot may indeed be one of The Four, but your reasoning about Smarthand -- if it exists -- being that phone sounds pretty weak.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 151

Uh, yeah, Jason, gotta admit that the adjective "Smart" could relate to almost any computing/communications device out there. I can see how you would make the connection (and if I were a Marketing wonk it would even be appealing), but it's a slim limb you're out on there pal.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cedar Knolls, NJ
Posts: 38

Yeah, Jackal, it -could- be anything.

But I think its a communications device. If Handspring doesnt build one, 3Com -will-. Its spending lots of money on voice over IP and telephony, its only natural for them to extend this to the Palm series.

Of course SmartHand could be just the running codename for just about anything they are working on.

As to the PDQ, I'm working on one for a review at PalmPower, stay tuned.

Personally I am sick and tired of carrying around a Pager, Cellphone and Pilot.. the future is in integrated devices.

As to the bulkiness aspect -- you'd be surprised as to just how advanced miniaturization technology is these days.

------------------
Jason Perlow

Contributing Editor, PalmPower Magazine
www.palmpower.com

Sr. Technical Editor, Windows CE Power
www.windowscepower.com

Read My Articles at my home page:

www.argonautsystems.com

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

I agree Perlow, but I think those devices will converge into a true PDA. Not the other way around. I don't believe that in the future we'll all be carrying QualComm PDQ phones.

The Visor is proof of that.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Bellevue, Wa, USA
Posts: 72

I have never understood why people carry around a pager and a cell phone. They both do the same thing, but one lets you call back! My phone will record the number that is calling me, so why even bother with a pager? Anyway, as I see it, the screens on the new PDA phones are jsut too small to be usefull as a full fledged pda. I like the interface for finding and then autodialing the phone number, but for other use, it might get annoying. I can see a visor like device with a phone unit installed that uses an earpiece or some other such device. Even if you still have to use the PDA as the reciever, and listen out of an earpiece. It might look a litte hoakie talking to your visor though if no one saw the earpiece...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 82

I repeat.. I believe that this product will be a color version of the visor with wireless capabilty(voice&data). Most importantly...carefully timed to increase market-share momentum toward the IPO.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Modesto, CA USA
Posts: 599

You folks are so limited in your thinking! I'll bet (a quarter) that it'll be an HDTV, Cell Phone, PDA, Pager, IR Remote, Printer, Scanner, Cuisinart and car all wrapped up into one.

I want my Visor......then I'll really spend time worrying about the next generation.

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

Interesting theory Intraman. However I don't think the SmartHand will look like the Visor. I think it will look like nothing before it.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 82

Foo.. I Think that your probably on target.. the form-factor will be updated...I was in referance to the logical progression of marketable features.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 82

oh Reg.. as Hawkins said 'had to get a product to market' or somesuch.. Why? Don't forget the venture capitalists involved...They will continue to push the company toward the IPO...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 23

I think that Handspring should come out the with the SmartBomb.... a PDA/ missle all in one. (just think laser guided hotsync!)

Seriously though. Handspring could develop anything. Why are we so concerned about another PDA? It could be an in car computer (like clarion's auto-pc), or a laptop that uses spring board technology to stay thin and light weight, or it could be something handshaped, like the old nintendo power glove or something. No one said anything about another PDA.

The Visor will be improved upon as the visor, and other products will be different. That's how I would make sure my upstart company did place all it's eggs in one basket. There may be another visor...but there won't be another pda.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Hoboken, NJ, 07030
Posts: 105

I think at least one of the products in Handspring's future will be a Visor with the most popular Springboard built right in. Of course an ideal board to build in is the Innogear six-pack. (prossibly less the modem) Shall we list that as new product #4?

As for Smarthand, anybody think that it could be a PDA that breaks loose from the standard 160x160 of the Palm screen? New form factor, hmm how about a watch? Use the face as a graphiti area and include text to speech. No springboard but still, you've got a pretty smart hand if you're wearing one of those.