Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 78

Handspring doesn't manufacturer the Visor

I saw an aricle in Wired magazine concerning the Xbox. The articles is about Flextronics, a manufacturing company which builds electronics for companies without manufacturing facilities. Microsoft outsources the Xbox to Flextronics plant in Mexico. The article also noted that HS is one of Flextronics customers.

"It's a deal that will mean an additional $2 billion in annual revenue for Flextronics. Similarly, Handspring's PDAs are assembled by both Flex and its competitor Solectron, leaving Handspring to put all its efforts into technology and design. From order to delivery, Handspring never handles a product. Everything's done by Solectron and other contractors. Handspring doesn't even pay for the product until 30 days after it ships."


Just thought this was interesting regarding who really manufactures our Visors. Article is at Wired Magazine http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.11/flex.html

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

Re: Handspring doesn't manufacturer the Visor

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
Just thought this was interesting regarding who really manufactures our Visors.[/url]

---

__________________

God bless America, my home sweet home...

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Conway SC USA
Posts: 92

Re: Handspring doesn't manufacturer the Visor

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
I saw an aricle in Wired magazine concerning the Xbox. The articles is about Flextronics, a manufacturing company which builds electronics for companies without manufacturing facilities. Microsoft outsources the Xbox to Flextronics plant in Mexico. The article also noted that HS is one of Flextronics customers.

"It's a deal that will mean an additional $2 billion in annual revenue for Flextronics. Similarly, Handspring's PDAs are assembled by both Flex and its competitor Solectron, leaving Handspring to put all its efforts into technology and design. From order to delivery, Handspring never handles a product. Everything's done by Solectron and other contractors. Handspring doesn't even pay for the product until 30 days after it ships."


Just thought this was interesting regarding who really manufactures our Visors. Article is at Wired Magazine http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.11/flex.html

---

__________________
LARRY

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 78

I just wish they were assembled in the U.S. Our economy could use the jobs..

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

I don't think Handspring outsources their CS and tech support. At least if they do, they have a dedicated gorup of people, who do nothingelse other than work with Handspring products.

__________________
-miradu

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Can't have cake and eat it too

I wonder how much consumers would be willing to pay for Made in America handhelds? The fact of the matter is that peiople love cheap stuff... just abotu everything in America these days -- perhaps with the exception of cars are made abroad for cheap. Ever check the labels at Walmart?

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Re: Can't have cake and eat it too

quote:

---

Originally posted by yardie
I wonder how much consumers would be willing to pay for Made in America handhelds? The fact of the matter is that peiople love cheap stuff... just abotu everything in America these days -- perhaps with the exception of cars are made abroad for cheap. Ever check the labels at Walmart?

---

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 78

First off, one pet-peve that I have are users who do not have their location listed. This is particulatly annoying for users who have made a signficant number of posts. I proudly announce that I am posting from Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way. This is totally unrelated so on to my post...

The issue you bring up is a good one. Its sort of like a Catch-22 situation. We buy these "American" products made in foreign countries. What gives us the ability to purchase these products are our jobs. But many of our jobs are being shipped to foreign countries with cheaper labor. Meaning that, overall, our ability to purchase products will be diminished because are jobs are being exported overseas.

Granted I don't think to many assembly line workers are packing PDA's, but you know what I mean: products in general. And yes, I took economics (And I survived!) which taught us that jobs are not really being lost because our economy shifts to adjust for the loss of jobs to foreign countries. For example, more people in the U.S. are becoming educated and going into tech fields and service industries. So instead of becoming assembly line workers, a greater percentage of Americans are almost expected to at least get a Bachelor's degree and even a Master's degree. Therefore, more Americans are moving into research and deveopment fields or service industries etc.

In America, we have some powerful technology companies. Palm and Handspring are American companies and dominate the PDA market (Sony is making a push though). But PocketPC manufacturers, increasingly populated by Japanese companies (Toshiba, Casio etc), are making a considerable push to takeover the PocketPC market. But the difference in national origin of a company is almost pointless now because, for example, Handspring is an American company, but manufactures its products in Mexico. But the company does have a significant number of employees at its U.S. facilities, so that counts for something.

The ironic thing about this is that the Japanese-made PocketPC push is being fueled by the mightiest American tech company of 'em all: Microsoft and its new PocketPC OS. But... they say that "Market Globalization" is blurring the line of national borders, so that most products could actually say "Made on Earth" because no matter where a product is manufactured, most people on this planet gain someway or somehow.

I will now proceed to bang my head against a wall for being forced to delve deep into those forbidden areas of my mind which hold the data I learned in those boring Economics classes in college. I hope to never go there again.

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Out of my skull, back in five minutes
Posts: 1435

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
First off, one pet-peve that I have are users who do not have their location listed. This is particulatly annoying for users who have made a signficant number of posts.

---

__________________
The light at the end of your tunnel has been disconnected due to non-payment. Please remit funds immediately for restoration of hope.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

What difference?

What difference does it make if a poster is n timbuktu Africa or Nauru? It really shouldn't matter where the poster is located. It is what the poster have to say and their credibility that matters.

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
First off, one pet-peve that I have are users who do not have their location listed. This is particulatly annoying for users who have made a signficant number of posts. I proudly announce that I am posting from Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way. This is totally unrelated so on to my post...

---

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 415

except when they say things like "where i live" or "around here", or "i havn't noticed it" or "300$"

it very much depends on your location, which people sometimes forget to to post.

and we want to be able to discriminate. no irish, please.

__________________
-thorin

I have a webcomic. You should read it, or I may do something rash. <b><a href=http://driveby.keenspace.com/>Drive-by Loitering</a></b> is updated every monday, wednesday and friday.

<!img src=http://www.frontfly.com/myrouter/vcsig2.gif alt="Soundsgood is too elite for the punks."><img src=http://www.frontfly.com/vcsig.gif ><!img src=http://www.frontfly.com/myrouter/vcsig2.gif alt="Soundsgood is too elite for the punks.">

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

FYI

Ok Thorin.

For the record I live in the biggest and best city in Canada -- not its not Vancouver . Y'all happy now?

quote:

---

Originally posted by thorin
except when they say things like "where i live" or "around here", or "i havn't noticed it" or "300$"

it very much depends on your location, which people sometimes forget to to post.

and we want to be able to discriminate. no irish, please.

---

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1062

quote:

---

Originally posted by thorin
and we want to be able to discriminate. no irish, please.

---

Ahem.

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 78

I respectfully disagree with the assertion that a users location does not matter when considering that user's post. Knowing a person's location actually lends some credibility and a some accountability to a user's post. I went to journalism school (no I'm not a journalist) and one of the first lessons when quoting someone was to get their full name, address, age, and occupation. Most times, if you read your local paper, you'll notice that most of this information is attributed to a source.

For example: "I saw the accident and had to swerve out of the way to avoid it," said John Doe, 28, of 123 America Street in Providence. Doe, a construction worker, stopped the car and rescued the 5-year-old child from the burning wreck.

Granted, this is only a Visor forum and the Internet allows certain anonymity to be maintained. And I'm not asking that post your entire name, address, Social Security Number, and other personal information. However, I am a big believer in being accountable for what you say. By knowing that some is from Hudson Falls, NY or Toronto, Canada helps me understand the perspective from which the user is making his/her statement from. Hudson Falls is a lot different than London, England. It just helps to know that a poster is willing to at least surrender his/her main, city or town or country. This lends a certain, if only a little, credibility to a post. Just my opinion. I'm not complaining because most people here are a great bunch!

Registered: Jan 2002
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Posts: 4

Of course these products are not made here in the U.S., think if it, all you Visor Edge owners who had problems with screws falling out, why couldn't they replace the screws, because Mexico didn't send them any. Sure they're shipped out of Lindon, Utah where the Customer Care is located and the Tech Support is a Buffalo, New York phone number, the Visorphone isn't even made in the U.S. It's made in Ireland if I understand right. Who knows where the Treo is made.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
[...] Most times, if you read your local paper, you'll notice that most of this information is attributed to a source.

---

As someone who has been quoted in newspapers several times, I'm reluctant to assign credibility based on their practices. They managed to promote me several times to offices I never held.

quote:

---

For example: "I saw the accident and had to swerve out of the way to avoid it," said John Doe, 28, of 123 America Street in Providence. Doe, a construction worker, stopped the car and rescued the 5-year-old child from the burning wreck. [...]

---

Except that much like the reporter didn't necessarily get it right, who's to say that the Location line here is right? What if I'm not really in Houma right now? What if I'm at work 30 miles away? What if I'm attending a convention a few states away? What if I've moved to another country and never changed it? What if you have no clue where Houma is anyway? Finally, what if I lied and I'm really in some other place? Credibility on the net really can't be defined by something like a Location line on a webboard, IMO.

Registered: Jul 2001
Location: Providence, RI
Posts: 78

Houma is 57 miles southwest of New Orleans. That's the great part anout the Net

Oh... and I just meant the city or state where you reside, not where you were when you posted your comment.

Look, this is really not a big deal. If someone doesn't want to post their location then they have every right not to post it. I can respect that completely. However, one of the first things I look for after seeing the Username, is the location. If the location field is blank, then I get less of a sense of the person. I really can't explain it. I know...its wierd. Just my dumb ole' opinion!

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
Houma is 57 miles southwest of New Orleans. That's the great part anout the Net

---

Just far enough to avoid the smell.

quote:

---

Oh... and I just meant the city or state where you reside, not where you were when you posted your comment.

Look, this is really not a big deal. If someone doesn't want to post their location then they have every right not to post it. I can respect that completely. However, one of the first things I look for after seeing the Username, is the location. If the location field is blank, then I get less of a sense of the person. I really can't explain it. I know...its wierd. Just my dumb ole' opinion!

---

I'm just messing with you. No dumbness implied.

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Out of my skull, back in five minutes
Posts: 1435

quote:

---

Originally posted by RedSoxPDAer
Hudson Falls is a lot different than London, England.

---

__________________
The light at the end of your tunnel has been disconnected due to non-payment. Please remit funds immediately for restoration of hope.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Titusville, Fl --- AKA: Star City USA
Posts: 27

Just thought I'd Chime in First on the two topics in this thread/topic.

1. As far as location is concerned: I believe it is nice to learn about all the diverse places us Visor users are from. I am personally sitting in my home in Titusville, Fl (Near the Kennedy Space Center, 40 miles east of Orlando, 63 miles (Or so) from Mickey-land), enjoying learning where each of you are from.

Yorick - One amazing little tid-bit is that I DO know where Hudson Falls, NY is. I spent a year (seventh Grade) in Troy, NY while the company my father worked for rebuilt the supporting bases (the part in the water) for the Green Island Bridge.

2. As far as the Visor's being made in Mexico:

I am glad to see that these items are assembled outside the US. This is because the assembly of these items is extremely LOW TECH. If they were assembled in America they would cost much more due to MUCH higher labor costs.

This concept is readily apparent and you can look at almost every mature industry out there and see that the low Tech Jobs are migrating away from the US. This is why all of a sudden we are seeing the Korean Car manufacturerers selling their products in the US. Their level of automobile manufacturing has finally reached a point where the qualit is acceptable to US consumers. The US used to be the king of the hill in this industry and then the Japanese pushed us off and now the Koreans are pushing them off. Who knoes who will be next. (BTW - the foreign companies who DO assemble here in the US do so for political/tarriff reasons).

Finally this fact DOES allow for the US industries to work in other areas that create higher paying jobs and as one person has said more and more people in the US are getting higher education degrees. I have recently finished my Master's degree ( In Management of Technology) from the University of Miami (GO 'Canes), and I am working towards begining my PhD in Industrial Engineering real soon.


Just my $0.02 worth.