Yes, it has been 10 years since Palm Computing launched its first product, the Pilot 1000. The handheld pioneer has had a checkered decade of bad management decisions, botched acquisitions and increasing competition from phone companies. However, Palm said a new relationship with Microsoft, a focus on smart phones and a future of software partnerships have put the company back on track.
Just put out the 700p already, my contract’s up on September!
they couldnt get a multitasking OS out the door… OS6 doesn’t count
I love my palm m500 and treo 600. If they could multitask I’d be so happy. The hardware is plnety powerful for that. kinda sucks they didnt make it multitasking from the get-go.
..also started with a ‘new relationship with Microsoft’. Throwing away a renowned self-produced OS in exchange for Windows didn’t go well for SGI, why would it go well for Palm?
SGI thought it would lead to better integration with the Windows world, more software, new features. Palm probably thinks the same. But it will only lead to losing the loyal customers who like Palm’s idiosyncrasies, once Palm’s devices have become indistinguishable from it’s competitor’s except for a higher price tag.
But what do I know. I only know that since Jean-Louis Gassee joined Palm, Palm has been troubled with ‘focus-shift syndrome’.
Edited 2006-03-27 23:11
Man you hit that one on the nose!
After Palm’s buyout of Be Inc. I was so hoping to see some version of BeOS on a Palm.
Unfortunately, as you said, Gassee only brought them ‘focus-shift syndrome’.
Ignoring all this talk about business decisions/etc.., yesterday one of my friends was at my house. He hald a palm PDA of some type that he could store stuff on, look at photos with, record sounds into, play games on, and more all in his hand.
It was so cool, and I thought to myself “I really want one of those things.”
any thoughts..?
are you asking what it was? probably a Lifedrive.
Nope, it was just a plain palm PDA.
I for one am disappointed that most PDAs are heading in such a direction as to primarily be cell phones, it seems like that’s everyone’s focus these days. I for one have no interest in yet another cell-phone device, if that’s what the future holds for portable gadgets then I think my Zire 31 will be my very last PDA.
Whatever happened to ideas like the Zaurus, where PDAs were comparable to tiny laptops with very functional and powerful operating systems. Where I could run a light office suite, media player, terminal emulator and C++ ide + compiler and have more battery life than laptops have.
I for one am disappointed that most PDAs are heading in such a direction as to primarily be cell phones
And the wrist watch is also being replaced by the cell phone. I’ve seen so many people whip out their cell phone just to check on the time instead of wearing a wrist watch. Kind of like a modern day pocket watch come to think of it.
Cell phones became more popular (I think) because you can operate it with just one hand, rather than having to weild a stylus. The concept of a phone is more easily related to by more non-techy people, whereas the idea of a digital notepad is still awkward to many people. Just look at how well Tablet PCs are being adopted.
While multi-tasking is a necessary evil on the modern desktop it is not required on the PDA and I believe the Palm benefits by not dividing the attention of it’s users. I often find myself more productive with my PDA than I am with my desktop thanks to lack of distractions.
When I signed up a new mobile contract with Three I flatly said I was not interested in any mobile phone /PDA combinations and wanted migrate to a new phone but one without PDA functions and keep my Palm Pilot PDA.
I found the Z22 to be a fantastic replacement for my bulky and decaying M130 once I had installed “Documents to go”. The only thing I miss is the keyboard.
You said a mouthful there, my freind. Although I love my dual monitor setup at home, my productivity definately lags compared to when I am in transit and working on my treo 650. (Now if there was just some way to shrink my ‘meathook’ sized thumbs to work the keyboard.)
Yes, I’ve often noticed that checking the time by looking at your watch looks rude which checking the time by pressing the button on your PDA looks sophisticated.