Yeah, Because The Name Is Why Nobody Wants To Buy Your PDAs
from the sem-antics dept
Palm released a couple of new unconnected PDAs, but the bigger story is that they dropped their previous model names in order to focus on the Palm brand. Apparently, the reason non-connected PDA sales are falling isn’t because smartphones are becoming more prevalent, but because people didn’t want to buy something called the “palmOne Zire 21”. Naming the new model the “Palm Z22” may get around that, but it still doesn’t solve the fundamental issue of waning interest in PDAs without a wide-area networking connection. And if Palm is such a great and valuable brand, why does the company shy away from the Palm OS?
Comments on “Yeah, Because The Name Is Why Nobody Wants To Buy Your PDAs”
No Subject Given
Carlo, Carlo, Carlo…where do I begin? First, PDA sales aren’t actually falling — analysts, and I use that term loosely, continually change their definitions of what a “PDA” is to restrict more and more advanced devices from being considered in that category. It would be like if you tracked how many “automobiles” were sold, but started defining “automobile” as something with a manual start (handcrank) — newer ones with electric starters would be called something else. Palms non-phone handhelds continue to sell well — they just aren’t seeing the growth they did a few years ago (few technologies do).
Second, Palm OS will not be called “Palm OS” for much longer, as “Palm” will be exclusively used by the hardware maker. Palm is a very valuable and well-recognized brand, but it is a brand primarily associated with devices, not a particular operationg system. So Palm is not “shying away” from Palm OS; it is simply expanding its product range as any company that sees an opportunity would.
Re: No Subject Given
So, what you’re saying, Craig, is that Palm isn’t ditching the Palm (by whatever name it is this week)? Is that what you’re telling us?
If so, I need to start pressuring my telco to allow me to please use a phone with a palm device in it; I’d heard that the OS was going to be wince and decided to use something instead that didn’t blue-screen.
So, Craig, which phone devices will continue to use Palm OS (by any name, again) in the future?
Re: Re: No Subject Given
I think that what you will be seeing is Linux vs Windows vs Blackberry on devices in the future. Palm OS never has worked well on devices as it is not input/output friendly, hence why you don’t see the WiFi access mentioned above. I know I have tried every kind of phone out there, what I do for a living, and personally if it isn’t blackberry, just toss it….and I hate blackberry’s =)
Re: Re: No Subject Given
So, what you’re saying, Craig, is that Palm isn’t ditching the Palm (by whatever name it is this week)? Is that what you’re telling us?
No need to be snarky. And yes, Palm is the device maker and has at least a 5-year licensing commitment to what is currently called Palm OS, although that will be changing (due to Palm buying back the exclusive right to “Palm”). Confusing, but nothing that any moderately educated person can’t comprehend.
If so, I need to start pressuring my telco to allow me to please use a phone with a palm device in it; I’d heard that the OS was going to be wince and decided to use something instead that didn’t blue-screen.
It helps to be reasonably familiar with the technologies one comments about on a tech-oriented blog. ;-> All the major cellular providers, at least here in the US, sell Palm OS-based smartphones directly to their customers. Palm did recently announce a Windows Mobile-based Treo (supposedly due out sometime next year, exclusive to Verizon for 6 months or so), but the vast majority of Palm’s sales over the next 3-5 years will continue to be Palm OS (that’s including both the current proprietary-kernel Palm OS and the upcoming Linux-kernel Palm OS).
So, Craig, which phone devices will continue to use Palm OS (by any name, again) in the future?
As I don’t work for any of the major phone makers, my guess is as good as (if apparently not a little better than) yours, but I would suspect that Palm’s Treo line will continue to run the current Palm OS until they move over to the Linux kernel Palm OS (which is also powering several Asian phone makers’ prototypes).
And to the other comments about Blackberry, it’ll be interesting to see how the recent ruling against RIM might affect BB sales in the near future. Without push email delivery, a Blackberry suddenly doesn’t have many advantages.
Re: No Subject Given
I’ll second that. Because cellphone companies did not want to be seen entering the slow growth PDA market – which would hurt their ratings with various market analysts – they came up with the term “smartphone”. A smartphone IS a PDA. It is a PDA that happens to have cellphone capability. If you look at how cellphones are marketed these days, the actual cellphone is secondary to the still or video camera, the mp3 player, the internet browser, the video games, text messaging, etc.