9 Comments For This Post

1. reidme Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 7:25 am

   You could make a case that the writing was on the wall the day in January 1998 that Microsoft announced their “Palm PC” to directly compete with 3Com’s Palm Pilot.

   http://www.morochove.com/watch/cw/ff80115.htm

   What product has survived a direct assault my MS? The Palm OS has certainly hung in there longer than most, I think because it has something MS has still yet to wrap their arms around: ease of use.

   PDA Mill is not the first developer to jump the Palm ship and they won’t be the last, but I think the sinking will continue to be a very slow event.

2. reidme Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 7:57 am

   In the interest of full disclosure I am an admitted Palm fan boy, but it is the result of end-user experience, not blissful ignorance. I bought the first MS Palm PC that was available (Casio E100) and I’ve owned at least one of every generation of what is now called Windows Mobile (because I’m not just a gadget junkie, I’m an optimist and fool.)

   The thing is, not one of them ever ended up being my daily driver, they all ended up as expensive toys. I stuck with my various Sharp Wizards, Psions (the forerunner of Symbian), and REX organizers to do the important stuff. I dissed the Palm OS as too simplistic and unsophisticated until I finally tried a Treo 90 (which was just an organizer, not a phone.) I have since used a Treo 300, Samsung i500, Samsung i550, and now have a Treo 700p (all Palm OS devices), but I’m willing to try anything to see if it works for me.

   I’m hopeful that the Palm OS will hang around in some form (hello Access) until something better comes along. Maybe Windows Mobile 9 sp2?

3. Judie Hughes Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 9:46 am

   “You could make a case that the writing was on the wall the day in January 1998 that Microsoft announced their “Palm PC” to directly compete with 3Com’s Palm Pilot.”

   It’s funny because that’s the same argument I have used with Zune naysayers. We’ll see if things work out same way or not.

   But back on topic: I personally would be very sad to see Palm shrivel up and die, as I have been a Palm user since the very beginning, too. But at the same time, when I use Palm devices any more, I am reminded of what they can’t do. More so than I am pleased with what they can do.

   Which is not to say that there aren’t things that Palms are capable of doing very well, I just feel that they have rested on their laurels and the platform is stagnating.

   I will say that the Samsung i550 was the best looking PDA Phone ever, though…

4. reidme Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 10:02 am

   MS surely waited a bit long to jump into the PMP fray and Apple is way entrenched. As usual, MS’s first attempt is a token one at best, but who knows by Zune 7 time? Deep pockets and persistence go a long way.

   I sure loved that i550 and I’ll be forever in your debt for scratching that particular itch. I still might be using it if I hadn’t started getting regular hardware glitches, but I couldn’t go back now that I’ve gotten used to the 700p.

   BTW, how do you put the smileys into posts on this site?

5. Judie Hughes Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 11:29 am

   I know what you mean – I liked the 700p, but I love my 700wx.
   And at times, I still wish Samsung would revive an improved i550, say an i600? That was such a neat device. I suppose that we are lucky we even got to spend time with it, though. What a wild ride, huh?

   As far as smileys – you can do just about all of the basic ones – if you know them. I’m trying to find a plugin that will allow them to pop-up in the editor, but in the meantime – pretty much anything you are used to using will work.

6. reidme Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 11:59 am

   Gotcha

   I’m sure you’ve already heard about it, but I think the iMate Ultimate 9150 looks like the best new flip phone on the horizon:

   http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12817

7. Judie Hughes Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm

   Yes! I am really intrigued by these new i-mates…Trying to decide which ones I can justify buying will be the key. The 7150 is really speaking to me, too.

8. reidme Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:44 pm

   The 7150 is the one that interests me most too, but not as a phone, just as a wifi net device. I’ve got a Nokia 770 net tablet, but I think the time is ripe for a compact clamshell net device with a keyboard. I know there are UMPCs and OQOs out there, but I prefer a clamshell to a slider for the inherent screen protection. Also I really don’t want full-blown windows, but an instant-on OS.

9. Judie Hughes Says:
   February 21st, 2007 at 1:49 pm

   Exactly – it would be a supplemental device, like the JasJar was for me – always used in conjunction with a mobile phone, but it could act as one in a pinch.

   I like clamshells better, too. I was talking to a friend recently about how much I wished I could get something like the most recent (although now defunct) Handheld PC form factor, but have it running WM6 (not WinCE) with all the wireless bells and whistles. Oh well…

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