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Handhelds Hardware

Palm to Buy Handspring 382

Posted by michael from the get-another-one-in-case-the-first-one-breaks dept.
liam193 writes "CBS MarketWatch is reporting that Palm has agreed to buy Handspring for $169M. If you were purchasing a PDA right now, would you choose Palm, Handspring, or avoid them entirely? I guess one of my concerns is that Handspring has some really cool features that Palm may want to keep. Any merger spells elimination of product lines. So what gets dropped? Palm which has probably a nicer "case" style or Handspring with its less desirable case but some features you don't find on Palms."
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Palm to Buy Handspring More

Palm to Buy Handspring

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  • So... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Hogwash McFly ( 678207 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:20AM (#6114164)
    they have Hand in the Palm of their Hand?

    • Re:So... (Score:5, Funny)

      by The Dobber ( 576407 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:10AM (#6114540)
      Cool way to make profit.

      1) Create successful company
      2) Leave company
      3) Create new company kinda like old company
      4) Sell new company to old comapny
      5) Repeat

      Based on this scenario, I'd expect the next company to be named "Cash Cow". Or perhaps "Other Handspring".

      • Re:So... (Score:3, Insightful)

        by buckhead_buddy ( 186384 )
        Cool way to make profit. (1) Create successful company. (2) Leave company. (3) Create new company kinda like old company. (4) Sell new company to old comapny. (5) Repeat. Based on this scenario, I'd expect the next company to be named "Cash Cow". Or perhaps "Other Handspring".

        No idea about handhelds, but for desktop OS's I think "NeXT would be a good name. :-)

  • Excellent (Score:2, Insightful)

    by jmays ( 450770 ) *
    I have an m125 and love it. Simple, functional, reliable. Now with this, hopefully I get a cell phone/all-in-one with all the goodness of a Palm!

    • Re:Excellent (Score:4, Informative)

      by Cutriss ( 262920 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:11AM (#6114563) Homepage
      Kyocera's been making the SmartPhone series like this for some time. The QCP-6035 [kyocera-wireless.com] is superior to the m125 in features - It only lacks the SD Memory slot. The QCP-7135 [kyocera-wireless.com] has PalmOS 4.1, a color screen, smaller profile, the SD Memory slot, and a more ergonomic feel.

      My fiancee has the QCP-6035 and it's really nice. EudoraWeb is decent, but I've since installed Blazer (from HandSpring) and it works great. The main downside is that the phones are PCS, meaning that you'll have to have service through Verizon or Sprint. The 7135 is available via ALLTEL, but you can transfer it over to a different CDMA network.

      There's also a fairly large hacking and customization community over at SmartPhoneSource.com [smartphonesource.com], that can give you all the tips and tricks to using your phone, as well as setting up your phone to switch providers, load OS updates (both phones use a custom version of the OS), and other cool stuff.

  • Why? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:21AM (#6114171)
    I don't get it - what does Handspring bring to Palm? Certainly a couple of years ago they had nice features compared to the palms of the time, like expansion ports and such like, but now Palm has that too.

  • Uhhh... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kikta ( 200092 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:22AM (#6114177)
    "So what gets dropped? Palm which has probably a nicer "case" style or Handspring with its less desirable case but some features you don't find on Palms."


    Wouldn't they most likely use the best features from both?

    • Re:Uhhh... (Score:5, Informative)

      by Mwongozi ( 176765 ) <slashthree&davidglover,org> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:27AM (#6114225) Homepage

      Wouldn't they most likely use the best features from both?

      That didn't happen when HP merged with Compaq. The Journada range was dropped, even though they had some nice features not found in iPAQs.

      • True. But that doesn't mean that it has to happen here. Just because some companies drop the ball doesn't mean that Palm will. Anyone who can list a feature of a Visor that they think Palm will drop is talking out of their ass until they hear it from Palm. It's impossible to speculate at this point.

        The only exception to that statement would be a feature on Visors that has a comparable cousin on PalmPilots and one that Palm has recently dumped a lot of R&D into it. AFAIK, there isn't one. Anyone know of
        • Anyone who can list a feature of a Visor that they think Palm will drop is talking out of their ass until they hear it from Palm.

          Springboards?

      • Re:Uhhh... (Score:2, Interesting)

        by PeterChenoweth ( 603694 )
        Since the iPAQ was more popular than the Jornada, HP decided to stick with the iPAQ line and drop the Jornada saying that they would merge the best features from both. While they didn't take much from the Jornada, one big thing they *did* graft into the iPAQ line is the removable battery. Compaq iPAQ's had sealed battery compartments, Jornada's always had removable batteries. All new iPAQ's have removable batteries.

      • Re:Uhhh... (Score:2, Insightful)

        by FatRatBastard ( 7583 )
        That didn't happen when HP merged with Compaq. The Journada range was dropped, even though they had some nice features not found in iPAQs.

        But unlike Palm / Handspring HP didn't buy Compaq for its handheld group. I have a hard time seeing why Palm would buy Handspring simply to kill it. I suspect they wanted to flesh out their "smartphone" portfolio.
    • It's a harsh reality, but with the patents palm aquired with buying handspring, they may just sit on them to ensure no competitors get to use them.

      It's happened before, remember SyQuest? They made removable storage similar to the zip and Jaz drives, only theirs were virtually indestructable, and based on tried and tested winchester technology.

      When SyQuest finally went titsup.com, its only competitor iOmega bought the patents, and they havn't seen the light of day since.

      I'd hate to see another technical
      • Syquest drives were "virtually indestructable"? Where do you get this information? I *HAD* a SyQuest drive a few years back, the thing died after roughly a year's usage, and by that time, the company was gone. I now have 3 disks that have stuff on them I cannot get off, save for buying a used drive off of eBay.

      • Re:Sitting on innovation (Score:4, Insightful)

        by jht ( 5006 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:59AM (#6115044) Homepage Journal
        Indestructible? You must be thinking of some other company named SyQuest - because all the SyQuest drives I ever saw sucked big-time. Using Winchester technology in a cartridge with unreliable sealing technology was a recipe for disaster on a regular basis. Iomega Jaz drives were a little better, but not that much - their advantage was size and speed compared to SyQuest. Zip drive media was pretty good, though - it was the drives that were cheaply made and relatively unreliable.

        The most reliable drives I ever remember seeing were the old Iomega Bernoulli drives. I used to have two of the 90 meg drives that I used to move files between home and work. So I usually had a couple of cartridges in my briefcase. One time, in a pinch I had to use a Bernoulli cartridge as an ice scraper on my car's windshield.

        The cartridge did the job effectively. And I continued to use it for data afterwards.

        Handspring doesn't bring much to the table compared to Palm in the patent area, I think. I suspect the purchase is more based on getting a complementary product line (the Treos), a low-end brand name less goofy than Zire, and a bunch of skilled hardware engineers.

  • Sony Clie for me. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by NetDanzr ( 619387 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:22AM (#6114182)
    I use my PDA mainly as an e-book reader. Unlike Palm, Clie has this cool scrolling wheel, which makes all the difference for me. A perfect example of a small innovation that can (and should) mean big bucks for the company.

  • Other article ... (Score:5, Informative)

    by jmays ( 450770 ) * on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:22AM (#6114183)
    Yahoo is carrying an article [yahoo.com] , too.

  • choose, but choose wisely.... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sweeney37 ( 325921 ) * <.mikesweeney. .at. .gmail.com.> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:23AM (#6114189) Homepage Journal
    If you were purchasing a PDA right now, would you choose Palm, Handspring, or avoid them entirely?

    I would avoid both of them entirely, but not because of the sale, but because of the clunky design, smaller screen size, and general lack of innovation. With Handspring came along, it pushed Palm to adapt and made their products cheaper, and smaller. But overall both of their products we're basically the same. I mean how long did it take for Palm to develop USB functionality, even Handsprings came with it right out of the box?

    Then the Palm OS market changed when Sony came along, they pulled the 6 Million Dollar Man on the competitors. They made their handheld, faster, smaller and added functionality the others were lacking. I did my research and at the time bought the Clie PEG-SL10 [sonystyle.com] and I haven't looked back. Palm may of been one of the originators but Sony has been the innovator.

    I think this sale is bad for everyone, competition always spurs more innovation.

    Mike

    • Re:choose, but choose wisely.... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by c13v3rm0nk3y ( 189767 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:36AM (#6114286) Homepage
      I did my research and at the time bought the Clie PEG-SL10 and I haven't looked back.

      I also did some research -- for over a year -- and decided on a Palm Tungsten T over anything from Sony. I never considered a PocketPC.

      Although Sony did have some very cool features, they all failed the "hand test". As soon as I actually held one in my hand, it felt sort of flimsy and toy-like. I'm left-handed, and it utterly failed the "hold it in the other hand" test. The Tungsten T passed this test for me, and with flying colours.

      Over the last few weeks, it has passed all my usability tests, as well. This is where the Sharp Zaurus failed for me; it passed the hand test nicely, but as soon as I used it for any length of time, it's value decrease to almost 0, and off to eBay it went.

      Of course, my decision was really made for me this time 'round: I use a Mac at home, and Palm is the only company that really supports Mac OS X.

    • Some months ago, I thought the same as you: Palm being behind Sony on their hardware developments. However, the latest models, the Zire 71 [palm.com] and the Tungsten C [palm.com] have an excellent screen with great back-lighting (much better than the Tungsten T!).

      Further more, they both run PalmOS 5 and are much faster using the RISC processors instead of the old 680x0 dragonball chips.

      Actually, I have a difficult time choosing for either the one which is cheap (Zire 71, 300 Euro's) and has stereo sound and a basic digicam

    • I've had a couple of Palms and a Sony Clie... today I carry around an "old school" DayRunner. I liked the palms, and loved the Clie, but I could not get used to using them over the long term.

      I don't think I'll ever buy another PDA unless someone releases one that has a form factor similar to Apple's Newton Messagepad. It's a little bigger than most PDA's but he screen size and form factor are pretty perfect for my needs.
    • Then the Palm OS market changed when Sony came along, they pulled the 6 Million Dollar Man on the competitors. They made their handheld, faster, smaller and added functionality the others were lacking. I did my research and at the time bought the Clie PEG-SL10 and I haven't looked back. Palm may of been one of the originators but Sony has been the innovator.

      I've got a PEG-S360, and the headache of finding anything that works with it (like, oh, screen covers) has convinced me never to buy another Sony PDA.

    • Handspring has been losing money and slipping market share. It probably will go broke if Palm weren't gonna acquire it. (See the story on The Register [theregister.co.uk].) There'll be one less competitor anyways if Handspring cease to exist.

      What's good, however, is that Jeff Hawkins will return as CTO and Donna Dublinsky will return as a board member. They were the founders of the original PalmPilot company and left because of the (mis)management of US Robotics/3Com. Their return to Palm Inc will surely bring more innovat

    • Handspring pushed Palm? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by lpret ( 570480 )
      If I recall correctly, Palm had just put out it's V series (which I had for many years) and was already working on it's IIIc. This is compared to Handspring's brick that was about the same size/weight/everything of a III series Palm.

      The only thing Handspring brought to the table was their Springboard technology. I don't know if any of you did any work on it, but it was nice because it used the PCMCIA design, so it was easy to develop.

      Now, Sony did do a lot, simply because they hit the market at the ri

  • Neither is dropped... (Score:3, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:24AM (#6114195)
    Well, in a way. The current Palms appear to be more advanced then the current Handsprings.

    My guess: Handspring - Phone/Palm Combo

    Palm - Normal PDA

    Handspring / Palm - low cost entry... Not sure which one probably will end up to be Palm.

  • So what... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by esconsult1 ( 203878 ) *
    Until they have SSH clients and proper wireless access, the point is moot anyway.

  • Elimination? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by thamaht ( 667536 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:24AM (#6114204)
    A merger doesn't always mean elimination. In many cases there's actual merging.
    I don't see why it has to be one or the other. Palm has been smart, and if they continue to be, the features of the Handspring will be added in to the next Palm Pilot revision.
  • Doesn't anyone remember that Handspring was a Palm spin-off? Was this all just a bunch of chess moves? Did Handspring ever intend to become a viable player, and if so, why give up now?

  • This is good for Both - Like Apple (Score:3, Insightful)

    by StAugustineLovesYou ( 678635 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:29AM (#6114234) Homepage Journal
    This "is a good thing (tm)" for both companies. The major competition for the PalmOS platform is no longer Handspring, but the explosion of PocketPC based products. By consolidating, Palm will be able to avoid brand dilution, and put up a united front against Microsoft in the handheld market. This is very similar to the move Apple made a few years back to reign in the clones.
    • Very good point ... Analysts never saw Apple's decision that way though. BUT Power Computing could EASILY be compared to HandSpring. Former Apple employees started it and they also started innovate (PS ports/slightly overclocked processors/IDE optical drives)

      The only difference here is that Handspring is DEAD. I see this more as a nice gesture to Hawkins than anything else. I think Palm wants him back. Palm is starting to get the dillution you speak of from Sony. Clie sales have been on the rise for 6 mon

  • obvious and sad answer (Score:5, Funny)

    by mirko ( 198274 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:31AM (#6114247) Journal
    So what gets dropped

    Half of the staff. :-/

  • If I were buying a PDA (Score:2, Insightful)

    by drdale ( 677421 )
    I'd buy a Zaurus.

  • Returning to the fold? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Malfourmed ( 633699 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:33AM (#6114264) Homepage
    I don't pretent to know my PDA history but wasn't Handspring founded by the guys who created the Palm Pilot in the first place?

    Doesn't this make the order of things something like:

    1. Guys invent Palm Pilot
    2. US Robotics buy out guys - guys make money
    3. 3Com buys out US Robotics - guys make money
    4. 3Com spins off Palm as separate company - guys make money
    5. Guys leave Palm, undoubtedly with money, start up Handspring
    6. Palm buys Handspring - guys make money
    BTW I'm using the term "guys" generically, I think at least one of the key people was female.
    • BTW I'm using the term "guys" generically, I think at least one of the key people was female.

      Yeah, isn't she the one that made the PDA comfortable, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and offer all the protection you could ever need? (so long as you have spare batteries...)
    • Well, it's not necessarily clear that step 4 was wise. Spinning off Palm looked good for a while, but, IIRC, since the Palm market stagnated, the stock kinda puked up a lung. Check out the five year chart [yahoo.com]. Not pretty, and it includes a 1:20 reverse stock split in October, 2002.

      Of course, the people who really make all the money in a spinoff or IPO are the bankers, so guys were still making money, just not the ones you thought.

    • You are correct...

      Handspring founders Jeff Hawkins--who invented the first Palm handheld--and former CEO Donna Dubinsky established Palm in 1992, and were the top names at Palm until they left in 1998 to start Handspring. Handspring became one the first outside companies to license Palm's operating system.

      Reportadly, Hawkins and Dubinsky will become part of the new management of the combined company and are "expected to help lead the company toward its new goals". With the PalmSource software operation ru

    • Palm/Handspring timeline (Score:5, Informative)

      by dsandler ( 224364 ) <dsandler@@@dsandler...org> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:01AM (#6114489) Homepage
      Actually, the official press release [handspring.com] contains a nice summary timeline:

      1995 - U.S. Robotics purchases Palm, Inc.

      1996 - Palm introduces the PalmPilot 1000 and 5000 organizers.

      1997 - 3Com purchases U.S. Robotics

      1998 - Hawkins, Dubinsky and Colligan leave Palm to create Handspring

      2000 - Palm executes an Initial Public Offering, separating from 3Com

      2001 - Palm begins building separate businesses

      * Todd Bradley named Palm Solutions executive vice president and chief operating officer (June 1)
      * Palm announces plans to create OS subsidiary (July 27)
      * Palm OS subsidiary acquires assets and talent from Be, Inc. (Aug. 16)
      * David Nagel is named Palm OS subsidiary president and chief executive officer (Aug. 27)

      2002 - Palm further builds on two businesses

      * OS subsidiary creation completed (Jan. 1)
      * Bradley promoted to president and chief operating officer of Palm Solutions (May 2)
      * OS subsidiary named PalmSource
      * PalmSource names founding board of directors (June 24)
      * Bradley named Palm Solutions chief executive officer (June 25)
      * Palm Solutions and PalmSource move to separate campuses (August)
      * Sony invests $20 million in PalmSource, marking first outside investment (Oct. 8)
      * PalmSource adds four new licensees in year
      * IRS approves the spin-off as tax-free for U.S. citizens' federal income-tax purposes (December)

      2003 - Palm announces plans to acquire Handspring

  • Springboard (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Lxy ( 80823 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:35AM (#6114283) Journal
    I'm pissed that the springboard slot has been discontinued from Handspring models. I bought mine specifically because of the slot, and I've got several attachments for it. It's by far the most economical way to upgrade a PDA, and they scrapped it. My hope would be that Palm returns the Handspring slot, but I kind of doubt they will.

    • Re:Springboard... a bad idea (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Going proprietary is ALWAYS a bad idea for consumer relations. If the Springboard slot had been a compact flash slot you would STILL be able to use that slot. It's a lesson that Apple has learned somewhat, but that Sony is still hardheaded about.

  • Can see the headlines now... (Score:5, Funny)

    by SysPig ( 63656 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:36AM (#6114284)
    "Palm Springs For Sale"

    There's a way to freak out about a gazillion old folks...
  • I've had a unit from Palm, Handspring, and a Windows device from Toshiba. I hated them all. They crashed too much and only held static information (since the wireless plans are so expensive only God and Bill Gates can arrord them),,,, not to mention how horsey big the units get when you put wireless equipment on them.

    I now carry a T-Mobile Sidekick. It replaced all the above AND my cell phone. Maximum PC did a head-to-head shootout this month and the Sidekick kicked ALL their butts. Bad.

    Plus, the cell
  • Palm can provide the upper-class business models (read: expensive, primarily PIM functions, long battery life, sleek design) and sell low-cost models under the Handspring brand (e.g. for students, young adults etc.).

    Maybe even Handspring products will focus on multimedia capabilites, personally I think Palm never really quite managed to score in that area.

    But then again, things could remain the way they are :)

  • If I had to buy a PDA right now... (Score:4, Funny)

    by metamatic ( 202216 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:37AM (#6114303) Homepage Journal
    ...I'd probably get a Sony CLIE, because they have the biggest screen.

    As it is, I see no reason to upgrade from my old Palm V. Which, I think, is the problem--Palm really hasn't come up with anything compelling.

    However, perhaps BIGGER SCREEN the merged company might BIGGER SCREEN be able BIGGER SCREEN to work out BIGGER SCREEN something that BIGGER SCREEN would encourage people BIGGER SCREEN to upgrade?
    • Dude, I have a Sony PEG-SJ20, and they're actually *smaller* than most PDAs. The trick is that they have a much higher resolution and a very broad grayscale pallette. Combined with their white backlight technology (anyone else HATE the HandSpring backlight?), the screen is extremely easy to read and images have a very high fidelity. The only thing I wish they'd solve is the glare off the screen. In direct lighting situations (i.e. a lamp over your shoulder), it can make the screen harder to read.

      Oh, and ju
  • Are there any other handheld other then Palm and Handspring out there? I see $30 one all the time at the local KMart but are they worth it? Why the big difference in price? Wasn't there a handheld being made by a toy company?

    • Primer (Score:4, Interesting)

      by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:12AM (#6114571) Homepage
      The $30 one at K-Mart and Target is, I believe, a rolodex. Unfortunately, it is fixed-purpose electronics and cannot run external programs. Not much memory, no backups, no real pen imput... It is a toy, like those little electronic things with rubber keypads in pink with Hello Kitty on the cover.

      Entry level, $100 Palm based devices (From Palm, Handspring, or Sony) have an extensible, programmable OS. This allows for example, for encrypted password storage vaults, automatically synchronized web page readers, sketch programs, heirarchical planning software, thesauruses, Japanese Dictionaries... whatever someone can think of. They also generally have a greyscale screen and an adequate amount of RAM (well, sony does anyway). When you go up in price you spend more to get brightly colored screens, slightly faster processors, and model-specific features like built-in cameras, cellphones, or MP3 players.

      Spend a bit more (300+)and you have a Pocket PC or Linux based device. These are larger and heavier than Palm-based PDAs, but have more compatible software (It is easier to port an existing Windows application to a Pocket PC handheld than to a Palm PDA. Same for Linux). They usually have faster processors, but slower software which take up significantly more ram. Someone else on this board can extoll the virtues of the above, I simply don't like how large and inelegant those devices can be.

      Personally I find my Clie to be terrifically useful compared to the dayrunner which was too large to fit in a pocket. But not everyone does. Truthfully, if I hadn't gone out looking for useful software, it wouldn't provide any added benefit over a standard day planner.

      In short, the value of one depends on what kind of person you are. Do you love technology? Do you normally keep notes digitally? Do you travel a lot, network frequently, or have an irregular schedule?

      I know this whole segue is a bit offtopic, but I hope it helps.

  • Sony has been consistently pushing new features and lower prices into the PalmOS realm. I bought an SJ-30 a year ago, with 320x320 resolution at 65k colors, 16 megs, memory stick.. all for $250, at a time when Palm and Handspring were selling models with only 160x160 resolution and less memory.

    Find a Sony Clié at your price-point, add LauncherX, and go to town.

  • Nothing really. Handspring decided to end production of the Visor last year IIRC. The Treo line (smartphones) is what Handspring has been focusing on.

    The only overlapping products from these two companies are the Treo 90 (the only non-smartphone PDA in Handspring current product line) and the Tungsten W (the only smartphone from Palm Inc). Both of them are OS 4.1 devices and should reach EOL by the time the merger completes.
  • As a longtime PalmOS user and a PalmOS developer, I think this is probably a good thing. Palm was just beginning to start producing devices that were for the same market as the new Handspring devices.

    Handspring was no longer for me -- they are focusing on devices with wireless connectivity and thumbboards. But it's a style some people like. This gives Palm a wide variety of handhelds, probably a wider variety than anyone else.

    This will also pretty much make the competition for PalmOS devices Palm and S

  • a bit of history... (Score:3, Informative)

    by ptorrone ( 638660 ) * <pt AT adafruit DOT com> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:43AM (#6114354)


    mystery investor loans palm $50 million:
    http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=27 29 [palminfocenter.com]

    sony invests $20 million in palmsource:
    http://www.brighthand.com/article/Sony_Invests_in_ PalmSource [brighthand.com]

    now, palm is going to buy handspring for $169 million:
    http://www.treocentral.com/content/Stories/230-1.h tm [treocentral.com]

    wild.

    another fun fact, more people own sony aibo robot dogs than handspring treos.

    cheers,
    pt

  • Palm Wants Phones! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by WC as Kato ( 675505 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:44AM (#6114363)

    Palm certainly doesn't want Handspring for their Visor line. There isn't much value to that. I don't believe there is anything on the Handspring Visor line has that Palm doesn't already have or couldn't add on their own.

    In fact, Handspring announced in January 2002 [palminfocenter.com] that they would discontinue the Visor line when they were coming out with their Treo Communicator (cell phone) line. My guess is that Palm wants to get into the cell phone business. What else does Handspring have to offer? Would you want a Palm branded reconditioned Handspring Visor?

  • The folks who started Handspring were the ones who invented the Palm Pilot. Then they went off to invent the Handspring. Then they got bought out by the company that sells the original thing they invented.

    If this were a study in genetics, their next product would be born with webbed feet and flippers.
    • If this were a study in genetics, their next product would be born with webbed feet and flippers.

      Creating the perfect PDA for busy SCUBA divers!
      I wonder if you can get GSM service at 100 meters...
  • The price of the Handspring and Palm PDAs (especially on Ebay) makes these devices a good idea for corporations. For company use the lack of features is arguably a plus. No waste of time downloading MP3s or games. The battery life is wonderful (I can get a week out of my Edge and then I simply recharge it), the form factor is outstanding (the Edge is very slender). There is clearly a large market for these devices just in replacements (I've broken one Visor and lost one Edge).

    So if there is a market but no

  • The focus of this article... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by drgroove ( 631550 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @08:50AM (#6114416)
    ... is completely wrong.

    "Any merger spells elimination of product lines."

    I'm sorry, but who gives a shit? There is a glut in the handheld market right now - the reduction of products represented in both the Palm and Handspring product lines is beside the point.

    The real question is - How many tech workers are going to be losing their jobs as a result of this merger?

    According the article on ZDNet, Palm will lay off 125 people - not a huge amount, but after the killing spree that merged tech companies have wielded against their workforce, thats 125 too many.

    There are always alternatives to taking jobs away from hard-working people. Why can't management take a pay cut instead? Or, if management is too greedy to indulge in self-sacrifice, perhaps allow everyone the option to take a 5% or 10% reduction in their pay - if they know there will be pink slips in Friday's check if they don't, I can't imagine people not doing it.

    The tech industry as a whole has its priorities in the wrong place - the quote I posted from this /. article spells that out. Can't we get some kind of co-ordinated outcry from the rest of the tech sector about these kind of layoffs? Why don't we boycott Palm and PalmOS products, until Palm/Handspring management get their heads out of their asses and think about the employees that have been keeping their companies afloat, instead of their own pocket books.

    I say, F*** Palm and PalmOS, until they rescind their decision to lay off 125 workers. Anyone else out there have some backbone? Lets show some solidarity here. Who's with me?

    • A Special Kind of Moron You Are (Score:5, Insightful)

      by NDPTAL85 ( 260093 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @09:33AM (#6114810)
      Wow! They really broke the mold when they created you didn't they!?!

      Listen up. The IT (tech) industry is the only industry thats designed to minimize and or eliminiate ITSELF. From the printing press to the cotton gin to the airplane to the computer to the PDA, each technological advance allows mankind to do the same amount of work or more with less people/workers/employees.

      Simply put, Handspring is screwing up. They need to be bought or they're out of business. THe only reason to buy them is to gain marketshare and cut expenses. Whenever companies merge there are always redundancies. You don't even know if all of those 125 workers will be tech workers. But does a company really need duplicate anything? Do they need 8 office admins if they previously did fine with 4? Do they need two cooks if they only had 1 before? The same goes for programmers or netadmins. They don't need anymore of those.

      Contrary to your idiotic claims there are NOT always alternatives to laying off people. If you are redundant, than you're redundant. Should they keep you on and pay you to sweep the floors instead of eliminating your position? Thats worse than unwise, its insulting.

      Perhaps Hewlet-Packard should have just kept bleeding money. Because obviously executive pay always makes the difference. When a company is losing billions of dollars the millions paid out to the top brass REALLY makes a difference eh?

      Do you think the technology industry is special or something? That workers in this industry are a special breed of citizen deserving of protections others do not receive? This is what happens to EVERY maturing industry. Consolidation and elimination of redundancies.

      DEAL.
      • You are completely ignoring the options of re-purposing workers to prevent redundancies, reducing product prices while maintaining production levels, modifying production techniques to reduce prices, changing parts vendors for less expensive materials, using existing product lines as OEM products for 3rd-party companies... the list goes on and on. When you are restructuring a company, the only limit is one's imagination. The only thing you've proven by your statements is that you lack one.
  • This is sad. Less competition means lesser features and higher prices. Sony is good competition, but more competition is always better for the consumers and -- in the long run -- for everyone.

    I hope Sony introduces something to compete with the Tungsten/Treo lines.

  • The state of PDA's (Score:3, Interesting)

    by badasscat ( 563442 ) <basscadet75NO@SPAMyahoo.com> on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @10:12AM (#6115186)
    So what gets dropped? Palm which has probably a nicer "case" style or Handspring with its less desirable case but some features you don't find on Palms."

    Have you actually been following what's going on in handhelds these days? It doesn't sound like it. Palm and Handspring today make entirely different products. Palm makes PDA's; Handspring makes "communication products" - handhelds based on cel phone designs. There's no overlap - neither company has individual models comparable to the others'.

    But regardless, I wouldn't buy any model from either company. Others have already mentioned the Sony Clies - I have one of these, and I bought one for my wife too (she loves it). We don't need high-end features, and in the low-end the Clies have several features that Palms don't (and Handspring doesn't even make a low-end device). Sony also is far ahead of Palm in industrial design IMO - it's akin to, say, Dell vs. Apple. I'd actually love to have one of the real high-end models but don't feel they're worth $800. The recently announced top-end Clies, though, do have a lot of useful features - including built-in wireless, a built-in keyboard, camera, and MP3 player. In other words, the best of what both Palm and Handspring offer and in a much better-looking design. But still too expensive for me.

  • Alternatives seem to be dwindling (Score:3, Interesting)

    by RedneckTek ( 120165 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @12:41PM (#6116597) Homepage
    I own a Handera 330. I love it; jog-wheel, hi-res screen, switchable backlight, CF & SD card slots. It really was best of breed when I got it. I've been hoping for sometime that they would release an updated version (possibly color, OS5). But I just discovered that they are exiting the Palm handheld arena [handera.com].

    I don't want a phone/PDA [palmsource.com]. I would extremely miss my jog-wheel. Sony seems to be the only choice for a full featured PalmOS handheld now.

    Is the Zaurus a real alternative?

  • Palm PDA vs IPAQ (Score:3, Interesting)

    by NoCoward ( 648971 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @01:17PM (#6116983) Homepage Journal
    "If you were purchasing a PDA right now, would you choose Palm, Handspring, or avoid them entirely?"

    You're going to hate this, but I'd probably get a Palm. I used to have a iPAQ and then got an Vx from work.

    The Vx is bigger and bulkier and the battery life does suck. Oh yes, and I've had it crash about 4 or 5 times but ..

    The software! The diary, notes and calendar is way more powerful than iPAQ's. Varying snoozes on appointments, alarms on tasks, multiple addresses on contacts - the list goes on. Oh yes, and I'm a heavy Outlook user, so it's a boon to have decent Outlook compatibility (PocketOutlook on the ipaq was great - but nothing else would replace the other built in apps and still sync with Outlook).

    Also I love the today screen. I have several plug ins and it shows me everything I need to know on one page.

    Finally I know some people hate PalmSync but I like it for one major reason. I can pick my palm out of the cradle at any time and know that it's synced with my Outlook. On ipaqs I'd have to hit the button on a regular basis.

    Would I go back to iPAQ's? Yes, but only if they dropped their prices (they're a tad pricey) and substantially beefed up the built in software and syncing. Would I go for a Linux PDA? Haven't really thought about it to be honest. For me, I don't care what the OS is - just how well it does the stuff I need (it could be written in Cobol for all I care).

    Neither the PPC or Palm are the best. Both have pros and cons. But I can put up with the fact that the Palm is bigger, bulkier and eats batteries quicker because the PIM stuff is more powerful.

    Of course, YMMV.

  • Treo 600 (Score:3, Interesting)

    by imuffin ( 196159 ) on Wednesday June 04, 2003 @02:55PM (#6118060)
    Details [treocentral.com] on the new Treo - the Treo 600 - are starting to leak out, and it looks like a pretty major improvement. The photo from the merger even gave us a decent Hi-res photo [treocentral.com] of the new Treo. I think it looks pretty cool, but the obvious lacking feature is a higher-resolution screen. I wonder if the coolness factor of the Treo 600 helped encourage Palm to make the merger?

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