MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Tapping the Market: How powerful should a PDA be?

derekweb · 06-29-2005, 04:54 PM

I would have to agree with Antoine. I think that Palm1 needs to do better with what is already there, in terms of marriage between hardware/software. PalmSource is busting hard to get a great OS, but let's face it, until the Yin/Yang on Palm's side balances, it's going to be a rough sailing for a bit.

PPC side, they're starting to shore up and smooth out their sails, ... so who knows.

Linux on the Handheld. Would be wonderful, but ONLY if they can balance three factors: Hardware / OS / Software. The hardware capability has to be there, the OS needs to be able to support both high and low end hardware that it's going to run on, and Software needs to be there to entice endusers to actually buy and use the product. Otherwise, why would I want to put out $400 to $600 for this kind of device? I don't mind using Linux, I like it actually. Having it around gives me *choice*, and I like that. /shrug/

Question: Where is the market now for Palm computers?
Three locations, with everything else (in my opinion being niche).
Low, High, and Phone. And let me expound on these "titles".

Low end - for the new endusers. However, unlike the very low end current model Zires (pre-color bottom line zires), these need to show more of what is out there, help users find why they would like the devices and why they should upgrade to the more powerful. The newer Zires' are moving to this philosophy.

High end - For the geeks like us that really like being able to use it to replace our laptops out on the move. Simply put, it's a size / weight / convienence factor, and having a palm computer that can do everything is just frankly, awesome.

Phone end - The Treo 650 is a heavy influence for me here. My dream of a Phone end is a Palm Computer with about 75% capability of the High End, ... in other words, it can do just about everything. Only problem is that battery life is a huge issue. To that end, there needs to be several points answered. Removable battery for replacement on the fly, docking cradle with extra slip for the spare bat, flexible use of the processor (speed stepping on the fly), good screen options, ... and probably best with an included, SLIP ON EXTERNAL button thumbboard.

It's all about the options. Having a handheld like the hx2755 (iPaq) or T5, is great. Having a slip on thumb board is even better, especially if it's included in the box. Gives the endusers options, and you don't have to worry about compatibility. If it's in the box, it's usually a good sign that there's already been some good testing done. But that way, the Graffiti users get what they want, the blackberry users can be happy too, and the world goes on. :-)

06-29-2005, 04:54 PM	#5
derekweb Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 3134 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: United States Device: Palm Treo 700p & iPaq hx2755	I would have to agree with Antoine. I think that Palm1 needs to do better with what is already there, in terms of marriage between hardware/software. PalmSource is busting hard to get a great OS, but let's face it, until the Yin/Yang on Palm's side balances, it's going to be a rough sailing for a bit. PPC side, they're starting to shore up and smooth out their sails, ... so who knows. Linux on the Handheld. Would be wonderful, but ONLY if they can balance three factors: Hardware / OS / Software. The hardware capability has to be there, the OS needs to be able to support both high and low end hardware that it's going to run on, and Software needs to be there to entice endusers to actually buy and use the product. Otherwise, why would I want to put out $400 to $600 for this kind of device? I don't mind using Linux, I like it actually. Having it around gives me choice, and I like that. /shrug/ Question: Where is the market now for Palm computers? Three locations, with everything else (in my opinion being niche). Low, High, and Phone. And let me expound on these "titles". Low end - for the new endusers. However, unlike the very low end current model Zires (pre-color bottom line zires), these need to show more of what is out there, help users find why they would like the devices and why they should upgrade to the more powerful. The newer Zires' are moving to this philosophy. High end - For the geeks like us that really like being able to use it to replace our laptops out on the move. Simply put, it's a size / weight / convienence factor, and having a palm computer that can do everything is just frankly, awesome. Phone end - The Treo 650 is a heavy influence for me here. My dream of a Phone end is a Palm Computer with about 75% capability of the High End, ... in other words, it can do just about everything. Only problem is that battery life is a huge issue. To that end, there needs to be several points answered. Removable battery for replacement on the fly, docking cradle with extra slip for the spare bat, flexible use of the processor (speed stepping on the fly), good screen options, ... and probably best with an included, SLIP ON EXTERNAL button thumbboard. It's all about the options. Having a handheld like the hx2755 (iPaq) or T5, is great. Having a slip on thumb board is even better, especially if it's included in the box. Gives the endusers options, and you don't have to worry about compatibility. If it's in the box, it's usually a good sign that there's already been some good testing done. But that way, the Graffiti users get what they want, the blackberry users can be happy too, and the world goes on. :-)