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Originally Posted by BobR
So it's no wonder people aren't buying PDAs very often. For that kind of money, they probably want to take their family on a vacation instead!
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You hit the nail on the head here. The reason there is little or no growth in the PDA market is because people don't upgrade them as often as, say, their cellphones. (Which you usually get for "free", combined with some subscription plan.)
That said, I am worried about PalmOne's lack of build quality. Just look at all the negative reviews about the T|E on Amazon. I have a Zire72 myself, but, all things considered, I wouldn't have bought it if I'd known about its flaws. (The rubber paint peeling off being the most glaring error. I'm embarrassed when I show it to people.) By extension, I am worried about the future of PalmOS, as PalmOne is the only really big player left.
Combine that with the non-availability of OS6 devices as of yet and the fact that OS5 is going to be around for much longer and I'm seriously beginning to doubt whether PalmOS has a long-term future. There is little incentive for developers to support OS6-specific features until these devices start selling in significant numbers, which might not happen for the forseeable future as new OS5 devices (SmartPhones) will continue to be released. Hopefully, I will be proven completely wrong, but the fact remains that HP is gaining on PalmOne. Their European sales over Q2 2004 outnumbered those of PalmOne.