Palm to be re-created by TCL

fjtorres · 01-06-2015, 08:02 PM

The dead and buried Palm brand is coming back. Sort of:

http://www.cnet.com/news/palm-makes-...ate-the-brand/

Quote:

TCL said on Tuesday that it had acquired the rights to the Palm name and would "re-create" a new company based in Silicon Valley. The company added that it would use input from Palm's fan base, touting that it would be the largest crowd-sourced project in the industry.

TCL has been attempting to build up its brand and awareness in the US. The company is largely known for selling low-cost televisions, but it also has a mobile-device division, which uses the Alcatel OneTouch name. By utilizing the Palm name, which has a long history in the mobile world with the original Treo and Pilot handhelds, and later the WebOS-powered Pre, TCL is attempting to make a splash.

Quote:

TCL acquired the name from Hewlett-Packard, which acquired Palm in 2010 with the grand vision of utilizing its WebOS mobile operating system across many products. HP ultimately mothballed its consumer mobile ambitions.

TCL isn't likely to use WebOS. In 2013, LG purchased the WebOS platform, which now powers its smart televisions.

TCL intends to use the Palm name for smartphones, but it's unclear how the company will juggle the Palm name with Alcatel OneTouch, which is making its own push to increase its visibility in the US.

badgoodDeb · 01-06-2015, 08:19 PM

Hmmm. Might be interesting. I liked their writing scheme. It was similar enough to a simple printing style that I could easily to it. However, my eye site is now such that I could no longer read books on it. I read the first 2-3 (to 4 or 5?) of the Outlander books on a Palm, and those are *very* large books, when printed in paperback. I could no longer read them on a Palm today. I need my enlarging print e-ink!

thewitt · 01-06-2015, 09:17 PM

Palm was an interesting company that pushed the edge of the envelope years ago. I don't know that the brand has enough weight to be a player today with yet another Android phone - the likely approach.

WebOS is dead. Trying to bring that back would be financial suicide.

Want to create a new mobile OS? Good luck getting app support and traction this late in the game.

It will be interesting to see if they do anything innovative, or become YAAP - Yet Another Android Phone...

GA Russell · 01-06-2015, 09:57 PM

How is this different from people selling things at Big Lots with the Polaroid brand name?

Jessica Lares · 01-06-2015, 10:02 PM

I like how the trend of using a PDA with an external keyboard is coming back with smartphones. I think that's cool.

I had two friends who had Palm pilots in middle school. One of them used to type their assignments on it.

They probably just bought it for the name, but they should seriously consider developing some nice productivity apps that hook into other services.

fjtorres · 01-06-2015, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

How is this different from people selling things at Big Lots with the Polaroid brand name?

Only in that the "Polaroid" devices (and Westinghouse TVs) license the name from the original and TCL bought it outright from HP.

frahse · 01-07-2015, 12:48 AM

So that is where WebOs went. LG smart-TV.

I will watch for the new Palm devices if only for nostalgia sake.

Jmirko · 01-07-2015, 03:25 AM

WebOS is owned by LG, a new OS is out of the question, so it will likely be Android with some reference to Palm - the name, the logo, hardware design (Treo keyboard?), maybe with a skin reminiscent of the Palm design.
I used to be a huge Palm fan, but even for me, that would not be a factor in my phone preferences. There was a point in time when HP could have saved Palm, but I think people have moved on.

speakingtohe · 01-08-2015, 03:52 PM

Palm might be dead, but my sister still prefers the touchpad I got her in the big fire sale to android. Go figure. Still a pretty big community and they are selling for $419 on Amazon.

Not saying that they will make a comeback, but still a lot of diehard fans/developers out there.

Helen

thewitt · 01-08-2015, 08:21 PM

If they cannot sell 10m units a year, there is no incentive to be in business

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01-06-2015, 08:19 PM	#2
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,574 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Hmmm. Might be interesting. I liked their writing scheme. It was similar enough to a simple printing style that I could easily to it. However, my eye site is now such that I could no longer read books on it. I read the first 2-3 (to 4 or 5?) of the Outlander books on a Palm, and those are very large books, when printed in paperback. I could no longer read them on a Palm today. I need my enlarging print e-ink!

01-06-2015, 09:17 PM	#3
thewitt Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1135446 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Miami, Florida Device: iBooks	Palm was an interesting company that pushed the edge of the envelope years ago. I don't know that the brand has enough weight to be a player today with yet another Android phone - the likely approach. WebOS is dead. Trying to bring that back would be financial suicide. Want to create a new mobile OS? Good luck getting app support and traction this late in the game. It will be interesting to see if they do anything innovative, or become YAAP - Yet Another Android Phone...

01-06-2015, 09:57 PM	#4
GA Russell Als, Lions host Semis Posts: 7,716 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	How is this different from people selling things at Big Lots with the Polaroid brand name?

01-06-2015, 10:02 PM	#5
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	I like how the trend of using a PDA with an external keyboard is coming back with smartphones. I think that's cool. I had two friends who had Palm pilots in middle school. One of them used to type their assignments on it. They probably just bought it for the name, but they should seriously consider developing some nice productivity apps that hook into other services.

01-07-2015, 12:48 AM	#7
frahse occasional author Posts: 2,315 Karma: 2064403292 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains. Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.	So that is where WebOs went. LG smart-TV. I will watch for the new Palm devices if only for nostalgia sake.

01-07-2015, 03:25 AM	#8
Jmirko Recovered collector Posts: 398 Karma: 1555507 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: see signature	WebOS is owned by LG, a new OS is out of the question, so it will likely be Android with some reference to Palm - the name, the logo, hardware design (Treo keyboard?), maybe with a skin reminiscent of the Palm design. I used to be a huge Palm fan, but even for me, that would not be a factor in my phone preferences. There was a point in time when HP could have saved Palm, but I think people have moved on.

01-08-2015, 03:52 PM	#9
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Palm might be dead, but my sister still prefers the touchpad I got her in the big fire sale to android. Go figure. Still a pretty big community and they are selling for $419 on Amazon. Not saying that they will make a comeback, but still a lot of diehard fans/developers out there. Helen

01-08-2015, 08:21 PM	#10
thewitt Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1135446 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Miami, Florida Device: iBooks	If they cannot sell 10m units a year, there is no incentive to be in business

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