Palm's future means more choice


Making sure the platform survives
I almost bought a Palm Treo 700p a few months ago. But between my innate paranoia and the near impossibility of deciphering Verizon's website to see how much it would cost, I gave it a pass.

For now.

Looks like I am not the only one who has issues with how Treos are marketed.

But indeed, Palm does have a larger problem: The company is at the mercy of the wireless carriers who largely control when, where for how much Treos are sold. It's also at the mercy of Access, the Japanese company that bought the Palm operating system many months ago and so far has shown no ability to push it into the next decade. Palm spokespeople have been left to make excuses for why they're stuck with a spruced-up version of a years-old operating system while Microsoft and Symbian continue to improve their platforms.

I like Palms, but I want something that can hold it's own in the marketplace. Just as one example, I want a Treo that includes WiFi because a customer shouldn't be at the mercy of a cell phone carrier for internet, or any services for that matter. In a few years with satellite phones it will all be academic anyway, but getting there is going to be tough. Especially if Palm doesn't have wiggle room.

Two turns of events in 2007 could save Palm. One would be Google intensifying its push into mobile phone services, thus giving data-centric device makers like Palm more leverage in dealing with carriers. The other would be Access loosening its grip on the Palm OS, and allowing Palm to officially drive the platform's future.

If Palm is going to survive as a company, they need control of their destiny to make it on their own.

One way or the other, the market is going to move towards more choice for customers.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - November 30, 2006 at 01:47 PM  Tag


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