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Palm to Buy Handspring

Posted by michael on 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."

3 of 382 comments (clear)

  1. Other article ... by jmays · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yahoo is carrying an article , too.

    --
    KARMA TAG! You're it.
  2. Re:Uhhh... by Mwongozi · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  3. Palm/Handspring timeline by dsandler · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, the official press release 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