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3Com Plans to Spin Off PalmPilot Division
RoboChicken writes "3Com announced today that it plans to
spin off the Palm computing division into a new, separate company. 3Com will deal with networking equipment, and the new company, "Palm Computing" (?) will be the PalmPilot company. "
There are a bunch of enterprise uses already for the palmpilot. DB data entry is a big one, for instance. Enter stuff into the forms in the field, then sync it into the DB when you get home.
Handspring supposedly rolls out their first PalmOS-based devices tomorrow. Surely the timing is no accident.
Until now 3Com/Palm had little real competition in the market, not even from WinCe devices. With the entry of the original developers of Palm into the market as licensee/competitiors, Palm now has to be a lot more nimble to keep selling their own devices. There's no way they could do that while being a division of a larger company, particular one with such a different focus.
(In fact, that may be why Hawkins and Dubinsky left 3Com to form Handspring.)
Lately, Palm has been subject to a lot of rumors. First, 3Com was going to sell the unit off. Next, Apple was going to guy it. Now, 3Com spins it off.
This is a great move for 3Com and Palm. 3Com has no real interest in the handheld market. So, it is a win for them. Palm now has more freedom and marketability. They win too.
I hope that this will end the rumors about the future of Palm. Many people have criticized 3Com for "holding them back". Jeff and Donna who started Palm have moved on to Handspring (which is debuting their new device tomorrow). Palm may now be able to keep good people. The corporate structure has been strange.
So, let's see what happens with this. I know that it is a good move. I just hope that Palm can focus on developing new and innovative PDAs rather than just resting on its laurels.
Licensing PalmOS, yes. They've already started this process with IBM, Qualcomm, Handspring, etc.
"2) enterprise computing solutions."
On a plam top? Discuss.
On a combination of palmtops and more centralized systems. Example: Salesdroid syncs his/her Palm with a networked PC database to load up the latest prices, etc. Goes off to customer site(s), makes sales, enters info into Palm, syncs again later to get the sales info into the system. And lots of variations on the theme.
Bearpaw
Now for the emerging strategic market segments!
"1) handheld operating system licensing."
What exactly this means, I'm not sure... I'd like to think that they will be offering the Palm Pilot with a choice of OS(e.g. Linux, WinCE, Propriety), but more likely they are looking at selling their own PalmOS to other manufacturers (taking on MS and WinCE?).
"2) enterprise computing solutions."
On a plam top? Discuss.
"3) wireline and wireless Internet services."
Good!
"4) portal sites."
Everybody want some /. pie!
"5) Palm-branded devices."
Errr, is that other than palm top computers?
--
"I was either onto something, or on something!"
In answer to several above posts, Handspring is not going to be a "me too" of the existing Palm models. They are specifically targetting students (college and high school) and general consumers who may have been afraid of previous electonic organizers (like Sharp Wizard, etc.)
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No self-respecting business person will probably carry around a Visor at work. I haven't seen pictures yet, but I'd be willing to bet that the Visor models will have a decidedly non-business look to them (although hopefully not as bad as what Apple would come up with).
Palm models have been in such high demand that they have been able to sell 4 million+ units even at $250-$400 prices. This can't continue so companies like Handspring are going to have to create a more accessable version...Visors are going to be the "Mercedes C Class" of the PalmOS world while the Palm V will continue to be the "big Mercedes".
Visor's most interesting feature, IMHO, is the idea for hot-swappable modules called Springboards. The idea here is that the PalmOS does not have the memory/batteries to perform certain functions as well as standalone devices (MP3 playback is not possible on a Palm and not really practical on a WinCE). But, by using a serial connection, a Palm is more than qualified to be the interface to control a separate device.
Imagine if you could take the screen/controls off off a Rio and then plug it into the back of your Palm. The PalmOS provides the interface to pick songs, pause, adjust EQ, etc. while the Springboard provides the 32MB memory and extra batteries to provide acceptable sound levels (sort of like the Boostaroo product that amplifies MP3 playback on too-quiet WinCE headphone jacks).
I can think of several different devices that could benefit from a much larger screen, ability to keep history lists, exchange data with PC, and so forth. Pagers are an excellent candidate for Springboard modules. I'm really quite excited; I only hope someone comes up with a Springboard socket adapter for my Palm V.
I fully expect Visor to be the final nail in WindowCE's coffin. I know many people who see Palms that cost $250-$400 retail next to WinCE devices that are $350-$500 dollars. I'm sad to say that many of them instantly buy the WinCE devices because they feel they are getting so much more (color, sound, etc.) for their money.
What the general public has failed to realize thus far is that PalmOS is a tool, and as such does not NEED color or sound to provide information. Now thanks to Visor, the ante into the handheld game is only $150...people might finally understand how all the color and sound in the world doesn't make your address book any more functional.
My $0.02, not necessarily yours...
- JoeShmoe
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-- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
1.) NewtonScript - it's like Pascal on crack. A specialized lang that is rather annoying to work in. Palm by contrast uses good old C and Motorola 68K assem (if you so wish). Short of some restrictions on string manipulation that you have to get used to, writing stuff for the Pilot compared to NewtonScript is a dream.
2.) Dev kit licences - in typical Apple fashion, they wouldn't let any 3rd parties come in and produce dev tools. Palm/3COM said, "Codewarrior is oursourced dev kit, but here's the include files, general dev info, .PRC format, etc. Generate Moto 68K code with em. We can't quite *OFFICIALLY* support independant stuff (*wink* *wink* - *nudge* *nudge*), but we'll help you if we can. Write Apps for our platform!"
3.) Form factor - I loved the Newton when I had it , but I always hated how bulky it was. I hardly think about packing my Pilot around.
4.) Handwriting recognition - Just watch some old Simpson's episodes or leaf some old Dilberts. The handwriting recognition NEVER matured in Newton's lifetime. After 5 months with the Newton, I still couldn't get as fast or accurate as I wanted to be witht it. I was ripping on Graffiti by the third day I had my Pilot and many Pilot owners will point out that 3 days to learn Graffiti is considered SLOW.
5.) Price - Apple has never been smart here. Even up to the death of the Newton, they were more expensive than the Pilot. Bottom line, anyone who got to spend some time using both would have picked the Pilot.
Lucky for all us Pilot fans, M$ never got it with WinCE (pronounced "wince", as in what a user does when interacting with the device). It's slow, bloated, and even with the most recent rework isn't worth spending a nickel on. I hope the morons at M$ keep beating the dead horse that is the WinCE device concept. As long as they're focused on that, they'll neve get close to PalmOS.
For those that remember the Palm saga, it goes a bit like this:
A tiny start-up named Palm Computing demonstrates a prototype of the Pilot organizer.
US Robotics buys Palm Computing.
3Com buys US Robotics.
And now 3Com wants to spin off Palm Computing so that it's an independent company.
It's the circle of life...
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