Quote:
Originally Posted by NJBlackBerry
Palm once upon a time was a manufacturer of both hardware and software. When their business imploded, they broke into several parts; Palm, Palm One and Palm Source were all at one time or another entities.
PalmSource - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A bit confusing, but the bottom line is Palm has lost most of their business.
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Without even going to that link .... Palm Inc. began life as well, Palm. Palm was bought out by some company, I forget the name (it was the time of the Palm IIIc : the last PDA to go colour btw). Then internal squabling began and the cofounders figured going on their own yet STILL using the same OS for PDA's would be beneficial. Handspring began life with great gusto and initial sales. Yet their design and convergence initiatives (first as attachment accessories to the PDA), were too late to market (compared to 3rd Partys), yet too early (Market segment was there, but networks just couldn't deliver anything in realtime over GSM, TDMA, CDMA before 1XRTT). Handspring didn't do too well in its (prolonged) 2.5yr existence, before being bought by Palm Inc and the co-founders once again back at the development.
I think the WORST blunder(s) Palm Inc ever made was the following in order of history:
1> Not only a massive increase of OS Licensing but FORCING innovators that used and augmented (drastically improving) the core OS to surrender source code to be later incorporated into future revisions for all licensees. This drastically reduced benefits a company had over competition; something that royally ticked Sony off! (External memory capability, Software/Minimize Grafitti area, Hi resolution graphics 320x320 to 320x480, WiFi built-in, Camara built-in/via Memory STick were ALL Sony innovations.)
2> Announcing (what was back then incredible improvements over Windows Mobile 2002) a new OS 6.0 Cobalt to licensee's in limited source yet never delivering it, and delaying it ENDLESSLY was the slash on the achilles.
3> Not going to the hospital to repair the achilles pronto. Access Inc offered to give OS 6.0 Cobalt a shot in the arm and give SIGNIFICANT & Relevant hardware support & software improvements over a cost effective platform (linux core). On & On & On ... waiting to go beyond OS 5.x .
Palm dealt itself its own fate. That is the sad thing. Or is it sad that ppl BUY Palm even with Windows Mobile as the OS today still??