In one post, the team over at Engadget just summed up all of my thoughts about the Treo. I am really into phones and gadgets and I have relegated the Treo to the also-ran category as of about two years ago. I would love to see Palm reinvigorate this brand and do something interesting in the smartphone market. I just went to Verizon yesterday to check out phones and the only real decision I saw in the smartphone section was whether to get a Motorola Q or a Blackberry. I’m not sure who all of the Treo diehards are, but they deserve better from Palm. Aside from the Blackberry Curve, the Blackberry Pearl, and the iPhone, there is a real dearth of world-class smartphones with great user interfaces and strong messaging/sync capabilities. It certainly isn’t too late for Palm to get back in the game, but they had better hurry. I couldn’t agree more with the comment about dropping the Foleo, by the way – it strikes me as a total distraction. I have to believe that the next versions of the Q (not counting the Q9m) and Blackjack will be improvements over the current offerings, so Palm needs to get to work.
It’s true that Palm is up a creek. But I also think that you’ve undercored one of the underlying issue with smart phones in general is that the applications on them are inadequate. The iPhone has a better internet experience but lacks in other areas (video camera, MMS, SD). The Blackberry does email VERY well. But it is just getting its own cameras and it still feels kind of Soviet in its usability (the pearl element helps though). But it appears that there needs to be just as strong an iteration in the development of mobile applications. Windows Mobile, while a strong offering from a business context, sucks for the user (I am one, and I’m not impressed with it).
I’m convinced, Charles, that you won’t be happy until at least this much happens. Until then, happy complaining…I mean blogging.
It’s true that Palm is up a creek. But I also think that you’ve undercored one of the underlying issue with smart phones in general is that the applications on them are inadequate. The iPhone has a better internet experience but lacks in other areas (video camera, MMS, SD). The Blackberry does email VERY well. But it is just getting its own cameras and it still feels kind of Soviet in its usability (the pearl element helps though). But it appears that there needs to be just as strong an iteration in the development of mobile applications. Windows Mobile, while a strong offering from a business context, sucks for the user (I am one, and I’m not impressed with it). I’m convinced, Charles, that you won’t be happy until at least this much happens. Until then, happy complaining…I mean blogging.