As I mentioned in my Future on a Slate editorial in my personal blog, Palm did a lot for pocketable slate computing. From absolute market dominance over PDAs, they've slipped a bit over the years as Windows Mobile and other smartphones crept into their territory. Back at CES, I looked hard for evidence that the PDA was not dead. I didn't find it. PDA functions have all been wrapped into Smartphones, Portable Media Players, hybrid PDA/GPS units, and even "smart watches."
Palm's Treo line has always been a favorite among consumers. I have yet to meet a Treo owner who didn't absolutely love it. I've owned at least four PalmOS devices, but I don't see my current needs served by such a platform.
Anyway, there's a lot of buzz about a new Palm "Hawk" platform - perhaps a UMPC - to be unveiled soon. All the current information is rumor, but tomorrow, May 30, we know that Palm will announce a new mobile device. I can't watch the Webcast, so will report on it later in the evening. I really hope it's a competitor to UMPCs, MIDLinux tablets, and Internet Tablets.
I haven't kept up with the Palm development cycle as it's hard to keep up with the merger, split, merger, buy-out, and such. Palm's intellectual property has changed hands so many times that I wonder if it's the same company.
As for myself, I thank Palm for my interest in pocket computing. My first big-company tech job was at the US Robotics facility in Skokie, Illinois before and during (but not after) the 3Com merger. Even so - I still have a soft spot in my heart for Palm. Stay tuned.
0 comments:
Post a Comment