Dear Palm: It's time for an intervention
by Peter Rojas 
posted Aug 21st 2007 at 12:38PM
Man, what a crazy year, right? We know things haven't really been going your way lately, but we want you to know that we haven't given up on you, even though it might seem like the only smartphone anyone wants to talk about these days is the iPhone. It can be hard to remember right now, but you used to be a company we looked to for innovation. You guys got handhelds right when everyone else, including Apple, was struggling to figure it out. And it was the little things that made those early Palm Pilots great -- you could tell that someone had gone to a lot of trouble to think about what made for a great mobile experience, like how many (or rather, few) steps it took to perform common tasks.
The problem is that lately we haven't seen anything too impressive out of you guys. Sure, over the past few years the Treo has emerged as a cornerstone of the smartphone market, but you've let the platform stagnate while nearly everyone (especially Microsoft and HTC, Symbian and Nokia, RIM, and Apple) has steadily improved their offerings. So we've thrown together a few ideas for how Palm can get back in the game and (hopefully) come out with a phone that people can care about. (And we're not talking about the Centro / Gandolf.) Read on.
Frankly, you've taken a turn from being the respected underdog and innovator to repeat offender in stale gear. Every press release you issue or "leaked" photo we see these days is another dent in your already banged up armor, and really, we're not sure how much more we can take -- our loyalty has practically become an embarrassment among peers. The New York Times totally nailed it when they said "Palm is about to release a new model in its Treo line and photos leak out to silence." That said, we humbly submit a few (mainly practical) suggestions for how you can turn things around, organized by hardware, software, and other.
Hardware
Get thin - Three words: FIGURE IT OUT. If HTC, Apple, and Motorola can offer thin (and we mean friggin' thin) smartphones, you can too. We know you think the Treo is perfectly proportioned, but it's not. It's chubby. No excuses any more, ok? It doesn't have to be as thin as the iPhone, but you've gotta trim some of the fat.
Bigger, higher resolution displays - Make the screen bigger and up the resolution and you'll go a long way towards winning us back. There's no reason the 750 shouldn't have 320 x 320 (or higher) -- Windows Mobile 6 supports that, or didn't you hear? But for new devices you might want to have the keyboard slide out, like with the HTC Hermes or the Samsung i730. It's a really smart move. The long and short of it is this: if you can find some way to marry the expanse of something like the iPhone's or G900's massive, high res screens and still retain the spirit of the Palm keyboard, people will be very interested.
Speaking of the keyboard, don't mess too much with it - Apple may or not add a physical keyboard to the iPhone (our money says it won't happen), but the one the Treo has now is pretty good and it's pretty much the one thing that's keeping a lot of Treo owners from jumping ship. And from what we hear, the Centro is going to have a keyboard that's "impossible to type on" -- not a good sign. Then again, HTC's signature sliding QWERTY form factor is really compelling too, so you might do good to whip up a really messaging-heavy device built around that kind of design. But again, don't be tempted to mess too much with what's good about the Treo's input.
Make it look nice - We know Jeff Hawkins thinks Palm (well, technically Handspring) nailed it with the Treo form-factor, but it's been almost FOUR YEARS since you introduced the Treo 600, and apart from a few long-overdue improvements here and there (losing the antenna stub, making the casing a few millimeters thinner, tweaking the keyboard), it's essentially the same phone. The Treo used to win design awards, but now it looks really clunky compared to devices like the Dash, the Curve, and the iPhone.
YOU NEED TO MAKE THE PHONE LOOK NICE. Phones are a big part of people's lives now, and if they're going to spend $400 and up for one, they're going to want something they won't be embarrassed to use in public. C'mon, even RIM has figured this one out. How have you failed to see that innovative and engaging design is necessary to win (or even compete) in the mass-market consumer cellphone world? We know that's where the Centro is aimed, and we're not so sure it's going to hit the mark.
Add WiFi - Is it really almost 2008 and the Treo STILL doesn't have WiFi? No excuses any more, sort it out.
Think about adding some storage - There was a time when just having expandable storage via a memory card slot was enough, but that time's passed. People won't mind sideloading via USB if you make the Treo appear as a mass storage device, meaning you can add embedded flash memory (a few gigs would be nice). 8GB in a cellphone is now the new bar. Meet or exceed it, but don't ignore the fact.
Finally, put the kibosh on the Centro / Gandolf / Treo 800p - You're going down the wrong path with these devices, and everyone knows it but you. We don't want to harp on this, but if what we've heard in the initial reports, and seen in blurry photos is what you're really going to offer, then believe it or not, you'll actually be able to expect a reception from your community roughly twice as lukewarm as it was for the Foleo. Palm, put your ear to the ground and listen. We hate to be jerks, but now appears to be the time for some tough love.
Software suggestions
Completely overhaul the OS - We know you're working on a Linux-based mobile OS to succeed Palm OS Garnet -- which was already REALLY showing its age two years ago -- but we're sorta worried that you're going to just port the old UI to a new kernel. It's too late for that. Apple's winning converts because they totally rethought how we should interact with a mobile phone, and Palm needs to do the same thing.
We hate to keep bringing up Apple, but there are so many accurate analogues. Like when Apple introduced OS X: it made a serious gamble that the stability and features they were offering in their new OS outweighed the compatibility with older apps and user interface comfort which already existed. They took an old, once great, but very dated OS (sound like anyone we know?) and trashed it. And it worked for them.
If you've demonstrated any true wrongdoing in the way you've sustained your operating system, it's been your inflexibility in cutting ties and moving forward. Believe us when we tell you that's not an attitude embraced by a culture of techno-fetishists -- your core customer. So don't be scared to kill backwards compatibility, or threaten a little bit of what users are used to in order to gain important advances for your OS and devices. Sometimes you have to tear down to rebuild, and honestly, you have a lot to tear down.
So if Palm, which has been around for around 15 years, doesn't have the user interface design and OS engineering expertise to pull this off, then you should just get out of the game right now. Seriously, if this new OS you're going to introduce is just the old Palm OS with some slightly fancier graphics, your customers will just come to resent you all the more. Respect their intelligence.
You guys need to go back to the drawing board (and back to your roots) and figure out how to optimize the smartphone experience of 2007/8 just like you optimized the PDA experience ten years ago. That's how Palm won its first fans and kicked off mobile computing as we now know it. So you don't have to go in for the same kind of gesture-based touchscreen-focused UI as the iPhone (though it might not hurt), but you do need to make the UI cleaner, faster, sexier, and more fluid and intuitive -- and that doesn't mean throwing on a new skin.
Be open - Here's one place you can really gain an edge over the iPhone: be REALLY open. If you're running the new Treos on Linux, this shouldn't be too difficult anyway, right? Give us the ability to really tweak the phone. Not just to create new applications and skins, but entirely new interfaces -- whatever your users can come up with. Give the community an SDK and all the tools necessary to improve the things they don't like -- and you'll end up with a Treo that users can make better and more useful -- and thus necessarily more desirable than the cookie cutter devices Apple's pumping out.
True multitasking - Having to ask for this is almost embarrassing. Palm OS Garnet just wasn't made for multitasking, which was only barely acceptable even when Garnet was introduced nearly five years ago. We're going to assume that you're on top of this with Linux, but we still have to mention it.
Embrace developers - Just being open probably won't be enough -- you need to win back developers who have abandoned you and court new ones. You know how we knew you guys were in trouble? When people stopped making Palm apps. Yeah, there have been a few here and there -- Google shocked us with a Palm version of Google Maps -- but we all know that the once vibrant community of Palm OS developers has withered in recent years.
It's going to be tough at first. A lot of people feel burned by you guys, your reluctance to keep the platform alive. Others might shy away from devoting time, energy, and money to developing apps for the new Palm OS when (at least for awhile) the user base will be a lot bigger for other mobile platforms like Windows Mobile, Symbian, etc. Stick it out. Invest in innovation -- even if that means enabling others to innovate with your platform.
Add a better browser - Blazer ain't cutting it anymore. Apple's set a new standard with Safari on the iPhone, but pay attention to what people like Dave Winer and Michael Gartenberg are saying about its limitations. For starters, trying to replicate the desktop browsing experience on a mobile device (ANY mobile device) isn't always a good idea. Mobile-formatted web pages work because they're designed for smaller screens. Blazer has done a decent-enough job of formatting sites for the Treo's screen, but you need to improve a TON of stuff.
Ajax support, tabs, the ability to toggle between WAP and regular versions of a page, and not having to reload every time you go back a page would be a good place to start. (Your new browser should be able to cache till the cows come home because mobile device users are already fighting an uphill battle against slow and spotty connections.) Just look at some of the other competition in Opera, S60, etc.; it's not hard to see how much mobile browser innovation there's been in the past couple of years while you've let Blazer rot.
Offer great Mac support out of the box - A lot of people use Macs now -- it's not 1999 anymore. Making it tough for them to sync their phone is a dealbreaker, especially considering how well the iPhone syncs not only with Macs, but with PCs. And the most vexing part is all it takes is a native iSync plugin -- super easy, you know? Trust us, it'll be worth it. You want the Mac community on your side.
Multimedia - The multimedia aspects of the Treo are really underappreciated, and that's probably because they're very poorly integrated right now. Pocket Tunes, TCPMP, and Kinoma are alright, but -- love it or hate it -- the iPod functionality and integration in the iPhone completely redefined multimedia convergence in cellphones. But remember: a lot of people (us included) aren't really into the whole iTunes ecosystem, and would love a viable alternative. Again, make loading multimedia on the Treo as simple as drag and drop, and make playing it back as simple and sexy as Apple has.
Get with Google - You've already taken some baby steps here -- it's great that you're pre-loading Google Maps and all that -- but you need to go deeper. Offer a great mobile versions of Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Reader, etc. and you'll have a good shot at winning over some of the millions and millions of people who have migrated to Google's ecosystem. Besides, it's not just about syncing with the desktop anymore, it's about syncing with the cloud.
Other Stuff
Stop wasting money on the Foleo - We all know this isn't going anywhere. And even if it does do alright -- and let's be real, it's never going to do better than alright -- it's really just a distraction from the main business you're already neglecting. Besides, how many Treo companions do you expect to sell if the Treo itself isn't up to snuff? The Foleo is not the way to make the core product better.
Make better ads - We know this is easier said than done, but all this "It's not a phone, it's a Treo" crap isn't cutting it. Even stodgy old Sprint and Verizon have gotten the message on advertising -- look at the Chocolate, connectile dysfunction, and flashlight commercials, which have been really successful. If you can't match them at inspiring current and potential users to spend money on you, you need a new ad agency.
Stop keeping us in the dark - A lot of former Treo fanatics we've spoken with have abandoned Palm because they're just tired of the complete lack of information about stuff like where the platform is going and when much-needed software updates will be available. We don't expect you to reveal all your secrets (that's what Engadget is here for), but it would be nice to get some confirmation about when we'll finally see some the first Linux-powered Treos, not cagey answers and misleading statements. If you're worried about cannibalizing sales, don't be, because a lot of people who might stick around for a new-and-improved Treo are already jumping ship for iPhones, HTCs, and BlackBerrys.
Look, we know what we're talking about here won't be able to happen today, tomorrow, or next week. It's going to require some serious time, dedication, and faith in the brand you've built. Your stock is tumbling, the lowest it's been in months; your customers have lost faith, and those buying Treos seem to be just going through the motions; your efforts to expand your business have gone unfulfilled, and perhaps most importantly, your consumers are unhappy and looking for the next great thing -- that you're not providing. But it's not entirely hopeless. Your biggest competition's already shown its hand, and you've seen how successful they've been. Look at what they've done right (and wrong), and build upon it.
Even if you only implemented half the suggestions we've laid out here we think you could really turn things around. And we do, honestly, want you to make it through this thing. We want to love Palm like we loved it in the old days, and know somewhere, deep down, you've got some fight left in you. And believe you us, this is your shot. The bottom's about to drop out on the Treo, and if you can't make it happen soon, you may never get another chance to get a foothold on innovation.
Your friends and fans,
Engadget
By Peter Rojas, Ryan Block, and Joshua Topolsky
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
mac snooper @ Aug 21st 2007 12:49PM
WELL writen as a owner of a 755p i could not agree more...
Kelly Lipprand @ Aug 21st 2007 1:04PM
Agreed, very well written and thought out. -- Long time Palm and Treo owner
Elliott @ Aug 21st 2007 5:45PM
700w here...Never was a big fan of Palm because of pretty much everything stated in the article. Which is why I junked it for an HTC. Lack of software, small screen, and general hideous appearance deterred me almost indefinitely. If these changes could be made (especially creating an open platform) I'd definitely reconsider.
Johan S @ Aug 21st 2007 5:54PM
My peeve with their suggestion is that they didnt specify that it needs to have a minimum of a 800 pixel width LCD display. Lack of technology is no excuse. LCD's of the size that is on the Treo with 800+ px resolution have already been demonstrated (call up Samsung or Hitachi).
Oh yeah and they forget to ask to include GPS .. and CRUCIALLY make the GPS software UI decent .. license from telenav, tomtom, garmin, etc. Make easily it be work with google or mapquest maps.
NSi @ Aug 21st 2007 11:47PM
Oh my god. I just couldn't agree more with every single point in this letter. I have gone through every Treo from the 600 to the 755p and I can't stand to give them my money anymore, it's an insult to my intelligence - I actually get depressed thinking about how Palm has squandered everything they built up to the Treo 600 by being such a completely dysfunctional company. The Foleo is the cherry on top that screams "we don't give a sh1t about our customers!!!"
I've sworn to drop Palm forever unless they get their crap together in the next 6 months.
Ben @ Aug 23rd 2007 3:11AM
Me too don't wanna see Palm leave, but fact is they're leaving soon and for good...
Coz I don't think none of them in Palm never thought of what's need to be done and changed like you people suggested. It's a no brainer, but obviously hit us real hard on why didn't they do it..? But came out something like Foleo crap instead.
Can never understand what's the people up there in Palm were thinking, they knew it, trust me, but they just don't do it.
jeffharris @ Aug 22nd 2007 10:26AM
Yes, absolutely.
I've been a Palm user since the Palm Pilot Pro (1997? EGAD!). I've gone through Palm III, Palm IIIxe, Palm IIIc. When I saw the first big pivoting screen Sony Clié NR70V, I switched. It seemed even then, 2002, that Palm was in design stasis.
When my Clié died, I was bereft and reluctantly moved back to Palm and the TX. It's not a bad thing, but the OS just seems like it hasn't changed much since version 3, maybe 2. The mystery Garnet or OS 6 or whatever Palm is/was calling it never seems to materialize. And I thought Palm had Apple roots (shipping, stable products), not Microsoft's (delayed, bloated, stolen or acquired) bastard heritage.
I looked at the Treo line. While somewhat compelling, I HATE those nasty little keyboards; I have adult fingers. Call me crazy, but I like using a stylus and Grafitti.
I always thought that a truly GREAT Palm PDA phone would combine all the best features of the Palm TX... 128MB RAM (or more), big screen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, SD card slot, on-screen keypad OR Grafitti ... with the phone guts of the Treo line, sans the crappy smurf keyboard.
Apple beat 'em to it, in some ways, with the iPhone. But I STILL like some of my old Palm software: DateBk 6, SuperNames, Brainforest, Vindigo.
So, why can't Palm do something like this instead of existing in it's un-dead state?
Terc @ Aug 23rd 2007 9:49PM
Had a Treo 650, Zire 71 before that, and a Palm V prior to that. I got a brother started with the Zire 21, and my mother on a Treo 650. Sadly, since I had seen no real innovation since my Zire, I moved on. Durring the course of 8 years, I went from what was at the time a VERY sleek device to a Treo, which, although it had added phone functionality, a higher res screen with color, it was more than TWICE the thickness. Palm waited too long for me.
Proud new owner of an iPhone.
Palm, I would love to come back, but you've got a lot of work to do. Hope to see you in 2 years.
Korpil @ Aug 24th 2007 12:28PM
As a Treo 680 (and former 600) user, I couldn't agree more... I'd love more my Treo if it had Wi-Fi...
Data connection rates in Mexico are overkill, and I'm surrounded by Wifi connections everywhere... it's a waste not to use them properly!
Mikek @ Aug 21st 2007 12:51PM
Here here. My very last Treo is on my hip now. I won't buy another unless something radical changes with Palm.
Mehool @ Aug 21st 2007 10:02PM
I agree, and you know what? The main reason why is because my treo is just too unstable! Palms used to be hallmarks of stability. My old Palm V ALWAYS worked, instantly - very gratifying. The 700p i have reboots all the time. Even the software update released was bunk, Sprint users had all sorts of problems.
And you can't say: well the devices do much more than the old V did. Tech has updated enough that yes, you can create a device that can do more, but tech has updated enough that you can create a platform that is robust and reliable (especially after 5 iterations of the same basic OS).
My fav line in the letter: "You guys need to go back to the drawing board (and back to your roots) and figure out how to optimize the smartphone experience of 2007/8 just like you optimized the PDA experience ten years ago."
Pete @ Aug 21st 2007 12:53PM
Maybe a little too much of an 'all-I-ever-wanted-in-a-smartphone' list, but hopefully the reach of Engadget will prompt Palm to pull their finger out.
I had such high hopes when I first bought my Treo 180 (then 600, then 650), but I'm a Nokia user now and the speed that they are moving with their platform just leaves Palm in the dust.
It's tough to see if they'll ever catch up.
Jonathan Allen @ Aug 21st 2007 1:24PM
I have owned a 600 and a 650. I now own an iPhone and I don't think I will ever go back to palm unless they really start to bring their A game. With the emergence of the Korean and Chinese cell phone market, I would surprised if the Treo is on its' way out.
alexkaiserwilhelm @ Aug 21st 2007 12:59PM
I had a Palm IIIc. When it came out it was amazing.
It is now very dated.
Problem is, Palm hasn't really made radical changes since then.
*sighs and fondles an iPhone and contemplates.....
Alex
All-Purpose Guru @ Aug 22nd 2007 2:01PM
I remember when the Palm IIIc came out, the developer community got simulators that supported color a full SIX MONTHS before the product shipped. They didn't even *say* they were going to have a product, just that "you probably better think about color."
Now you can't even FIND OUT what is going on-- or even get clues.
Palm should be asking their developers for help, not ignoring them so they go off and write for Windows Mobile.
KnightmareCS @ Aug 21st 2007 12:58PM
8GB is not the new standard...
Ryan Block @ Aug 21st 2007 1:01PM
We didn't say the new standard. We said the new bar -- it's the number to beat.
KnightmareCS @ Aug 21st 2007 1:02PM
misread that
new bar? guess so
KnightmareCS @ Aug 21st 2007 1:05PM
argh, Ryan beat me to it.
if the commenting didnt take so long...
Schwinn @ Aug 21st 2007 12:59PM
Amen!
Particularly about the OPEN platform and tinker-ability!
I still have my Tungsten-E and though I was pretty annoyed by the lack of Wifi ability (you saved that the for E2 instead, and I can't use an official card of any kind with it). I have to admit, I am one of those people looking elsewhere for a replacement when this one dies... I'd prefer a Palm, but you aren't giving me (us) much of a choice right now!
rpa @ Aug 23rd 2007 5:57AM
Same here....the 'Vx' I had before the 'E' was also great. I keep looking for something compelling enough to use when the 'E' dies and right now I'd say is was Nokia E65. My son just bought one and he now only laughs at my 'E'!
Cory @ Aug 25th 2007 3:14PM
Of course we'd all love an open platform, but there is a reason no mobile device is. No carrier would support an open device. They make good money charging a monthly fee for every app installed and there not about to change that. Our only hope as consumers is that Google buys the 700mhz spectrum and changes the rules.
Daran @ Aug 21st 2007 1:03PM
fkn signed
leland @ Aug 21st 2007 1:06PM
Ever since Jeff Hawkins left there hasn't been much innovation in the palm arena. He was the genius behind everything at palm, the whole story behind his career there and why he was fired is one of the best examples of tech mismanagement.
Timmy O @ Aug 21st 2007 3:57PM
Jeff is a part of Palm now. He left Palm a while back to form Handspring, and then Palm bought Handspring for the Treo 600. Now Jeff is back with Palm.
Anyone else need a history lesson?
leland @ Aug 21st 2007 5:14PM
Actually Jeff left shortly after the buyout, to do work with his next venture, Numenta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Hawkins
MegaZone @ Aug 21st 2007 10:38PM
he founded Numeta but he did not leave Palm - he's behind the Foleo. There are plenty of videos of him announcing it and talking about it. He's still with Palm.
kookoobirdz @ Aug 21st 2007 11:34PM
Triple pwnage! Awesome.
David Jacobs @ Aug 21st 2007 7:05PM
Well said. I already regret buying my Treo 680 and can't wait to replace it with a Curve or iPhone.
Jack @ Aug 21st 2007 1:06PM
Well done Engadget. You have captured exactly how I have felt about my Palm relationship since I purchased my 700p last summer. I have felt that they have been way too silent on all of the 700p's issues, and what and when their proposed remedies would be. I loved the Palm line, having used them since the Handspring days, and I truly wanted to stay a faithful user. However, the taste in my mouth was so bitter, that when Sprint offered me a HTC Mogul to try out, I agreed, and now find myself no longer in the Palm camp. The Mogul has some bluetooth issues, and a keyboard bug, but they are scheduled to release a new maintenance release sometime next month to fix these issues. Now, that is only a couple of months since the official release of the phone, unlike the 12 plus months it took Palm to address the 700p bugs, which were major and many. Would I ever consider going back to Palm? At this point, they'd have to look at your many suggestions in this "open letter", which suggestions I concur with, and implement them...period!
ryantrevisol @ Aug 21st 2007 1:06PM
Amen! I just wish Palm would listen.
Isn't it interesting how much the Treo 755 has come full circle to look more like the original Treo? And oh, let's see. The Treo 90 was .2 THINNER than the 755!
The other thing is, you've gotta make everyone WANT it. It's gotta be craveable. When the Treo came out, it was craveable because Palms were a big deal, and combining it with a cell phone was unbelievably AWESOME. Like combining an iPod with a smartphone. Now, THAT's an idea. They need to innovate with it, not just improve it.
bluemonq @ Aug 21st 2007 2:41PM
Treo 90 was just a PDA, not a smartphone.
Mike @ Aug 21st 2007 1:08PM
Sounds to me like people want Palm to invent an iPhone.
Jaime @ Aug 21st 2007 2:22PM
Ya, but open to 3rd Party Software.
David @ Aug 21st 2007 6:21PM
No, we want hard buttons/keyboard, 3rd party apps (including apps that don't require a wireless connection), voice dialing, and stylus support (all Palm/Treo features not on the iPhone).
David @ Aug 21st 2007 6:29PM
p.s. - I'm a long-time Palm fan: Pilot 500, Pro upgrade, Palm III, Palm V, Palm Vx, Clie 655c (why did Sony drop the line!?!?!?!), currently a Kyocera 7135 Palm phone.
The 7135 is getting a bit old, and can't run OS5 apps, but I just bought a ton of accessories cheap on eBay (keyboard, batteries, car kit, etc) and refuse to replace it until there's a new Palm phone that's a clamshell, or at least slider design. I'm so tired of all the Treo owners/websites spending half their time and money on stupid/bulky cases/clips. My 7135 just folds shut. No case - perfectly protected. It's dropped on the floor many times in four years and still works perfectly with no scratches on the screen of keys. I've got a 2GB SD card, and with BeBopper it makes a pretty good mp3 player.
Carl @ Sep 5th 2007 10:08AM
because Apple nailed it.
Written from my iPhone.
Mark @ Aug 21st 2007 1:07PM
What's sad is that everyone with half a brain could see these points are what is needed to keep the company going, but all of the people getting paid millions will not follow anything you've written. My Sony Clie was the best Palm that I've seen, I could only imagine how great it could be now with the advancements in technology over the last 4 years. How sad that the Clie came out from Sony and not Palm, and that the only semi-innovative thing Palm came out with was the Lifedrive, which was the size of a 1970's hard drive and had about the same amount of storage as one.
Palm devices used to be my favorite gadget, I used to buy the next new model when they came out, but now there is no point. You get the same features buying one that was released this year as you do from one released 6 years ago.
S4Rs @ Aug 21st 2007 1:08PM
I bought the treo 600 when it first came out, I remember it was 600$ but i got it for 250. That was 3.5 years ago. Just last month I gave up and bought a Moto Q (new to sprint). Well although its slicker I really miss my treo. The contacts, the SMS, switching to silent or airplane mode, locking the screen, Syncing, and the speed!!!! (it could keep up with my typing and the Q can not, apps loaded right up), it was all so much better. I wanted Ev-DO though and couldn't justify spending another 250+ bucks for a newer treo that has awful bluetooth support (no stereo), a bad browser and the same shape. I don't need that kind of attention in my left pant pocket. oh and as far as the Folio goes, why wouldn't create a small app that lives in your phone, when you bluetooth it with another computer,you can unload the app and have it do everything the foleo does. I buy smart phones so that I can check my mail on the go, not so I can use a lightweight laptop to check my mail on the go. They are taking the purpose of the smart phone and putting it in to the folio. Why don't we just press the folio against our faces to talk and and eliminate the smart phone....
kookoobirdz @ Aug 21st 2007 11:39PM
"Why don't we just press the folio against our faces to talk and and eliminate the smart phone...."
You are teh Foleo diss king!
DT @ Aug 21st 2007 1:09PM
THANK YOU for this article, expressing everything that is wrong with Palm in a coherent, logical manner. You gave criticism with love, as a parent would. I too have been disgusted with Palm as of late. They are dying a slow death, and it is sad to see the savior/creators of the PDA market end so ingloriously. It's really stunning how they've let themselves go...it's a little like seeing that really hot girl from high school who got by on her looks and personality 10 years later, only now she's fat and not as fun as she used to be. Sad sad sad. I'm really hoping that this article gets printed on banners and hung all over Palm HQ to redirect them. They were great once and could be great again.
Gamer90 @ Aug 21st 2007 1:11PM
Fantastic and wonderfully written article. I agree with every one of the points presented. Palm has the resources to change around, hopefully they have the determination to do so as well. I really hope to see a major improvement in Treos to come (2008). HTC has definitely been on the ball with the Mogul/Hermes, Cavalier, Kaiser and Touch. Hopefully Palm gets on the ball. What amazes me the most is that it's not like Palm has hundreds (exaggeration) of devices in its stable (recent devices), HTC is pumping out devices all the time (even though most are just different carrier versions of the same thing, there still are various tweaks that go into the design and such). Palm has no excuses for 2008.
Cary G @ Aug 21st 2007 1:14PM
Amen brothers!
Jamie @ Aug 21st 2007 1:13PM
I heartily second that emotion, as a very bored 700P owner and owner of Palms all the way back to the Pilot. Well-written article, gang!
Hamson @ Aug 21st 2007 1:14PM
That was very well written, Peter Rojas, Ryan Block, and Joshua Topolsky. It's writing like this (and most of your other writing) that keeps me reading Engadget.
ken @ Aug 21st 2007 1:25PM
Add speaker independent voice dialing that works with a press of the button on a Bluetooth headset, otherwise people can't use it (safely) in their car. Any Motorola free phone can do it, should be easy for a more serious phone but it lacking from almost ALL smart/PDA-phones.
Brian Poole @ Aug 21st 2007 1:25PM
These are your customers talking Palm. Try to listen.
I bought a 600 & a 680 the day they came out.. now I'm looking for a new phone but am not able to find anything from Palm that meets my standards. My fiancee wants a smartphone as well but I'm not letting her buy any of Palm's current offerings either. STEP UP TO THE PLATE OR GET OUT OF THE PARK.
gotsmart @ Aug 21st 2007 2:09PM
Well written, to the point, and brutally honest.
Well done!
mcepat @ Aug 21st 2007 1:27PM
"the only smartphone anyone wants to talk about these days is the iPhone."
not a smartphone by conventional terms, being that a smartphone is a platform device that allows software to be installed
IPHONE is closed and controlled by Apple, whereas smartphones are supported by a third-party ecosystem in which independent software vendors compete to create commercially successful apps.
"Feature phones have third-party applications too, but these are relatively weak and limited applications that work with the middleware such as Java and Brew," explained Solis.
"Applications designed for smartphones can be written to access core functionality from the operating system itself, and are therefore usually more powerful and efficient.
"The competition in an open environment also yields more cutting-edge, rich applications."
IPHONE=smartphone don't think so
No expandable memory.
No removable battery.
No Exchange or Office support
Andy @ Aug 21st 2007 3:36PM
Clearly if you are complaining about it you don't have one. Why can't you just leave it at that. you think by adding comments on engadget that Apple will sudenley process all of your complaints and change the phone so it matches your every need. We would all love for that to happen, but unless you're Steve Jobbs, it won't. People should stop complaining and deal with it. there is no need for you to constantly write messages pointing out the flaws of the phone. just buy it if you like it or don't if you don't.