> We also make our own hardware in a Palm V modem casing, this now needs
> changing. Our product is an industrial product and we need to know when to
> make the Vx to m500 transition. This is not as simple as it looks, as
there
> are all sorts of availability problems, such as getting the surface mount
> connectors. The fact that the Vx is out of date, is not so much of an
issue
> for us, becuase it wont be used like Palms normally are (flashed around
> etc.)
Well, that's a totally different problem. You started by suggesting that
Palm made the biggest mistake ever by including a USB cradle with the m500
series. It sounds like what your real issue is is knowing when to retool
your modem casing for the new "universal" connector. That's not an issue
related to the USB / serial cradle at all. Instead, it's a business case
decision. Will you offer a product for both Palm V and m500, or just one?
Probably both. How long do you want to be able to offer your product to
Palm V users? At some point, you'll hit diminishing returns as Palm Vs
become less and less in use. That could be a few years down the road
though.
> I want to use USB, but surely there must be a way of making it work with
NT
> 4.0. There are still a lot of people out there who will not be migrating
to
> Win 2000 for at least a year yet.
Again, if a company is buying Palms for their employees, then they can buy
an m500/m505 and add-on a serial cradle if their environment demands it.
That's "no big deal". Palm did the right thing by standardizing on USB, and
providing serial as an option. It might have been better (for consumers) if
they also offered a box with device and serial cradle. OTOH, we all know
that a significant percentage of consumers would want USB and pick up the
serial box, or want serial and pick up the USB box. I can understand why
they didn't add this SKU.
For NT4 users that miss the features of USB, well, that's not a Palm issue
either.
In other words, I feel your pain but you're barking up the wrong tree.
Jeff
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