The problem with the Treo is that all included software is stored on
ROM, where most people can't get to it.
Windows comes with a lot of stuff on the drive, but most of it is
promotional -- AOL and MSN, for instance -- and can be shed easily,
although I would have to acknowledge that a very huge percentage of new
computer buyers don't bother. Hence, the lawsuit a few years ago about
whether Internet Explorer is built-in or included-installed.
Treo comes with a couple of those - but on the Windows platform, you
can delete what you don't want; on the Treo, you can't.
One may, in fact, purchase a PC with only Windows installed, or with
nothing installed. Not so with the Treo.
I suggest the plethora of 3rd-party apps indicates a rather large
niche, especially when one broadens the market to include the other
Palm-built PDAs. Doctors and nurses use Palm devices to WiFi patient
records, and warehouse supervisors use them for stock control. The end
user may be part of the 5% or less, but the company IT could customize
the device to suit, rather than simply buy the device most like what
they want, and live with the problems.
Software should be where it is more easily accessible – essentially
a solid state hard drive, in which the current ROM-based apps be made
user-accessible. Someone who wants to replace Calendar with DB6 or
Agendus, Blazer with Opera, eliminate Docs2Go or upgrade to Pocket Tunes
Deluxe, could do it without having to resort to hacking the ROM or
wasting valuable resources.
And Palm, or whichever fills that market, concentrates on providing
a stable platform.
If, on the other hand, there really is only a 5% or less market for
such flexibility, then I submit Palm really is done, and along with it
all the developers who have built businesses providing add-ons to make
the basic platform actually usable.
Levi Wallach wrote:
> I respectfully disagree. Windows itself has gotten more stuff built into it
> so that there's a lot you can do without needing any third party apps at all.
> Many third party apps provide more functionality, but a lot of people don't
> use that added functionality. Besides this, most VAR's pack on lots of
> additional software. A lot of it is junk, true, but many (most?) computer
> users don't know that. I'm not saying this might not be a useful option for
> some, but the niche would be pretty small. People who are fairly technical
> and like to do everything themselves. This is probably what, 10% or even 5%
> or less of the market. Palm doesn't need to cater to such a small segment,
> it needs to bring in more users in general and it will do that with devices
> that appeal to the vast majority, not a tiny minority of its market.
>
> ________________________________________
> From: [email protected] [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of john.messeder
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 10:42 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Treo] This. Is AWESOME.
>
> I've said it before and I'll say it some more: Palm should put its
> emphasis into a supercool OS/User environment, and out its Treo with
> only the OS installed and the apps on CD for selection by the user, then
> allow third party developers to create the stuff users want on their device.
> It would be like buying a PC with Windows intalled (and even that is
> customizable with such as WindowBlinds and
> StyleXP). All the OEM apps would be on CD, and the install program
> offers an option between Express (everything is copied to the Treo) and
> Custom (the user decides to leave out such as Calendar and Contacts and
> VersaMail, etc. in favor of appropriate 3rd-party apps).
> It seems to me that there could be a niche for such a device, built on
> an ad campaign that said "Have it your way!"
> OK, that one's been used, but ...
>
> As for ripping off iPhone's interface -- Plagerism is often the
> sincerest form of flattery. Look what happened when Microsoft took
> Apple's interface and ...
>
> Lio wrote:
>
>> Dammit Palm, why didn't you think of this. Maybe you can do one with
>> the 3G speed. We'll just look past the lacking Wi-Fi for now.
>>
>> Nokia unlocks anti-Apple campaign - Engadget
>> http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/01/nokia-unlocks-anti-apple-campaign/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
>
> /“Thirty-five million deaths leave an empty place at only one family
> table.” /
> (News commentator Eric Severied in a radio essay on the 25th anniversary
> of the start of World War Two. 8/31/64)
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
--
/“Thirty-five million deaths leave an empty place at only one family
table.” /
(News commentator Eric Severied in a radio essay on the 25th
anniversary of the start of World War Two. 8/31/64)
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