Sling planning Slingplayer client for Palm OS? Update: yes!

Sneaky Sling, slipping one right under everyone's noses -- just yesterday we happened to be pondering to ourselves why they'd develop a Windows Mobile Slingplayer client and announce their intentions to develop a Symbian version, but not do one for Palm OS? (Yes, we really do think about this stuff in our spare time.) The side of the new Slingbox boxes, as we know, clearly show Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and Mobile logos, Mac and Symbian support (which is a little unfair considering neither client is out even in beta yet) -- as well as an innocuous black sticker we totally didn't even notice. That is, until our pal Dave peeled it off and revealed the Palm logo, too. Maybe it was just too soon to pre-announce, maybe maybe they're going to wait for ALP before they make a move on Palm, or maybe they just killed their Palm client plans -- we don't know, but for our many Treo using friends, you've now a bit more hope than you did yesterday for getting your place shifting on without having to finally let go of Palm.

P.S. -We pinged Sling to see what's going on, but we're still waiting back for the official word back. Stay tuned for more info.
P.P.S. -Did anyone else notice Sling recognized the Engadget Award they received last year? Nice! (Picture after the break.)

Update: Ok, we just got off the horn with Sling. So, the same with their forthcoming Symbian client, consumers can in fact expect a Palm client! (Huzzah!) Unfortunately, Sling would not comment on whether this would be a Palm OS or ALP-based product, nor would they give any timeframe of release for it or the Symbian version. (Boo!) Sling told us they're working with partners on the two client releases (no, they wouldn't tell us which ones, either); as packaging was being completed and units were being shipped to retail, Sling apparently mis-predicted the Symbian and Mac clients' readiness (thus leaving them unstickered) -- but successfully estimated the Palm client would not be ready at the time of launch. So, what have we learned? Mac client: soon. Symbian client: probably lined up to be the next after the Mac client. Palm client: probably going to be the last.

Update 2: Interesting! So a very trustworthy insider let us know that we can apparently expect the Symbian client within 30 days, and the Palm client in Q4. Believe it if you want, but it definitely make sense as to why Symbian was so close to the cutoff.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 6:59PM]

the mac logo is so sexy compaired to the windows logo

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 7:05PM]

Its complete BS! Their Mac support is taking so long.. I can't even imagine support for symbian or Palm.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 7:07PM]

I'm really, seriously thinking about getting one, but I don't know how well it will work with the mac so I'll wait and see.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 7:17PM]

SLINGMEDIA

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

RELEASE A PALM OS CLIENT!!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 7:45PM]

Dude, smudges? That's someone with a Palm logo slapped on. The other ones are boxes, and printed that way. The sticker is WAY to not what's going on.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 7:47PM]

Good job, engadget, you're right there with the big guys!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 8:41PM]

Seems that Dave and I were on the same wave length today...

http://www.uneasysilence.com/archive/2006/10/7762/

Literally posted seconds apart, without each other knowing about it.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 8:50PM]

"the mac logo is so sexy compaired to the windows logo"

I hope that was sarcastic. The Mac face logo is one of the worst logos in history...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:18PM]

no it wasnt sarcasm... i dont know why everything said on this website is soposed to be sarcasm cause thats what it seems like.. and the mac logo is better looking that the windows one... butttttttt the apple logo kicks ass

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:37PM]

Agreed. It's like so 1980s....
But seriously, a smiley face? Come on...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 8:51PM]

YES! I'll believe it when I see it as I've been waiting for the OSX client for some time. However, if/when a Palm client is released then I'll be getting a 700p on Sprint the next day.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:02PM]

I think Slingbox left it on the box for the sole purpose of cheap advertising. Because they knew that someone would find out, and then every tech website would post a pic of it. Good thinking Slingy.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:37PM]

Maybe everything you say is so wrong (compared to the average readers opinions) that people can only assume you are being sarcastic.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:39PM]

sorry buddy im not the average reader

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 9:51PM]

Instead of posting ridiculous stories about some etone-edge wannabe player will also play PALM (the ston-edge OS), you people from engadget should worry about Microsoft's lawsuit against your "FRIEND" FairUse4WM hacker.

title: "EXCLUSIVE interview with Microsoft Attorney Bonnie MacNaughton; Microsoft sues FairUse4WM hacker" link at http://blog.americasnewstoday.com/2006/09/27/exclusive-interview-with-microsoft-attorney-bonnie-macnaughton-microsoft-sues-fairuse4wm-hacker-two.aspx

Summary: "When asked if the company was aware of an online interview between the hacker and the Engadget web site, she said: "We are aware and we are looking into the matter."

We also wanted to know if they have plans to request Engadget -- via court order -- any information they might have related to the FairUse4WM hacker.

"We have no plans to do it at this time, but again, I can't comment on that [because it's going to court]," MacNaughton said."

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 10:01PM]

Having bought mine at launch, I love my SlingBox and consider myself a super-fan. With my laptop and EVDO card, it's heaven at the airport and hotels that feature a less than full roster of cable channels. That said, waiting for the Mac client has been like waiting for Godot.

Slingmedia has consistently over-promised and under-delivered on the MacOS client. They demonstrated the MacOS version of the SlingPlayer in January and it's been vaporware ever since. Of course, in that time, they launched a Windows Mobile version, new slingboxes, and no meaningful progress on a Mac client.

They missed Q2, Q3, and now we find ourselves in Q4. No player. No satisfaction. It's a great hardware product, but Mac support has been a string of broken promises. It October 1st and no Mac player!

Do they really perceive the Mac market to be that small? Don't the realize that Mac folk like their multimedia? How many Windows Mobile Smartphones can actually use the slingplayer? How many people own a Windows smartphone? @#$!

P.S. Beta Test? Despite being a launch customer, having PowerPC and Intel Macs in the household, SlingBox usage 30+ hours per week, my application for the Beta program wasn't accepted.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 10:16PM]

See carefully and notice that the Palm logo was copied and pasted there, it does not belong to this black background, just see the edges of the other logos and compare... Somebody did a bad photoshop job here.

[ryan Posted Oct 1st 2006 10:27PM]

Hope you're kidding around, because that came off my box!

Best, Ryan

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 10:29PM]

Or so it would seem. In the post, it says, "as well as an innocuous black sticker we totally didn't even notice. That is, until our pal Dave peeled it off and revealed the Palm logo, too." This indicates that there was a sticker that was peeled off, so it was just covered up in the previous photo. Also if you look even closer, you can see the scratch marks around the palm logo (most of them are in between the vista and palm logos).

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 1st 2006 10:20PM]

Slingbox mac client is currently being beta tested.... A friend of mine became a beta tester last Friday.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 8:06AM]

That's swell. If they're still adding private beta testers, it's not where they told us it was even a couple of weeks ago "end of september release". Q3 has come and gone with no Mac Slingplayer client. Recall they promised us the Mac client back in Q2!

Bottom-line: Slingmedia needs to give us a "real" date and stick to it.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 7:21PM]

How about PSP support? That would be cool...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 4:31AM]

Mac support was announced about ten months ago and we are still waiting. Deadline after deadline passes with little or no communication. They put the Mac logo on the box, they put the Mac logo even on their web site till you click and end up in a dead end street. Then they are surprised that people are pissed of with this kind of behaviour. Incredible. They raise expactations and never really deliver. Why don't they commuicate better, open the Beta to everyone or at least remove the Mac logo's on their web site?

Sling's Mac roll out is a prime example of customer disdain. I just don't understand that their CEO allows this to happen.
Deeply dissapointed in how they approach this.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 9:26AM]

LOL. You guys are silly. You can clearly see that the Palm logo was put on there. First to say Fake Pic!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 10:13AM]

What's the point in being so hush hush. What's going to happen, the other Sling type player is going to rush a palm client to market? Yeah exactly. When you pretty much control a market why be so covert?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 2nd 2006 11:50PM]

Have fun waiting a year!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 3rd 2006 11:15PM]

I have the SlingBoX AV. No Palm logo and no black sticker hiding a palm logo.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 7th 2006 12:48PM]

LOL. You guys are silly. You can clearly see that the Palm logo was put on there. First to say Fake Pic!

and

I have the SlingBoX AV. No Palm logo and no black sticker hiding a palm logo.

there is another Picture on :


http://www.uneasysilence.com/archive/2006/10/7762/

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 17th 2006 6:06AM]

I just got a N93 and this would be a killer app for my new phone. Im also going to pick up a N95 when it launches Q107 so this is good news for me :) What are the bandwidth requirements?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 8th 2007 7:38PM]

Sling Media's announcement today that it will release a SlingPlayer for Palm OS in Q1 2007 (See
http://us.slingmedia.com/object/io_1168266819245.html) was great news! The long wait is almost over!

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 3rd 2007 4:54AM]

I think I wasted my money on this one. I expected my N80 to be support before I die. Guess that's not going to happen.