Palm's Ed Colligan laughs off iPhone
By Ryan Block 
posted November 21st 2006 4:41AM
posted November 21st 2006 4:41AM
"We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone," Ed Colligan apparently laughed about with John Markoff last Thursday morning. "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in." Ed, baby, sweetheart, a couple quick reminders. First: it's not hard to beat "decent," especially when your phones are on the 2004 cutting edge of design and you still haven't managed to slim it like a Q or WiFi it like an HTC. Second: PC guys already did figure it out -- that's why you're running Windows Mobile on your phones, remember? Not that we really have to continue, but third: as John Hodgman and Justin Long would have us remember, the sad, disgruntled differences between "PC guys" and Mac guys tend to transcend borders and cultures. Gates isn't Jobs, and Steve's phone certainly isn't going to be riddled with the same issues as our beloved WinMo. No, the iPhone will have its own set of annoying issues, but believe you us, Ed, Apple will "just walk in," so you'd better have a few and-one-more-thing-s up those sleeves of yours if you're thinking about stopping a mass defection.[Via PalmInfocenter]
"This appears to be a heavily oppinionated editorial, not a report on someones comments." - Intrepid
And your point?
I do believe its a blog... not a news network. (as if those were even unbiased)
well, news tells us it's gonna happen so... and so if it's vapoware then nobody should also laugh at it...
Apple will soon own the smart phone market. Ed was right in a way — Apple didn't just walk in — they arrived on a lightning bolt.
Well, Palm is officially in the toilet.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
"Palm posts $506.1M Q2 loss [...] with smart phone revenue at $171 million, down 39 percent from a year ago":
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/12/15/daily73.html?ana=yfcpc
Where, oh where, did the market share go?
I read this, and laugh.
Me too, my favorite comment:
"But seriously, I can't see too many people trading in their Treos (Palm or WM5), HTCs etc for an MP3 phone. I don't think it'll make much of a dent in that space."
This is way to funny to read in 2009. Hahaha. What is the iphone now? Oh yeah, the single most popular and most sold phone.... EVER.
G'bye Colligan.
You wont be missed :D
This should be required reading. Some of the posts are just priceless!
Posted from my "the iPod phone." It's a niche device that only a few people know about, but I rather like it. [Chortle.]
You're right , this should be required for all of the speculators (read: Geniuses) who obvisously know much more that everyone else does.
Well the story goes that he's allegedly spent the last two years trying to sell Palm to Apple, who kept turning him down.
http://www.laptopbatteryclub.com/
Hah, what a stupid and smug bastard. Does he not realise Apple were unknown in the music player industry until making the Ipod, now they have sold in excess of 40 million and changed the industry forever.
I'd say: a little too optimistic :) maybe iphone would have a good design, but making a phone out of scratch requires a lot of time while they get themselves into the gsm scene, all those technologies, options, menus, etc. most manufacturers have gone through numerous generations of devices before they started making acceptable units. apple would require more time on it. i would guess - not earlier than autumn 2007
"N.R. @ Nov 21st 2006 5:15AM
I'd say: a little too optimistic :) maybe iphone would have a good design, but making a phone out of scratch requires a lot of time while they get themselves into the gsm scene, all those technologies, options, menus, etc. most manufacturers have gone through numerous generations of devices before they started making acceptable units. apple would require more time on it. i would guess - not earlier than autumn 2007"
This is very funny to read in '09.
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This appears to be a heavily oppinionated editorial, not a report on someones comments. Either way, Apple may take the field quickly, but without a good product they may loose ground even quicker...
N.R., remember that when Apple originally designed the iPod, it hired PortalPlayer & Toshiba to supply a lot of the key technologies... Nothing stops Apple from contracting a GSM phone manufacturers like Samsung (whom they already have a relatiosnhip with) to supply the key technologies! Apple then polishes the design, UI, and software integration, and voila - iPhone :)
iPhone by Apple right?? How innovative. (sarcasm)
Don't you mean iNnovative?
At least it's easy to remember and you know exactly what product it is, unlike the SGH-D900, VX8300, K790a, CU500 alphabet soup.
The point is that these guys claim credibility and then pull stunts like this. Make up your minds Engadget, are you credible journalists or unaccountable bloggers?
Well the story goes that he's allegedly spent the last two years trying to sell Palm to Apple, who kept turning him down.
So it's the difficult to remember model numbers thats bothering you huh? And your solution to this is to buy some brand with models easy to memorise? Funny stuff.
There are known knowns, there are unknown knowns.....
No body really known what Apple is going to do, but the truth is, that a significant part of the success of the iPod has to do with Apple being there at the right time. It's debatable as to whether that was due to luck or design.
The thing with phones, is that the all-in-one solution actually sells phones. People WANT an MP3 player, emailer, picture taker, radio player phone. But historically apple has shied away from that in order to keep things simple.
So basically, if this is all true, iPhone is like an iPod slash cellphone right? Apples iPod low battery life has been an issue, now imagine that with a cellphone capability.
hmmm... It's I Think is a blog and well, it's the internet... and why should someone say something to apple like that.. surely Ed should also get some a** kicking...Remember iPhone is not out yet so neither of anyone has any idea of what will happen... saying that it's too early for apple and who knows? maybe you'll hold one in a near future...
Wether Apple did it or someone else, doesn't matter.
Look at the iPod... made from scratch, even though there were others before them. Instant hit.
Look at the iMac G4 and G5/intel... made from scratch, instant hit. Others dit before, but they designed and created it.
Perhaps it's still vaporware, who knows... but Ed Colligan talks nonsense when he says it can't be done. There are numerous products (also from other manufacturers) that were made from scratch, and became an instant hit. Of course the iPhone (if it comes) will have it's quirks. But so does WinMo and SymbianOS.
What happens if Apple does produce a phone. And lets say the phone lets you somehow use your existing iPod music. Maybe the phone has enough memory to be an iPod replacement for many people.
I think this would give it serious entry to the mobile phone market. There are enough people looking to reduce the number of devices they carry that a smartly designed iPhone would be a great competitor.
Is it available in Sigapore
"So it's the difficult to remember model numbers thats bothering you huh? And your solution to this is to buy some brand with models easy to memorise?"
I'm taking it from a marketing standpoint, if there were to be an "iPhone," the branding potential is already much greater and already separates itself from the pack of codified names. It's such a simple naming convention that I can mention "iPhone" to most anyone up-to-date on current events and they will be able to guess who the manufacturer is--that itself is valuable and is a point earned against a competitor with a cryptic name.
i find model numbers just as easy to remember as other models w/ easy to remember names like the Chocolate or iPod.
"So basically, if this is all true, iPhone is like an iPod slash cellphone right? Apples iPod low battery life has been an issue, now imagine that with a cellphone capability."
Picture an iPod nano slash cellphone. The iPod nano has 24 hours of *continuous playback*, and the iPhone is likely to have flash memory as well, so I don't think battery life would be a problem.
Personally, I only have charge my nano twice a month...
So you cant be credible and opinionated at the same time?
If you want political correctness and those unrealistic hopes of "unbiased news" you are obviously looking in the wrong place and Id dare you to find something that actually meets your expectations.
I guess some people just need others to make their lives PC, unbiased and easy to chew.
How about we: 1) report the news, 2) give our opinions on it? Because that's what we've been doing since day one, and that's what I did today. I don't think the iPhone would/will be so great, I just think Colligan has his own things to worry about before he makes comments about the handset industry's greatest-fear of any single new competitor.
This article sums up my own feelings very well (as a Palmowning Apple fanboy). It's not talking up Apple, it's saying to Palm, "What have you done recently?" A lot of Palm owners want something seriously better, but Palm hasn't produced anything for ages.
Has anyone from Apple actually said that they were going to make a phone?
Apple Signed A Letter I Guess? to make 12 millions iPhone from also the producer of iPod FoxConn? I Dunno? Go to www.appleinsider.com I'm just trying to stay innocent hahaha.. But I Know It's Confirmed and is on the making process already by next year it's out
"...you still haven't managed to slim it like a Q..."
being slim is nice, but if it does not have the usability factor like a treo v. Q...blackjack is another story. ; )
Back up to 2004 when Steve Jobs announced the move to Intel. In that keynote, he mentioned that thier entire product line was about 5 years out. If that is consistent, then the iPhone (assuming it ever hits shelves) would have been in the planning and designing stages for 4-5 years. That isn't a rush-to-market attempt at a phone.
Wow, you posters are the saddest bunch of folks I've seen in a long time. You fail to understand that both Ryan and Peter are hardly Apple whores - they trash the iPod at every opportunity, write and complain about Apple product problems (or do you folks even read the site or listen to the podcast. Even in the above post, Ryan states that the iPhone will come with its own set of problems. So either you're really just rabid Anti-Apple idiots - pot meet kettle - or Palm fanboys. Seeing as there can't possibly be any of the latter, you must all fall into the idiot category.
I can almost see you all reading Engadget by the hour and getting all upset at what poor journalists Ryan, Peter and company are. Too bad they have the successful popular site, read by hundreds of thousands, and you're still posting little comments. Keep it real, Ryan: I happen to like hearing your opinions.
Yeah, like when they told everyone to go buy a Red Nano. That's really trashin' 'em.
Liar.
Is this the same asshat that stuck 32 megs of RAM in my Treo 700w? Yeah, everyone should listen to you guys....
Ah, a clash of Apple and Palm fanbois. I love the smell of NaPalm in the morning...
I love the smell of NoPalm in the morning.
Palm is done for. After seeing the Samsung Blackjack, the Treo 700w, 750, or whatever they want to call it is DOA.
And the cry babies come out. This post wasnt as pro apple as it was anti-palm's remark. Get it straight. If you cannot stand to hear a single negative remark about your palm then go read the palm newsletter. I have the treo 700wx and love it. I have had a treo since 600 so I am sorta of a loyal user. However, if you dismiss a competitor as strong as Apple (and microsoft, yep, he did mention windows too, not just apple)you show a glaring sign of shortsightedness, and that is unacceptable.
That's one of the best posts I've read of yours, Ryan. Gave me a good laugh.
Very true, cutting, and to the point. Palm has always seemed to be more than a little dense about a lot of things.
Of course Palm is trying to throw water on Apple's entry in their territory. They have reason to be scared and don't think for a second this laughter is anything but fear. Also slamming Ryan as a fanboy is missing the point and letting Palm off the hook. Read between the lines and you can see a disgruntled Treo owner baited into a reply (harsh? maybe, but true) by Colligan's ridiculous comments. I've been suffering with my Treo 650 (unlocked gsm) since I picked it up. (poor rf, ridiculous bugs, im and vm lags, etc.) and I've done due diligence updating firmware, trying to take advantage of Palm's expansive software lineup, etc. but nothing can change the fact that they are way behind the bleeding edge with these offerings. Asthetic shortcomings aside, the Treo lineup in not evolving fast enough. Period.
You dont have to be an Apple Fanboy to see that Palms heads a bit bigger than it should be... The treo was great, 3 years ago. I sold my treo 650 for a moto razr v3i, it has 10x the data connectivity features, better reception, and style.
Palm phones suck really, and they used to be a sub PC guy before they went into phones with those PDA's, so maybe they just need smarter people over there at Palm is all. :P
Give me computer data connectivity, bluetooth, wifi, a qwerty keyboard and something that does not reboot during a call every other day, add in some itunes and a decent megapixal camera, and you can call it whatever you want... iphone, uphone, I would buy it. Loard knows palm cant pull off 1/3 of the above. Heck, they cant even stick with a logo or name for very long. Palm -> PalmOne -> Palm -> ?
iPhone, uPhone, WiiPhone. :-)
Yes, opinionated. Not about Apple however, but about Palm... When I look at phones (the available ones, not the p990a or n95), I seem to be considering RIMs. These used to be the most conservative of all, but now they pretty handily beat just about anything Palm creates.
The iPhone will just walk in, because there isn't a mobile out there that's got it down. Just walk into a Verizon store and weep. It'll likely be too simplified for my tastes, but it will work and work well.
I'm both a Palm and an Apple fanboy, but I'm also a fan of good reception and coverage. Unless Apple does Verizon, I'll never buy an iPhone. Guess that makes me a Verizon fanboy as well......