IBM puts WorkPad out of work
Posted on Friday, February 15 @ 05:13:54 PST by CarlBrooks
Ian Fried, of CNET Networks, reported that IBM is discontinuing the Palm OS powered WorkPad. During the WorkPad's life, it existed as branded series of the Palm III, Palm V and the Palm 500 Series devices displaying the IBM logo. IBM hoped this little device would be a launching pad for mobile data, just as its ThinkPad line of laptops were.
Advertisement - The rest of the story continues below...
The New Palm Smartphones: Small and Powerful, the Palm Centro is the most affordable Smartphone. Which Palm OS Treo 755p do you like, the Burgundy or Dark Blue? The Treo 680 is available from AT&T in Silver or Crimson. The Treo 700p ( Verizon or Sprint) is still an option for some. All of these have more memory, better camera and faster Internet speeds than what the fantastic Treo 650 ( Unlocked , Cingular , Sprint ) provides. Is the Windows Mobile your mobile cup of tea? Then the Treo 750 Smartphone (AT&T) orthe Treo 700wx (from Sprint or Verizon Wireless) might be for you. Palm delivers the palm Treo 700. You have been waiting for it to cost less than $30, now it does. What are you waiting for? Get your memory card today! Now you do not have to leave your movies, music, data files and more at home or the office. Carry it today on your new SD card!
Learn more about your handheld by listening to our Palm OS Podcasts! Protect and add style to your mobile device with a new case from Piel Frama!
They marketed the WorkPad PC companion for highly mobile users who have to take key enterprise data with them. The had hoped to sell these handheld solutions as part of enterprise solution using their other product such as Lotus Notes which would benefit users who are frequently away from the office and need a pocket-sized window to critical information from the corporate network. The IBM Workpad C3 was the Palm V(x) series.
The following is what CNET had to say:
THE PRODUCTS ARE ESSENTIALLY Palm handhelds with an IBM logo on them. The $399 WorkPad c505 is a re-badged m505, while the $329 c500 is an m500 emblazoned with Big Blue’s logo.
Bause said the company is no longer actively developing WorkPad products and is focusing on other parts of its computing line as it tries to make its PC business more profitable.
“Each year we take a hard look at our product line to make sure we are investing in the right areas and the right products,” Bause said. “These decisions allow us to focus on a streamlined set of product offerings and, more importantly, allow us to differentiate IBM PC products through investments in key technology areas, primarily wireless, security and manageability.”
Last year, IBM shipped 180,900 WorkPads, or less than 2 percent of the 11.9 million handhelds sold last year, according to a preliminary estimate from market analysis firm IDC. IDC predicted in a report last month that IBM might stop selling the WorkPad.
“Little more than rebranded Palm V, m500, and m505 devices, the WorkPad line has represented the easiest path for IBM to follow as it has decided whether to be a bystander or a major player in the mobile device world,” the market research firm said in a report. “The devices themselves conveyed this corporate indecisiveness to the purchaser by offering little in the way of additional value beyond the IBM brand and the Palm product that formed the core of each model.”
By all accounts, sales of the WorkPad were not huge, but the line served an important niche for IBM.
“Was it a significant business?” said Robin Marley, who works in market development for IBM’s personal computing devices unit. “It was not a significant product business, but it was significant for our customers.”
Marley said IBM will continue to offer Palm-branded handhelds to its larger customers through its Web site.
“We will offer Palms to our enterprises as part of complete solutions,” Marley said.
Although IBM is focusing its product-development money elsewhere, the company continues to work on handhelds in its research labs. For example, Big Blue is demonstrating a tiny computer code-named Meta Pad that can serve as a laptop computer, desktop computer or handheld when it is snapped into different modules.
IBM launched its first WorkPad in 1997, based on an early PalmPilot. In 1999, IBM introduced WorkPads based on the Palm IIIx and Palm V handhelds.
Suggestion boxIs there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it.
iRiver iHP-140 40 GB MP3 Jukebox - Now you can listen to over 1,200 hours of recorded music, or tune in to the built-in FM radio. With a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 16 hours, ultrafast USB 2.0 file transfers, and simple navigation, the iHP-140 is the music player of choice.
New! - Need some Palm OS software? We have partnered with Palmgear to offer you the largest selection of Palm OS software. We have games, utilities and much more software.
Want to listen to Audible books on your PDA? All you have to do visit Audible.com to signup for their program and start listening to great books. Let them know we sent you there, enter our username, godschoice, when you register at Audible.com. AudibleReady® Palm Handhelds include the Tungsten C, Tungsten T Series, and Zire 71. All models play Audible formats 2 and 3 and can hold up to 64 hours of Audible audio using a 256 MB expansion card. Remember, when asked "If an Audible customer referred you, please enter that person's username", please enter godschoice.
The New Palm PDAs Are Here:The Palm® Z22 was designed specifically for people who want to replace their planner. The Tungsten E2 brings more memory and Bluetooth technology. The Palm TX Handheld provides 128MB RAM and gives you Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless. Need to kick your storage up a notch? The Palm LifeDrive provides 4GB of internal storage and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless - Store what you want and connect to what you want.
The New Palm Smartphones: Whether the Palm OS (Verizon Wireless 700p or Sprint 700p ) or the Windows Mobile (Verizon Wireless 700w) is your mobile cup of tea, Palm delivers the palm Treo 700. More memory, better camera and faster Internet speeds than what the fantastic Treo 650 (Unlocked,Cingular,Sprint) provides.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT Please take a moment to click on one of our sponsor's banners, each time you finish visiting Palmloyal.com, to help keep our site FREE.
Looking for a safe and affordable place to host your web site? FlockHosting.com offers just that. With packages as low as $5.00 a month, the service and prices are truly a blessing! Sign-up for hosting today!
The Palmloyal.com website is made possible by your financial contributions. If this website, our newsletter, email lists, or the personal assistance we've provided via email messages have been a blessing to you, please consider sowing a seed into the good ground of Palmloyal.com. Your seed allows us to continue to be a blessing to you and to others via the internet. Please visit our Supporting Palmloyal.com FAQ area and contribute in any way that you can. Click Here.
Login
Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name.
The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
All logos and trademarks in this site, such as Palm, Handspring, Sony, are property of their respective owners. Palmloyal.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by Palm Inc., PalmSource or any of its Licensees. All comments are the opinions of their posters, and does not necessarily carry our endorsement. Please read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy policies regarding use of our Services.
