Thanks Engadget

Dear Peter, Ryan and Joshua:

Thank you for the very thoughtful post about Palm. I really appreciate the fact that you guys and others care enough to take the time to write such a comprehensive list of actions. I forwarded it to our entire executive staff and many others at Palm have read it. Although I can’t say I agree with every point, many are right on. We are attacking almost every challenge you noted, so stay tuned. Let’s remember that it is very early in the evolution of the smartphone and there is enormous opportunity for us to innovate. We have only just begun to fight!

Thank you for taking the time to write. I really do take your comments to heart and I know the team at Palm is totally committed to delivering the best mobile computing solutions in the world.

-Ed Colligan

Comments

[Chad Garrett]

Wow! Thanks Ed. I think the article was a little harsh, and until Palm became Palm again, there were some rough patches. I am a very dedicated Palm user and I look forward to all of the innovations your company will provide to the industry.

[Arky]

My land;

After reading Engadget's post, i thought to print off copies and try my hand at nailing it onto every door on every Palm building I could find in the Bay Area...

I've been an increasingly unhappy Treo 650 owner for years now- unhappy not that it didn't do what I wanted it to do, but in that it seemed less and less likely that anything better could ever be expected from you and yours. That you actually listened this time tho- well, it gives me hope. Thank you for responding, and here's hoping for us all

[Jerry F. Giardina]

Appreciate the quick feedback Ed but would you come forward (and soon) as to what we can expect in our next Treo Linux and the 800W. I have been a Palm fan for many years and have given many of my dollars in Palm devices. I just recently jumped ship to RIM's BB 8830 which is quite a nice device!! I want Palm to woo and wow like Apple did with the release of the I-phone. Palm should have released the Linux Treo when Apple release the Iphone. You spent much of your R&D on the Foleo which should have been directed into making the best smart phone on the "Planet" You have released buggy phones since the 700 series including the the 755p (which does have some bugs but should not). You state that the next POS II will not be out to next year then we here about the release of the linux treo in Oct. Now also the Foleo has been delayed until Oct. What gives Palm? You have released updates to the Treo 700 series and then rescinded them. Why does Sprint release the 755p and Verzion does not get it until Oct. Is the phone buggy? if so why cannot a technology company like Palm not be on top of their phones and operating systems? Please respond Palm!!! Put your crews to work 24-7 until Palm comes to the front and woo's and wow's us with a slim Treo, CDMA-GSM, internal GPS, wifi and EVDO rev A. Why did the Bluetooth work with my 2007 Camry fine with the 700p but was impossible almost to install with the 755p. (Also after the MR the 700p was the same as the 755p. Palm you really need to give answers. You never offered any customer loyatly discounts with the 755p.

[Deepak]

well i have used all smartphones from Sony Ericsson P800/900 series to T-Mobile Wing/cingular 8525, from Nokia E62/ N series to Blackberry 7***/8*** series but i still love Palm software. I would kill for HTC 7501 with a advanced version of Palm software.
I HATE WINDOWS..
i have it on my desktop/laptop i no way want it on my PDA too, but I dont have a choice.
I hope and prey that Palm comes up with a PDA with
Bigger Screen
Sliding Keyboard
3 Megapixel Camera
Wifi,GPS, HSDPA

Best of luck.

[Johnny]

I think it is really great Ed got back us, the readers. Changed my opinion on Palm for the positive.

[Jeremy Grieshop]

Thank you for posting the article. It was a great article and this is a terrific response. It speaks volumes to your objectivity and openness.

I agree with the Google comment a lot: A few days ago, a colleague of mine visited Google and spoke with people there about integrating their calendar with Palm. They said it probably wouldn't happen, because Palm appears to be dead! If you can't convince Google that you're alive and kicking, the rest of the market is not far behind..

Looking forward to the future; I'm not sure how many chances there are left!

Good Luck.

[Josh]

Bravo, Palm, for actually listening to your customers. This wins Palm a lot of credit in my book.

[Tyler Puckett]

Ed,

I am no marketing genius...but I have to say this:

Don't market the Foleo only as a smartphone companion. Market it as an instant-on laptop that has excellent smartphone integration. Drop the price to below $500 (I think if it were $250 or even $300 you'd sell a TON) and you'd have a winner.

I know I'd buy one if the price were closer to $300. I have an iMac for college but I would love to have something thin and light to carry to class. As it is, the Asus Eee is looking very similar to the Foleo, but it's only $200.

[Zach Marshall]

Just wanted to say that it's great to see a CEO so in-touch with what's being said about his company. Quite refreshing to see what appears to be an honest response and vow to act. Can't wait to see what happens. Definitely more interested in Palm for my next phone now. I wish more CEO's would respond to customer concerns in this manner. Bravo!

[Phillip from Verizon Wireless]

As Verizon Wireless product specialist and sales associate I can tell that Treo has been one of the best smartphones in the market. I like Palm OS and always recommend Treo with Palm OS. I wonder is it possible to redesign the Windows Mobile OS for your Treo or completely drop it. It is (Windows Mobile)so unattractive in your phones. Please develop your own OS or at least redesign or even customize WM OS. Without innovation you can become "PC computers with Vista OS"(cheap toys)

[kurt]

Thanks for the response. I might just hold on to my treo (and hold out hope for the next one) just a bit longer.

[Greg Smith]

I still choose my Palm TX and a separate phone over a Treo or a iPhone. I love my Palm.

It's only a matter of time, probably ver 2, before I dump my Palm altogether for a iPhone. You still have time to win my waning love, and my money. Better hurry up though.

[Steven]

A little too late Palm. I've said goodbye to the Treo and purchased an iPhone. I won't be back.

[Shane]

Listening is a good step. Doing something about is GREAT step...

I will wait and see.

[Andrew Hime]

I wrote a post on my blog about how Palm lost its way a year ago today:

http://andrewhime.livejournal.com/738537.html

In other news, my third Tungsten E2 refuses to talk USB to any computers. Hooray! Kwality! I think I'm done with Palm unless the Treos are actually good.

[Doug Adler]

I have been a die hard palm user for years, starting with a 270, a 600, 650 and finally 750. I recently lost my 750 in a taxi (doh!) and when I went to replace it, i just couldn't force myself to part with $700 for an old, out of date, low screen res, non-wifi, win mobile 5 clunker. I reluctantly migrated to a Blackberry Curve 8300, and I must say, I like it better than my old Treo in many ways.

Honestly, I am like a past lover scorned, Palm. I WANT to buy another Treo, I really do! But I need something worthy of my hard earned dollars. I'm really hoping the 800 will fit the bill.

I miss you Palm. Please welcome me back... not with kind words Mr. Colligan, but with a GREAT new smartphone!!!

[Doug Hope]

Moved to a Blackjack in February and have no intention of ever going back to Palm. Lied about 'Universal' adapter 1 generation ago, made it impossible to integrate with Outlook and took down shared web calendar. Give it up...you've lost the war. You're done.

[Joshua]

This is a good step in communicating with your customers. While I now use an Apple iPhone, I do look forward to Palm's next evolution to the Treo.

[Jona]

Great to hear you guys are actually going to respond to the engadget post formally. The clear focus that palm used to be known for (it was what drove the simplicity of the user experience) seems to be long gone.

Dont ignore the requests for more full featured treos (wifi) but also dont forget about the millions of us who would never ever ever consider getting a phone that had a keyboard. Take a look at the Blackberry Pearl and the iPhone. I cannot imagine why anyone would ever choose one of the current treo over either one of those.

Good luck with the foleo. I think its a great concept at its core but the price is too high and the marketing is horribly misdirected. I cannot imagine having a laptop AND a foleo but I also only use my laptop for uploading photos, downloading music to my phone, using office, and surfing the web. I'd love a foleo that considered my smartphone or the internet my primary storage device. Can you imagine if you released the original Palm and said 'you still need your paper organiser too' or 'you'll need to download third party software to get the calendar function'? I can't. There wouldnt be a Palm company today if you had.

[A J]

I had been a loyal Palm user for a little over a decade and at the way Palm has been going, my next device will probably not be Palm. They have yet to release a device that will actually compete with the competition. They used to be the innovators in the field and now they are the followers. The latest crop of devices is too little too late at prices that are hard to justify. I work in the medical profession which was one of Palm's former strongholds. However more than half of my peers now use Windows Mobile devices and ePocrates, one of the premier software solutions in the medical field informed me last week that I should switch from my high end Palm to a Windows Mobile device because Palm does not have proper wireless support or Mac support and I have yet to get my T5 to sync properly on my Mac. What a sad a state of affairs.

[Edward Doan]

It's nice to see the top brass listening to customer comments. Palm, like most great tech companies (IBM and Apple come to mind) has had its ups and downs. Everyone talks so grandly about Apple, but few remember the near-death experience of the mid-90s! Palm needs to re-invent itself, and I know folks like you (Ed C.), Jon Rubinstein, and Jeff Hawkins will lead the company to its new future. Ignore the others who insist on glimpses of unannounced products ... I think the tech media does a fine enough job of getting the scoop. Palm needs methodical execution, just like what Steve Jobs did for Apple in 1998 and what Lou Gerstner did for IBM in 1993. I like the idea of tying a product to a service, a recurring source of revenue. You can make profit only once on a $500 smartphone. RIM keeps making monthly revenue on each customer who wants to keep their device useful, even though the consumer doesn't realize RIM is getting a chunk of their monthly payment to the carrier! Apple gets a cut from AT&T for every iPhone. Palm needs to figure out a value-add to get a few bucks from every future Treo user. Apple reinvented itself with cool products. IBM reinvented itself with services. Perhaps Palm could find something in the middle.

[Alex]

I think the response to the letter from Engadget is a good thing, but I'll believe their points are being addressed when I see something concrete from Palm. Ed just saying that it's being done is not enough for me. We've heard similar things in the past (WiFi support anybody...). I do hope that they start innovating instead of just rehashing the same design. They definitely need to do something to wow us all with both hardware and software. The software is the part that's feeling the most outdated to me. There is a lot of innovation from others in this area, and it would be best for Palm to catch up and surpass the competition if they one to be around for the next few years.

[cman]

Good for listening (or reading) Palm, but now get off your duffs and do something!

[Alberto Cajigas Jr.]

PDAs/Smartphones have come a long way since the classy Palm Vx (The iPhone of its time) However, in the present Palm products don't seem to be as classy and robust as they used to be. The Foleo is just a thing of the past and the new Treo 800p or whatever is called looks really ugly. I just can't understand what is going on inside Palm. How about showing Engadget a device they have in mind before coming out with products that nobody is going to buy? Well, Palm I hope you have something really good coming out soon because this Treo 755p is hanging in here, but not for too long.

[Robert Henry]

Not a Palm user myself, but my wife is. I'm just reading the two open letters for time-killing purposes, and I think Mr. Colligan's response is impressive and professional. I agree with Jeremy. Mr. Colligan's open-minded response alone makes me respect Palm, the company, more. Kudos to Engadget and Mr. Colligan.