Editor's Note

When we launched the Palm blog last year, we shared that we would be talking about a variety of topics from product information and demos to general company information and events. In response to some of these types of posts, it is not surprising that we receive comments regarding customer support. While the Palm blog was not designed as a channel to field customer support inquiries, we certainly want all of our customers to have multiple access points to receive help and be able to share their thoughts on how we can be doing better. So I have been working closely with out customer support organization to respond to people who comment on the blog with product support inquiries.

John Moses, Palm's vice president of worldwide customer relations, will be posting about the various customer support options we have available in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you need help with your Palm device, you can visit the Palm customer support site. You can also visit the Palm Help Forums, which have regular discussions taking places regarding various product topics.

These other sites also have helpful forums regarding Palm devices:

• Brighthand
• MyTreo.net
• PalmAddict
• PalmInfoCenter
• TreoCentral
• Treonauts

Paul Loeffler

Comments

[Mike Chang]

Going thru the various entries in Palm's blog, I couldn't help but feel that your blog has not offered anything substantial to it's readers. I, as an existing Palm Treo user had great hopes for this blog, I had hope that it could provide us with relevant information on the development of the Palm platform, discussions on the various issues involving the software and hardware that Palm produces, or at the very least it should have served as a rallying point for those Palm users that are now wavering and are looking at what other companies are doing and offering.
I know and understand about keeping things secret, but that's only ok for companies that produces product on a regular basis (6-9 months), but you guys have not produced anything new for more than a year already! The centro is not a new product, its just a Treo made a little smaller!
I know that palm has some new stuff its working on and don't want its competitors to know about it, but unless you give a little info out there to us Palm users waiting, you might end up preaching to an empty room when you finally come out with your new product.

[Jason]

Ah, Palm. What will we do with you? This is not exactly the customer support reassurance that many of your customers are searching for. Many of your customers are die hard loyalists, but growing your base requires doing better. I applaud your providing links to helpful forums, but it would be nice to hear about what you are doing in the way of improving customer support. Personally, I think your front-line support folks are okay. It's the people in the back room fixing bugs and enhancing software (or lack thereof) that I have an issue with. When someone buys a product, they expect it to work and be supported by the manufacturer for at least a year, not dropped flat as soon as the next model comes out. The forums can't help with that.

Conversely, every difficulty is an opportunity. Improve your customer service and product support and become a leader in the marketplace. People will pay for this.

[Jerome]

Many thanks to :
- Brighthand
- MyTreo.net
- PalmAddict
- PalmInfoCenter
- TreoCentral
- Treonauts

All of you above rock guys, you do Palm support for free! Keep it up!

[john]

I have been a Palm user since the original Palm Pilot then moved through the ranks, Palm V, Palm VII, Springboard, Treo 190, 600, 650 and 680. After the Treo 680 I was disappointed with the lack of ingenuity and innovation. Both the Palm Pilot and Treo were innovations that revolutionized the personal data assistant. Palm did something that both Apple and Microsoft couldn’t and continued to “get it right” for years as the others struggled to figure it out.
I still struggle to find the right convergence devise. After leaving the Treo I moved to Windows Mobile devises but was disappointed with the user interface, system stability and desktop synchronization. As old, as the Palm Operating system is it still provides one of the best user interfaces and intuitiveness.
I recently purchased the iPhone, which by far is the best devise ever made but miss a physical keyboard. I somehow feel that the iPhone user interface should have been the next logical step for the Palm. It uses the same icon concept as well as touch screen and keyboard functionality. This might be a stretch for some of you but I do see the Palm user interface as the basis of the iPhone interface, simple and intuitive.
It would be a shame for Palm to disappear after all that it has provided for the PDA and cell phone market over the years. I hope to see more innovation in the upcoming months. Several different lines of devises targeting business, advanced and beginner users. A family of Treos that are thin with physical keyboards and an updated Palm operating system. Some type of clamshell innovation and a line of ultra thin sliders for beginners. What Palm needs is a well rounded offering of phones for various demographics in order to gain market share. Once they penetrate the market, today’s more sophisticated users, will realize what a more robust operating system can provide for them.

[PM]

Complementing what John has said, palm needs also to launch a smartphone with big screen, just like the IPhone. The Palm TX formfactor could be great. And palm cannot forget its PDA line. I think palm could launch a non-smartphone device with its new Nova OS, to scape from long carriers approval tests. For sure I could be a Beta tester.

[GM]

I have recently played with an IPod Touch and I didin't like it. I think my TX is much more intuitive and easy to use. What impressed me on this IPod was the thickness. I think it is half the thickness of the TX. I am totally convinced that Palm must launch a new TX with cell phone. The success of Apple has more than proved that there is a huge market for keyboardless smartphone. I waiting anciously for this TX Phone palm!!!!!

[Chad]

I appreciate all of the support that the Palm Forums offer in addition to that offered by the other sites listed. However, my concern is regarding software, hardware, etc. issues that cannot be addressed by the individuals running these forums. In fact, after expressing my concerns and requests for additional information etc. in the Palm.com help forums, I was referred to express them here on the blog. Now I am being told to go to the forums?! Ummm Palm? Hello? Anyone home?

Suffice it to say, after 15+ years of being a die hard Palm fan, I am going to put my latest Palm investment (Treo 755p) into the back of my drawer and try hard not to feel foolish for investing in a product that a non customer focused company such as Palm provides.

Here's a suggestion:
How about adding a forum to these sites where we CAN share our ideas to improve the product where they will be recognized (via comments saying it will be considered or will not be considered and why) by Palm employees - not other "super users"? (no offense to those extremely helpful super users that are the lifeblood of this company)

Since Palm obviously doesn't care enough to know since they refer us to the same people that refer us to Palm - here are a few of my basic ideas regarding the latest Palm product I am using (Treo 755p):

Palm Software
Enable business users to use their "smart phones" (i.e. Treo) for both business AND personal. Don't force us to choose between one or the other. See Palm forum topic “Open Letter to Palm Regarding the Palm Treo 755p” I have had so many people respond with similar comments & the forums are filled with similar requests.

Palm Hardware
Not everyone keeps their phone in a padded envelope – some of us like gadgets that are able to withstand everyday use really well. How about a “rugged” version that doesn’t get dented, scratched, etc. every time you look at it cross eyed?

Palm Accessories
How about a “holster” that faces the screen IN instead of OUT?! I don’t need everyone seeing everything that pops up on my phone & I certainly don’t want to have to unholster my phone every time I sit down so the seatbelt doesn’t scratch it, etc.

Anyway.. I doubt that my opinion or ideas matter. But just in case you decide to listen, there ya go – free of charge. Come out with something like that and you have my money and I’d be willing to bet, a LOT of other peoples money too.

[Branedy]

I second, and third the vote on a Palm T/X II system. The developmental model on the iPhone/iPod Touch is too restrictive and the data input options too small for what I need. My Palm Vx can do more now than a iPod. Yes I have the keyboard and modem for it, and would add a WiFi/ Bluetooth as well if such existed. And a webkit Browser would be i order as well. But Soon, remind the world that Palm is still here.

[Herve Kabla]

Wonderful list of support websites. French speakig Treo and Centro owners have also their own website: www.france-treo.com .

[Tam]

One think I like the most in this palm blog is to have the oportunity to express my opinions and feedback in a away that other users can be aware of. I have posted many comments about a Palm TX with Cell phone and I have noticed that this is not only my desire. Many, many users are waiting for such device (just see the above comments). So palm cannot ignore this demand. There are a lot of tiny and keyboarded Treos but still no one with a Big screen to be a Multimedia centered device. I bet that when palm launch a TX + cellphone it will be a Huge success!!!! Come on Palm, listen to what your loyal users are saying. My old and good TX is getting tired and I need an upgrade from palm. Don´t force me to jump the fence.

[Chavalip]

Palm needs to develop something innovative and do it fast to gain back it's market.

The survival of the fittest - Charles Darwin.

[Clark]

Last year, Palm purchased one of the finest e-mail programs on the market -- Chatteremail. Since Palm made the purchase of the Chatter application it seems to no longer want to fully support the product? This approach seems kind of odd, in light of the popular Centro (over 100k sold) and who knows how many thousands of Treo 650s, 680s, 755's, etc. are out in everyday use today. I know several new treo users who are avoiding Chatter in light of the uncertainty of continued support. For example, though an updated version of Chatter was released to accommodate Gmail/Imap, it still fails to fully support attachments in Gmail. And I believe it is lacking support for Office 2007 documents? The Chatter forum continues to limp along. Perhaps additional information regarding Palms intent for Chatter could be more forthcoming. That way we could decide to stay with the product or move to another product that will consider the needs of the end-user community. Thank you.

[Wilson Young]

I would like to know when will be available de next generation of PALM devices???

Zire, Tx, Tungsten are quite old . Or there is no plan on making new devices??? (palm handheld)

[Nathan]

Well, let me just start by saying that I am not a happy Palm Customer. I am the owner of a Treo 750 and at first I was really happy about my purchase. It is running the Windows Mobile OS so I guess that was its main downfall. I hear so many people out there that just love the Palm OS. I wish I had had the chance to find out for myself. This phone was a pricey little piece of electronic happiness too. Out of the box I gradually had more and more complaints. The Camera is one of the worst I have ever seen on a mobile phone. Lets not mention the Video Portion. Speaker Phone is like talking to a Tin can. So that was a let down. No WiFi, that is a shame. But at least I knew this when I bought it. So time goes on, I have to take the battery out many many times to restart the system due to locking up and other things. I hear that WM 6 is on its way and that this should resolve alot of the OS problems. WM 6 is released and then we wait for ever for the update. Something like 6 months after everyone else on the planet has it. I get it installed and and it wipes my Sim Card of all memory. I can deal with that. But almost right away it starts acting up again. Slowdowns and freezing. So I deal with it. You would think I must have something strange installed causing conflict or something, but no. It is 100% Stock. With the exception for Photos on the memory card. So anyway, this has been my expirience so far with my first Palm Product. WOW, not good. I for the most part like the design and the feel of it. Feels sturdy in the hand. I just really wish this was a more stable and usable device. I really like the touch screen, it works well. I just wish that for the money, there would have been more bag for my buck. I have learned that WM 6.1 is out for most other companies. I am in hopes that this will be a good upgrade. I contacted Support today to ask about it and they had no idea about it and or when they were planning on releasing it. I am guessing this will be like the last time. 6+ months. I am really sorry for bringing down the mood for everyone. This is just my first impression of Palm. unfortunately, I do not beleive that I will buy another Palm.

Please forgive me for ranting on.