Palm Pre
Palm started the whole PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) craze with its Palm Pilot back in 1996 and even though there were other pocket-sized PDA-like devices back then, none captured the imagination and hearts of consumers like the Pilot.
Then competition set in and Palm lost its way. After the iPhone swept onto the scene, Palm became a shadow of its former self — until it resurrected itself, Phoenix bird style, with the Palm Pre.
Paradoxically, the already multitasking Palm Pre is acknowledged as being better than the iPhone, with even better multitouch, but continues to receive a lukewarm reception from consumers. Apple, with its first-mover advantage [and 3-year plan locked-in customers], just kept running with the iPhone.
Now, Palm is up for sale. Rumors have it that HTC, LG and Lenovo may be interested. But it will take a smart company with deep financial pockets to buy Palm and build it into a worthy competitor to the iPhone. Not just technologically since the Pre is already much ahead than the iPhone, but the ability to market and widely distribute the product. RIM and Nokia come to mind.
Read the article at: ComputerWorld
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