Ok..now that we're beginning to recover from the news that Treo has effectively had war declared on it by Steve and his iPhone smartbomb ....what can Ed and the boys do to counter attack?
Interested in the key strategies Palm can take...what do you think...?
Here's a couple starters:
Camera
The lack of a decent mega pixel camera on the Treo is a bit of a joke...Palm seriously needs to at the very least get on a par with what every other provider seems to offer in their phones. I've spoken to many of my non geek friends about the great benefits of my new Treo 680...and often many of the other great features are left overshadowed by the low megapixel camera! It justs aint that impressive..
WIFI
In 2007 to not have a Treo with WiFi is also virtually ridiculous...I love my Treo 680...but it is just so frustrating that I can't make use of my wireless router at home with my Treo. Given the high costs of data here in Australia...WIFI would at least provide one way of using many of the Internet features of the phone...at present features like Google Maps are too expensive to use in countries like Australia where we can't get nice unlimited data packages.
GUI
As virtually everyone realises.... the graphical user interface of the Treo is stuck in the last millennium. If nothing else...the iPhone has dramatically demonstrated how good a smartphone can look when you take the time to employ some decent graphic designers. Sure there are computer geeks who care only about function...but most of the electronic consuming world loves the 'hip' 'cool' look of stuff like Vista and OS X and now the iPhone...surely this can be improved....I actually really like the look of the Treo outer body....and adding Palm Revolt has helped...but wow...the iPhone really shows what is possible.
MASSIVE SD CARD SUPPORT WITH NO HACKS REQUIRED!
It seems with Palm that it takes Treo enthusiasts to figure out how to get large SD cards working on Treo's...Palm has gotta get ahead of the game...and make sure that whatever massive cards are about to be released...the Treo is ready...massive SD card support would be a great selling point...
GUTS!
Palm had the courage to come up with some cool new coloured Treos 680's recently...just a pity that it seems many of us can actually only buy the boring old Graphite colour...I think Palm needs to 'back itself'...and have the courage of its convictions...invent something cool...and then actually go with it...one thing you've got to say for Apple...they dare to be different...dare to be unique...to live on the edge..to actually have a go....lessons of sport suggest that those prepared to actually be aggressive are usually those that win the game.
Partnerships/Music
Palm has got to get even more serious about it's partnerships.
Apple has virtually declared war on the known smart phone/mobile phone universe...iPalm may need to get very serious about enlisting some powerful players to provide it with more ammo for the fight.
When facing a blitzkrieg...you need all the friends you can get!
One example....one of the great advantages of the iPhone has been the iTunes music store ......about the time Ipods were taking off...Palm attempted something like this with Realplayer...but here in Australia I could never actually buy any music that worked with this service....I kept reading about "We plan to offer this service internationally some day"
As a further example why am I also not seeing some great plan offered for my Treo like:
Buy your Treo here with Vodafone
Includes Unlimited Data plan
Includes all this great online contenct
Here in Australia when I go into shops...the shop keepers themselves barely even know what a Treo is themselves..and what's even possible with the things via EDGE etc....it takes a geek to actually figure it out...it just isn't straight forward...
We're also offered all sorts of plans to watch sporting events on mobile phones from other companies...
I don't see ANY packages like this that are available for Treo. Here Treo's are basically shipped in boxes to stores with clueless sales people...and it's only enthusiasts who actually realise what can be achieved...
A presence
When the Treo 680 was launched here in Australia there was barely a whimper anywhere in the media...in fact if I wasn't a Treocentral reader...I probably wouldn't have known about it....
When the iPhone news broke....it made front page on mast heads of news papers...with big photos in our major photos...you can bet TV shows etc will all be talking about it...
The Treo?? Who even seems to care?
The reality hit home....if Apple had themselves launched the Treo 680...it'd probably be massive news.....Apple has a presence...a reputation...
This is a big one to counter.
Anyway what else can Palm do?
I think the Treo is a great product...I love all the useful software I have for it...and things I can do with it...I also am not convinced I will like using a phone that has no tactile buttons...but Treo has indeed had the absolute stuffing knocked out of it....
What can Ed and the boys and girls do as they plan their counter attack to the Apple blitzkrieg?
Interested in the key strategies Palm can take...what do you think...?
Here's a couple starters:
Camera
The lack of a decent mega pixel camera on the Treo is a bit of a joke...Palm seriously needs to at the very least get on a par with what every other provider seems to offer in their phones. I've spoken to many of my non geek friends about the great benefits of my new Treo 680...and often many of the other great features are left overshadowed by the low megapixel camera! It justs aint that impressive..
WIFI
In 2007 to not have a Treo with WiFi is also virtually ridiculous...I love my Treo 680...but it is just so frustrating that I can't make use of my wireless router at home with my Treo. Given the high costs of data here in Australia...WIFI would at least provide one way of using many of the Internet features of the phone...at present features like Google Maps are too expensive to use in countries like Australia where we can't get nice unlimited data packages.
GUI
As virtually everyone realises.... the graphical user interface of the Treo is stuck in the last millennium. If nothing else...the iPhone has dramatically demonstrated how good a smartphone can look when you take the time to employ some decent graphic designers. Sure there are computer geeks who care only about function...but most of the electronic consuming world loves the 'hip' 'cool' look of stuff like Vista and OS X and now the iPhone...surely this can be improved....I actually really like the look of the Treo outer body....and adding Palm Revolt has helped...but wow...the iPhone really shows what is possible.
MASSIVE SD CARD SUPPORT WITH NO HACKS REQUIRED!
It seems with Palm that it takes Treo enthusiasts to figure out how to get large SD cards working on Treo's...Palm has gotta get ahead of the game...and make sure that whatever massive cards are about to be released...the Treo is ready...massive SD card support would be a great selling point...
GUTS!
Palm had the courage to come up with some cool new coloured Treos 680's recently...just a pity that it seems many of us can actually only buy the boring old Graphite colour...I think Palm needs to 'back itself'...and have the courage of its convictions...invent something cool...and then actually go with it...one thing you've got to say for Apple...they dare to be different...dare to be unique...to live on the edge..to actually have a go....lessons of sport suggest that those prepared to actually be aggressive are usually those that win the game.
Partnerships/Music
Palm has got to get even more serious about it's partnerships.
Apple has virtually declared war on the known smart phone/mobile phone universe...iPalm may need to get very serious about enlisting some powerful players to provide it with more ammo for the fight.
When facing a blitzkrieg...you need all the friends you can get!
One example....one of the great advantages of the iPhone has been the iTunes music store ......about the time Ipods were taking off...Palm attempted something like this with Realplayer...but here in Australia I could never actually buy any music that worked with this service....I kept reading about "We plan to offer this service internationally some day"
As a further example why am I also not seeing some great plan offered for my Treo like:
Buy your Treo here with Vodafone
Includes Unlimited Data plan
Includes all this great online contenct
Here in Australia when I go into shops...the shop keepers themselves barely even know what a Treo is themselves..and what's even possible with the things via EDGE etc....it takes a geek to actually figure it out...it just isn't straight forward...
We're also offered all sorts of plans to watch sporting events on mobile phones from other companies...
I don't see ANY packages like this that are available for Treo. Here Treo's are basically shipped in boxes to stores with clueless sales people...and it's only enthusiasts who actually realise what can be achieved...
A presence
When the Treo 680 was launched here in Australia there was barely a whimper anywhere in the media...in fact if I wasn't a Treocentral reader...I probably wouldn't have known about it....
When the iPhone news broke....it made front page on mast heads of news papers...with big photos in our major photos...you can bet TV shows etc will all be talking about it...
The Treo?? Who even seems to care?
The reality hit home....if Apple had themselves launched the Treo 680...it'd probably be massive news.....Apple has a presence...a reputation...
This is a big one to counter.
Anyway what else can Palm do?
I think the Treo is a great product...I love all the useful software I have for it...and things I can do with it...I also am not convinced I will like using a phone that has no tactile buttons...but Treo has indeed had the absolute stuffing knocked out of it....
What can Ed and the boys and girls do as they plan their counter attack to the Apple blitzkrieg?
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