Skip to main content
To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.
Search
●Security
●Politics
●Gear
●Backchannel
●Business
●Science
●Culture
●Ideas
●Merch
●Podcasts
●Video
●Newsletters
●Magazine
●Events
●WIRED Insider
●WIRED Consulting
●Jobs
●Coupons
●How to Make Espresso
●Best Bookshelf Speakers
●Best Computer Speakers
●Our Favorite Linen Sheets
●Best Cooling Mattresses
●Get Deals Delivered
Priya Ganapati
Gear
Palm is planning a massive product launch for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month. It could be the company’s last, best shot at survival. "It’s quite likely, actually close to a certainty, that they will show a new OS, new user interface and probably new hardware," says Lawrence Harris, an analyst […]
Palm is planning a massive product launch for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month. It could be the company's last, best shot at survival.
"It's quite likely, actually close to a certainty, that they will show a new OS, new user interface and probably new hardware," says Lawrence Harris, an analyst for Wall Street brokerage firm CL King & Associates. "This is Palm's last shot to prove it has what it takes to survive in a very competitive market."
Palm ushered in the handheld computing revolution more than a decade ago with the Palm Pilot, and further advanced the market with its early Treo smartphones. But in the last few years the company has been struggling for survival while its devices get eclipsed by smartphones from Research in Motion, Nokia and Apple.
Now Palm has industry watchers buzzing about its plans for a CES press conference. According to analysts contacted by Wired.com, the company is likely to debut its new, Linux-based operating system, dubbed Nova, and show the first of a new family of smartphones that would use the OS. Nova is scheduled for release in the first half of 2009, the company has previously said.
CES, the largest consumer electronics products fair in the U.S., will clearly be a make-or-break event for Palm. The company recently posted second-quarter financial results nearly 40 percent below what some Wall Street analysts had projected. Sales of the Centro smartphone, the company's biggest seller, have been fading. Palm also faces strong headwinds from a weakening economy.
Meanwhile, competition in the market has gotten more intense with the launch of the Apple 3G iPhone, Research In Motion's latest BlackBerry devices and T-Mobile's G1, the first phone based on the Google-backed Android operating system.
Palm currently uses its Palm OS, aka Garnet, and Windows Mobile for its handsets. However, Palm OS is restricted in its use. It lacks support for high-speed HSDPA networks, also known as 3G mobile technology.
Nova could fix that and offer Palm an opportunity to create a new family of products that would go beyond the Centro and its Treo line.
"The good news for Palm is that folks are still talking about them and those making the trek to CES will likely pay attention to what they're saying," Michael Gartenberg, vice president at research firm Jupitermedia, wrote on his blog. "If this event disappoints it's going to be hard for them to muster attention in the future."
Palm may have gotten industry watchers buzzing but, so far, it has held its cards close to its chest. There have been almost no leaks about new hardware or features of the upcoming OS.
It could be a result of the culture that the company's many recent hires from Apple may have brought with them.
Over the last 18 months, Palm has hired a number for former Apple executives including Jon Rubenstein who was instrumental in the creation of the iPod, Lynn Fox, former head of Mac PR and Paul Mercer, a former Apple engineer.
"It is part of the Apple culture to keep things under wraps," says Harris. "And now we are seeing greater secrecy than ever from Palm."
Photo: (mhaithaca/Flickr)
Most Popular
Backchannel
The West Coast’s Fanciest Stolen Bikes Are Getting Trafficked by One Mastermind in Jalisco, Mexico
ByChristopher Solomon
Gear
The 16 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride
ByAdrienne So
Gear
Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs
ByJulian Chokkattu
Gear
The 19 Best Portable Chargers for All of Your Devices
BySimon Hill
phones
How to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Webcam
Upgrade your Zoom meetings with that snazzy camera in your pocket.
Julian Chokkattu
How to Use Your Smartphone to Counteract Vision Loss
From Magnifier to Lookout, you can benefit from features on Android and Apple devices.
Simon Hill
How to Use Your Smartphone to Cope With Hearing Loss
From live transcriptions to sound filtering, here’s how you can benefit from features on Android and Apple devices.
Simon Hill
Panerai’s Submersible Elux Lab-ID Dive Watch Generates Its Own Light Show
You have to pay $100,000 for a timepiece with a singularly hi-tech route to make 160 micro-LED lights come on without any battery to power them.
Tim Barber
The Best Bookshelf Speakers to Blast Your Tunes
Soup up your sound with these active and passive speakers. We have picks for every budget.
Ryan Waniata
Spotify Hates Albums. Here’s How to Fix That
Spotify favors serving up algorithmically curated playlists instead of complete albums. If you love a long-player, here are some tips to regain control of your listening sessions.
Justin Pot
14 Great Deals From the Sony Days of Play Sale
From games to consoles to accessories, Sony PlayStation gear is heavily discounted through June 12.
Louryn Strampe
These Are the Android Phones Worth Buying
Shopping for a new phone can be an ordeal. Let us take some of the pain out of it with these WIRED-tested picks and tips.
Julian Chokkattu
TurboTax Service Code
Save $7 To $23 On Turbo Tax Online
h&r block coupon
20% Off All H&R Block 2024 Tax Software | H&R Block Coupon
Instacart promo code
Enjoy $15 Off Your Orders With Instacart Coupon When You Spend $50
Doordash Promo Code
50% Off Your First Order Of $15+ With Code
Finish Line Coupon
Finish Line Coupon $15 Off $150 On Sneakers And More
Groupon Promo Code
Groupon Coupon: Extra 15% Off Any Size Order
WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. It is the essential source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in constant transformation. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries.
●Subscribe
●Newsletters
●FAQ
●WIRED Staff
●Editorial Standards
●Archive
●RSS
●Accessibility Help
●Reviews
●Buying Guides
●Mattresses
●Electric Bikes
●Fitness Trackers
●Streaming Guides
●Coupons
●Submit an Offer
●Become a Partner
●Coupons Contact
●Code Guarantee
●Advertise
●Contact Us
●Customer Care
●Jobs
●Press Center
●Condé Nast Store
●User Agreement
●Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement
●Your California Privacy Rights
© 2024 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices
●Italia
●Japón
●Czech Republic & Slovakia
Palm is planning a massive product launch for the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month. It could be the company's last, best shot at survival.
"It's quite likely, actually close to a certainty, that they will show a new OS, new user interface and probably new hardware," says Lawrence Harris, an analyst for Wall Street brokerage firm CL King & Associates. "This is Palm's last shot to prove it has what it takes to survive in a very competitive market."
Palm ushered in the handheld computing revolution more than a decade ago with the Palm Pilot, and further advanced the market with its early Treo smartphones. But in the last few years the company has been struggling for survival while its devices get eclipsed by smartphones from Research in Motion, Nokia and Apple.
Now Palm has industry watchers buzzing about its plans for a CES press conference. According to analysts contacted by Wired.com, the company is likely to debut its new, Linux-based operating system, dubbed Nova, and show the first of a new family of smartphones that would use the OS. Nova is scheduled for release in the first half of 2009, the company has previously said.
CES, the largest consumer electronics products fair in the U.S., will clearly be a make-or-break event for Palm. The company recently posted second-quarter financial results nearly 40 percent below what some Wall Street analysts had projected. Sales of the Centro smartphone, the company's biggest seller, have been fading. Palm also faces strong headwinds from a weakening economy.
Meanwhile, competition in the market has gotten more intense with the launch of the Apple 3G iPhone, Research In Motion's latest BlackBerry devices and T-Mobile's G1, the first phone based on the Google-backed Android operating system.
Palm currently uses its Palm OS, aka Garnet, and Windows Mobile for its handsets. However, Palm OS is restricted in its use. It lacks support for high-speed HSDPA networks, also known as 3G mobile technology.
Nova could fix that and offer Palm an opportunity to create a new family of products that would go beyond the Centro and its Treo line.
"The good news for Palm is that folks are still talking about them and those making the trek to CES will likely pay attention to what they're saying," Michael Gartenberg, vice president at research firm Jupitermedia, wrote on his blog. "If this event disappoints it's going to be hard for them to muster attention in the future."
Palm may have gotten industry watchers buzzing but, so far, it has held its cards close to its chest. There have been almost no leaks about new hardware or features of the upcoming OS.
It could be a result of the culture that the company's many recent hires from Apple may have brought with them.
Over the last 18 months, Palm has hired a number for former Apple executives including Jon Rubenstein who was instrumental in the creation of the iPod, Lynn Fox, former head of Mac PR and Paul Mercer, a former Apple engineer.
"It is part of the Apple culture to keep things under wraps," says Harris. "And now we are seeing greater secrecy than ever from Palm."
Photo: (mhaithaca/Flickr)
Most Popular