PalmGear and pdaOrder to Offer Build to Order Handhelds

Posted By: Erin Reed Thursday, April 19, 2001 7:09:56 AM

PalmGear and pdaOrder have announced plans to offer pdaOrder’s one-of-a-kind Build to Order service on the PalmGear site. This allows a customer to order a handheld and software and receive a complete unit that is ready-to-use as soon as the box is opened. Customers simply pick a handheld and select exactly the software they want. The Build to Order service checks for software dependencies and conflicts, pre-installs the software, and completes the registration process.

Among the companies participating in the PalmGear Build to Order service are: Bachmann Software, Beiks Software, Blue Nomad, Brayder Technologies, CoffeePot Software, CompanionLink, Cutting Edge Software, DDH Software, Deepnet, Firepad, Inc., Franklin Electronics, Hands High Software, Handmark, Information Products, Infinity Softworks, PatientKeeper, Pocket Med, PocketSensei, Qvadis Software, and RhinoSkin.

Kenny West, President of PalmGear, said “As the penetration of handhelds has increased, so has the number of novice users who need software. pdaOrder allows us to provide those customers with a turnkey solution for their particular needs, which saves them time and us support expense.”

Nate Glissmeyer, CEO of pdaOrder, said “With this agreement, any customer of Palm Gear HQ can select exceptional software and handhelds and receive a complete solution that meets their needs right out of the box. People are increasingly turning to handhelds as an essential computing tool. We believe we make it easy for them to customize exactly the tool they need.”

“A large percentage of our support load is related to the registration and installation of our software," said Dave Haupert, President of DDH Software. "No matter how well we engineer the process, some work is still required of the end user. pdaOrder offers the best end-to-end service to solve this problem. We anticipate that their technology and their partners will dramatically increase our sales and reduce our support workload.”

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Developers?

Ed @ 4/19/2001 8:58:06 AM #
I believe that most of the people who would come to a site like this one are capable of installing their own software but I thought those of you who are developers might be interested in talking to the pdaOrder people.

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Plenipotentiary
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build to order

palmdiva @ 4/19/2001 10:01:26 AM #
I've given about 3-4 Palms as gifts, Knowing full well, that I was going to have to suggest and install the software geared to the recepient initially. I'd have been happy to have a service like this at time of purchase. It's not for everyone, but especially during the holidays, I think it would generate a good deal of business.

Build or Load to Order?

mikecane @ 4/19/2001 11:29:54 AM #
When I saw "build to order," I thought, "Wow! Sign me up for a 320x320 screen in an m505 case." No such luck! It's really load to order.

What about the desktop?

GregGaub @ 4/19/2001 12:28:12 PM #
Do you send them your desktop or laptop computer to have them install the Palm Desktop, and all the other desktop clients and conduits that go with the software that is installed on the Palm? I'm guessing NOT! In which case, all these people are STILL going to have to go through the process of hooking up and installing desktop software, which isn't any more or less complicated than installing the Palm-only applications. I think they're setting themselves up for a bunch of pissed off customers who can't figure out why their Wordsmith documents aren't being backup to their desktop machine, or why they can't get any AvantGo channels to read. Unless they limit people to Palm-only apps with no clients or conduits to install, I think it's not such a great idea, and that their plan to reduce support calls will backfire on them.

RE: What about the desktop?
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/19/2001 5:08:32 PM #
You get a CD too.

RE: What about the desktop?
GregGaub @ 4/19/2001 6:18:01 PM #
Well, DUH, of course they get the CD. They can also download and install their own Palm software. My point, which you obviously missed, is that this service isn't even all that useful for the newbies to Palms, since they're STILL going to have to install the software required on their desktop computer. When was the last time you installed a Palm app with a desktop client that didn't also automatically put the Palm app into the install list for the next sync? PalmGear and pdaOrder are going to be wasting a lot of money and support calls having to remind people that although their Palms will work wonderfully out of the box, their effectiveness is cut in half until they install the necessary software on their desktop computer. Yes, they'll get a CD with that software... but will that also be a fully customized installer CD that installs all the desktop clients and conduit for their palm software automatically? I think not. If anything, it will be a burned CD with the installers for all the programs the client paid for, which they will have to install one by one, just like anyone else who downloaded the apps over the net.

Then again, there are plenty of idiots out there just waiting to waste their money on something they couldn't be bothered to do themselves. These people will probably also pay a computer consultant to come into their home or office to install the desktop stuff and show them how to use it. Then come back every month to re-install something they deleted thinking it was a virus, or show them how to use an application that they're too "busy" to remember to how to use.

Oy. I just can't figure out why it's so damn hard for so many people to just do it. It's bone-headed easy, imho, which means these people are more stupid than bone-headed, I guess.

I dunno, maybe that was my "I hate stupid people" rant for the year. hehe


RE: What about the desktop?
palmcoder @ 4/20/2001 9:36:18 AM #
jeez, dude, take a pill or something! %)

The news article states quite clearly that, "No matter how well we engineer the process, some work is still required of the end user." This is probably referring to the fact that the user will still need to install conduits for some applications.

pc



RE: What about the desktop?
Ed @ 4/20/2001 9:44:08 AM #
I would hope that they would create a customized installer CD that would require the user to just launch one application which would install all the required conduits. I tried to find evidence of this on the pdaOrder site but couldn't. If they don't do this, they should really consider it. It would reduce many tech support calls to "Did you run the installation app? Please do so now."

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter

Maybe I could start a business

I.M. Anonymous @ 4/19/2001 3:15:08 PM #
Wow! I thought the Palm was simple enough that anybody could install the apps they want. Maybe I could setup a webpage somewhere offering the same service. =p

Oh well, as mentioned in a previous post this should be pretty useful during holidays and stuff.

RE: Maybe I could start a business
GregGaub @ 4/19/2001 6:28:57 PM #
I say do it. There are plenty of people willing to pay you $50+ per hour to come to their home or office and install software for them, especially something to "new and complicated" (whatever).
If you've got a spare couple hours a day, you should put up a web site, stick a couple ads in your local newspapers and such, and start earning some gadget cash. Hell, given the increasing size of the market, you might be quitting your day job in short order so that you can set up small businesses with Palm devices and stuff. I fully expect these kinds of services to pop up and flourish all over the country. I was involved with one a little while ago, actually, so I have first-hand knowledge in this area.

Hey, Anonymous

PalmUser in T.O. @ 4/20/2001 8:15:20 AM #
What do you do for a living? Every time I read one of these articles, you've got something to say. I hope you get paid to try out the latest & greatest from Palm. If not you've got way too much time on your hands. (This is the first time I've filled out this form and I just read the "tip" about leaving your name blank for anonymous. Is that you, Anonymus?)
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