Rumor: Palm Working on Three New Fall Releases

Posted By: PIC Monday, August 4, 2003 4:55:34 PM

A BestBuy employee has found three new entries from Palm listed in the company's inventory system with a possible October 1st release date. The models may be a next generation Tungsten and a mid range or entry level Zire handheld.

The information available is limited on specific details, but the source claims to have pricing, Palm part numbers and the size of the retail box. The source in a post on ClieSource cautions that the pricing information often changes once the actual units are released.

The first model (P80870US) is listed with a price of $429 and comes in a cube 6x6x6" box. The box shares the same dimensions as the Tungsten C and T2 models. This may likely be the previously rumored Tungsten T3, which was recently leaked by a Chinese website. The pictures showed a possible Palm Tungsten model with a slider design and a 320x480 pixel high res+ screen, 64MB oF RAM, Bluetooth and a new button layout.

The second models in the system are shown as (P80880US) with a price of $199. It will come in a 9x3.3x7" box. It could likely be a candidates for a mid-range Zire handheld or a replacement for the aging m515. Many retailers still carry the m515 for $249, which has been on the market since the March 2002.

The third model is labeled (P80730US) with a price of $99. If accurate the price would indicate an possible replacement or update to the original Zire handheld. The Zire was introduced in October of 2002 at $99. The device has been one of the fastest selling handhelds in Palm's history.

While there are few hard details known, the Oct 1st release date would coincide with Palm's typical Spring/Fall release schedule. The Zire and Tungsten T were both introduced last October.

Thanks to Guarav for the tip.

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I just bought T2 -

navomaal @ 8/4/2003 5:58:17 PM #
would anyone consider upgrading to the T3??...I mean august is so close...I am really tempted to return my T2 (300 $) and then wait till T3 comes out....

RE: I just bought T2 -
bigRoN @ 8/4/2003 6:21:13 PM #
I was CONSIDERING upgrading to the T2 because I need more built-in memory... many of my programs only work in the built-in memory... like ePocrates (drug database program). One reservation I had at upgrading was I've had the T|T for less than a year... purchased in December. Maybe I'll let it age a full year before upgrading. I LIKE the look of the buttons on this. I'd considered the T|C or the Zire71, but neither one has Bluetooth. I have a T68i cellphone and use it for checking/writing email. It was quite handy for the past 2 months when I was essentially homeless with my computer locked up in storage. :(

Palm will release three new PDAs in October
pdangel @ 8/6/2003 3:58:46 AM #
Palm will release three new PDAs in October: a pair of Zires and what looks like the rumoured Tungsten T3.

"As for the other Zire's P8 0880 US code, that wonder if that suggests a wireless model, probably with built-in Bluetooth support. We'd normally expect Palm to keep the 0880 designation for a future Tungsten T, so if it is a Zire, it has to be a special one - hence the wireless support. Bluetooth is the one key feature missing from the 71, a multimedia messaging-oriented PDA if there ever was one."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/32173.html


"There are 2 kind of people my friend....those with wires and those without"

RE: I just bought T2 -
twizza @ 8/11/2003 1:02:48 AM #
Hola all;
Just found this info over at Brighthand (in the Tungsten T forum)
--------
quote:
Verification of 3 New Palms
I just got back from CompUsa and in their computer system are the three new Palms.

Palm Tungsten E
CompUsa Product ID#306210
$199.00

Palm Zire 21
CompUsa Product ID#306212
$99.00

Palm T3
CompUsa Product ID#306211
$399.00

They also listed a

Tungsten T3 Hard Case
Tungsten E Hard Case
Tungsten E,C & W Stylus

This seems to indicate that for some reason the existing Palm Hard Case for the T & T2 won't fit the T3 for some reason. Also that the Tungstgen E uses the same stylus as the T & T2.

These items were listed as on order but not yet in their main warehouse, which indicates that they won't be here real soon, but it is the first certain proof that I have seen (Yea!) that the T3 really exists.

There is another post on PDABuzz in the PDAnews section that verifies much of what I have said.

I am really surprised that the T3 will open at $399.00, maybe Palm is starting to appreciate the real competition coming from the new HP Ipaq's. I guess this means that either the T2 will immediately drop in price to $299.00 or the T3 is missing something big, so it can remain on the same level as the T2 just with different features? Maybe no bluetooth, same T2 processor, same memory and with wifi.
-------end quote-----

I was just browsing when I found this thread. Take it for what you will.


Check out my review of KeySuite over at bargainpda.com

No way I'm buying the T3

TTrules @ 8/4/2003 6:19:18 PM #
The T3 is cool, but I'm not buying it. Yeah, the 320x480 screen is great, but it dosn't have wifi, and dosen't have a thumb board. Another thing, why does palm have that stupid slider again? I learned my lesson with my TT. Yeah I thought it would be cool, and people would say "wow", but it wasn't worth it. I get tired of opening and closing it whenever I want to input data. Why dosn't palm just have a normal screen like a pocket pc? Palm keeps on going for this tiny size, when they sould just make a larger more powerful pda. Sorry palm, but he T3 just dosn't make the cut.

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
arielb @ 8/4/2003 7:08:52 PM #
so get the Tungsten C. it has everything you need

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
Lidocaineus @ 8/5/2003 8:26:55 AM #
I'm curious - do you even *read* what other say about the T|T regarding the slider? Most people have stated over and over that they like the slider because

1 - It makes the unit compact.
2 - With the correct utilities (free!), the slider is rarely opened.

I know 22 people with T|T's (yes 22 - all coworkers, all supplied by the company). Most have used Palm's in the past and a few have used PPC devices. After NewPen made the rounds, two things happened:

1 - The click of the slider opening became a novelty.
2 - *EVERYONE* stopped complaining about the slider.

So honestly; do you write pages and pages of documents on your PDA or desperately rely on the silk screen buttons that you always need to flip it open? And even if you have the former problem, I've seen coworkers write more than 14 pages of notes (that's a long meeting, about 2 hours) without opening the slider once. And if you have the latter problem, I can't even count on my fingers how many replacement programs there are to swtich around buttons and implement alternative silk screen button functionality.

The only thing that would make me want to open the slider is if Palm had made it a VG area, and even then, I wouldn't open the slider since most of the time, I'd rather have the small form than extra screen space (though the option to have it available is what would make it great).

I really think that those T|T users satisfied with the slider rarely say anything because... well, they're satisfied. Those that are not are *extremely* vocal for some reason. I also find that the latter group is split distinctly into two groups; one that really have a problem with newpen-like utilties and the sort and really do have some sort of interface issue, and those that have just not tried to work around the "problem", and moan and moan and moan.

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
Julian @ 8/5/2003 8:53:23 AM #
I agree that with the appropriate utilities you very rarely need to open the TT/TT2 slider, but if the leaks on the T3 spec are accurate then Palm seem to have blown it big time since you'll have to open the slider to get the full 320x480 screen. I really hope they don't fall into this trap because that would, for me, spoil what is otherwise looking like my perfect Palm.

- Julian

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
CaptMyCapt @ 8/5/2003 8:59:37 AM #
WooHoo! Go Palm! Long live the Tungsten! Keep um coming!

Now that's out of the way . . . Some people really are different. What a revelation! No matter how mainstream and satisfying something is for the greater majority, you'll always find some who take a different view and just have a burning desire to express it. Look at VHS vs. Beta (although I still really love Beta over VHS), MS Explorer and Netscape vs. all the other nitch-type browsers, "no ear rings in the nose" vs. "ear rings in the nose." We really can live with those why complain about the mainstream, can't we?

Captain T

"You will never make progress trying to sail into the wind - chart your course!"

There is no need for a slider.
Roberto_tores @ 8/5/2003 9:17:40 AM #
If the TT3 has a 320x480 why the slider?

Also some say the TT has a slider to make it small, but the clie SJ series is the same size as the TT closed withoud needing a slide.

Also the HP 1900 and M515 are smaler/slimer than the TT without any need for a slider

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
tiocsti @ 8/5/2003 10:45:47 AM #
I'm probably the minority view, but I like the slider. It keeps the unit nice and small. Of course, given the choice between a higher resolution screen and a smaller pda, i'd pick a smaller pda any day of the week. I don't know if i'll be buying the TT3 (I only recently bought a TT2), and a lot will probably depend on the scheduling rumors on the next model.

Is it just me, or would anyone else like to see palm slow down the release schedule a bit? I mean, the TT2 was just released, I didn't expect the TT3 till xmas at the earliest. I certainly hope TT4 is not going to be released before christmas, as I think they are just totally fragmenting their market and generating a 'yeah thats ok, but i'll wait a month for the next revision' type feeling among potential purchasers. Two similar models per calendar year seems about right to me, but I dunno.



RE: No way I'm buying the T3
TTrules @ 8/5/2003 1:32:54 PM #
Hey Lidocaineus, I actually DO need access to the silk screen buttons quite a bit, and have those programs, but find them awkward. And if the T3 really does have the 320x480 screen, I'm going to be opening and closing it alot.

WAY! I'm buying the T | T3!
RAMdŽd @ 8/5/2003 3:55:53 PM #
Yeah I thought it would be cool, and people would say "wow"


Geeeze, that's not even on my list of Very Last Reasons to Buy a... Why would I buy something to impress other's, or let their being "wowed!" influence my spending?

The T3 is on my list because it doesn't have Wi-Fi or a thumboard.. If you need them, fine. Get the T | C. No problem.

I want a compact, hi-res, large memory device. I'm glad Palm is one of the last PDA manufacturers to remember that a pocket-sized PDA is still in demand from a large segment of the buying public.

I wonder how many T|Cs Palm has sold comparted to T|Ts.

______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
mmmarkiep @ 8/5/2003 5:06:00 PM #
>they sould just make a larger more powerful pda.

You want a laptop? Buy a laptop.

Thumboards suck
bleedingedge @ 8/5/2003 6:14:48 PM #
I agree with the above comment: I would buy this PDA because it lacks the thumboard. Thank God. What a cumbersome waste of space that is. However, I can't stand the slider either. I almost cut my finger closing a TT slider at the Apple Store a while back. VG plus slider seems strange. Why not just bring the m515 chassis back and throw the VG 320x480 onto that???

Slider: Unnecessary
robman @ 8/5/2003 9:31:35 PM #
All that these comments prove is that had Palm shipped every Tungsten with the necessary free software to use the screen without the graffitti area, they could have omitted the slider altogether.

I'd like to see a sliding Palm unit that covers up a keyboard, like the original Zaurus. That seems more practical.

Palm Researcher at the University of Texas at Austin
http://www.edb.utexas.edu/petrosino/pda

RE: No way I'm buying the T3
Tuckermaclain @ 8/5/2003 9:45:23 PM #
That stupid slider was sooo anti "Palm Zen." Who wants to use quick launch, graffiti anywhere, etc. It was an extra step. It was possible, but less convenient to work around it. If you really absolutely have to have the 1" shorter body because that's all that fits into your scrub pocket, then fine.

Predictions for the new models

hkklife @ 8/4/2003 6:28:13 PM #
Most expensive model will likely be the T|T3 but it *could* be the "refreshed" T|C2 that people have been discussing lately...supposed to have BT as well as wi-fi in addition to a backlit thumboard. No visual or cosmetic changes, though. That would be a pretty nice little update to the C, IMHO. All it'd be missing at that point (feature-wise) would be a decent headphone jack and a voice recorder.

The mid-range unit is pretty hard to pin down, but I'd guess it'll be a clone of the Zire71 minus the camera and with improved audio capabilities-probably with a silver housing to distinguish it from the older Z71. It'd be, for all practical purposes, setting the stage for the Z71's replacement next spring with VG. (come one people, there's no way Palm can squeeze VG and/or BT into a unit that cheap-and it'd kill the existing Z71 anyway).

The cheap model will likely be nothing more than a Zire bumped up to OS 4.2 (aren't some Zires unofficially shipping with that already-adios, G1!), 4mb ram (remember, Palm wants to sell the kids all of those nice new expansion cards and game cards they've been releasing lately), and (hopefully) the Universal Connector and a full set of buttons. It'd basically be the m125's specs but with the Zire formfactor and with a rechargable battery. I'd also expect Palm to adopt the "x1" nomenclature for all future Zire models (they'll probably do something like a Zire 11 for the low-end model and Zire 61 or 62 for the mid-range model).

Overall, a nice set of releases-Palm will then be able to put the m130, m515 and i705 out to pasture (long overdue moves) and have a nice lineup to carry them through Christmas and into the new year. I think that they will also begin to realize more and more that good software bundles go a *long* way to keeping joe 6-pack newbie users happy-especially having a couple of apps burned into the ROM like the most recent Palms have had. The power users might not be thrilled by this but come on, look at how many more goodies you get pre-installed in Win XP that were unavailable to Win 9x or part of the Plus! pack...people like being able to "do stuff" right out of the box on Christmas morning.

RE: Predictions for the new models
Foo Fighter @ 8/4/2003 7:01:18 PM #
Quote: "but I'd guess it'll be a clone of the Zire71 minus the camera and with improved audio capabilities"

Nope. Palm doesn't see the Zire's weak audio as a problem. They didn't even fix the problem with the T2. I would guess we are going to see this poor audio quality for many more new models to come. Palm has very low standards and doesn't listen to customer demands.

-------------------------------
My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: Predictions for the new models
twizza @ 8/4/2003 7:25:07 PM #
I would agree that Palm would not want to canabalize sales of teh Z71 by not making the $200 model much better than the current Zire. But in my strange way of thinking; it would be good to see PalmSG to release this model with BT as a means of getting the average consumer thinking more about BT as a right now technology.

Pure speculation here: the new Zire to be color.
The truth: still greyscale, 16Mb and OS4.2 (withG2), and possibly a stronger emphasis on it replacing low level organizers and paper. Would be nice to see BT on this too, but I dont think that PalmSG is that forward thinking.

TC2??? Uhmm. Though this would be a good idea. I think that it would be a T* model with built in BT and wifi. A drop in the TC price plus the introduction of the TT2 makes me think that this would be the model that goes all out againist the iPaq 5400 series. OS6 will either be included or offered asap as an upgrade for this model. I look for 400Mhz, 64MB RAM, and VG. The other thing I look for is more emphasis on security.

Thanks for reading all of that, I keep thinking of it ya know.

Check out my review of KeySuite over at bargainpda.com

RE: Predictions for the new models
mikecane @ 8/4/2003 10:16:16 PM #
>>>Palm doesn't see the Zire's weak audio as a problem. They didn't even fix the problem with the T2. I would guess we are going to see this poor audio quality for many more new models to come. Palm has very low standards and doesn't listen to customer demands.

-- I finally got to extensively try MP3 on the TT2 today, with AeroPlayer and Pocket Tunes. Then I played the same MP3s on an hp 221x.

Bloody PPC kicked the sh*t of out of the TT2 with MP3. Just no contest whatsoever.

Is that what you meant, foo?

RE: Predictions for the new models
Altema @ 8/4/2003 10:24:57 PM #
No one with experience in audio confuses volume with quality.

RE: Predictions for the new models
Foo Fighter @ 8/4/2003 10:49:18 PM #
I was talking about the audio volume (through the headphone jack), which is miserably low.

-------------------------------
My blog: www.pocketfactory.com
RE: Predictions for the new models
rsc1000 @ 8/5/2003 4:38:45 AM #
>>-- I finally got to extensively try MP3 on the TT2 today, with AeroPlayer and Pocket Tunes. Then I played the same MP3s on an hp 221x.
>>Bloody PPC kicked the sh*t of out of the TT2 with MP3. Just no contest whatsoever.


I hope to god they fix that on the T3.

RE: Predictions for the new models
LarryGarfield @ 8/5/2003 4:47:39 AM #
Um, ok, maybe my ears just don't work, but I used the TT, Zire 71, and T2, and on my travel headphones, which are the only times I actually USE the Palm as an audio player, it sounded just fine.

I've not compared it against a PPC, but really guys, I use earbud headphones with my handheld. What's the purpose of an 8 cylinder engine for driving in stop and go rush hour traffic? :-)

--
This post is ROT26 encrypted. Reading it is a violation of the DMCA

RE: Predictions for the new models
grumpyelf @ 8/5/2003 5:25:45 AM #
You should try it out and compare the clarity, not just loudness. There is a noticeable difference.
RE: Predictions for the new models
LiveFaith @ 8/5/2003 10:12:23 AM #
http://www.churchoflivingfaith.com/images/nupalm.jpg

Maybe this is the PHOTO of the new low end or midrange model? Looks a little mundane, even by PSG standards, but the some of the specs do jump out at ya. Palm should clean up the marketing b4 release.
- virtual grafitti
- Longest battery life of any PDA ever
- High rez graphics
- Unlimited # of colors
- Lightest and most portable PDA to date
- Water resistant
> Cheesy stylus though?
> No expansion card?
I could use 2 of these.



Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Predictions for the new models
kevdo @ 8/5/2003 2:55:40 PM #
>No one with experience in audio confuses volume with quality.

Give me a break. What good is excellent sound quality if the volume is too low to hear on an airplane or other "non quiet" environments?

Only "experienced" audiophiles would rather have pristine sound quality for listening in sound proofed rooms rather than a much higher volume with perhaps a slight decline in overall quality.

-Kevin Crossman

RE: Predictions for the new models
mikecane @ 8/5/2003 8:52:42 PM #
Bugger audiophiles too, I say.

THE DAMNED THING IS TOO LOW!!!

And using Volume Override with Pocket Tunes often introduces distortion.

Aside from lack of volume, the music sounds *muddy*, dammit.

I re-ran the TT2 vs hp 221x MP3 test again today -- and the hp won, period. MP3 on the Z71 sucks too, I see.

RE: Predictions for the new models
twizza @ 8/11/2003 1:05:17 AM #
Here is some info that I found over at Brighthand.com (posted by richardwharvey in the Tungsten T forum)

Palm Tungsten E
CompUsa Product ID#306210
$199.00

Palm Zire 21
CompUsa Product ID#306212
$99.00

Palm T3
CompUsa Product ID#306211
$399.00

They also listed a

Tungsten T3 Hard Case
Tungsten E Hard Case
Tungsten E,C & W Stylus

Sounds like we have a winner in terms of what PalmSG is planning.

Check out my review of KeySuite over at bargainpda.com

T3 Buttons?!

ac @ 8/4/2003 7:34:08 PM #
What the HELL is with those buttons on the supposed T3? That kind of crazy layout would make using them very difficult and games absolutely impossible - does anyone actually like them?
RE: T3 Buttons?!
OrionNE @ 8/4/2003 8:31:46 PM #
I like them. It is all in what you like. I mean gaming would be hard but the only game I need buttons for is Prison(fancy up to date PONG.) But all the others are screen tapping type games. We shall see. I like the new Idea tho. And I also like the slider. just my opinion.

OrionNE

RE: T3 Buttons?!
Altema @ 8/4/2003 10:28:28 PM #
The button layout was changed to make them easier to use in landscape mode. Don't know many games that play is this mode though...

RE: T3 Buttons?!
helf @ 8/4/2003 11:12:15 PM #
um..how would they make gameplay any harder? Instead of moving fingers left and right it would be up and down..take a littel getting used to ,thats all..

dated news ?

orol @ 8/4/2003 10:02:56 PM #
hm PIC used to be always the first place where news about Palm OS were published ..
and now ? 2 days after such a major "news" the article was published .. and even the forums are not that much good they used to be..
I hope it's only due to the summer time :-)

RE: dated news ?
awdr @ 8/5/2003 10:33:42 AM #
Thats true it seems that www.brighthand.com has taken the lead!


RE: dated news ?
robrecht @ 8/5/2003 12:08:14 PM #
It seems as if the rumor was first posted on ClieSource.

Thanks, robrecht
RE: dated news ?
hkklife @ 8/5/2003 12:09:31 PM #
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=5764

This was discussed pretty thoroughly (with input by Ryan) this past Friday. He helped shed some light on the disparity between PIC and Brighthand-it's really an apples vs. oranges comparison, so we shouldn't get our feather too ruffled by the "scoops" Brighthand seems to keep getting. Some other PIC users and I were also discussing user-contributed articles/reviews and/or having a section of the web site for PIC-user written quickies (ie anytime someone buys a new Palm-related gadget or software that hasn't been officially reviewed by PIC, the user can post their thoughts about the product).

Zire 2

Kesh @ 8/5/2003 2:16:59 PM #
Of course, everyone ignores the low-end model. :) However, I think Palm has some potential here to claim a specific market, if they do it right.

So, the Zire 2... what *should* it have?

--

PalmOS 4.2
PalmReader Pro in ROM
4 Mb Memory
SD/MMC Slot

--

Some of you probably figured out what I'm going for here. In that configuration, the Zire 2 is poised to become a real eBook reader. It's affordable ($99 + SD card), there's plenty of books available (from Palm Digital Media, Fictionwise, or generic Palm DOC files), and it also does all your PIM functions.

That would blow away all those proprietary eBook readers out on the market, and give Palm a nice marketing angle for their Palm Digital Media service. I can think of several TV ads to promote the Zire 2 + PDM combo. :)

RE: Zire 2
ganoe @ 8/5/2003 5:08:29 PM #
Well, ideally it'd have Bluetooth and could play MP3s, but that'd likely push it out of the $99 price range. I can just imagine all the school time kids could waste with them.
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