600k webOS Devices Heading to Verizon

palm pre plus verizon An interesting new article has just been posted by D! All Things Digital's John Paczkowski discussing the ever-rampant rumor that Palm may be acquired within the next year or two. Citing Deutsche Bank analyst (and periodic Palm prognosticator) Jonathan Goldberg, Paczkowski's article is interesting not because of the hypothetical Palm acquisition speculation but rather because of a brief mention regarding how many webOS "Plus" units are in the Verizon channels.

Previous reports claimed that Verizon had purchased a 50/50 mixture of Pre Plus and Pixi Plus units for a total of 400,000 devices. I was told last week by a Verizon support rep who had just finished training on webOS that they had "closer to a half-million" due to a greater-than-anticipated Pre demand. If the 600,000 unit report is correct, than Verizon could be planning on giving WebOS a greater push than originally anticipated, especially given that two new Verizon Pre Plus Valentine-themed ads that have been plastered all over primetime television lately (here and here). Additionally, Verizon is still running their "buy one webOS phone, get a free Pixi" promotion.

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in the wild?

Gekko @ 2/4/2010 5:23:37 PM # Q

IMO speculation and/or channel stuffing.

because i have yet to see a pre or pixi in the wild except for the one i bought and returned.

demand is LOW.

RE: in the wild?
Ed Lin @ 2/4/2010 9:25:13 PM # Q
I have seen one other Pre in the wild, and have yet to see a Droid in the wild. My Pre is solid and has yet to develop any of the problems read about on the net. Demand for the Droid on Verizon is lower than Pre Plus? Palm build quality is high, even with the Sprint Pre? See, I can play the apocryphal evidence game too!
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I should say

Ed Lin @ 2/4/2010 9:27:29 PM # Q
I should say that 600,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to the Droid, which sold a million devices in a month.
RE: I should say
jca666us @ 2/5/2010 6:00:31 AM # M Q
Within a year, PIC will post an article titled,"600k webOS Devices Heading to landfill"
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Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away

Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/4/2010 9:33:53 PM # Q
No one is buying these phones. No one is buying Palm. How much longer can Palm keep up the charade of pretending to compete with real cellphone manufacturers?. No product, no stable OS, no customers. Way to go, Rubes!
RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
mikecane @ 2/6/2010 7:22:08 AM # Q
Eh. At least they're not Nokia. They have something *good* in webOS.
RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/6/2010 9:41:03 AM # M Q
Nokia? Who dat?

Yes, Nokia may be persona non grata in America, but for reasons that escape me their phones still rule the roost in the land of Eurotrash.


3 years ago Palm could have been where Apple is today, with the same mobile OS running on 3 different device categories. Smartphone, PDA/entertainment pad ("PalmPad") and laptop/tablet ("PalmTop"). All 3 platforms syncing to a central server, allowing users to access their data at any time with any device. Global syncing could have helped make Windows redundant (Google's secret longterm plan). Instead, all we got was the Foleo debacle, a sacrificial Jeff Hawkins making a fool(eo) of himself in an attempt to cover for his inept development team's failure to deliver on his vision, two years of multi-colored Centros and the severely premature delivery of WebOS ("PreemieOS").


Elevation Partners is going to go down in flames unless they can flip their Palm investment before the market figures out that the emperor has no clothes. Does EP have the cojones to buy the rest of Palm in anticipation of The Deal? And who would buy? I wonder who it was that left Palm at the altar a couple of years ago when they ultimately balked at "Fast" Eddie Colligan's multi-billion dollar dowery? Did due diligence show that WebOS couldn't cut it in an impending Android world? Is Eddie C an electric sheep ****er?


Nokia's money could have allowed WebOS to develop into a platform worthy of competing with iPhone by now. Maemo's been a failure. Is it time for Nokia and Palm to get together?

RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
SeldomVisitor @ 2/6/2010 9:52:44 AM # Q
I doubt Elevation would buy any more PALM unless it was dirt cheap. Right now they're averaged in at $7-ish/share, I believe, so are sitting on a nice profit for the 2.5-ish years they've been "invested".

BTW - Elevation has a checkered investing history - ONE position, as far as I could figure out, has been closed out - that one was quite profitable. All the other positions are still in place and, at most I believe, two of four or five are in the green (on paper).

RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
Gekko @ 2/6/2010 10:03:18 AM # Q
RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
SeldomVisitor @ 2/6/2010 10:48:56 AM # Q
Yeah, that article does mention some of Elevation's positions but is rather wrong on how profitable (on paper) its Palm position is - about 40-ish% in the green is more correct (rather than 25% or whatever that article says).
RE: Enough BULL. Palm can't even give WebOS phones away
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/6/2010 11:01:09 AM # M Q
All it would take to drive Palm's stock into the gutter would be a few well placed rumors about lack of sales for WebOS phones*. Someone yells "Fire!" and Rubes & Co sit back laughing as skittish investors/rats stampede and flee the sinking ship. Elevation Partners swoops in and "generously" offers the board (which they control) a buyout for $3. Then Badda Boom Badda Bing they flip to Nokia for 2 billion and walk away with 500 million profit. The SEC wouldn't bat an eyelash.

Palm is possibly the most manipulated stock in history. Untold millions have been made off Palm by a hundred or so insiders over the years. I gots mine! Gimmee more!

*Does no one find it odd that a company so desperately in need of a smash hit would choose to showcase its brand spanking new OS is such weak hardware as the Pre and the Pixi? One phonecall to any of half a dozen Taiwanese OEMs could have resulted in much better phones using off the shelf parts and designs. Could certain people at Palm be secretly trying to sabotage the company in order to force a buyout? Hmmmmmm?

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This is an article with...literally...no basis in fact

SeldomVisitor @ 2/5/2010 4:09:31 AM # Q
Nuff said.

RE: This is an article with...literally...no basis in fact
jmchamblis @ 2/5/2010 8:13:59 AM # Q
They are taking the inventory knowledge given to a low-level support person as gosple on how many devices were ordered? Besides, if Verizon were to sell out, wouldn't the order more of a popular device?
RE: This is an article with...literally...no basis in fact
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/7/2010 8:05:58 AM # M Q
As usual the only thing that matters is how many phones are being sold each month to real people. Everything else is B.S.

Will Palm EVER announce its WebOS phone sales figures? What are they hiding?

Reply to this comment

damn

whiteasianrose @ 2/5/2010 2:45:22 PM # Q
the hate is out in full force today


RE: damn
SeldomVisitor @ 2/5/2010 4:40:52 PM # Q
Yes, apparently it has.

RE: damn
Scotland @ 2/5/2010 7:42:53 PM # Q
I don't know why half the people who come to this site and comment bother to come here anymore. They just seem to be negative about everything.

The irony is that, after years of Palm coming out with underwhelming PalmOS devices (remember how long it took Palm to come out with the 680 that had the major feature of being *slightly* thinner AND had an internal antenna...?) and no OS updates for YEARS, this negativity still continues now that Palm has a real OS, frequent updates, and competitive devices again (and, yes, they may not have features that satisfy everyone on this site but you'd be hard pressed to say they aren't competitive).

This site and the PalmOS stalwarts who frequent it are starting to remind me of OS/2 sites after IBM gave up on it in the mid-90s - where a steadily declining number of OS/2 fans denied reality, telling themselves that their OS was still better than Win95 (mostly true) and then NT 4.0 (iffy) and XP (definitely not true) while the marketplace moved on and left them behind.

Give it a break, people! The news that Palm is selling a bunch of devices on Verizon is actually good news. It's a pity that folks have to turn it around and say they should be selling more.

And, yes, I have seen Palm devices in the wild - 2 separate acquaintances of mine bought Pres without my knowledge and they love them. And complete strangers have asked me about mine on occasion.

I'm starting to wonder why I come here.

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/6/2010 6:55:19 AM # Q

ok i'll point out the obvious to you. because right now i use a Palm Centro on Sprint. unfortunately, it represents the best value and usability right now for my needs. i'm waiting for something better to come. i value some of the opinions, news, humor, and insight here. our small band of brothers here have all known each other for many years - albeit virtually - and we've seen a lot together. we've lived through palm's successes and failures together. we have a long history together. the thrill of cool new Palm products at the time and the agony of disastrous ones. lots of long debates and analysis. as soon as a better alternative comes to Sprint, i'll probably get it - regardless of the OS. it may be an iPhone, Android, WinMob or whatever. yet i'll probably still chime in here from time to time to check on my "friends". understand?

RE: damn
mikecane @ 2/6/2010 7:24:23 AM # Q
>>>i'll probably still chime in here from time to time to check on my "friends". understand?

Friends?!!? You have friends here?! How the hell did THAT happen?

If YOU want a friend, Gekko, get a dog. Although then I'd have to call PETA on your ass.

Oh that is so Win! Get that dog!

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/6/2010 7:58:17 AM # Q

do you have enough microwave pizzas and pepsi stocked up for the snow storm? or will they find your cold, lifeless, emaciated body huddled in the corner on the floor in the fetal position several weeks from now?

:-O
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/6/2010 8:08:14 AM # M Q
Newsflash:


MC FTW!

Yet another classic PIC beatdown. Brings a tear to my jaundiced eye.

RE: damn
abosco @ 2/6/2010 8:47:27 AM # M Q
I think there's one thing we can all agree on. Nobody likes this guy ^^^, regardless of what username he's using this week. Or what random string of words he curiously decides to capitalize and trademark. I still haven't figured that one out.

Is he concerned someone is going to steal his brilliant phrases, write a book, and earn millions?

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/6/2010 9:35:27 AM # Q

my guess is bipolar disorder combined with a cognitive dissonance alternating between highly inflated sense of self worth, importance, influence, intelligence vs. deep insecurities and personal failure.


RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/6/2010 9:37:01 AM # Q

scot - palm is like a slow motion car crash - you can't help but slow down and watch.

RE: damn
rpa @ 2/6/2010 10:54:20 PM # Q
Gekko: I am still using my Centro for the same reasons. The best we can hope for Garnet is an emulator running on Android or even the iPhone. Access did one for the Nokia 800 (?) but they have disappeared lately.

Where are the techies who can write an emulator so we can continue to enjoy the simplicity of Garnet and cool hardware at the same time?? There must be at least ONE who still frequents this site.

RE: damn
hkklife @ 2/7/2010 7:42:18 AM # Q
Dmitry Grinberg and his DGOS project is our best hope.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid
RE: damn
abosco @ 2/7/2010 8:07:09 AM # M Q
Guys, emulators and fringe OS projects are not the answers you should be looking for. The most important thing is to have an OS that fits your needs, has developer support, and is backed by a company large enough to provide continued updates to the software. Otherwise, you're going to run into the same exact problem next year.

Really, your only options are Apple and Google. The latest rumors on WinMob7 say it's a Zune version of the iPhone. Very creative. I could totally see Microsoft doing that. So take a minute, assess the platforms, and jump in. Leave the Centro behind.

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/7/2010 8:21:00 AM # Q

of course. i don't want to pilot my life on some wobbly emulator. F that. too many other good alternatives. no need to be stuck out on some island trying to run wobbly incompatible legacy 1996 software on 2010 hardware. my jump from Centro will be clean, quantum, and complete.
The solution is simple. And it ISN'T WebOS
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/7/2010 8:29:59 AM # M Q
What people want is nice phone hardware and an attractive OS that provides the ability to use the apps we like. Since this is PALMinfocenter.com, most of us like PalmOS apps. The core PIM apps and third party replacements are simply the best available on ANY platform. It is fast, efficient, easy to use and has many (often unique) apps available for it that many of us have come to depend on.

Yes, PalmOS is not the most modern OS, but TealOS showed us all how easily a simple user interface refresh could modernize the PalmOS experience. The main problem is the fact that in 2010 PalmOS is running on primitive hardware compared to most other phones - especially Android phones and iPhone.

Put PalmOS - or a PalmOS emulator - on modern hardware and you would have an amazing, incredibly fast mobile platform.

Access can easily create an emulator for Android. Apple's control over app certification means a legitimate Access-derived emulator for iPhone is less likely. We need to show Access that there is interest in a PalmOS emulator for Android and see if they feel it makes business sense to release it ASAP.

RE: damn
abosco @ 2/7/2010 8:57:55 AM # M Q
So that's your solution? Beg Access to create an emulator for an abandoned platform on Android? I have a better idea. Buy an iPhone. The built-in calendar is weak, but it interfaces well with EAS. If you don't need Exchange, you can buy Pocket Informant and have it sync to Google Calendar. The reviews are very positive, the layout looks awesome, and it's $13.

No more time spent hacking your way to software compatibility. No more fumbling with shitty SD cards. No more underpowered hardware.

For the record, I love love love the lack of external storage. My media library comfortably fits on 16 GB, and I don't have to worry about software recognizing content on the card, managing/carrying/losing several cards, or mixing them up. It's always on my phone. I know some people on here will bitch about not being able to carry all 200 GB of their library, but too ****ing bad. This solution works for 95% of people, and I'm one of them.

Con
Gekko @ 2/10/2010 11:57:36 AM # Q

Con - are you ok? i'm worried that snow storm #2 has left you dead and bloated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM8dS51Rf-I

Caring is good
e_tellurian @ 2/10/2010 1:29:47 PM # M Q
Good to know people are caring about one another.

Peace,

E-T

RE: damn
mikecane @ 2/10/2010 1:31:13 PM # Q
RE: damn
abosco @ 2/10/2010 2:50:19 PM # M Q
Alice In Chains and STP are headlining a concert in Philly on May 23rd. Tickets go on sale for $50 on Friday. I'm there.

Stay warm, pricks. It is out of control over here.

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/10/2010 5:11:24 PM # Q

bosco - shouldn't you be in the walmart parking lot right about now?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCXgE10dZE4

WTF happened to my posts in this thread?
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/10/2010 6:25:47 PM # Q
hkklife, is there some new censorship policy now in place at Palminfocenter? The posts responding to the abosco child have been deleted. If that's the way PIC rolls now, please let me know. If I'm going to craft golden nuggets of posting poetry only to see them delated because abosco goes running to Ryan because he got his widdle nose bloodied then I'll return the forum to its regularly scheduled screed from E-tellurian. This site REALLY needs to figure out how it's planning to survive. Mike Cane can't have much time left on this planet...
hkklife: Nevermind - my Centro just wasn't loading the page
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 2/10/2010 6:31:23 PM # Q
Damn Blazer has to be refreshed every time to see new comments.

Nothing to see, folks. Move along now...

RE: damn
abosco @ 2/10/2010 7:07:50 PM # M Q
Idiot.
RE: damn
Docta G @ 2/11/2010 9:22:56 AM # Q
abosco wrote:
Alice In Chains and STP are headlining a concert in Philly on May 23rd. Tickets go on sale for $50 on Friday. I'm there.

Finally you've written something that sounds like a good idea!!

I'm jealous, enjoy.

RE: damn
Gekko @ 2/11/2010 9:42:01 AM # Q

AIC is not AIC without LS.

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