palmOne Sells 1.5 Million Tungsten E Handhelds

Posted By: Ryan Wednesday, December 22, 2004 8:08:32 PM

palmOne has announced that the Tungsten E handheld has sold 1.5 million units worldwide in just 14 months. The TE has proven enormously popular with budget-conscious professionals and consumers alike, helping it achieve a remarkable 21 percent of all U.S. handheld sales in its first year on the market, according to The NPD Group.

Introduced in October 2003, Tungsten E was the first handheld from palmOne to offer a crisp, high-resolution color display for less than $200 (estimated U.S. street price), allowing users to better view and edit detailed business documents, manage personal information and experience vibrant multimedia, such as games and full-motion video. Enterprises value Tungsten E for its fast ARM processor, 32MB of RAM (28.3MB user available) and sleek, professional look, while consumers are attracted to the low price and fun features, such as an integrated MP3 player(2), video capabilities, and photo album viewer.

Palm Tungsten EOn the heels of the success of the Tungsten E is the new book "Know Your Tungsten E," which includes tips, tricks and advanced techniques for users to get the most out of their handheld. The book draws on real experiences and anecdotes from Tungsten E users, illustrated with graphics, diagrams and screen captures to guide readers through the Tungsten E's many features.

The palmOne Tungsten E (lowest price) represents a new way of thinking about an enterprise-class handheld. Whether for home or in the office, individuals no longer have to sacrifice price for performance or professional features for multimedia. Instead, palmOne designed Tungsten E from the ground up to include cutting-edge features for both work and play at an affordable price. As a result, the Tungsten E has garnered critical acclaim from reviewers and many awards, including the Editors' Choice award from Laptop Magazine and a place on CNET's list of the Top 100 Products of 2003.

"We knew the handheld market was ripe for a device that offers power and features at an easy-on-the-wallet price," said Ken Wirt, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, for palmOne. "Tungsten E answered that call with professional yet cost-effective features to help users organize their busy lives without skimping on the fun features that make technology such a stimulating part of our world."

From the healthcare industry to the public sector, the Tungsten E is a popular choice for enterprises of all sizes. Among the many varied companies that have deployed Tungsten E handhelds in their workforces are the following:

  • Contact lens manufacturer CooperVision, one of the largest contact lens makers in the world, deployed the Tungsten E to 100 sales representatives and managers to help them better manage inventory, track CRM data, and perform medical calculations, while visiting eye doctors on-site. CooperVision also installed more than 1,000 customer programs based on the Tungsten E for managing patient data and performing complex prescription calculations.
  • Newport-Mesa Unified School District in Orange County, Calif., provided 1,000 Tungsten E handhelds and wireless keyboards to sixth- and seventh-grade students to help them in using time-management, word processing and multimedia applications.
  • Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Good Samaritan Society, the nation's largest not-for-profit long-term care organization, purchased more than 400 Tungsten E handhelds to help monitor the activities of residents under the society's nursing care. Planning is underway for an additional 2,000 Tungsten E handhelds to provide nursing assistants with instant, on-the-go, point-of-care access for documentation and care plan approach retrieval.
  • Emergency medical service provider San Diego Medical Services Enterprise is using Tungsten E handhelds to collect and share detailed patient information more quickly and accurately than ever before.

"Know Your Tungsten E" is available online at The palmOne Store (store.palmOne.com) and in many local bookstore and other online book sellers. The Tungsten E handheld is available in consumer-electronics outlets, major retail chains and online e-stores in most countries worldwide.

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E

drw @ 12/22/2004 8:46:09 PM #
replace the hard graffiti with a thumbpad, add bluetooth, sd wifi drivers, all for $199 and you got me sold...

---
David
RE: E
abosco @ 12/22/2004 11:00:34 PM #
Yes, that's what the market needs now, but you know what, for the past year, the T|E has proven a great device. This is the moneymaker for PalmOne right now. This just goes to show you what a good value for the money can get you along with some strong advertising.

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T637
RE: E
Calroth @ 12/23/2004 6:23:57 AM #
"replace the hard graffiti with a thumbpad, add bluetooth, sd wifi drivers, all for $199..."

If PalmOne did all that for $199, they would probably be losing money. So they have no incentive to do it...

RE: E
MoveableTech51 @ 12/23/2004 12:47:29 PM #
Gee, maybe we throw in the kitchen sink too for $199? Seriously, I'm glad that the TE sells so well. The success in the marketplace of the TE shows that what the public wants is Simple To Use, not a lot of expensive features (like Windoze Mobile). The under $200 handheld is desired by many.

Most handheld users I've talked to seem to use the darn things for contact lists, appointments and an occasional game with an easy to see color screen. This group also includes WindozeMobile users too, so let's not hear any griping from the WinCEHeads.

RE: E
vesther @ 12/23/2004 1:08:54 PM #
Drw

The Thumbpad, 802.11x Certification, Bluetooth 1.x compliance would only add more to the cost and also the following on your wishlist were more of high-end features and not beginner-friendly features. The only think I want changed on the Tungsten E on the revision is the implementation of the Multi-Connector. The Processor and Memory is all up to PalmOne, but I'd rather see palmOne not implement NAND Flash and/or the controversial NVFS File System at all, since the Tungsten T5 and Treo 650 is plagued with this kind of controversy.

Powered by Palm OS since March 2002

RE: I thought the TE was the best value Palm has ever made
Cheetah @ 12/24/2004 4:31:52 AM #
The TE was basically the successor to the Vx (505) that everyone wanted. After the success of the Vx (505) everyone asked for these features:

Vx form factor
Hi Res Screen
Long battery life
Virtual Graffiti area

Although the TE did not have a virtual graffiti area, it was only $200 making it the best VALUE of Palm history.

I really liked my T/E, and only just upgraded to the T5 which is like the T/E in many ways, except it does have the virtual Graffiti area (although not as good a value)

NIce job palmOne

twizza @ 12/23/2004 12:28:46 AM #
Nice job palmOne with the TE. There is nothing fancy about it, it just works and they made it a heck of a value. The only improvements that I would like to see to it are the NAND memory and a larger battery for better battery life. I think that the amount of space within it is quite well for a $200 device. And I do not think that a VG device at $200 will look good for the T5, lest the t5 is dropped to the more TE2-liek price of $300-$325. I could see that working for palmOne. Then they can have their Tungsten 7-series running Cobalt, and whether it sells well or not, it gets the prices of the Garnet devices down even more and [hopefully] breathes life back into the PDA sector.

About that Knowing you TE book; it would be better if it came as an ebook in eReader or even as an application and print book. In that way a person could go with the book for some things and just the PDA for others (making a smoother transistion).

Welcome back Ryan. It is good to see you back here. Hope that you are feeling better :)

antoinerjwright.com

Tungsten E was meant for Beginners
vesther @ 12/23/2004 10:21:28 AM #
First of all, the Tungsten E is supposed to be a Entry-Level, Beginner-Friendly Model. Using NAND Memory (with the controversial NVFS File System) would only add more cost to the already affordable Tungsten E. I would stick with "Classic" Memory, but replace the USB/Power Connector with the Multi-Connector.

Second of all, not too many people favor the Thumbboard whatsoever. Only extremely hardcore Palm Enthusiasts would like the Thumbboard, but most of the time, favor the Active Input Area with 33% more screen than typical Palm-Powered Handhelds.

Third of all, not too many beginners use Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. The Tungsten E (like the Treo 600) is supposed to be marketed as a Beginner's device, so I think that the absence of Wireless is a welcome feature because there is still a segment for handhelds that are suitable for beginners. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are highly regarded as Advanced Features, and I don't think that beginners would welcome those features yet.

Finally, the only likely features that will be implemented on the Tungsten E2 (likely the Tungsten E2 will also be a Beginner-Friendly Handheld) will be the following:

* Palm OS Garnet (Latest Possible Version)
* Multi-Connector


Powered by Palm OS since March 2002

RE: beginners and...
Cheetah @ 12/24/2004 4:38:00 AM #
yes, the TE was intended for beginners (although probably business beginners), but I had one and really liked it. I am certainly not a PDA beginner, and in fact usually snap up every other Palm produced.

However I didn't buy a T1, T2 or T3 because I didn't like the battery life nor the slider.

When the T5 came out it bought it at it's pre-introduction.

RE: NIce job palmOne
theog @ 12/27/2004 1:41:14 AM #
You can get the T5 brand new on the net already for $330... still too high, but I got one... after a nightmare week with a Dell X30 mid.

Vote for John Kerry... best man for the job.

Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q

Gekko @ 12/23/2004 8:21:28 AM #

My Prediction? MORE PAIN.

Palmsource Inc (NASDAQ NM:PSRC)
11.75 -1.48 / -11.18% 6:27 PM ET
12/22/2004

"Don’t wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day." - Albert Camus



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
relyons @ 12/23/2004 9:31:11 AM #
In Gekko's world, achievements are not recognized.

In Gekko's world, good news must be drowned out by bad news.

In Gekko's world, people must be berated with their failures.

In Gekko's world, horses continue to be beaten well after their death.

I am blessed that I don’t live in Gekko’s world.

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
relyons @ 12/23/2004 9:42:49 AM #
In my world, I am thankful that the Treo 600 and the Tungsten E are the solid foundation of Palm's continued success.

In my world, I am thankful that the healthcare application we're developing looks great on our Tungsten T5 device.

In my world, I am thankful that Palm continues to emphasize the "Zen of Palm" over unnecessary feature bloat.

In my world, I am genuinely concerned about Palm's future but still believe they are the best of breed today and will be the best of breed at the end of 2005.

I am thankful for Palm this year.

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
mikecane @ 12/23/2004 10:59:54 AM #
>>>I am blessed that I don’t live in Gekko’s world.

What country are you in? I'm the USA where George the Cowboy currently reigns. This *is* Gekko's world!

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/23/2004 1:30:05 PM #

In my world, you either do it right, or you get eliminated.



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Strider_mt2k @ 12/23/2004 3:05:13 PM #
I'd like to live in world in-between the doom and gloom and the rose colored glasses.

One that's more real.



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
RhinoSteve @ 12/23/2004 7:27:46 PM #
Yes, but what is "right"?
RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/23/2004 7:33:38 PM #

>"Yes, but what is "right"?

Delivering value/innovation to customers and delivering earnings/returns to shareholders.



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
svrontis @ 12/23/2004 9:29:05 PM #
> In my world, you either do it right, or you get eliminated.

If so, then M$ ought to be extinct by now. Think again.

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Foo Fighter @ 12/23/2004 11:16:34 PM #
God help me, I almost want to see the Palm platform fail and disappear forever just to see where Gekko will go from here, with no adversary to contend with. I have him pictured as a manic soccer mom still sitting in the stands long after the game is over...staring at an empty field, mumbling to himself.

-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/24/2004 8:34:12 AM #

I'll probably jump to Windows Mobile 2005 on a Dell Axim VGA/WIFI in Q1/Q2 2005.

I'm just hoping that MSFT polishes out most of the rough edges of Windows Mobile in the 2005 version.



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Foo Fighter @ 12/24/2004 10:32:04 AM #
I just got an Axim X50v. One word: SWEEEEEEEEEEET!. PalmOne had better introduce VGA screen models next year, because this thing even makes the lovely HVGA T5 screen look like yesterday's oatmeal by comparison. I have NEVER seen a screen so crisp and razor sharp on a mobile device. The new high-res icons are quite nice too.

-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com
RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/24/2004 12:15:03 PM #

>"If so, then M$ ought to be extinct by now. Think again."

You are in the minority. ~96% of PC users out there disagree with you.



Welcome to "Gekkoville"
mikecane @ 12/24/2004 4:57:51 PM #
http://dir.salon.com/ent/feature/2001/12/22/pottersville/index.html

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
svrontis @ 12/24/2004 6:02:16 PM #
> You are in the minority. ~96% of PC users out there disagree with you.

Like the majority, I have Windoze on the office laptop and my home laptop. The latter runs on WindozeME. It's garbage. Before that I have a desktop which ran Windoze98. That was even worse. So, my experience shows that M$ has been producing dud products for at least 6 years. They have not got it right the first time or, from what I have seen, ever. And yet M$ is a prosperous company. So your conjecture is clearly false. Think again.

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/24/2004 8:50:12 PM #

svrontis - so go buy a crApple and shut up.

Merry Christmas!

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/24/2004 8:51:01 PM #

hey MikeCon - Merry Christmas!

Scrooge Defended
by Michael Levin

It's Christmas again, time to celebrate the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge. You know the ritual: boo the curmudgeon initially encountered in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, then cheer the sweetie pie he becomes in the end. It's too bad no one notices that the curmudgeon had a point-quite a few points, in fact.

http://www.mises.org/fullarticle.asp?control=110&month=3&title=Scrooge+Defended&id=3



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
svrontis @ 12/26/2004 2:43:14 PM #
Gekko, I have responded to late to wish you a Merry Christmas, but I hope Old Saint Nick did the right thing by you. Wishing you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

By the way, I'm seeing more and more positive reviews of the T5 on the net. Here is another one:

http://lifesway.blogspot.com/2004/12/my-new-palm-tungsten-t5.html

Looks like more and more people are getting over the petulant 'WAAAAAAAAA, NO WIFI' initial reactions.

RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
svrontis @ 12/26/2004 3:12:20 PM #
Well, Gekko, you have proved me wrong. I expected that none of the regular visitors here would be aware of the Von Mises website, let alone read its articles. If you haven't already done so, get the download of 'Human Action' - there is some good economics in that text - and it will knock the socks off that Anthony Robbins trash you have been reading. (BTW, memoware.com has versions you can read on your palmpilot!)
RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
Gekko @ 12/26/2004 6:29:05 PM #

svrontis -

1. That schmo on blogspot upgraded from a Vx to a T5. If a totally-blind man goes to 20/200 vision, of course it will look great to him - even though 20/200 sucks. In other words, it's all relative. You know he's blinded to the T5's faults by seeing color and hi-res for the first time. And of course there's the self-justification of the purchase that dies hard.

2. Anthony Robbins? I don't think so.



RE: Shipments of Palm OS devices fell another 8% last Q
ackmondual @ 12/27/2004 10:21:21 PM #
"
svrontis - so go buy a crApple and shut up.

Merry Christmas!
"


"
I'll probably jump to Windows Mobile 2005 on a Dell Axim VGA/WIFI in Q1/Q2 2005.

I'm just hoping that MSFT polishes out most of the rough edges of Windows Mobile in the 2005 version.
"

>
U can apply the same type of advice u gave to svrontis for yourself. Go buy a Dell Axim VGA/WIFI when it comes out and shut up!

Better yet, get the Axim v50 NOW so that u can shut up NOW.

Happy Holidays :D :)

Last throes of no connectivity...

pkuhns @ 12/23/2004 9:52:46 AM #
there is no way a device like this will ever sell again. Palm did a great job of beating this IR-only dead horse.

Nokia 3650 bluetooth magnate
RE: Last throes of no connectivity...
hotpaw4 @ 12/23/2004 2:27:52 PM #
someone wrote:
> there is no way a device like this will ever sell again.

There is no way any high tech device will sell well after technology advances a bit (collectors artifacts excepted). This includes whatever fancy Nokia/HP/etc. device you are looking forward to buy next year, it will be soon be more cruft in the junk bin. The game (unless you are a monopoly acting illegally) is to milk the market for as much profit as you can while you still can: 1.5 million units at $199 a pop, retail, is a lot of cream, even if they never sell another unit. But they will.

BTW, IR-only devices can be connected to the net quite easily, even on the road.


RE: Last throes of no connectivity...
twrock @ 12/24/2004 2:23:51 AM #
"there is no way a device like this will ever sell again. Palm did a great job of beating this IR-only dead horse."

Disagree. It's still selling now. And so are PDA's with far less features. Granted, I'd like to see a TE2 with Bluetooth, full screen and two card slots, but I think that'd probably hurt the T5 sales too much for p1 to dare.

On the other hand, trying to sell the T5 at a premium price-point when the top of the line Dell sells for only slightly more and is packed with everything but the kitchen sink is asking users to pay for a thoroughbred race horse when their really only getting a Shetland pony. Who know? Maybe I'm wrong and they'll pull it off.

The TE is what it is, and the price reflects that.

RE: agree with twr
Cheetah @ 12/24/2004 4:40:56 AM #
Not everyone wants a PDA/Phone, nor WiFi, etc.

I am a huge gadget guy, and love my Palm and Cell (Motorola with Bluetooth which is essential for me as it connects to my car audio system) but I don't use my PDA to go on the internet, and I want my PDA and Cell to be separate units.

For me, I hope Palm continues to make stand-a-lone yet high end PDAs

RE: Last throes of no connectivity...
RhinoSteve @ 12/29/2004 1:54:22 PM #
There is always a market for connectionless PDAs. Most of you live it too much of a technically sophisiticated world to realize there are lots that don't want this technology around them. I predict there will be more good selling, low end PDAs like this for years and years to come.

No more dedicated input areas!

Strider_mt2k @ 12/23/2004 10:41:43 AM #
VG is the way to go, and we all know it.

It's time.

RE: No more dedicated input areas!
vesther @ 12/23/2004 1:05:21 PM #
Active Input is NOT for all Palm OS users as there are some who are more used to Dedicated Input Areas. Active Input is more of a High-End Feature that including that with the Tungsten E2 would only add extra cost to a $200 Handheld. I'd say that Active Input is more of an Advanced Users feature.

Oh on a side note, I found out that Decuma would only crash the Tungsten T5 so for those of you who want Decuma on Tungsten T5--DON'T DO IT--it will only cause problems. My Tungsten T5 became more stable after I deleted it.

Anyway, Active Input is pretty much a High-End Feature. Dedicated Input is pretty much a beginner's feature.

Powered by Palm OS since March 2002

RE: No more dedicated input areas!
Ou_Boet @ 12/23/2004 1:48:07 PM #
I have to lend support for VG. I don't think it's an advanced feature, it's an basic feature.

OB

-------------------------------------------------
Any device can have one more useful feature added.

HandEra Moderator at [url="http://www.PalmVenue.com/forum"]PalmVenue[/url]

RE: No more dedicated input areas!
twrock @ 12/23/2004 9:46:41 PM #
Yep, OB's got it right. After a forced "downgrade" from a HandEra 330 to a TT2, the #1 feature I miss is VG. I can't imagine now that the p1 has put out the T3 and T5 it would cost them more than a couple of bucks a unit to put out a TE2 with VG. Sheesh, add VG and you could sell TE2 right now for $25 more and the market would go for it. Better yet, keep the $199 and make it up in volume sales.

(I doubt they'd do it though; they've now got the T5's to unload, and a TE2 with that addition would look too attractive.)

Oh, and p1, two SD slots, please?

Tapwave? How about a non-game-based machine? HandEra? Please come back.

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