Tapwave Shifting Focus?
The latest word from Tapwave is that the company is undergoing a transition and is moving away from creating their own branded models. However, the company still plans to develop co-branded products with other leading electronic companies and will continue to develop a next generation multimedia platform.
Tapland recently published an informative dialogue with Tapwave's Senior VP of Marketing, Byron Connell. In which he in part states:
Tapwave is starting to transition from offering Tapwave branded retail products to developing new co-branded products for OEM partners (i.e., other leading consumer electronic companies). These partners will be introducing future multimedia products based on both the Zodiac technology platform and Tapwave's next generation technologies. This approach allows us to leverage other company's brands, distribution, marketing funds and geographic expertise. Some of these partner companies are interested in delivering a next generation gaming experience, but most (with the arrival of Sony PSP) are really focused on working with us to create other mobile solutions – e.g., rich multimedia, navigation and communication.
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This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
Right now the best thing Tapwave could do is let P1 gobble them up for pennies on the dollar and try to shoehorn the LifeDrive/Zodiac 3 (assuming SOME development has already been done on a followup model) into a "Veld" line of low volume, high margin, media-centric handhelds that happen to be able top play games a bit better than the Tungstens and Zires. P1 would need to take extra measyres in order to stress that gaming is not the primary focus of such devices (that's what PSPs are for). Such devices would have to still be very robust PDAs with none of the flagging developer support or apallingly absent apps (*cough* web browser *cough*) that sealed the Zod's fate.
RE: This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
I must agere with the subject line here. When Tapwave announced the product I was very impressed. When they named it after the pathetic zodiac I was shaking my head is disbelief. But when they announced that distribution channels were online only and almost non-existent in retail channels, I knew it was doomed unless some investor just had bottomless pockets.
A few days before the PSP was launched I was in an Electronics Botique with my kids. I talked to the owner and a regional Sony rep about the PSP, then she pulled one out and let me play a game and watch Spiderman on it. Very impressive without a doubt.
I asked the owner if he carried Tapwave products. He and the Sony rep both said "what's a Tapwave?". I described it based on Palm OS etc etc and pulled out my T3 for a slight comparison. They both thot the T3 was cool and knew about PDAs ... but the point was taken.
When the insiders in the retail business don't have a clue what Tapwave is after a year, then the curtain is soon to fall. To bad a great device has to go the way of the albatross.
You have to get a product into a lot of marketing channels to get it in kid's/adults hands. TW did not come close and it is left with Palm fans to pay the bills. There are not enough of us.
Looks like it will have to be the PalmOne Treo, Tungsten, Zire & Tapwave now.
Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
Thanks,
Jack Swinden
See my PDA themes and skins at: www.JackSwinden.com
RE: This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
Unfortunately, this was the best POS pda I owned prior to changing over to my Axim. Even sadder still, in many respects, the Z2 is comparable to the "Lifedrive" that P1 is about to release. I for one DON'T want a hard-drive in my handheld, Z2 is thinner, has a GREAT screen, duel SD slots (for more storage than I would need), and a huge battery. It was a nice pda, and my wife still loves hers and probably won't part with it for any other POS handheld (she DOES like my X50v though).
If this is how Tapwave wants the future to go, then in hindsight, it would seem that they NEVER DID plan on making any follow-up devices. They just wanted to start out, show some expertise and revolutionary thinking, and then let someone else take them from there.
Sad, as they could have been a pretty good pda maker, IMO. :(
All good things...
RE: This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
Which EB Games were you at? All my local Targets, Wal Marts, Game Spots, and EB Games don't have any PSP demo units. Even the Sony Atrium Plaza in Manhattan, where they sell nothing but their own products doesn't have a PSP demo model from what i've heard. I'd really like to try one in person just to see it.... even though i have no interest in buying it.
RE: This was read in the tea leaves 18 months ago
However, the point is taken. They just didn't get well-entrenched in the market.
Most ambitious statements when going down?
Many companies make their most ambitious statements when going down. They down want to scare of their remaining customers and don't want the bank to start foreclosing on loans.
It still sounds like the lasts gasps of a failed business plan.
Surur
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
There is a saying in comsumer electronics that goes "Building a brand is more effort than building the product." Since these low coast electrioncs are so consumer, they are purchased on more brandname than functionality.
Example, "It's a Sony!" is a tag line but also a designation of good and bad issues with the branded product. Also, "Palm" has done a hell of a job building a brand which itself maybe more valuable of an IP than the Palm OS source code.
The timing of this announcement is just right for the Tapwave distributor lines to have givem TapWave corporate feedback on just how much of an 800-lbs monster move the PSP actually was. Think of it, what has more consumer affinity for a purchase, "Sony" or "TapWave"?
Also, Tapwave dropped the ball themselves big time by not putting enough effort into building their brandname. Where were the Tapwave sponsored concerts, television events and game prizes?
Thus here they go a la TRG (a.k.a. HandEra) for "offering technology." However, unlike HandEra, the TapWave folks do have a sense of style and good corporate location (Silicon Valley.)
This puts TapWave in a good position getting a Sony competitor to a private branding deal. Frankly, I can see TapWave being sold to a Sony competitor before the next CES show as an exit strategy for the founders.
We will see how this nose dive is pulled out!
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
It's a shame that they only choose comp USA to distrubute their wares. Half the cUSA's i've been to don't even properly maintain their PDA lineup. Many of them are uncharged with a paper image over the screen, and Zod units are nowhere to be found. If u do find one there, it won't let u demo it. It's just a bunch of ads saying how great the zod is. Bullocks. I can read up on that on Tapwave's site and in reiviews. I want ot play with the OS and the demo unit doesn't let u do that.
If Tapwave can utilize the resources of other companies for distribution and marketing, then I'd say more power to ya. First run could've been much better.
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
Overall, Tapwave will say they were underfinanced, didn't have enough money, blah, blah, blah. This could have been done right with the right advertising and promo firms at the helm with the marketing types and engineers keeping their techno-egos a bay from messing up the promo calls.
You can do promo and PR for pennies with the right exec given enough helm and hutzspah to run the show. My guy feeling is some PC mindsets came in and they were afraid to offend some small market segment. With that, they never made a mark that is recognized and remembered. Remember, the most offensive works have been the must successful for mindshare and sometimes revenue.
Money Morning Quarterbacking? Maybe, but a lot of folks didn't work with TapWave for them playing too safe and slow.
Tapwave - They could NOT ever do it right.
Their biggest mistake was to start in the first place. There was no way a small company can compete with the giants in the hypercompetitive gaming arena. The margins on devices were just too thin and the upfront cost to create the market presence and interest just too high. Its the same reason I think the gizmodo will die.
Only a giant company like Sony, MS and Nintendo can even try. I wonder if any other companies are up to it. Maybe Samsung?
Surur
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
Even if Samsung won't try, i hear they're doing a nice job of sticking an ice pick or two at Sony's side in the coimpetition for cellphone, TV market, among other electronics.
M$ is gunning for Sony next time around with XBOX2. M$ released a statement that while the Xbox was just to enter the vid game market vs. PS2 and GC, it plans to crush Sony's PS3 w/their Xbox2.
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
Their biggest mistake was to start in the first place. There was no way a small company can compete with the giants in the hypercompetitive gaming arena. The margins on devices were just too thin and the upfront cost to create the market presence and interest just too high. Its the same reason I think the gizmodo will die.
Only a giant company like Sony, MS and Nintendo can even try. I wonder if any other companies are up to it. Maybe Samsung?
Surur
Gizmodo was dead before it was even released. Ditto for Nokia's odious N-Gage.
RE: Most ambitious statements when going down?
ackmondual @ 5/5/2005 8:56:18 PM
Any1 know how big Samsung is compared to Sony in terms of finances, product coverage (their range of products), marketshare (where they have consumers around the world, in a %tage, etc.?)
Even if Samsung won't try, i hear they're doing a nice job of sticking an ice pick or two at Sony's side in the coimpetition for cellphone, TV market, among other electronics.
M$ is gunning for Sony next time around with XBOX2. M$ released a statement that while the Xbox was just to enter the vid game market vs. PS2 and GC, it plans to crush Sony's PS3 w/their Xbox2.
Samsung is "the new Sony". They have a full range of products that rival Sony's, in addition to a major semiconductor division. They also are now crushing Sony in terms of profitability. Samsung's most recent quarter saw sales of $13.6 billion (US) and profits of 1.47 billion (the previous year's same quarter profits were 3 billion!). In the past YEAR, Sony barely made 1 billion in profit, with electronics being a major money loser. In fact, half of Sony's profits came from its film division. Sony recently decided to join forces with Samsung and the two companies will now be sharing hundreds of patents in an effort to cut costs. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Samsung's failure to market it's PalmOS devices is partly due to decisions by carriers, and partly due to stupidity by Samsung. Samsung could EASILY steal a huge chunk of Treo sales if only their new smartphones were available.
I wouldn't put too much stock in Microsoft's marketing hype. Look at all the hype that surrounded N-Gage, Nintendo DS and those other platforms that turned out to be pure crap. Cut the hype and show us the money. PSP did exactly that, and people are lining up for it. What I've read about PS3 suggests it will have some unBElievable hardware. What I've read about Xbox 360 suggests that its reign as King of the Hill will end the day PS3 arrives in 2006. Either way, these days a lot of people are saying, "Nintendo, who?"
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Press release: CUPERTINO, California — February 11, 2005 — Apple® announced today that Steve Jobs will begin selling his own feces to Apple Cultists beginning March 1. Apple's new iPoo™ lineup is expected to easily surpass the iPod shuffle as the company's most popular product. Yes, Apple Cultists can already easily create their own iPoo™, but feces didn't seem cool until Jobs told them it was cool. Remember, kids: the ONLY cool feces is Jobs' highly individualistic, rebellious iPoo™ (coming soon in six different colors/flavors, including the red [hematochezia] and black [melena] U2 GI bleed model)
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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
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Say hello to my little friend...
I anyone noticing a pattern here?
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
I think the Lifedrive might actually execute this media player thing a whole lot better, but their Achilles heel is the limited appeal of Palm (vs e.g. Apple currently) and the high likely cost. Still, they may finally give pocketpc a run for its money. Unfortunately I understand magneto will have all the features of the lifedrive (e.g. USB mass storage and integration with Napster to Go), but since Palm makes the software and the hardware they may pull it off better. I bet though PalmOne will do at least one thing to spoil it, e.g. bad battery life, mono sound, bad build quality, incompatible software, no ram at all etc.
Surur
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
If you ever wonder why there seems to be these regular rumors of PalmOne doing a Pocket PC PDA, it's because it'd cost them next to nothing to try it.
That model may have worked when PalmOne, Sony, Acer and other big names were selling or considering selling Palm OS devices, but it's a horrible model when you are trying to attract new players to the Palm OS platform (and or keep the ones you had).
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
PalmSource deserves to be bashed for contributing to the decline of PalmOS, but cut the crazy talk. Your post is ridiculous.
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Press release: CUPERTINO, California — February 11, 2005 — Apple® announced today that Steve Jobs will begin selling his own feces to Apple Cultists beginning March 1. Apple's new iPoo™ lineup is expected to easily surpass the iPod shuffle as the company's most popular product. Yes, Apple Cultists can already easily create their own iPoo™, but feces didn't seem cool until Jobs told them it was cool. Remember, kids: the ONLY cool feces is Jobs' highly individualistic, rebellious iPoo™ (coming soon in six different colors/flavors, including the red [hematochezia] and black [melena] U2 GI bleed model)
------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------
Say hello to my little friend...
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
P1 might as well capitalize on this week's hectic news releases (Tapwave speaks, LD leak on Amazon) and make their official announcement of whatever new goodies they have to offer.
If they want to save face at all, they'd bundle the Zod2 with a couple of decent accessories or games, drop the price down $75-$100 and show their support to the community by getting a real web browser out the door. Rock-solid stable wi-fi drivers mated to a real web browser and a good e-mail client combined with a 2gb SD card, and an SDIO wi-fi+memory card in a Zod2 still would make for a nice LifeDrive alternative.
RE: I anyone noticing a pattern here?
> 90% of the current problems with the platform fall on PalmSource.
Well, PalmOne's issues come from not respecting their symbiotic relationship with the Palm OS platform. By milking OS 5 for all it's worth instead of advancing the platform OS-wise, I suspect PalmOne makes it very difficult for PalmSource to stay competitive price-wise.
So both PalmOne and PalmSource need to face reality and work together to get things back on track.
Speculation on partners?
Any guesses as to whose name?
I suggest an Apple-branded game/video player, with Tapwave's input and Palm OS Cobalt, would be one sweet device. But that's probably a pipe dream.
RE: Speculation on partners?
I guess dreams are free and it would be a nice one, but there is less than 0% chance.
Hey Nagel - How many Licensees are still really viable?
AlphaSmart
Fossil
Garmin
GSPDA
Kyocera
Lenovo
palmOne
PiTech
Samsung
Sony
Symbol
Tapwave
http://www.palmsource.com/partners/licensee.html
RE: Hey Nagel - How many Licensees are still really viable?
[signature0]the secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse[/signature0]
[signature1]My PDAs: Visor --> Visor Neo (blue) --> Zire 71 --> Tungsten T3[/signature1]
Scratch Tapwave.
RE: Scratch Tapwave.
Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
RE: Scratch Tapwave.
EXACTLY!!! This should've been marketed as a nice handheld, that ALSO played games pretty well. I couldn't agree more that they did everything in their power to make sure they didn't suceed. The part that really upsets me is that this WAS A GREAT HANDHELD. Oh well, I'll quit ranting now.
All good things...
Tapwave mismanaged
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
I think it was more a question of delivering on a very very ambitious bussiness model.
Think of it, Tapwave would make a cutting edge device which could take advantage of the thousands of Palm Games already made, and built on the hope that they could sign up developers to make additional games to leverage the strengths of their device.
Game Boy Advance and PSP pulled developers into an orbit around the "big boys" and left Tapwave with no new games.
They were so successful at making a cutting edge device that older games would need tweaking to play in landscape or with the the non standard screen resolution.
A gaming device without a steady stream of games or brand name recognition is a big problem. At least it can be said of them that they were innovative and had excellent build quality. If only that were enough to ensure success.
Flagrans Veritatis Studio
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
I was really looking forward to developing for the Zodiac until I had a look at the license agreement that came with the developer kit, which appeared to state that by using their developer kit, I was licensing my code to Tapwave.
This sounded completely ridiculous and unheard of, and I was sure I was misreading something somewhere, but a lawyer friend or two I ran the agreement by read it the same way I did and I could never get Tapwave to respond to my email trying to clear this up, so, no Zodiac apps from me.
I'll wait until they go on clearance @ Fry's and pick one up then. I'm glad I got a T3 instead.
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
RoadKnight, that's utterly insane. No wonder almost no one developed for the Zodiac. If there's a better way to scare off devs, and consequently screw your product, I don't know of it.
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
Silk,
Why don't you track down some of those and post them with a link. That would be some fun reading and educational especially for the younger crowd yet to find out how corporate promoters will suck their last dollar dry on a sinking ship, only to golden parachute over to another 6 figure job when the original company dies.
The great Peter Lynch, manager of the world's largest mutual fund once said ... "don't be so sure, that stock can go to zero!"
Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com
Hear the vultures circling...
RE: Tapwave mismanaged
Then you could have had the landscape "zoom zoom gamer" unit (Zod 2) and the business/power media user's standard portrait configuration Zod 1.
Somewhere, somehow, it'd be nice to see the best aspects of the LifeDrive and Zod2 merge to create the POS handheld that power users have been anxiously waiting, oh, three years to see.
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