Editorial: CES 2011 too late for PalmPad? 76
You know and love @MrKal_El on Twitter, now know and love him here as he gives us his opinion on how Palm and HP need to make a splash, and soon.
Recently I’ve been engaged in a bit of a debate (on Twitter, naturally) regarding Palm and HP at CES 2011 and potential for the reveal of the much-rumored PalmPad. If you were to ask me, I’d say that January of next year is too late to reveal the PalmPad in what is fast becoming a crowded tablet market.
So I’m going to take a moment to expand a bit on what I feel would be a agressive (but possible) release schedule for webOS hardware and software to succeed in the current market.
First, of course: HP and Palm need to release second-generation smartphone hardware as soon as humanly possible. Palm has been all but forgotten in the public's eyes. Even many current webOS users (especially those from Sprint launch day - June of last year) are admitting to me it's getting harder to hold onto their Pre/Pixi with newer and better hardware from different makers coming at all angles. New hardware does wonders for getting back consumer and industry support (see: Motorola).
So, here’s my plan: Palm should hold an event in October. To be shown: a new expensive ad campaign, second-generation smartphone(s), webOS 2.0, and renewed and expanded developer support. HP needs to talk about what resources they are investing into Palm and explain why they wanted/needed Palm to expand into the emerging mobile market.
During this event (it ought be an event, just a presentation’s not quite enough) is when Palm should unveil the PalmPad. The BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab, multiple tablets from Dell and Archos, and the Windows 7-running HP Slate have all been shown off, all with similar release dates of Q1 2011 like the supposed PalmPad. There are plenty more tablets on the way, including the beastly Motorola Stingray, as well as a presumed Apple iPad 2. So yeah, they need to show their bad boy off. Everyone else has. Usually we say that crowing that “everybody else is doing it” isn’t a good motivator, but in this case Palm’s risking getting swallowed by a fast-rising tablet tide.
All this being said about the tablet, I’d like to take it back to the smartphones. These new devices need to be out before the holiday shopping season officially kicks off with Black Friday in November. Get it into the hands of customers, pronto. Of course, this poses the problem of what to do at CES. Palm has unveiled new devices two years running at CES, and the media and Palm fans alike expect the same. By January 2011, Palm and HP will have been hitched up for nearly half a year, and while we do acknowledge that hardware development takes some time, HP’s considerable bucks should greatly accelerate whatever Palm had in development.
CES is where the flood of second generation smartphone hardware should commence. Options: bigger screens, a model with a landscape keyboard, keyboard-less phones, a high-end “candy bar” (e.g. Pixi) style device, and so forth. Unlike with the release of the Pre (and to a lesser extent the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus), these new devices should be available soon after reveal. Weeks, not months. And back to the PalmPad: release should be about this time as well. Beat all the other “Q1 2011” devices to market with a January launch.
And if you’re jonesing for a one-more thing, try going the iPod Touch route and introducing a phone-less webOS handheld. Todd Bradley thinks that webOS is number two in 3D gaming; while the iOS ecosystem will be next to impossible to dethrone, Palm could solidify its position as #2 and shrink the gap by releasing a device that young gamers could use without their parents having to opt for the contract that a phone requires these days. Oh, and it’d make for an easy developer “phone,” instead of Palm having to offer options for slightly-cheaper phone-enabled devices.
And one more one more thing: webOS 2.1 (or 2.2 or 2.5 or whatever). Make a splash with all sorts of fancy new features, including the device-to-device interconnectivity that would be needed to make things like the vaunted webOS printer possible.
That’s a lot for CES, so some time should be allowed for the hubbub to die down before hitting the world with the first annual Palm webOS Developer Conference (PWDC, if you will) announcement. Scheduled sometime in the early summer (May-July), it’d be time to unveil the third-generation “superphone” models, with webOS 3.0. By this time it’d be nearly a year of Palm and HP, so the fruits of these labors should be evident. Beats Audio, Voodoo DNA (trot out Rahul Sood), and other HP magic should all be present and accounted for. Also, the true build-out of the Touchstone brand should come to fruition, with multiple models and additional connectivity built in.
With webOS 3.0 the operating system finally takes that leap that HP’s been dreaming about: printers, televisions, toasters - you name it, webOS can run on it. With such a diverse array of devices, it may be time to spilt webOS into two product categories: webOS Mobile (tablets, smartphones, etc) and webOS Home (for stationary devices like the printer and television). Of course, you’re then running the risk of going all Microsoft and confusing customers, so keep it simple.
While this is the developer conference, HP knows that a large portion of their sales are to the enterprise market. It could bore the developers, but it’ll excite the IT professionals: webOS Enterprise, with corporate-bound hardware and services. The potential trouble with running different lines of hardware and software is that release schedules could fall out-of-sync. But with the resources of HP, hopefully that would not be a huge problem. If anybody can do it, it’s Palm and HP.
The competition is not slowing down one bit, and HP and Palm have their work cut out for them to get back in the hearts and minds of consumers and the press. The capital and talent are there, they just need to use it.
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Agree, disagree? Sound off in the comments!
76 Comments
Sounds good to me.
Must be crazy working for HP/Palm these days. They must know everyone's going crazy waiting for the big releases. Lots of pressure for the developers I bet.
But I'm patient. 2011 is fine with me. Why? Because our Homebrew team makes the Pre a joy to own!
They sure needs to announce Amazon Kindle and Netflix support for palmPad.
I think you are putting the cart before the horse. HP has to actually announce the PalmPad first...
I think CES is too late for HPalm to announce ANYTHING. I agree they need to show new hardware as soon as possible, October sounds about right (actually, five months ago sounded right, but whatever...the Pre+ was not enough, so don't bother mentioning it). For the Palm tablet, I think they can hold off the hype on that until the end of the year...as long as nothing's out right now, Palm still has the ability to make a splash. I don't think waiting to the end of the year is the best move, but I think it's possible. The smartphone game, though, HPalm needs to hit it soon and with everything, including the kitchen sink.
Disagree for the Palm Pad, agree for the Pre 2. New phone hardware needs to be announced yesterday if they want to have a shot at staying in the game and being competitive. I love my Pre, but in a market like this with many options of devices for Droid and yearly updates for iPhone, they need to do something big like now. The palm Pad will need to be spectacular to hit up the market in the way we'd love to see, and I think it'd be better if they did both before the holidays this year, but I think they could still make it work with the Palm Pad.
My thinking too. CES for the PalmPad is fine as long as they also announce a release date and it's before 3/31.
However, January is WAY too late for the latest smartphone. 2 generations of iPhone have come out since the Pre hit the market and it seems like there is new Android phone monthly.
HP doesn't have to invent anything here. All the necessary components to build a state of the art smartphone are easily available along with a template for form and features (iP, EVO, Droid, Epic). Just build the damn thing and get it to your customers, and make sure the original Pre owners are included.
I think its too late for smartphone for sure
+Everyone
Nice Write up and I also agree to stay completive we need products ASAP now isn't the time to copy Apple's approach.
+1
It's a very lovely timeline, it just ain't gonna happen quite that fast. As far as I know, HP does not present things as far ahead of their launch date as that (and hates even the little leaks), so I doubt PalmPad is announced this month. 4 or 5 phones by CES?! webOS 3.0 just 6 months after 2.0?! I'd love to see all that, but I'm not holding my breath.
It doesn't matter how much money/resources HP has, you can only churn out software so fast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks's_law). Hardware based on that software is even harder when you're stuck waiting on parts manufacturers, assembly plants, carrier testing, FCC approvals, carrier requests/hobbling, etc.
What we can pray for is 1 awesome phone and webOS 2.0 available by Black Friday. Then hopefully we get a great 2nd phone and (wi-fi) PalmPad presentation in January. Maybe another phone and additional tablet options (3/4g, different size) in the March/April timeframe. A phone every 3 months is still more aggressive than I expect, however.
Regardless, we MUST have toasters by next week, of course.
It won't be months past CES for me.
My next phone will almost certainly be purchased before CES. Hopefully it will be a webOS phone. My Blackberry lasted 2-years (2007-2009) but once the iPhone came out, the pace of innovation moved from a major upgrade every couple years to every 12 months.
Palm is already late and waiting until January would be a monumentally stupid mistake.
I did a poll sometime back on the forums:
http://tinyurl.com/2347cba
Poll: Web OS 2.0 demo strategy
I love this article. It lays out a plan and direction for HP/Palm to go in. Thats what we need a "Roadmap" of sorts, so we can anticipate.
....unforunately, I get the feeling that HPalm are being reactionary to the market as opposed to being proactive.
The WebOS Touch - to breed love for this platform, you need to offer a device people can pay for once. Not everyone's willing to toss $70/mo to have a cool palm top device, and those that aren't are buying the iPod Touch because it's the only option (and a great option at that).
Faster turn-around and integration with modern hardware because there's no carrier @$$-kissing, right?
Palm/HP needs to get a piece of that market because Apple owns it right now, as far as I can tell.
Agree on everything. HP Palm needs to start giving info on new devices and launch dates. The hardware development team is a joke...or at least the one that has been at Palm for the last couple years. No way a tech company should take two years to release new hardware..
I think palm should bring on major players like chase, amazon kindle etc with the webOS 2.0 presentation and yes quick office is almost taken for granted.
an interesting idea. i don't think it would work cause i'd bet Amazon would NOT want to let anyone else in to control the kindle market it basically created. but it would be a coup if webos could make a kindle. Don't think there's a chance in hell.
The kindle already has an app for iOS, so what what would they lose by making at app for WebOS? Amazon's main source of revenue with the kindle is the e-books they sell.
It's too late for the holiday season. Retailers had their holiday inventory sewed up months ago. Lets shoot for releasing products when they're ready to go without bugs, and not so close to better known competitors products. (See pre release 2 weeks before new iphone). How about the samsung model of releases on all networks too.
I agree about the smartphones. We need new hardware NOW! But I think they can wait till CES to announce the PalmPad as long as it is available almost immediately afterward. Nobody wants to hear today about a tablet that isn't available for 3-6 months. (Nobody even thinks the Playbook is real.) So get us a new phone now and announce the Palmpad at CES. Then release it. That's what I'd do.
I think introducing palmPad months in advance is not a good idea. First of all competitors would know what features palm is introducing, second of all it would be like debuting pre minus in Jan 2009 and then introducing pre in July, when all the hub-bub has died.
If they want they can debut new pixi and Palm Pad at CES 2011
I agree with most of this post, except the paragraph starting "With webOS 3.0 the operating system finally takes that leap that HP
Hi,
I think that CES is fine for the PalmPad, but too late for a phone.
BTW, why do you think that is OK to announce the release date for a PalmPad (beginning of 2011) but not for the Phone (not a word)
Cheers
JD
I think it may be too late for ANY tablet other than the iPad. I don't think the market is that big for these things (esp for the price). I think Apple has sold so many solely because they are Apple. I don't think anyone else will flourish in this market.
It will be interesting to see how well the iPad 2 sells. I am really curious to see how many people that bought the first one will be willing to shell out another $800 for an upgrade. I get the feeling sales will be down a bit.
I say all this, but the second the PalmPad or whatever it's going to be called hits the market, I will has it ;)
I don't agree that it's too late for aother tablet devices. Apple has a huge lead, but a few million sold should still represent a very small share of the potential market.
A properly spec'd device, like the PlayBook appears to be, should easily be able to sell in the millions. It remains to be seen if RIM's hardware delivers on its promise and if RIM can hit the right price point for a contract free device.
The window is still open, don't miss it HP.
I want to get my mom a tablet for Christmas, Sadly I think it will be an ipad since a webos tablet isn't out yet nor does it look like it will be out in time for the holidays.
'a new expensive ad campaign'
I fear you don't realize what those 5 words really mean: millions and millions of dollars. As in, $100 million or more. Because you need 'a(n) expensive new ad campaign' for EACH of those products you mentioned - during the holiday season, when ad rates double and triple. Apple and Android have a lot of public mindshare right now, and it's going to take a LOT of really GOOD exposure to even be heard - and both of those two words are expensive ones, too.
Still, if Leo's ready to sign the cheque, the marketshare is there to be taken.
Frankly, I do not care about those pads, slates or whatever. I want a new Palm phone!!!
Great post. The PalmPad is troubling because it looks like 2011 will truly be the year of the Tablet (2010 was the year of the iPad) and comp will be stiff. Palm needs to announce a new phone yesterday, with Win Phone 7 coming out soon and Android phones one-upping each other every 3 months or so now. Sure release the actual products in 2011, but get the word out now! HP needs to do a better job at letting people know that Palm has a future.
I'm a UK Pre user (I feel like I'm the only one). I got my Pre in October last year. I was in the US during the Pre launch, and I was following it from January when it was announced, which was a long wait. My contract ends in April of next year, so I have until then to decide what I'm going to buy next. As far as I'm concerned, a new phone coming out now is meaningless, as I will have to wait until April to get it anyway. However, I am a huge fan of the WebOS community and feel it can only benifit us to have more WebOS users.
I would also like to add my thanks to PreCentral and WebOS Internals for making my pre so great :)
Now, can you all please feel my pain for being a UK Palm Pre user that cannot use Pandora :(
PalmPad at CES is fine but no smartphone by the holidays will certainly push many to another platform.
GIVE US A HIGH END PHONE ASAP!!
It's amazing the wait that we are eduring between notification of new device(s). From 1/8/2009 to 10/04/2010 (the + doesn't count) or put another way 634 days.
Some may say everyone on this site is a fanboy and not the norm for wanting to refresh a 1 year 4 month old phone. This may be true, but palms mindshare amoung non Palm owning cell phone users continues to shrink. Rahul may be right that the door is never closed, but the farther it closes the heavier it gets and more difficult it becomes to open it again.
I wouldn't even care but would like to update my wife's phone. I just refuse to get her a phone that was first released to the world 634 days ago.
Come on HP/Palm, new hardware!
@rich
First of all, whay wouldn't the Pre+ count? Have you forgotten the Iphone 3G was a "Iphone2G+"? Just because Palm didn't chane the designation, don't think it's any different than what Apple did.
Second, while it's fun to scream "Zero mindshare!" from the rooftops, the FACT of the matter is Palm added 200,000+ WebOS users last quarter with NO adverts and NO "new" hardware. (and I'll even spot you 100,000 defectors to other platforms and it's *still* a net 50% increase in users) [and we know it's no where near that high]
Fair enough, but I will say this: the Pre+ only lifted the memory to the amount of memory that it should have had to start with. The upgrade to 3G service with the 2nd gen iP was a more substantial change than the extra mem in the Pre+.
The 16gb 3GS was 100% predictable since increasing available memory in the iPod in each generation of the iPod has been Apple SOP for years.
Palm had a brief window to introduce a device with a superior OS and double the memory, and instead chose to only match its competition. That was a really poor decision in my opinion.
While I agree with your 200,000 number, I think your 100,000 "defectors" is WAY understated!! I think there are a lot more than that.
Agree with smartphone plan.
I think ALOT of the tablets based on android will fail. Too many of them exist and latest android version is still not optimized for the tablet. At least some will not be able to tap into their app catalog. The tablet market is brand new and if it is a viable niche will be here for years. (unlike netbooks which seem to be dying) So getting a great product is more important than getting any me-too product out ASAP. (getting a great product out early would be ideal) Apple at least knows that and makes sure their devices are polished when released. That's what the majority of users want- a good experience, not a spec battle.
"Too many of them exist and latest android version is still not optimized for the tablet. At least some will not be able to tap into their app catalog."
Hmmm, at least they HAVE a product that they have announced!! You are saying they will fail before they have even materialized. How would a webOS tablet fare any better? Do you seriously think that webOS apps are going to be magically that much better on a tablet then Android apps are? What exactly makes you think that?
Let's make an educated guess and say that 5% of apps in the respective stores will work equally well on a tablet. That means Android will still have a 4000-to-200ish advantage.
My local Best Buy does not have a single Palm phone in their store! How can HP expect to have any market share without being accessible to the general public through popular retail channels?
There is only one problem with this mrkalel. You name is not followed by "HP".
We can dream up all these wonderful product plans, schedules, events, new products, etc. But, in the end, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans. HP is going to do what HP is going to do on their time schedule.
The fact is, they missed the boat on a ton of stuff already.
There is no way they can make a splash this holiday season. Their devices would have need to been announced already. Retailers have their "Black Friday" promotions all planned and are ready to sell everything ... but HP stuff.
Yeah, not lookin' good.
That said, a new device by black Friday is still possible, although with every passing hour becomes less and less likely.
I think we're looking at a CES relaunch of the brand. I guess that's a re-relaunch, really.
I agree completely. With the next generation Android devices, and new iOS devices being announced/released several times a year, HP needs to be extremely aggressive.
They need to show that they can dominate Apple in devices and Android in OS, and they need to revolutionize the market somehow. I believe that that market revolution will come from how seamlessly connected all of their webOS devices will be.
Also HP/Palm needs their own WWDC. They need to stop waiting for CES and make their own schedule.
Mr Kal El should have been the new CEO
You won't be able to swing a dead cat at CES 2011 without hitting a new tablet. They will be a dime a dozen.
word of mouth is the cheapest most effective form of advertising. that said, hp needs to get new palm products out to the faithful ASAP. they will spread the gospel to the uninitiated.
agree with the article but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm a sprint launch day Pre owner and I'm sitting on my upgrade for now...but won't be if I have to wait for 2011.
Get the os up to speed before you release new hardware. Otherwise it's like puttin' lipstick on a pig. Would be nice to voice-dial, skype, flash, etc...you know, all that stuff the competition advertises like 1000 times a day. BTW, Preware has my vote to be standard equipment on all future HP/Palm phones, etc. Shout out to the homebrew.
"Otherwise it's like puttin' lipstick on a pig."
Why do you guys have to continue to be so mean to Sarah Palin? What in the world has she done that she continues to be deserving of being called a "pig"?!? Can't you all just get over it? You won, OK? Isn't that enough?
(yes Virginia, this is sarcasm)
Politics and Palm don't seem to mix well.
I like that timeline, but I don
I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again, until HP gets it through their thick skulls:
I'm signing a new contract on January 10. If there is not a new WebOS-based phone by then (or VERY shortly thereafter), I am switching to Android. Too bad, so sad. Palm dragged its feet long enough, HP, and you have the power to do things faster. Get it done, or I'm gone.
I believe that HP has written most of the current user base off. Other than some complimentary words about the community, which cost them nothing, they are willing to let the current user go and start new with their new products.
I think that they are going to try to get closer to mrkalel's 3.0 ideas before they release anything. I don't think that they are going to come to market with any major upgrades until they feel that they have a big differentiator, most likely connectivity and partners. I anticipate partnerships with companies outside of the gadget and PC market - car companies, TV manufacturers, appliance manufacturers, enterprise solutions, etc. I think that building these relationships internally and externally is probably taking as much time as the software and hardware development.
I am a big fan of WebOS. Enough to deal with a few bad Pre's and moved to a Pixi, because it is a solid piece of hardware. I have one friend who uses WebOS, and she doesn't homebrew. She got a pre because her co worker raved about it.
The sentiment in the comments that HP is too late is probably right. HP must see that too. Instead of launching "Me too" products, their best chance is to come out with a product line that has multiple and clearly evident advantages through features and partnerships.
Almost everyone commenting on this site that is willing can espouse the virtues of WebOS and make the argument that it is superior to iOS and Android, but the market as a whole does not care that much about the quality of multitasking. That is only evident to a small number of people. HP needs to come out and show that when you buy an HP product, you get significantly more that you get with their competitors product. And that significantly more has to be compelling to the whole market, not just garner admiration of the hard core gadget nerd.
NO difference to me cause i'm NOT buy a palmpad. I'm NOT buying a fricken Webos printer!
But I think it's actually too late now.
then get lost kid.. I'll buy two to cover ur part.. As long as ur gone NOW!
Well, since I just used "my" upgrade to buy my wife a new Samsung Epic 4G. I'll be waiting a while longer for my new phone. Looking forward to upgrading OS to 2.0. :)
I could not care less about a PalmPad. I want updated Pre hardware on Sprint and WebOS 2.0 sometime this year!
Couldnt agree with you more mrkalel, ces is too late for a tablet and way past too late for a new smartphone. Get it together HP/Palm
Is CE2011 too late? Absolutely not. It's certainly not within OUR desired timeframe, but the smartphone market is wide open and growing larger and larger everyday.
We sit here and complain that our Pre's (which are mostly still within our 2-year contract period) are not the latest and greatest. But there are millions of ordinary users out there who, over the next 1-3 years will be shopping for a new smartphone -- maybe their first one. Palm can create major shakeup in the market and be back in the driver's seat again.
he should have been HPs CEO with all them fantastic idea.. Specially about keyboardles phone... And one with for ppl who love the keyboard.. I want!
I've had my phone since June 19th. No replacements. In the last two weeks the phone has become stuck in the open position. My phone is cracked. I've been holding out hope for a new device. I don't want to pay 100.00 for a replacement via sprint for the same ole phone. I don't want to go to a new platform. I have money invested in webos apps. I can go back to my old Treo 755, but after webos, that's like going back to the stone age. HP... get on the ball. I want a new webos phone!
Sounds like we all agree that CES 2011 is way to late to release mobile devices and pretty late to announce the "pad". But to add to the strategy that HP/Palm should take, I'd say:
"Palm, the original business SmartPhone." Or something like that. I hear people say all the time.. even on the news how the iPhone was the first touch screen phone. How soon people forget. I remember when EVERY Real Estate agent I knew would carry a Palm and be able open the hanging key lockboxes with the Palm IR port with some PalmOS Real Estate app.
Palm (HP) needs to market and remind people how long they have been in the business of smartphones, how long they have had a touch screen, how many patents they hold in regards to this technology. If they don't distinguish themselves by letting people know what a strong history they have the masses will just think.. "well Android sounds cooler than WebOS, so I'll buy the Android"
he should have been HPs CEO with all them fantastic idea.. Specially about keyboardles phone... And one with for ppl who love the keyboard.. I want!
he should have been HPs CEO with all them fantastic idea.. Specially about keyboardles phone... And one with for ppl who love the keyboard.. I want!
I'll be waiting patiently because I'm a palm fan and there is no other better phone for me (iOS and Android suck). HP release a 4g palm device with at least one gigahertz , 512mb of ram, 4-inch screen, and micro-sd please. Two generations of iphones and dozens of android phones have come out since I got my pre-minus in August of 2009 and that is way too long. I just want at least something to keep me waiting in peace, like a concept car but for phones. I'm a PalmPad loyalist till CES 2011 and if there is nothing exciting announced I will have to go for a windows 7 tablet and get another phone for a year sorry my third pre can't take my abuse for much longer.
You just described exactly what they should (and are capable) of doing. Since you made perfect sense, NOTHING you said will take place in a manner to allow the success that you would make possible. You're asking for a corporation to think rationally...not possible.
Beautiful writeup, though.
/been burned too many times.
Great idea. i personally think that they should come out with phones for multiple carriers, (specifically Sprint.) to increase market demand
Pretty good roadmap. Honestly, HP should follow this exactly as stated.
AGREE! People need to see how darn sweet webOS is! They need to come out with these new devices yesterday! Because NO ONE will care about Palm if they all have new iPhones and BB and Androids after the holiday season.
I just want a new damn phone. This is the first time I've actually kept a phone atleast a yr (since June). Atleast give us some pics, details, specs, features something. HP has way to much damn money to be taking all this time. I want it pronto. Fxck a printer, toaster, tv, watch and all that other BS. A phone should be their main priority. They need to get their shxt together and give us a new phone. Ty! :)
& PS does anyone else think PalmPad is gay just like Pixi! Sounds like Palms coming out with a line of tampons. Plus it's unoriginal, how about PalmCom idk anythings better than something like apple's ipad.
DANM IT MAN WELL PUT, THATS HOW I FEEL HP PALM SHOULD GO AT IT (CLAP CLAP BRAVO)
have they learned nothing! the sooner the better people. Look what happened with the palm pre VS android. Palm has a better product but missed the boat completely! dont let it happen again =[
HP/Palm,
Listen to this. What is the one thing which prevents people from using their Smart devices to be used in the car?
Laws preventing usage of Smartphones because it's a distraction to the driver.
How do you reduce the distraction? Enable voice!! or better yet telepathy. Smart devices should be an enabler instead of a distraction. Voice commands, hologram presentation of the screen, detection of user inputs without touching the screen.
Focus on that and you will automatically get users to switch. No more Apple Iphone or Google Android competition.
The challenge is to get this out before the Android community which has many geniuses working on it.
Prediction.. Apple IPhone will see decreased sales in 2011.
Oh by the way.. I get more people now than before asking me about my Pre because of the slide out keyboard. Keep that! and make it rotate for landscape view. Make the keys bigger too for those with fat fingers.
Especially if HP comes out with a Pad like system.
I agree. And automobiles should navigate rocky or icy terrain, turn a sub-10-second quarter mile, carry 10 adults comfortably, haul a 20,000lb camper, and get 100 MPG.
I think you've missed one. Stop thinking about single markets & staged releases. hp you're a big company, go global on day one (or near as) and stop keeping the rest of the world hanging on for another six months to get a device that'll already be old.
I got my UK Original Pre on day one, and i'm just at the 1st anniversary which means i've got another year to go for an official upgrade. I think i'll be rather disappointed if the only WebOS one is the immediate next model (not referring to Pre+), although i'd be happy to hold off for maybe a few months if there's wind of it's successor coming out quickly. And I do want to stay! iOS just doesn't interest me and nor does Android.
Oh yes, keep the keyboard please..
Agreed. If Palm doesn't release new phones ASAP, they will be an also ran, in the mobile market. If they don't beat Samsung and Blackberry to market with a competing Tablet, they won't build up enough steam to compete. Web OS needs to come soon for current PRE Pre Plus and Pixis. Get moving Palm/HP, or you'll lose many of us to Android, Blackberry, or Apple.