Windows Phone Thoughts: Palm Releases Two New Handhelds

For the first time in years (in my opinion, since the release of the Palm V), Palm has released a pair of devices that are solidly competitive. The Zire 71 is a consumer handheld that has a built-in camera, and the Tungsten C has a thumbboard and built-in Wi-Fi. Just like all of us, I have several thoughts about these devices:

• This, to me, shows that Palm finally realizes that consumers really do want advanced functionality in their handheld devices -- like what Pocket PCs have been offering all along. The Tungsten T was a start, but it was billed as a high-end unit. The fact that Palm branded an ARM-enabled, 320x320, integrated camera Palm OS 5.2 unit as a Zire, though, and that they made a unit that has built-in 802.11b support for the first time is evidence of this.
  
• At the same time, the notion of Palms being "svelte" and the Pocket PCs being "bricks" is rapidly fading -- first, the NX and NZ devices showed that there is popular support for larger PDAs, and the fact that both of these new Palms are about the same thickness as your typical iPAQ or Axim shows that this isn't really a valid comparison anymore. When the m515 is phased out, the 1910 will stand pretty much alone on the "tiny" side of things, with a few Clies close behind.
  
• RAM and CPU matters -- and I'm pleasantly surprised to see that the T|C has 64MB of RAM and a 400MHz PXA255 XScale built-in.
  
• Somewhat surprising is their total lack of Bluetooth support. I've moaned about this from Pocket PC vendors, and I'll moan about it from Palm vendors: it's not expensive to integrate and the possibilities would have been endless. Could you have imagined a Zire 71 where you could take pictures and exchange them with your friends? Or a Tungsten C that can attach wirelessly to your T68? As usual, like most handheld manufacturers, they always seem to leave something out. (And as for the Palm SDIO Bluetooth card -- from what I've heard, it's not compatible with OS 5 yet.)
  
• I'm not a huge fan of their decision to architect these as two separate devices. For example, the Tungsten C, which is clearly aimed at the Corporate market, doesn't have stereo audio (even if you use headphones). What on earth were they thinking? What I really want is a cross between the upcoming Toshiba Genio with integrated camera and the 5450: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a camera all-in-one (or at least the Genio with a Symbol Wi-Fi card stuck in it... ;))
  
• Where is the Pocket PC with an integrated thumbboard? The online possibilities of a T|C with its integrated WiFi, thumbboard, and vibration are endless. It could be a compelling IM and email solution -- walk into a Starbucks, and pull this thing out of your pocket. The only Pocket PC solution that comes close right now is the Jornada 568 keyboard, and that still makes it nearly unpocketable.
  
• The T|C has Documents To Go integrated into ROM, giving rise to a whole new set of debates as to which PDA has the best Office functionality built-in.

Overall, I think this is a very positive move by Palm to beef up the functionality of their units, and validates the device strategy held by Pocket PC vendors all along (and, more recently, Sony). Now, however, is the time for Pocket PC vendors to respond -- the hardware gap is nearly eliminated, and I won't go into the PalmOS vs. Pocket PC debate, since we've already addressed that -- but it's time to see new directions, like the HP prototype with the integrated keyboard or the aforementioned Genio with flash camera. I think the competition is about to heat up, which is a great thing for customers. 8)

[Note: Seeing as how we'll probably break into a debate, you're welcome to criticize either platform, but please be courteous and respectful and debate opinions, not people. Any personal criticisms or unwarranted language will not be tolerated!]