Handheld Manufacturers Continue Retreat or just take bad products off the shelf

Michael Gartenberg | October 21, 2004, 11:49 AM

No real surprises here. The Linux based Sharp stuff had zero mass appeal. It was a mobile geek gadget that had mediocre core functionality. The JVC units were "me too" iPaq clones. Likewise, Sony had so many issues trying to define and refine their role in the market and just what device functionality they wanted to offer, they had to leave and re-think it all. By contrast, Palm, HP and Dell have all rolled out new models, (some better defined than others) but all focusing on some level of connectivity and taking the functions to a new level. Connected and Media Centric PDAs clearly have a market and devices like the Dell Axim X50v is a powerful mobile tool. Low end units like the Zire's will do well also (Cell phones really could displace this functionality but the PIMs on them are so awful, no one uses them. In fact, that's one of the best features of the Audiovox is that PIM integration for contacts and calendar are so good, you can leave your PDA behind if PIM and phone are your core functions.) We'll also see more high end phones taking on more high end functions, but that's doesn't mean the PDA is dead, it means telephony is a new function in this device category.  It's not about vendors leaving the market, it's about vendors who never understood the market taking bad products out of the channel.

Following Sony's surprisingexitfrom the US PDA handheld market earlier this summer, three other companies have announced their intentions to withdraw from the US handheld market.
[PalmInfocenter]