Is the Nokia 770 the new Palm?

[ccharala]

Well we have all been discussing how the next generation palms will most likely be linux units. It seems that Nokia beat Palm to the task.

http://europe.nokia.com/nokia/0,,74866,00.html


The unit will start shipping this month just in time for the holidays. I should admit that the product is rather impressive. Is this the future of handhelds?

[Dick Tracy]

PalmOS (which will soon have a new name due to PalmSource [which will also have a new name] no longer having rights to the Palm trademarks) is being ported to a Linux kernel by PalmSource. From what I have read the UI will be familiar and this change will not be readily apparent to the average end user. Palm and other licensees customize the OS they receive from PalmSource to suit their marketing strategy and product mix.

PalmSource was recently purchased by Access, makers of NetFront (of which Blazer is a variant). Whether this was strategically to gain a portal to mainland Chinese consumers (since PalmSource purchased China Mobile Soft) with feature and smart phones or to change the direction of PalmOS to a browser interface remains to be seen. Access has said they plan to maintain compatibility with the large library of PalmOS applications.

As for the future, some people are betting on smartphones, some on always on (multi-radio) wireless, some on mini tablets. Some are betting on Microsoft ruling the world, and others on *nix. There was some discussion this fall about what the products would be down the road and some editorials along this line at 1src. Given that there different regulatory requirements and cultural and economically driven preferences in different parts of the world, I do not expect a single formfactor or feature set to prevail.

There are some reviews of the Nokia 770 around if you search for them.

[Josser]

Dick Tracy, as usual, is completely right. Just want to emphasize the point, a Linux kernal change will have very little effect on the OS from a user standpoint. Biggest change will be true multi-tasking. Palm will never shoot it self in the foot by alienating the 56,000 programs that can run on their units.

( 8(|)

[CoMike]

I happened to be in Compusa today and they had one...Interestingly it was mixed in with the cel phones NOT the pdas. And for good reason: I couldn't find any pim-like features on it (maybe they're in their somewhere, but it wasn't intuitively obvious how to get to any of them).

My quick observations:

1. LARGE (I'd say 30% larger than the TX). NOT A POCKETABLE DEVICE.
2. Nice resolution, but not that noticably better than the Palm units. However, the 'tappable' areas are VERY small (a steady hand is required)
3. Like the zoom-in-out button on top
4. SLOW...
5. Standard USB connection on bottom

If this is the future....YAWN

Regards,

Mike O

[ccharala]

Good that makes me feel a lot better for going with the TX

[mshuffma97]

Originally posted by ccharala
Good that makes me feel a lot better for going with the TX

Ah, cognitive dissonance in action.

(See, professor, I do remember something from your class).

[mshuffma97]

Originally posted by mshuffma97
Ah, cognitive dissonance in action.

(See, professor, I do remember something from your class).

"In economics this term is also called buyer's remorse. This post-purchase behavior is more likely to happen when the purchase is a more expensive one. The consumer may experience some regrets or questioning as to whether the purchase was a good one. This is the fifth step in the decision making process. Marketers can help eliminate this by properly selling the product and doing a follow-up to help reinforce the buyer's "good" decision."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

[MleB]

Originally posted by mshuffma97
"In economics this term is also called buyer's remorse. This post-purchase behavior is more likely to happen when the purchase is a more expensive one. The consumer may experience some regrets or questioning as to whether the purchase was a good one. This is the fifth step in the decision making process. Marketers can help eliminate this by properly selling the product and doing a follow-up to help reinforce the buyer's "good" decision."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

According to a recent report, the act of shopping (especially for a 'want' rather than a 'need') appears to create a significant spike in the release of dopamine into the brain.

Dopamine release is routinely associated with reward, pleasure and the desire for more of the same. It also increases heart beat and blood pressure, appears to increase motor control and tends to generate something of 'tunnel vision' towards the want.

Shopping for an item - doing the research, going from store to store, talking up the purchase with friends and sales staff all cause a release of this pleasure-inducing drug. Price and value may have little to do with the rationale for wanting the item - you just know you 'want' it - and the excitement and pleasure you feel is likely the dopamine hard at work.
However, once you've actually bought the item, the dopamine drops away and you're left with the cold hard reality of what you've done and the 'thrill of the hunt' is gone. The 'buyer's remorse' settles in.

Retailers may indeed try and talk up the benefits of the purchase, but the initial blast is gone. You may return the item, use it half-heartedly, toss it into a closet or - if the retailer is particularly lucky - find that there is an accessory to the product that can equally spike your interest (and dopamine) in shopping for it - your justification being that it will increase the value/usefulness of the initial item.

This all sound familiar?

[CoMike]

...
This all sound familiar?

[/B]

Yes, but what's it got to do with the original post about the Nokia 770?

Anyone else out there tried this new handheld?

[MleB]

Originally posted by CoMike
Yes, but what's it got to do with the original post about the Nokia 770?

Anyone else out there tried this new handheld?

Does anyone really need the Nokia 770?
Or are you just enjoying a little rush of drugs followed by the inevitable letdown?




Haven't seen or tried it yet, no.

Meanwhile, I 'get' the idea of the 770, but a device meant to be nothing more than a internet browser viewer offers me nothing I can't get in a smaller footprint such as my TX as far as I can see.