This month's edition of Letters to the Editor brings us an interesting opinion on the direction Palm Computing is taking and, of course, the glowing words of praise we at PalmPower just love so much.

I read your article, Palm announcements: the Palm Vx, better pricing, and more, in the October 1999 issue of PalmPower [available at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue199910/announce001.html]. Thank you for the review of the exciting things going on in today's and tomorrow's Palm market. I'm writing to express some disappointment with 3Com and their current "market push". I purchased a Palm IIIx about six months ago in the hopes that I would not be limited in upgrades like my Palm III was. I was looking forward to tools (or toys, whichever you prefer to say) such as the Synapse pager card for the Palm Professional. I looked forward to the expansion slot, which offered limitless opportunities with the Palm IIIx.

Unfortunately it seems that 3Com has abandoned us "lower version Palm" users in favor of the Palm V and Palm VII product lines. I haven't seen or heard product announcements for any 'new' or revised technology that take advantage of the expansion capabilities of the Palm IIIx. It seems that the push is off to make this a 'greater' technology in favor of the Palm V and Palm VII lines of product.

As a consumer and a professional this bothers me. I like to know that the companies I'm purchasing from are following through on the promises and goals that they set for a product line. It also bothers me because I find my gaze longingly wafting towards a Windows CE device or something like the Handspring Visor. I know my Palm unit is more reliable, faster, and has the capability to far exceed the reaches of the Windows CE devices out today. So why isn't Palm growing its platform on the assistant I bought six months ago?

My suspicions are that when Palm lost their top people, they lost the people with the vision of where the Palm line was going. They are now a product release company. Do you see 3Com's hands in the pot here? Maybe that is what took the top people away. 3Com is doing poorly in the business world right now, because they aren't innovating, they are releasing product...across all their lines of business. Innovators and people with vision make companies and products exciting and useful. Sort of like Handspring. The Visor is an example of exactly what the expansion slot in my Palm IIIx should have been.

Wow, it looks like I may end up as a Visor user soon. How much do you want to bet they will come out with a color version before 3Com?

Thank you for your time and an awesome magazine,

Thomas Ward

News Editor Heather McDaniel responds
Thanks for your thought-provoking comments. We always like to know what our readers think about all these products and announcements. It'll be interesting to see if your predictions come true. Please be sure to write again if you have any other insights or forecasts for the future.