PalmOne not serious about growth market China?

Colin Dunstan · 06-29-2004, 10:36 AM

Digital China and ECS Technology (China), two of PalmOne’s sales agents for the China market, will stop selling PalmOne products in China due to decreasing profits. According to Digital China, margins on a PDAs made by Taiwan-based Asustek Computer are 2-3 times higher than Palm PDA margins, even though marketing costs are higher for Palm products. ECS Technology complained that PalmOne is not serious about the China market, as the Palm PDA is not really Chinese-language based like Hewlett Packard (HP) and AsusPDAs.

gadgetguru · 06-29-2004, 12:25 PM

Chinese Palm's are really English language Palm with CJKOS (language changer) and Penpower (Chinese character graffitti-type recognition software) installed to Flash-ROM...often times an English Chinese Dictionary is thrown-in. So PalmOne probably add those software cost to the main product.

Add to the fact that PalmOne is concentrating on the United States with it's higher-margin Treo smartphone successes. It's not hard to see why PalmOne successes in China is limited. Asus, Mitac, Acer, Legend and other local Chinese (or Taiwan) brands are an easier sell to the Chinese market.

Palmsource is trying to find Chinese licensees but has only limited success with Legend and Groupsense BUT most of their Chinese PDAs are older version (Version 4.0), so only PalmOne and Sony is left to fend for the Palm OS.

Too bad for PalmOne (and Palm OS) since China is a growing market unlike the US where the PDA market is most probably mature.

derekweb · 06-29-2004, 01:40 PM

One would *think* that since they have experience with the graphic language in Japan, that Sony would be able to just ramrod and make a killin' in China with their Clie's.

*shrug* Weird.

Be Szpilman · 08-24-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gadgetguru

Chinese Palm's are really English language Palm with CJKOS (language changer) and Penpower (Chinese character graffitti-type recognition software) installed to Flash-ROM...often times an English Chinese Dictionary is thrown-in. So PalmOne probably add those software cost to the main product.

Thank god chinese palms are an english Palm with CJKOS slapped in. That's the one I have, right off China, and it's an excellent learner's tool (plus some powerful dictionaries thrown in for good measure, and good money.)

So, see, palmOne, there's a market: Me! Hey, it's true, I'm even gonna buy another one!

HarryT · 08-24-2009, 12:12 PM

Please note that this thread is over five years old.

06-29-2004, 10:36 AM	#1
Colin Dunstan Is papyrophobic! Posts: 1,926 Karma: 1009999 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: USA Device: Dell Axim	PalmOne not serious about growth market China? Digital China and ECS Technology (China), two of PalmOne’s sales agents for the China market, will stop selling PalmOne products in China due to decreasing profits. According to Digital China, margins on a PDAs made by Taiwan-based Asustek Computer are 2-3 times higher than Palm PDA margins, even though marketing costs are higher for Palm products. ECS Technology complained that PalmOne is not serious about the China market, as the Palm PDA is not really Chinese-language based like Hewlett Packard (HP) and AsusPDAs.

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06-29-2004, 12:25 PM	#2
gadgetguru Addict Posts: 214 Karma: 6370 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Asia Device: Tungsten T5	Chinese Palm's are really English language Palm with CJKOS (language changer) and Penpower (Chinese character graffitti-type recognition software) installed to Flash-ROM...often times an English Chinese Dictionary is thrown-in. So PalmOne probably add those software cost to the main product. Add to the fact that PalmOne is concentrating on the United States with it's higher-margin Treo smartphone successes. It's not hard to see why PalmOne successes in China is limited. Asus, Mitac, Acer, Legend and other local Chinese (or Taiwan) brands are an easier sell to the Chinese market. Palmsource is trying to find Chinese licensees but has only limited success with Legend and Groupsense BUT most of their Chinese PDAs are older version (Version 4.0), so only PalmOne and Sony is left to fend for the Palm OS. Too bad for PalmOne (and Palm OS) since China is a growing market unlike the US where the PDA market is most probably mature.

06-29-2004, 01:40 PM	#3
derekweb Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 3134 Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: United States Device: Palm Treo 700p & iPaq hx2755	One would think that since they have experience with the graphic language in Japan, that Sony would be able to just ramrod and make a killin' in China with their Clie's. shrug Weird.

08-24-2009, 12:12 PM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Please note that this thread is over five years old.