Sunday, May 12, 2002
R.I.P. Jornada
Posted by Jeff Kirvin in "ARTICLE" @ 09:23 PM
http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020513.htm
The HP Jornada is dead, the latest victim of an ugly corporate merger. What does this mean to the handheld market, and what does it mean to consumers?
This week, I want to talk about a disturbing news item that left me despondent and muttering to myself. I felt like the robot in that Circuit City commercial... "Don't take her! I love her! Weeping, weeping, weeping..."
In the wake of their merger with Compaq, Hewlett Packard has begun the long and arduous process of trimming their product lines, cutting the overlapping, redundant products. HP's Windows-based servers are out in favor of Compaq's Proliant series. HP's Vectra business PCs are gone. And... I'm having trouble typing this... The HP Jornada series of Pocket PCs is dead.
While all of the Pocket PC 2002 devices have their issues, the Jornada 560 series came the closest to perfection. The 560s are thin, light, have side controls for easy ebook reading, great battery life, internal CF expansion -- which is still far cheaper and more flexible than SD -- an integrated screen cover so you don't have to bulk up the device with a case, slimmer expandability than the iPaq sleeves, and oh, yeah, the best screen around for ClearType readability.
All of that's gone now (well, probably -- see below). My sources tell me the 560 series will still be manufactured for a few more months, then it's gone for good, and the "HP iPAQ" is the new handheld on the block. For those of us that dislike the iPAQ's slippery feel, ClearType-crippled screen, overall bulk and lack of side controls, this is a dark day.
Read the rest here.
The HP Jornada is dead, the latest victim of an ugly corporate merger. What does this mean to the handheld market, and what does it mean to consumers?
This week, I want to talk about a disturbing news item that left me despondent and muttering to myself. I felt like the robot in that Circuit City commercial... "Don't take her! I love her! Weeping, weeping, weeping..."
In the wake of their merger with Compaq, Hewlett Packard has begun the long and arduous process of trimming their product lines, cutting the overlapping, redundant products. HP's Windows-based servers are out in favor of Compaq's Proliant series. HP's Vectra business PCs are gone. And... I'm having trouble typing this... The HP Jornada series of Pocket PCs is dead.
While all of the Pocket PC 2002 devices have their issues, the Jornada 560 series came the closest to perfection. The 560s are thin, light, have side controls for easy ebook reading, great battery life, internal CF expansion -- which is still far cheaper and more flexible than SD -- an integrated screen cover so you don't have to bulk up the device with a case, slimmer expandability than the iPaq sleeves, and oh, yeah, the best screen around for ClearType readability.
All of that's gone now (well, probably -- see below). My sources tell me the 560 series will still be manufactured for a few more months, then it's gone for good, and the "HP iPAQ" is the new handheld on the block. For those of us that dislike the iPAQ's slippery feel, ClearType-crippled screen, overall bulk and lack of side controls, this is a dark day.
Read the rest here.
