> Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 13:18:59 -0400
> From: Rimmer <rimmer_at_nyc.rr.com>
>=20
> It just a thought , of course...
>=20
> Well, thinking critical what are the chances that dumb pc-clickers will t=
ake
> up on it ?
> Sharp is there alone. And it=B9s unpolished . It=B9s quite a bit like Newton
> was. And Newton was abandoned.
>=20
> I was looking forward to Zaurus release, but than who wants another dropp=
ed
> and forgotten platform running gadget on their hands ?
>=20
> So what stops us from thinking that Zaurus is not just another abandonwar=
e
> to be ?
though the Z still has a lot of "rough edges" both in its PIM and other
apps, and on the desktop (sync), its standard OS (w/ open source) and
standard development languages/tools give it some advantages (and make it
easier for developers to transition to other platforms should the Z not
survive...). although there are high hopes for Z (and similar devices),
perhaps there are fewer inflated expectations that plagued the Newton when
it was initially hyped/introduced (and persisted even after handwriting was
much improved).
whether it will succeed commercially -- either with consumers or in vertica=
l
markets -- certainly is an open question. perhaps Sharp will have more
persistence than Apple, since the market has grown/changed in the past 10
years. I don't hear much about Sharp internal corporate politics --
compared to the public palace intrigues of Apple in the 90s. There were a
number of projects (e.g., in several vertical markets) that had completed
pilots and were ready to scaleup/rollout -- so Jobs' decision to cancel the
spinoff of Newton Inc., and then the Newton itself, seemed to me more
personal/petty (or perhaps in appeasement to M*soft for WinCE) than based o=
n
real market prospects.
so, in comparing the chances for success, there are lots of things to
consider/compare:
- technology (hardware, OS, apps, development tools)
- customers, developers, marketing
- Apple vs. Sharp (or ...)
-...
--=20
Steve
-- Read the List FAQ/Etiquette: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html Read the Newton FAQ: http://www.guns-media.com/mirrors/newton/faq/ This is the NewtonTalk mailing list - http://www.newtontalk.net
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