“palmOne is billing the new handheld as an alternative to Apple’s iPod, and even as a laptop replacement. Really? Look, I like palmOne, but let’s be serious. There’s little chance that the LifeDrive will displace the iPod or my PowerBook. But I can’t blame the company for trying,” Tim Beyers writes for The Motley Fool.
“Market researcher Gartner says that the PDA market during the first quarter grew 25% over the same period a year ago, but palmOne was no longer the market leader. Rival Research In Motion shipped more units, grabbing the top spot with more than 20% of the market while palmOne dropped to 18%, a level it hasn’t seen since the mid-’90s. The LifeDrive is its first attempt to regain the title of king of the PDA hill,” Beyers writes.
“So, is palmOne’s stock still a buy? In a word: Yes. Global demand for smartphones is expanding at a phenomenal pace, and the Treo 650 remains at the top of the heap in terms of functionality and usability,” Beyers writes. “Let’s chalk up the LifeDrive to what it is: a cool gadget that needn’t distract investors. It’s the Treo — and really, only the Treo — that’s worth watching.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Beyers is spot on with his analysis of palmOne, LifeDrive, and the Treo.