Krusell’s Top Phones for June

Mobile device case company Krusell has released it’s list of the top selling cases for the month of June. This is usually a pretty good indicator of how well phones are really selling in the field.

Last month, Nokia utterly dominated, taking the first three spots. Not so this month. They still take five out of ten overall, but in the top three they are joined by Apple’s iPhone (likely due to the 3GS excitement) and HTC’s Touch Diamond 2. HTC made a strong showing in general in June with four phones on the list, and Samsung barely missed the list with their Omnia.

However, for the me the biggest surprise is that the number one phone in terms of new case sales for June is the humble Nokia 6300, a feature phone that is more then two years old! Perhaps the phone buying public are not as fickle and dominated by the new hotness as everyone always says.

Here is the full list…

1.(3) Nokia 6300  
2.(-) Apple iphone 3G  
3.(-) HTC Touch Diamond 2  
4.(2) Nokia 3109  
5.(-) Nokia E51  
6.(1) Nokia 5800  
7.(5) Nokia E71  
8.(6) HTC Touch HD  
9.(-) HTC Magic  
10.(-)HTC Touch Pro2  
11.(4) Samsung SGH-i900/i910 Omnia  
() = Last month’s position. 

See the whole press release HERE.

           

Breaking the Green Dam

Politics are usually something I try to avoid on the internet. Lord knows we all have enough reasons for sleepless nights and high blood pressure (parenting for instance) without adding the endless partisan demonizing that goes on over the internet due to politics.

However, there are some things that go beyond politics and enter the realm of ethics and basic human rights. As I am sure all of you know, the current government of China decided that the agreement by such former champions of free speech as Google and Yahoo to censor information going into China and to turn over the details of those bloggers who the government branded as seditious was not enough. Information was still getting through, and coming out, through a thousand little blogs and independent web sites, to say nothing of twitter and other social networking sites.

Therefore, the Chinese government decreed that any PC sold in China must have their Green Dam censorship software built in to block any content that the Chinese government felt their citizens should not see. Of course they explain that this is to block pornography, which some people see as a reasonable thing to do. Personally, to me that is an inexcusable example of censorship and big-brother paternalism, but no matter. Once that software is hardwired into any PC sold in China and is impossible to remove unless you REALLY know what you are doing, you are already halfway down the slippery slope. Once the hubbub dies down, the Chinese Government will be able to use the same software to block any information they feel is too disgusting for people to see, such as free and open debate of their government’s policies.

Thankfully a good number of people saw things as I do and there was far more of an outcry then the Chinese Government had been expecting (did they learn NOTHING from the Olympics?) and they opted to postpone enforcing the requirement.

End of the matter, hurrah for democracy?

Not yet.

For one thing, the Chinese Government has stated they will still quietly go ahead with the plan, but they will just wait until the eye of the world is drawn to the next sensation. Beyond, they don;t even need to enforce it. It seems that most PC makers, fully aware of the vast profits to be made by appeasing the Chinese bureaucrats, are shipping PCs with the Green Dam in place ANYWAY.

The AP is reporting the following…

Taiwan’s Acer Inc. — the world’s No. 3 PC maker — Sony Corp. and China’s Haier Group said they were shipping Green Dam on disks with computers for sale in China. China’s Lenovo Group, the No. 4 producer, said it would offer the software pre-installed or on disk. Taiwan’s Asus Inc. said it was preparing to supply Green Dam disks with PCs. Taiwanese laptop maker BenQ Inc. said the system was on the hard drives of its computers.

Acer was supplying Green Dam because disks were already packed with PCs before the government postponed the plan, that had been due to take effect Wednesday, said a company spokeswoman, Meng Lei. Lenovo said it also was going ahead with plans made before the Green Dam order was postponed.

Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s top PC manufacturer, said it was working with the U.S. government to get more information and declined to comment further. No. 2 Dell Inc. said it was not including Green Dam with its PCs.

Well, if China can use economic clout to make PC makers willing and eager accessories to censorship and the denial of free speech, then we can at least use the same tools to make our own voices heard.

Choose not to purchase technology by Acer, Sony, Haier, Lenovo, Asus or BenQ. BOYCOTT THEM until they change their policy, or at least until China gives them no choice but to comply. Obeying an unjust law is bad enough, but to do so when that law is not even being enforced is far worse. Support HP and Dell for their willingness to at least put the breaks on this infantilization and infringement of the basic human rights of adult Chinese citizens and think things through. Before you buy a PC or other device try to find out where their manufacturer stands on this issue. Samsung? LG? Apple? What are YOU going to do?

I for one put my money where my mouth (and heart) is just this morning. I was a hair away from purchasing a Lenovo or Acer netbook when I opted for a Compaq (HP) model instead. A drop in the bucket? Of course…but I will NOT let my money be used to bolster the bottom line of companies that give into Chinese pressure and threats concerning human rights. I simply can’t do so in good conscience, even if it has no effect at all.

I urge you to do the same.

(Source – Simple Thoughts)

           

Breaking the Green Dam

Politics are usually something I try to avoid on the internet. Lord knows we all have enough reasons for sleepless nights and high blood pressure (parenting for instance) without adding the endless partisan demonizing that goes on over the internet due to politics.

However, there are some things that go beyond politics and enter the realm of ethics and basic human rights. As I am sure all of you know, the current government of China decided that the agreement by such former champions of free speech as Google and Yahoo to censor information going into China and to turn over the details of those bloggers who the government branded as seditious was not enough. Information was still getting through, and coming out, through a thousand little blogs and independent web sites, to say nothing of twitter and other social networking sites.

Therefore, the Chinese government decreed that any PC sold in China must have their Green Dam censorship software built in to block any content that the Chinese government felt their citizens should not see. Of course they explain that this is to block pornography, which some people see as a reasonable thing to do. Personally, to me that is an inexcusable example of censorship and big-brother paternalism, but no matter. Once that software is provided with any PC sold in China you are already halfway down the slippery slope. Once the hubbub dies down, the Chinese Government will be able to use the same software to block any information they feel is too disgusting for people to see, such as free and open debate of their government’s policies.

Thankfully a good number of people saw things as I do and there was far more of an outcry then the Chinese Government had been expecting (did they learn NOTHING from the Olympics?) and they opted to postpone enforcing the requirement.

End of the matter, hurrah for democracy?

Not yet.

For one thing, the Chinese Government has stated they will still quietly go ahead with the plan, but they will just wait until the eye of the world is drawn to the next sensation. Beyond they, they don’t even need to enforce it. It seems that most PC makers, fully aware of the vast profits to be made by appeasing the Chinese bureaucrats, are shipping PCs with the Green Dam software ANYWAY.

The AP is reporting the following…

Taiwan’s Acer Inc. — the world’s No. 3 PC maker — Sony Corp. and China’s Haier Group said they were shipping Green Dam on disks with computers for sale in China. China’s Lenovo Group, the No. 4 producer, said it would offer the software pre-installed or on disk. Taiwan’s Asus Inc. said it was preparing to supply Green Dam disks with PCs. Taiwanese laptop maker BenQ Inc. said the system was on the hard drives of its computers.

Acer was supplying Green Dam because disks were already packed with PCs before the government postponed the plan, that had been due to take effect Wednesday, said a company spokeswoman, Meng Lei. Lenovo said it also was going ahead with plans made before the Green Dam order was postponed.

Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s top PC manufacturer, said it was working with the U.S. government to get more information and declined to comment further. No. 2 Dell Inc. said it was not including Green Dam with its PCs.

Well, if China can use economic clout to make PC makers willing and eager accessories to censorship and the denial of free speech, then we can at least use the same tools to make our own voices heard.

Choose not to purchase technology by Acer, Sony, Haier, Lenovo, Asus or BenQ. BOYCOTT THEM until they change their policy, or at least until China gives them no choice but to comply. Obeying an unjust law to make censorship easier is bad enough, but to do so when that law is not even being enforced is far worse. Support HP and Dell for their willingness to at least put the breaks on this infantilization and infringement of the basic human rights of adult Chinese citizens and think things through. Before you buy a PC or other device try to find out where their manufacturer stands on this issue. Samsung? LG? Apple? What are YOU going to do?

I for one put my money where my mouth (and heart) is just this morning. I was a hair away from purchasing a Lenovo or Acer netbook when I opted for a Compaq (HP) model instead. A drop in the bucket? Of course…but I will NOT let my money be used to bolster the bottom line of companies that give into Chinese pressure and threats concerning human rights. I simply can’t do so in good conscience, even if it has no effect at all.

I urge you to do the same.

(Source – Simple Thoughts)

           

Microsoft in the Pink…Redux

Rumors are flying yet again about an upcoming Microsoft project codenamed Pink. MS has now hired an ad agency for the project (McCann Erikson) who just happens to be the same ones that do the Zune campaigns. Seemingly on the strength of that connection alone the old Zune Phone rumors have started up again (Pink + Zune ads = Zune Phone? Yeah right.), even though half of Microsoft and Steve Ballmer himself have sworn upside down and backwards that Microsoft is not getting into the handset business.

Of course, there are many indications that a handset of some kind is still in Microsoft’s future. Why else purchase Danger, the creators of the Sidekick phones, unless you will have them design you a phone of some kind? While they may be there just to give a new look and feel to WinMo, their strength was always in intuitive physical design. Also, Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet is still quite convinced this is going to happen…of course she was quite convinced that a secret project named Pink was going to be a Microsoft phone and was about to be announced six months ago as well. However, she is seldom that wrong about Microsoft.

At the moment all we really know for sure is that MS hired an ad agency for a project they call Pink. That’s it. Not much to go on, but the rumor mill is spinning fast. It seems like the tech press is desperate for a Zune Phone, if for no other reason then to mock it compared to the iPhone. Go figger.

Microsoft is refusing to comment of course, but “We are NOT making a phone” has become Microsoft’s version of Apple’s “Steve is perfectly healthy, move along please” mantra. However, Steve was so healthy he now has a new liver…so maybe there is a Zune Phone coming after all, despite the mantra.

(Mock up Credit: SlashGear)

           

More September Goodness

As Steve pointed out in a recent comment, there was a possibility that some Windows Mobile 6.5 devices could drop in September along with the Zune HD and a possible new iPod Touch…and he was right.

The Austrian government carrier, A1, will be releasing the Samsung Omnia 2 at the end of September, featuring a beautiful WVGA AMOLED touchscreen…with WinMo 6.5 baked right in. As far as anyone knows now, this will be the first released device to run Windows Mobile 6.5. No word yet if other European carriers will follow suit.

For German speakers, HERE is the press release.

(Source: WMPowerUser)

           

Got gdgt?

When Peter Rojas and Ryan Block left Engadget and Gizmodo a few months back, they said they were going to be collaborating on a new and exciting venture. That venture just went live and is called gdgt, a social networking site devoted to technogeeks and chipheads who are WAY too emotionally involved with their hi-tech toys and love to bore their friends by talking and sharing information about them…you know, for people like US.

Here is a little of what Ryan says about gdgt…

While the core concepts that drive the site — gadgets and community — will always stay the same, what we’re most excited about is the fact that we can use gdgt as the foundation for building tons of new features and tools for the gadget world. Stuff like the gadget finder — which lets you search for devices based on specs (finally!) — is only the start. We’re already working like crazy thinking up lots of new stuff to introduce over the coming months. And since we’re building this site for you, it goes without saying that the gdgt community has a direct say in what we’re working on. (Hit us up in gdgt feedback to tell us what you want from gdgt, or just what’s on your mind.)

So check out gdgt…in my opinion, this sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun and will be a valuable and unique addition and enhancement to your favorite gadget sites on the web…like MobilitySite.

Watch the intro video below and if you DO sign up for gdgt, drop a friend request to me..user name BardHaven.

 

           

Waiting for September

September is already looking like a hot time in the gadget biz, with several major releases tipped to be happening in or around the beginning of autumn. This makes a lot of sense since most products hoping to make a splash in holiday shopping will want to be on shelves by October, which means a September release is very important. September is also the hot time for back to school/college buying, which always is a big time for notebooks, netbooks and MP3 players.

So, what’s on the agenda for the fall of 2009?

• The new Zune, the Zune HD, has been reliably rumored all over the place to be set for release on September 8th. The device, featuring a OLED multi-touchscreen, HD Radio and a Tegra chip for superior video quality, has a good chance to be a major hit with students looking for an all-in-one media machine for those long nights in the dorm room. If the price is right, this could be the first really big seller in Microsoft’s Zune line and solidify their Number 2 position behind the iPod in the MP3 market.
• The Second generation iPod Touch was released last September, so the rumors that the third generation will be released THIS September sound reasonable. On top of the history, I think that Apple will need to respond in some way to the Zune HD as well as to Touch users complaining they didn’t get any of the 3GS goodness. What new features will we see? No clue yet, beyond general speed and performance improvements in line with the iPhone 3GS specs. However, I would not be surprised if Apple didn’t go after the one glaring gap in the Zune HD feature set and added full Bluetooth A2DP to the iPod Touch allowing VoIP as well as wireless syncing, maybe skipping the wired earbuds in favor of a wireless Apple Bluetooth set..or perhaps activate FM transmitting. Whatever way they go, I am sure the leaks will begin mid summer.
  (Note: Eric noted to me below, quite accurately, that OS 3.0 DID activate the broadcom BT chip in the iPod Touch, but it is only for stereo, no two way with Bluetooth headsets)
• The Apple “netbook” rumors are still swirling this time saying that Apple will be releasing a “large form” iPod Touch in the early fall, featuring a 7 to 9 inch touchscreen. We do know that Apple has been buying up touchscreens in that size range all over Asia, and the fall would be the right time to roll out such a product. Of course, this is still relatively wild speculation, but I could easily see Cupertino turning out a premium PMP/Internet device, heavily integrated with the iPhone and MacBook Air to steal some Zune HD thunder (Steve, you bully). They would be going for college students and the same high end market that Sony touches with the Vaio P “Not a Netbook”. Such a product would be just the sort of thing Steve Jobs would love to use as a solid “I’m BBBAACKKKKKK” kind of statement.
• Phone wise, I am pretty sure the much hyped BlackBerry Storm 2 will be appearing in September, along with a whole slew of new Android phones. I would also not be surprised to see the next Palm WebOS device appear in the fall, and a number of the talked-about Snapdragon based “Smartbooks” from Samsung and other vendors.

Whichever way these rumors go, I am already saving up my gadget money for September. I have a feeling this is going to be a VERY interesting autumn for tech buyers.

           

Skype for WinMo Leaves Beta

Great news for those of us who use Skype on Windows Mobile devices. Skype for Windows Mobile 3.0 Beta is no longer Beta as the Gold release was yesterday, and to celebrate some additional features were added to this great application.

New and exciting for the release is the ability to share files with other Skype users, including photos, MP3 files, MS Office files or any other documents. On top of that, Skype for WinMo can handle SMS messages much more economically then your standard mobile operator. Sadly, not for free like the voice calls (assuming you are using WiFi) but still a good value. Skype is one of the few applications which I use every single day on multiple platforms, and I have watched it evolve from a one note Internet Telephony program to a full and powerful communications suite…and it’s FREE. Tough to beat that.

Skype 3.0 for Windows Mobile runs on Windows Mobile 5, 6, and 6.1, with or without a touchscreen and requires 12MB of storage The installer may be downloaded from HERE.

Remember, data usage costs still apply when using Skype, if relevant.

Also use iPhone/iPod Touch? Check out the new Skype for iPhone v1.1 release HERE.

           

HP Continues to Create “Enterprise Netbooks”

The big netbook talk this week has been all about the HP 5101, a netbook clearly aimed at the same business and Enterprise users as the HP Mini-note 2140 had been, based on the feature set. Since most netbooks are viewed as purely consumer market creations, that is a bit on an anomaly right off the bat. To please more demanding users in the Enterprise, everything about this unit seems to be a bit above the standard netbook…bigger keyboard, better webcam, larger/faster HDs, Aluminum/Magnesium case.

In addition, the 5101 simply doesn’t look like a typical netbook, very reminiscent of the black no-nonsense styling and razor sharp angles of the business world’s Notebook PC of choice, the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad. That can’t be accidental

Check out this video from TheStreet to get a closer look at the device, which I feel is going to be one of the top selling netbooks of the summer, and may already be the model to beat for this holiday season.

           

Neopets Pirates…and NOT the Fun Kind

Hackers who use keystroke captures and botnets to prey on other, less adept computer users are pretty low in my book….how much lower are they then when their preferred targets are still in grade school?

A scam to convince users of the popular family-safe web community Neopets to run a keystroke capture program and thus compromise their PC and all information on it has recently been brought to my attention by Christopher Boyd at SpywareGuide. Now this is not technically on topic here at MobilitySite, but there are enough regular readers out there with kids on the net that I felt it was a worthwhile thing to bring up.

Read on after the jump to learn more…

[Read more]

           

To Hackintosh or not to Hackintosh

In a bold move, Dan Frakes over at MacWorld has decided to see what all the fuss is about, and bought himself a Netbook (A Dell Vostro A90 to be exact, one of the most hackinsoshable of the current Netbook crop) in order to see what running Mac OS X on a device that small would be like. For Frakes, it was clearly and somewhat predictably a mixed bag.

Regarding software he had this to say…

I’m able to use most of my favorite Mac programs on the HackBook, although some apps, such as GarageBand, won’t launch because the laptop’s screen is too small (not that you’d ever want to run GarageBand on the A90). I didn’t test Microsoft Office; in fact, I didn’t even install it, knowing how much memory Office apps use. Apple’s iWork, on the other hand, works just fine. In other words, when I use the HackBook as a netbook—for Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, and other basic tasks—it works well. I’ve been especially impressed by the performance of Safari 4.

He was less pleased with the hardware side of things however, and came to the following conclusion, along with some insights into Apple’s strategy…

On the other hand, a tiny laptop like this isn’t for everyone. In fact, for many people, a netbook—even one running Mac OS X—is an exercise in frustration. It’s just not what most people expect from a "laptop." (This is why I don’t see Apple ever making a netbook in the current sense of the word. Indeed, Apple continues to denigrate the idea of a small, low-cost Mac laptop, specifically citing small screens, cramped keyboards, and poor performance. We’re more likely to see a device closer to an oversized iPod touch.)

I have run Mac OS X on my Gigabyte M912M with some success (though now I restrict it to Vista and XP Dual boot) and I am actively considering buying a second Netbook, maybe an HP 2140, just for hackintoshing. However, it would be as much a mistake for someone to expect a hackinstoshed Netbook to give them the full Apple experience as it would be for them to expect a Netbook running XP to give them the full Windows experience.

Netbooks do what they do extremely well, as Frakes said, light office work, email, net browsing, chatting. If you prefer that sort of machine to run OS X, then have at it, but don’t expect it to become a miniature MacBook…it won’t. You shouldn’t expect at Netbook to replace your main PC full time, no matter what OS you are running on it. Choose the right tool for the task.

Read all of Frakes’ interesting views on the subject HERE

           

A Step Closer to a Universal Charger

Once of the biggest obstacles to a truly “green” telecom industry seems to be finally coming to an end, as the Associated Press is reporting that the EU and companies like Nokia and other mobile phone vendors have agreed to make all their devices compatible with a single, standard charger.

The AP story runs as follows:

BRUSSELS (AP) — EU officials say they have reached a deal with mobile phone makers to introduce a new single, more energy efficient charger that can be used for data-enabled handsets.

EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen says selling a single, standard charger will cut costs to manufacturers and reduce the number of chargers thrown away when consumers buy new phones.

Verheugen says he also wants to see the common charger expand to include other older phones, cameras and laptops in the years ahead.

Under Monday’s accord, phone makers Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, Research in Motion and others will introduce the single charger by next year.

No word if all phones will also use a standard connector which would be even better news, hopefully a Mini or MicroUSB connector. Further reports indicate that the vendors and the EU also agreed that all smartphones sold in the EU will use microUSB connectors…HUZZAH!!!

This is definitely a big deal not only for the environment, but for those of us who need many different chargers for all their devices and therefore tend to live in a nest of cords and power bricks. Fire hazard aside, I have tripped on such cables more times then I like to remember and I would certainly save money on power strips if chargers could serve multiple needs. One element that seems strange is that the EU seems to think that phones/cameras and laptops can be charged by the same device. It would take the average phone charger a few days to get a laptop battery topped off, but maybe the charger will be able to be set to different power outputs.

(Source: NYT)

           

Fennec Alpha 2 Released for Windows Mobile

It seems to be a browser kind of weekend here at MobilitySite. First Marilyn’s excellent review of Skyfire, now word that the next alpha release of Mozilla’s long awaited Mobile browser, Fennec, is available for all WinMo 6+ devices.

Here is how the release notes describe this alpha version…

The initial focus of Fennec development was on building a new user experience that reflects Firefox’s design principles, adding touch screen support and other interactions appropriate for mobile phones and other handheld devices. Fennec preserves leading features like the Smart URL Bar ("awesome bar") and support for add-ons.

This Windows Mobile alpha release continues to focus on stability, performance, and integration with the Windows Mobile OS. This version also includes numerous fixes and and our new shiney theme.

Get the free download from Mozilla and take it for a spin.

           

Kindle to Throw the Book at WinMo?

Never let it be said that Jeff Bezos thinks small. Not one for short stories…Bezos prefers epic best sellers.

He took an idea and his own ambition and wrote the book on what at the time was thought impossible…he made an online-only retailer profitable when he created Amazon.com. Not only is Amazon now one of the largest e-tailers on the internet, it is also one of the largest book retailers anywhere in the world, period. It is now a dominate force in the world of publishing and practically a household name.

When Amazon wrote itself into the world of e-books it did so in just as big a way with the Kindle e-book reader and thanks to Amazon’s retail might and vast library, it now rules the e-reader niche market. However, Bezos understands that the true money lies not in the e-book hardware, but the e-book software….not in the bindings, but in the books. Therefore he quickly it possible to port the Kindle software (and all the books you buy for it from Amazon, ‘natch) to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Flush with that success, he is moving onto the next chapter.

According to Business Week, Amazon will be porting the Kindle software to additional mobile platforms such as Windows Mobile. They came to that conclusion based on recent positions for hire advertised by Amazon, as follows:

Amazon lists 17 open mobile-related positions on its Web site, including for software engineers, a senior product manager for mobile payments, and a director of mobile applications. One job ad says Amazon expects its hire to "develop partnerships with mobile companies." Another posting seeks applicants who can write programs for Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Mobile operating system.

While I would certainly welcome such a high profile addition to the Windows Mobile app world, it will be a tough nut to crack for Amazon. Unlike with the Kindle itself and the iPhone, Windows Mobile does not run on a closed system. Any WinMo software needs to be designed to run on a wide range of devices, with different features, different processors and hardware, different screen sizes and both regular and touch screens. In that situation it will be very hard for Amazon to truly control the “reading experience”.

I think a Kindle on Windows Mobile app will come to pass since there is money to be made, but it will take time and may very well need to limited to certain phones, vendors or carriers. Also, what about Android, or Symbian? What about an application that can run on Netbooks, either Windows or Linux? There is a vast pool of readers around the world out there who would be eager to buy books from Amazon, but serving them may be another story.

Perhaps in the sequel?

           

Palm Stocks Pre-pared for Rally

Due to the arcane machinations of the financial world, what should have been bad for Palm appears to actually have been good. Palm presented their numbers for the fiscal 4th quarter and even though they took heavy losses, however they weren’t nearly as heavy as they were expected to be. Why was that so important? Well, because just a  week after that quarter ended, the Pre was released, and it appears that even the expectation of that new device began to foreshadow improvement of Palm’s fortunes.

In fact that foreshadowing, along with the upbeat earnings call delivered by new Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, was strong enough to cause a 16 percent (and still rising) jump in Palm stock prices in just a day.

In his comments, Rubinstein stressed that the Palm Pre had far exceeded sales expectations though he declined to give any numbers as of yet and was riding high on customer satisfaction. He said that the buzz had also caused an increase in sales of the Treo Pro. This may be due to the fact that Sprint sales reps have been wisely instructed to push both the Pre and Treo to new customers brought in by the hype, positioning the Pre as an iPhone-esque consumer handheld and the Treo Pro as a smartphone powerhouse for business users.

For all the hopeful noises, Palm still has a long way to go and an awful lot of skeptics out there. Well aware of that fact, Rubinstein stressed the need for Palm to execute to make good on the strong entry of the Pre, saying…

My highest priority is execution. That means delivering world-class products and customer support. Operational excellence in our supply chain management. Strong carrier relationships. Great sales and marketing. Strong back-office functions….Palm already has a foundation in all of these areas. We’ve been in this business for years. We have long-established industry relationships and we’ve successfully brought mobile products to market for over a decade. This footing can create a real advantage.

His comments are not surprising as certain elements of the Pre rollout show that Palm’s old demon of poor execution is lingering. For example, the Mojo SDK has been delayed, there have been marketing and message missteps and there are already rumors of poor supply chains and stock shortages right around the corner. Those must be especially galling to Rubinstein, since you may remember his last employer was near legendary for it’s sharp and nearly prescient execution when releasing new products.

You know, a little company called Apple.