Piloting Palm

Beschreibung

The definitive behind-the-scenes story of the visionary team thatlaunched the handheld industry. Palm insider Andrea Butter and New York Times columnist David Pogue-- with full, exclusive cooperation of the company's founders andmore than fifty key Palm and Handspring executives -- tell theriveting tale of the start of an industry constantly in theheadlines. The origins of this volatile industry began with thetiny team who beat staggering odds to turn the PalmPilot into abillion-dollar market and later took their ultimate vision toHandspring, now Palm's most powerful rival. Many of today's current events relating to the competition in thisindustry are forecasted in this important business drama. Theauthors take an unprecedented look at how the visionary founders ofthe industry led one of the most successful startups in history tosucceed against all odds-including a shoestring budget,shortsighted corporate partners, and competition from Microsoft.The roller-coaster ride is full of insight into the bungles ofventure capitalists, the allure and pitfalls of partnerships withgiant corporations, and the steely determination needed to maintainentrepreneurial and visionary independence. With gripping accountsof the last-minute crises that almost torpedoed the PalmPilot onthe eve of its unveiling, and the triumphant, unprecedentedreception of Palm in the marketplace, as well as the glimpses intothe future of this industry, this book is as entertaining as it isinstructional. Key revelations include: * The principles of business, economy, and product design that ledPalm to succeed where billion-dollar corporations like Apple,Motorola, and Casio had failed. * Important moments in technological development of the handheldsuch as the secret "Easter egg," a software surprise planted in thePalm software that nearly sank launch plans. * Unique insight into the showdown with Microsoft, and 3Com'stragic decision not to make Palm independent that led Palm'sfounder Jeff Hanwkins and CEO Donna Dubinsky to take their visionelsewhere. * The ongoing competition between Palm and Handspring. The newrivals to contend with including Sony.

Autor*in

Andrea Butter

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Business & Management Handheld-Computer Neue Technologie Wirtschaft Wirtschaft u. Management

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"The story of the two companies [Palm and Handspring] is welltold.... If you like Silicon Valley start-up tales or Palmhand-helds (and I must admit I am addicted to both) you will enjoythis lively account." (Financial Times, January 31, 2001) "The authors give detailed portraits of both high-tech productlaunches and investment banking negotiations without once gettingbogged down in the jargon of either world. No doubt readers canthank coauthor Pogue, a New York Times columnist, for the smooth,lucid prose." (Publishers Weekly, February 11, 2002) "It is told well, by Andrea Butter, Palm's former vice-presidentfor marketing, and tech journalist David Pogue. Much of the tale iswell-known to followers of the industry, but Pogue and Butter addwelcome detail." (Business Week, March 11, 2002) "Since Americans love gadgets, they should be interested in thisbook, which chronicles how Jeff Hawkins had an inspiration that ledto the handheld industry, the greatest gadget creator of them all.Former Palm Computing executive Butter and New York Timestechnology consultant Pogue recount how Hawkins and a few othersstarted Palm Computing, surviving crisis after crisis until it waseventually sold to another company and ultimately spun off in anIPO-but not before Hawkins and several of his followers had left tostart another handheld company called Handspring. Along the way, welearn that Silicon Valley start-ups are at the mercy of venturecapitalists, that the launching of new products is fraught withperil, and that small-tech companies can occasionally competesuccessfully with larger companies (e.g., Microsoft). But, moretellingly, the authors calculate the human cost of sacrificingone's life in order to realize a dream. There's plenty of dramahere, and, given the expertise of the authors, one would haveexpected a gripping read rather than simply a connecting of thedots. Not so, unfortunately; the book suffers from workmanlikewriting. Handheld organizers are here to stay, but their real storyremains to be told. For larger business collections only. --RichardDrezen, Washington Post News Research, New York (Library Journal,March 15)" "...entertaining and readable. I'd recommend it to not only fellowPalm enthusiasts, but to anyone who's interested in either SiliconValley specifically or business start-up's in general." (SupplyManagement, 14 March 2002) "...rather excellent book...a great book..." (M2 Communications, 26April 2002)"The Palm is so ubiquitous, it's easy to forget what life was likeBP (before Palm). If you want the inside Vscoop on the product thatchanged your life--and how it got here--this is the place tostart." --Seth Godin, Author Survival is Not Enough "Even though I've been a user of every version of the Palm andam waiting breathlessly for the Handspring Treo Communicator, Inever knew how Jeff Hawkins came up with the original design of thePalm Pilot. Now I do. Piloting Palm is informative, well writtenand a good read!" --Stewart Alsop, General Partner, NewEnterprise Associates, Fortune Magazine columnist
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