To put it frankly, PalmOne and PalmSource have screwed up. Not only did they lose the opportunity to develop and market a more powerful multimedia device, they still have not provided any real multimedia support to their users. The lack of bundled accessories and software makes turning the Treo into a music device an expensive proposition. Spend $27.95 for Pocket-Tunes Deluxe, $10 for a headset adaptor, and another $32 for a 512 MB memory card, and you have spent almost enough on top of the purchase price of the Treo to buy a 512 MB iPod Shuffle. In comparison, the Windows Mobile Powered SMT5600 smartphone not only has comprehensive bundled playing software, but also includes a stereo headset for music and voice. Without bundled accessories, it is no surprise that more people are not using the Treo out of the box as a multimedia device.
PalmOne needs to aggressively bundle or develop their own rich multimedia software either themselves or through a partnership with PalmSource, Apple, Microsoft, or at least the makers of Pocket-Tunes and MMplayer. In doing so, they will fix the one feature that has had them beat for five years running. By bundling a complete multimedia application, they will provide more incentive for consumers to purchase the Treo smartphone, as price falls out of enterprise only markets. Of course, there is no reason that executives cannot have fun; music and video are great tools for stress relief, an enjoyable prospect in such a busy world.
The Treo was never meant to be an iPod. It is a phone, an email device, a web browser, a word processor it is meant to be completely expandable and flexible to fit whatever purpose the user has for the device. Mobile multimedia is extremely popular right now, and PalmOne and PalmSource have failed to capitalize on it. They have incredible hardware, but they are missing all the needed software. There is not even one complete application in the third party markets. As the world moves into greater acceptance of digital distribution, the lack of such applications becomes increasingly important. Competitors from both the phone and PDA side are beating the Treo in this respect, but thanks to the flexibility of the Treos design it should be on the forefront of innovation. There is an open opportunity in the market here, perfect for a company step in and create an all in one application to fulfill the multimedia demands of Palm OS users.
