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Rumor Mill: Should Microsoft buy Palm?
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Speculation that Palm will be scooped up by a well-capitalized tech company has intensified since the well-received release of the Palm Pre and the company's new operating system, webOS. While most of the commentary has centered around Dell possibly acquiring Palm, recent speculation pegs Microsoft as a potential suitor.
"Microsoft should abandon (it's digital music player) Zune and follow Apple's strategy to try to make its presence felt in the high-growth smartphone sector," George Kurian, a vice president at Tradition Capital Management, recently told MarketWatch. To do so, he suggested the software giant simply purchase Palm to bolster its smartphone efrorts.
Such a move could be considered a thumb in the eye to Microsoft rival Apple, since Palm is now led by Jon Rubinstein, who was formerly the senior vice president of Apple's iPod division.
However, as CNET's David Carnoy notes, Microsoft is already heavily involved in the smartphone market--unlike Dell--and continues to upgrade its Windows Mobile platform. Indeed, Microsoft executives have promised the company's Windows Mobile 6.5 platform will provide a better browsing experience than the iPhone.
But there is precedent for a Microsoft purchase of Palm and the webOS. Microsoft in 2008 purchased Danger, which provided the operating system for T-Mobile USA's popular Sidekick line of phones.
For more:
- see this CNET article
- see this CNET article
- see this MarketWatch article
Related Articles:
Analysts ponder: Will Palm be acquired?
Where does Palm go from here?
Palm names Apple alum Rubinstein as CEO, Colligan steps down
Rumor Mill: Should Dell buy Palm?
Comments
Posted by cl0id | August 3, 2009 - 11:58am
This is one of the more stupid rumours/ideas I've heard in a while. I'm suprised the more so called Tech Savy Bloggers/Writers are not aware that Palm's WebOS is powered by Linux, which as we all know is like Garlic to a Vampire.
Posted by Anonymous | August 3, 2009 - 12:33pm
Buy it baby!!! Palm has a vast catalog of web applications to make the Pre and Zune phone and other Microsoft products innovate more.
Posted by Dan C | August 4, 2009 - 10:12am
No, No, No....Palm, please don't sell to Microsoft. I just switched from WinMo device to Palm Pre, and would never go back. Microsoft does not "get it", WinMo is the worst, and does not take into account that people dont have styluses as fingers, like all of their other products they stifle innovation and dont allow easy integration to major 3rd party apps, thinking that they are "crushing" the competition when they are really just hurting their customers. This would be the worst thing that happened to innovation in the mobile market!!
Posted by Anonymous | August 5, 2009 - 8:42am
All Microsoft has to do to get more sales is add WiFi connectivity to the ZuneHd and that baby will definately compete with the Ipod and Ipod touch. I have read many reviews and listened to the person(s) comments - a lot of them agree that the Zune player is better than Apple's. A WiFi connection will make it even better. Watch out Wally World - get your inventories ready!!!
Posted by DRT | August 5, 2009 - 1:25pm
Microsoft, no, MS has way to much invested in WinMo and this deal is all about the software. But I could see Palm going to someone like Cisco, HP or maybe Dell. Personally, as good as their OS may be I think it's a dead end, there's not enough critical mass around it anymore, kind of like the Amiga.
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