Recently, 1src carried an interesting thread of a user asking about why discussion about the Zire series is so rare. He thought that the whole handheld series is very unpopular. However, when we look at PalmOnes press releases,.. we see that the Zire series sells well.
and vice versa? Looms sensible at first, but it isn’t! Why are there so many communities discussing the long-discontinued Apple Newton series? Actually, forum discussion can IMHO not be used as a measure of device popularity! Users who talk about their handhelds do not see them as usual tools(do you talk about your bread knife?). Forum visitors are power users, that find fun and enjoyment in doing more with their PDA then it can do when it comes out of the box.
Zire handhelds go for a less than 250$, the most even go for 100$ and have only the most purist features. When you look at the advertising slogans PalmOne uses for the Zire series(see this article for details of the PalmOne advertising), one clearly see that they are advertised as an all-in-one effortless solution for users who do not know much about computers. They are intended for use as tools-the users use whats packaged and thats it! Some users treat these just as a replacement for the filofax-not grasping the idea of expansion/extension of possibilities.
Now, think about the statement made above. Will such a user want to discuss about extension possibilities, additional features or even peripherals that cost him extra money? The answer is simple and short-No. The users have their Zire handhelds in their suitcases and bags, and treat them as a stock filofax. Nobody discusses his datebook/address book, so why discuss the Zire…
What do you think about this topic?
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