Treo 600 Entertainment: In Praise of PalmOne

Over the past couple of weeks we've complained a _lot_ about what we saw as PalmOne's inability to exploit the entertainment opportunities of the Treo 600 (as well as other Palm devices).

However, judging by the PalmOne email newsletter which I received yesterday, it appears that things are changing... Although there's still much to be done we are tempted to say that the company is beginning to 'get it'.

You will notice a new emphasis on entertainment such as the iRobot trailer which can be viewed with the Kinoma player (see also our post 'Movies & Video on your Treo' and 'Treo 600 does Entertainment') and some games promotions (which for some reason still come labeled as 'software'...  Please guys just make it simple and call it 'games' and not 'games software' as we all know that we can't play any other sort of games but 'software' ones...)

The next step will be for PalmOne to figure out how to work with other players in the industry.  You see the problem with 'digital media' that many of us are rapidly coming to experience is that we are faced with the difficulties and impracticalities of moving it among an increasing number of platforms.

For example, I'm watching say CSI that I recorded on my TiVo in the evening but I only manage to watch 20 minutes of it because my girlfriend tempts me with a better proposition.  The next day I'd like to watch the remainder of the program on my Treo 600 on my way to work but then I also only get to watch the next 20 minutes.  Finally I want to watch the final 20 minutes of CSI while sitting in bed with my laptop.

Seems reasonable, no?  As we suggested in our previous post 'Treo 600 Music Quest' consumers should be able (and want to be able) to repurpose their digital media content on any platform.  However, at present this idea of 'repurposing' content is exactly what content owners absolutely, positively, 100% do not want us to do.  Why?  Because someone somewhere dreamed a beautiful business plan (but deeply flawed in the practical aspects of business) where we would be buying a DVD for our DVD player, a digital copy for our PC, yet another for our Treo 600, and on and on ringing a cash register at every step...  As I've stated before, can anybody genuinely tell me how many people will go for this nonsense?  I guess that common sense is not something currently being imparted in business schools!

Nevertheless, as Richard Wolpert the Chief Strategy Officer of RealNetworks recently higlighted: "Incompatible media players are becoming a drag on adoption rates and growth curves.  The music industry still has to focus on making sharing music among a variety of devices as easy on the consumer as possible.  No more if you buy this, you can only play it with this device -- that's confusing for people and a concern of music labels.  Current device/store incompatibility will slow adoption."  Thank God, at least someone is thinking straight...

Your Profile Get Help  Unsubscribe Download Software  Tell a Friend Community You are a Treo 600 owner. If not, click here to update your profile. July 28th 2004 :::: Hello Andrew, Sometimes the best way to boost personal productivity is to do nothing at all. So as the temperature rises and you find yourself slipping into vacation mode, grab your palmOne™ handheld and take your mind off work. In this edition of palmOne Connection, you'll find lots of distractions. In this edition Top Stories How to... Use To Do Lists Software Spotlight Driving & Diamonds Palm Store Special Offer Getaway gear Hot Tips Heat protection Handheld Hollywood Starting in July, you can download movie trailers from the European palmOne website and then watch them on your handheld. The first preview is of the sci-fi thriller "I, Robot". More trailers will be added in the coming weeks. To watch a preview, all you need is a compatible palmOne product* and the Kinoma Player software (if you don't have it, you can download it for free). Download trailers *Zire™ 31, Zire 71 and 72, Tungsten™ E ,T, T2, T3, TC, Treo™ 600 TM and ® 2004 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Property of Fox. Promotional use only. Sale, duplication, other transfer of this material or excerpts thereof, is strictly prohibited. The download of the Trailer by Websites visitors is only permissible for individual palm use as long as no further copying is made. Basic Intermediate Advanced Take advantage of your summer downtime to pick up some new handheld skills. Once you have mastered the Address Book and Calendar, the To Do (or Tasks) List should be next on your, well, list. Not only is it a convenient place to track the tasks at hand, it can also help you battle chronic procrastination. Categories: Don't underestimate the power of categories. You can organise your tasks first by group (work, home, etc) then by priority. That way you won't be submerged by tasks, and it will be easier to see what needs to be done and when. Get your priorities straight: Use the priority setting to arrange tasks according to their importance or urgency. When you create a new Task the priority is automatically set to level 1, the highest level. To change it, tap the Details button. Check and check again: When you complete a task, check it off to indicate it is completed. If you have a handheld with a 5-way navigator, highlight the item you want to check off and then press Select. See the details: To change a task's settings, tap the text of the task you want to change, then tap the Details button. From the following window you can change the priority, the category and due date. See straight: In the To Do List, tap Show. Use the pull down list to change how the list is sorted. Use the check boxes to change the display settings. Next month: Mobile Email Basic Intermediate Advanced Drive'em wild   MicroQuad lets you race bikes without getting bugs in your teeth. Race your quad bike around 20 gorgeous colour tracks as you try to win the different Cups. Choose from among six bikes, challenge fellow speed freaks to a race using wireless Bluetooth technology, and drive your neighbours wild with the pounding digital music. Download today and SAVE 20 %. Enter the promotion code BDE9E839 in the appropriate box on the order page. Offer valid until 31/08/2004. Get hooked Amazingly simple to play and remarkably hard to put down, Bejeweled is one of those game that you can play all day. Choose from a leisurely easy game or a frantic timed game, as you try to turn adjacent pairs of gems into horizontal or vertical threesomes. Download today and SAVE 25 %. Enter the promotion code 987DDF5A in the appropriate box on the order page. Offer valid until 31/08/2004. GETAWAY GEAR Summer has arrived. Do you have the gear you need? Do your last minute shopping at the palmOne Store: Cool Handhelds: The full range of Zire™ and Tungsten™ handhelds Hot Smartphones: Treo™ 600 and accessories Ample accessories: cases, cards and more Some don't like it hot You're not the only one who needs to stay cool this summer. Your handheld needs protection from rising temperatures too. Don't leave it sitting in the car (this includes the glove box!). Excessive heat can damage it. Hungry for more tips? New ones are regularly added to the Community section of the palmOne website.   © 2004 palmOne, Inc. All rights reserved. palmOne, the palmOne logo, Zire, the Zire logo, Tungsten and the Tungsten logo, Treo and the Treo logo are trademarks of palmOne, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which may be registered in some countries. Palm OS, HotSync and Graffiti are registered trademarks of the Palm Trademark Holding Company and Palm Powered is a trademark of PalmSource, Inc. palmOne, Inc. uses the MultiMediaCard Association and SD trademarks under express license from their respective owners. Bluetooth is a trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and is used by palmOne under license. Wi-Fi and the Wi-Fi logo are registered trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance. MPEG Layer-3 Audio Decoding Technology license from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson. All other products or company names are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. While palmOne has made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of the product and other information included in this document, palmOne accepts no liability for errors, omissions or misstatements relevant to the document. This newsletter is provided for general information and guidance purposes only. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to enter into an agreement. All prices contained herein are indicative only. Your data is held in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and the palmOne privacy policy and we recommend you read our privacy policy if you have any queries about our data collection or processing activities.