How Palmsource Will Beat Microsoft

Palmsource CEO David Nagel was in London this week to make the case for Palmsource's future as it's seperation from Palm's hardware business nears completion. Nagel pointed out that Microsoft is trying to replicate the Wintel clone model in the PDA and communicator spaces. That is great for Microsoft but it's terrible for the hardware folks who can do little to differentiate themselves and have to compete on price alone. Nagel's anti-MS argument couldn't have been better timed given Sendo's recent defection to the Nokia/Symbian camp. Of course it would have been perfect if Sendo defected to Palm. And this is the one weakness in Palm's position. They talk a lot communicators being the future, but so far Symbian has the lead with phone licensees. Palm can hold its own in the PDA space but it's in for an uphill battle with communicators.