FileMaker Mobile Discontinued

I received an email from FileMaker, Inc today notifying me that FileMaker Mobile will be discontinued at the end of the 2007 calendar year. FileMaker has sited "technical innovations" of "Internet-enabled devices" such as the Apple iPhone that ship with sophisticated web browsers as being the main reason for Mobile being discontinued. The statement sent out by FileMaker, Inc reads:

"Why is FileMaker, Inc. discontinuing the sales and development of FileMaker Mobile 8?

Technological innovations and the availability of Internet-enabled devices are rapidly changing mobile computing. Apple has introduced the iPhone and FileMaker, Inc. has invested in several technologies to enable customers to publish live data to the Web, most recently PHP. For more information on FileMaker PHP technology, visit: http://www.filemaker.com/support/technologies/php.html

For offline use, a number of 3rd party solutions have emerged that help people move data back and forth between FileMaker Pro and mobile devices.

December 19, 2007 will be the last day to place an order for FileMaker Mobile 8."

FileMaker has been working hard to move their application platform to the web, and FileMaker Pro 9 and FileMaker Server 9 make putting FileMaker applications on the web even easier. So I'm not really surprised by this move. Further more, I've never been a big power user of FileMaker Mobile because I never really got the sense that FileMaker was really supporting the product from the beginning. For example, you couldn't store a FileMaker Mobile database on a SD card, and it wasn't until very late in the product cycle were you able to sync to a database that was being hosted on a FileMaker server.

FileMaker, Inc will stop selling FileMaker Mobile 8 at the close of business on December 19, 2007. Technical support for FileMaker Mobile 7 and 8 will continue on until June 18, 2008.

Additional information on alternative solutions and FileMaker Mobile can be found at: http://www.filemaker.com/support/fmm_eol.html

Centro: For the Rest of Us

I have posted week's 1SRC editorial has been posted and talks about some of the advantages that the new Palm Centro has over Apple's much talked about iPhone.

"The Centro can’t stand up to the Apple iPhone. And it doesn’t have to.

Focus on the Differentiation

The iPhone and the Centro are both being marketed to people who use regular old cell phones. In the United States alone there are millions of people up for grabs. Centro is intended for people who wouldn’t otherwise consider purchasing a $500+ phone from Palm, Apple, or High Tech Computing (HTC).

The Centro offers a better user experience when trying to type out a text message or short email to your friends. There is also a large selection of software to choose from. (Apple is planning on releasing the tools to create native iPhone/iPod Touch applications early next year.) Regardless of what you want to do or what interests you, there is likely an application for you that will run on the Centro. When you compare the ease of use of the Centro to feature flip phones you see that it is possible to obtain a better mobile experience for a comparable price for all but the cheapest cell phones given away free with new service agreements.

You also can’t over look the ease of use of the Palm OS platform. Despite its age, Palm OS 5 is still a very capable operating system. At the heart of the Palm platform are the core 4 personal information management (PIM) applications: Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Memos. These applications are straightforward and easy to use. It is this ease of use and straight forward approach to PIM tools that has kept me coming back Palm every time I thing about upgrading my phone.

Messaging Matters

If you accept that the Centro is intended for 20 and 30-somethings, then you also must agree that it offers a better messaging experience over feature phones. Cento comes bundled with an IM, test messaging, and, email applications. Using Centro’s built-in keyboard improves up on the process of typing out messages to friends and coworkers.

The Centro is also cost competitive with the iPhone. After carrier discounts and mail in rebates the Centro can be purchased for the low price of $99. The Centro ends up being $300 less expensive than the iPhone and has almost all of the same features. Centro is also cheaper than the consumer oriented BlackBerry Pearl and the T-Mobile Sidekick. Furthermore, Sprint’s voice and data plans are slightly cheaper than AT&T’s. If you are on a budget, the Centro just makes sense.

In Conclusion

The new Palm Centro is an effort by Palm to reach out to customers who would otherwise not consider buying a smartphone. When talking about sales figures it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing sort of thing. There are more than enough cell phone users for both Apple and Palm to market to. In recent years Palm has lost their leadership position in the smartphone market. The Centro is a good start in working back to that coveted spot. If Palm is serious about getting back on top of the smartphone heap, than future phones will need to be more innovative, look good, work well, and have the marketing muscle behind it to really generate some buzz in the industry. If you are in the market for a new phone and want to have the empowering features of a smartphone without the bloated price tag, the Centro is the device for you."

Via 1SRC.com...

ComputerWorld Reviews the Centro

ComputerWorld has published a review of Palm's new Centro smartphone.

"Go back five years when Palm handhelds ruled the mobile device market, before smart phones began their ascendancy. It's easy to imagine that Palm's new Centro -- the company's first smart phone not named Treo -- is the device Palm envisioned as the future of handhelds.

That's not damning by faint praise, either. Centro is far smaller than those old handhelds. For that matter, it's significantly sleeker than Palm's Treo, yet it provides most of the Treo's capabilities and, at $99 (with a two-year contract from Sprint plus rebates) is quite inexpensive."

Keep reading...

Astraware announces their BIG Fall sale

For a limited time you can get 25% off on over 90 titles from Astraware for the Palm OS and Windows Mobile platforms. I've been playing games from Astraware for a long time and this is a perfect time to pick up some of their games like Bejeweled, My Little Tank, and Solitaire at a reduced price. Astraware's press release appears below.

KEELE, UK - October 3rd, 2007 - Astraware is pleased to announce The Astraware BIG Fall Sale which offers 25% off a huge selection of games on their website.

The Astraware BIG Fall Sale runs from 3rd - 18th October 2007 and offers a fantastic 25% discount off over 90 games and packs! Brain-teasing word games and puzzles, epic adventures, exciting action games, and compelling card games are all included, so there really is something for everyone.

As well as enjoying these special low prices, Club Astraware members can also earn points on any games they buy in the sale - 1 point for every cent they spend!

To take advantage of this massive offer visit the Astraware website at http://www.astraware.com.

NYPC PalmPilot SIG Meeting This Wednesday

NYPC PalmPilot SIG meetings are held the 1st Wednesday of the month and start at 6:30 PM. All user levels are welcome.

NYPC membership is not mandatory, but highly recommended to Palm SIG members.

Location: Meetings are held at NYPC's offices in the New Yorker/Ramada Hotel, 8th Avenue & 34th Street, Suite 551.

Directions: Take the A, E, or C trains to 34th Street.
(Map: http://tinyurl.com/yavrxj)

October 3rd meeting: Ted just got a Bluetooth GPS receiver (it's amazing how inexpensive they are now). It works on the streets of Manhattan!!

Come to the meeting this Wednesday, Oct 3, and explore mapping, navigation and other fun GPS stuff on your Palm. Many of the programs are freeware.

See you on Wednesday!

Best,
Ted and Grace

===================
NYPC PalmPilot SIG
Grace Lee & Ted Cohn, Co-Chairs
email: nypcpalmpilot@gmail.com
URL: http://nypc.org/palm.php