Palm devices will either contain receivers for connecting to the Internet directly, contain chips that will allow Palms to get to the Internet via a cell phone bridge, or come with a cradle or add-on option to facilitate connections. Whatever the case, the company's handheld devices will be turned into communications devices, and Palm itself will become a kind of wireless service provider, Yankowski said. We're on the cusp of what I believe is a wireless revolution. The processors, which are designed by ARM and manufactured by Intel and others, run at much higher speeds than Motorola's Dragonball processor, the current brand found inside Palms. With a faster chip, Palm will be able to provide voice functions and other features, Yankowski said.
Palm is also hard at work with a voice-enabled product.
As reported earlier this month, Palm's plans are likely to both enhance and simplify the company's growing product line. Almost since it began aggressively expanding its products last year to include wireless Internet access and new designs, the company has taken heat for its confused product strategy, which runs the gamut from the wireless Palm VII on the high end to the low-cost Palm IIIe. Although Palm enjoys a 70 percent market share in handhelds, both Palm and Microsoft executives, along with cell phone executives, have acknowledged that many of the functions handled by cell phones, organizers, pagers and even music players will converge onto one device. For its part, Palm says it will gain popularity through its design, which executives say is better and more stylish than the offerings from competitors. Other sources predict that the product relaunch will be even more drastic.