Wall Street Journal
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As Apple Inc. steams toward a strong holiday season with consumers,
Palm Inc. may be left out in the cold. Its warning late Thursday that a
key new product — - believed to be a Treo for Verizon Wireless –will
miss out on the holidays sent its shares down 13%, illustrates the
string of bungles that has weighed on the smartphone maker. The
problems also call into question Chief Executive Ed Colligan’s ability
to effectively manage the company...
Under Colligan’s watch, which began in February 2005, Palm has suffered
from several certification delays and an especially embarrassing
product misfire in the Foleo, the “smartphone companion” brainchild of
founder Jeff Hawkins. The problems underscore Palm’s tenuous position
in the smartphone market as it gets overrun by larger, more dynamic
rivals, such as Apple’s iPhone.
Delays aren’t uncommon. But few other handset makers rely on so bare a
product portfolio - the Treo and lower-cost Centro are the only two
smartphone lines that Palm offers - so even one product can affect the
company’s financials. Palm continues to lose share to rival handset
makers looking to cash in on the burgeoning market. Motorola has its Q
device, Samsung Electronics touts its Blackjack, while Research in
Motion dominates the business market with its Blackberry line.
Palm's Holiday Problems 
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