Hey guys, REALLY enjoyed the podcast. Actually the first 'cast I've listened to in a long time, and I think I'm hooked. Looking forward to the next one.
A few remarks on i-mate: I think you give them too much credit for the period when HTC was their ODM partner. Every device i-mate ever released was an HTC reference design with a lot of Microsoft input (despite what CEO Jim Morrison would have you believe). Even the now legendary i-mate Jam was merely the HTC Magician, which also appeared on European and Asian operators under various names. Same goes for the i-mate JasJar, aka HTC Universal, my all-time favorite communicator device.
When HTC decided to build their own brand and give i-mate the shove, i-mate showed their true colors: a pathetic brand with poor leadership and even worse product design. Their collaborations with TechFaith Wireless were awful, and their Ultimate line with Arima were not much better. i-mate couldn't execute a successful product launch if its life depended on it... And guess what? -- Its life ultimately depended on it.
To i-mate, I say good riddance. They were a thankless facade for HTC's genius for far too long.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Urban Strata @ Oct 1st 2009 12:51AM
Hey guys, REALLY enjoyed the podcast. Actually the first 'cast I've listened to in a long time, and I think I'm hooked. Looking forward to the next one.
A few remarks on i-mate: I think you give them too much credit for the period when HTC was their ODM partner. Every device i-mate ever released was an HTC reference design with a lot of Microsoft input (despite what CEO Jim Morrison would have you believe). Even the now legendary i-mate Jam was merely the HTC Magician, which also appeared on European and Asian operators under various names. Same goes for the i-mate JasJar, aka HTC Universal, my all-time favorite communicator device.
When HTC decided to build their own brand and give i-mate the shove, i-mate showed their true colors: a pathetic brand with poor leadership and even worse product design. Their collaborations with TechFaith Wireless were awful, and their Ultimate line with Arima were not much better. i-mate couldn't execute a successful product launch if its life depended on it... And guess what? -- Its life ultimately depended on it.
To i-mate, I say good riddance. They were a thankless facade for HTC's genius for far too long.