BW: Palm Taps Microsoft

BW: Palm Taps Microsoft: "The embrace of Microsoft is bound to cause howls of betrayal among the Palm faithful. But the time is ripe for Palm to move to Windows Mobile. The hardware inside Treos and Pocket PC phones is virtually identical. Windows Mobile is popular with corporations, especially those whose e-mail systems are built on Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. And the fact that programs can be written to run on both Treo-size devices and the smaller, cheaper Windows Mobile Smartphones, such as the Audiovox SMT 5600, appeals to both corporations and independent software developers.
Microsoft may be a company of predatory instincts, but its history of competition with Palm is typical of how it so often wins in the end. With the patience allowed by very deep pockets and the determination to keep trying, it can eventually penetrate any market it really wants. Palm held off the Redmond juggernaut for longer than most, but the time for change is rapidly drawing near. "