The definitive behind-the-scenes story of the visionary team that launched the handheld industry. Palm insider Andrea Butter and New York Times columnist David Pogue -- with full, exclusive cooperation of the company's founders and more than fifty key Palm and Handspring executives -- tell the riveting tale of the start of an industry constantly in the headlines. The origins of this volatile industry began with the tiny team who beat staggering odds to turn the PalmPilot into a billion-dollar market and later took their ultimate vision to Handspring, now Palm's most powerful rival. Many of today's current events relating to the competition in this industry are forecasted in this important business drama. The authors take an unprecedented look at how the visionary founders of the industry led one of the most successful startups in history to succeed against all odds-including a shoestring budget, shortsighted corporate partners, and competition from Microsoft. The roller-coaster ride is full of insight into the bungles of venture capitalists, the allure and pitfalls of partnerships with giant corporations, and the steely determination needed to maintain entrepreneurial and visionary independence. With gripping accounts of the last-minute crises that almost torpedoed the PalmPilot on the eve of its unveiling, and the triumphant, unprecedented reception of Palm in the marketplace, as well as the glimpses into the future of this industry, this book is as entertaining as it is instructional. Key revelations include: * The principles of business, economy, and product design that led Palm to succeed where billion-dollar corporations like Apple, Motorola, and Casio had failed. * Important moments in technological development of the handheld such as the secret "Easter egg," a software surprise planted in the Palm software that nearly sank launch plans. * Unique insight into the showdown with Microsoft, and 3Com's tragic decision not to make Palm independent that led Palm's founder Jeff Hanwkins and CEO Donna Dubinsky to take their vision elsewhere. * The ongoing competition between Palm and Handspring. The new rivals to contend with including Sony.

Piloting Palm: The Inside Story of Palm, Handspring, and the Birth of the Billion-Dollar Handheld Industry

Pogue, David

Butter, Andrea

Computers & Technology

John Wiley&Sons, Inc.

With over six million sold in four years, the tiny PalmPilot handheld computer has been absorbed into America's bloodstream faster than any product in history--faster than TV, telephone, or even the PC. The simplicity, elegance, and marathon battery life of the charming device continue to win another 1,000,000 devoted converts every three months. Behind the PalmPilot is a tiny startup company, Palm Computing, and one of the most astonishing tales of modern business. In an era when other Silicon Valley startups had no profits but made millionaires of their employees, Palm's phenomenal success made millionaires of almost no one. "Piloting Palm "is the first book to tell the full story. It's a tale that lays bare the shocking shortsightedness of today's high-tech power brokers--both the manufacturers whose clunky handhelds flopped in the marketplace, and the venture capitalists who shunned Palm because its prototype wasn't enough "like "those doomed palmtops. This is the tale of Jeff Hawkins, a young, idealistic hardware engineer whose long-term plan is to build the first electronic human brain. And it's the story of that rarest of beasts: a company that was targeted for extinction by Microsoft--and survived. The authors--Andrea Butter, whose years as Palm marketing executive give her an extraordinary insider's vantage point, and David Pogue, whose "PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide "is the number one bestselling technical guide to the PalmPilot--offer three irresistible attractions for students of business or technology: a great story, filled with unforgettable characters; a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a Silicon Valley legend, warts and all; and business insights that can beapplied to any industry.

Piloting Palm: How the Palmpilot Team Defied the Odds, Humbled Microsoft, and Launched A B

Hardware & DIY

Oreilly & Associates Inc

The most successful new product launch of the info. age -- the creation of a billion-dollar industry virtually overnight -- an intense, behind-the-scenes struggle for control of a powerful young co. -- these are just a few highlights from the story of Palm Computing, its visionary founders, their creation of the rival Handspring, & a volatile new industry. This book reveals how the company's founder Jeff Hawkins & former CEO Donna Dubinsky created the most successful startup in computing history & revolutionized the way the world does business. This true story combines the inspirational power of the ultimate bus. success story with the twists & turns of a classic drama. ''A tale of vision, venture capital, & the indomitable entrepreneurial spirit!''

Piloting Palm: The Inside Story of Palm, Handspring, And the Birth of the Billion-dollar Handheld Industry

Business & Money

Business Development & Entrepreneurship

Diane Pub Co.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Butter, Andrea. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Butter, Andrea