HP/Palm need(ed) to market the touchstones

[sf_basilix]

I can't believe there were virtually no commercials about the touchstones. I have to admit, I've been looking at phones on the market and not one has something as innovative as the touchstone. In fact, the only thing out there is 3rd party devices that make the phones clunkier and bigger. Not ONE manufacturer has made anything like what Palm/HP did. There are rumors, however, of the apple iphone 6 (yea i know 5 didn't even come out yet) that will have wireless charging. Why doesn't HP/Palm advertise this before apple does and claim it their "new" invention?

Seriously, in the light of the apple simplistic commercials, you could have someone get up in the morning, picking up their phone from the touchstone after seeing exhibition displaying the weather, then going into their vehicle, placing it on the touchstone there and seeing the daily tasks or calendar, then going to work and placing it on the touchstone there, displaying something else. Simple. Easy. No wires, no muss, no fuss.

I can't tell you how many people came into my car and were truly impressed at the phone and touchstone integration. Everyone wanted their phone to work that way and many have recognized how much longer their devices would last without having to wear out the mini-usb port.

[johnsonx42]

absolutely, the Touchstone is a very under-marketed feature of webOS hardware. in fact not wanting to give up the touchstone is one of the primary reasons I decided to buy a Pre3 rather than giving up and going android. for the month or so I had a touchpad with no touchstone for it, it just seemed bizarre that I had to keep finding that stupid wire to plug the thing in all the time. but now that I have my touchpad touchstone too I'm happy again. my touchpad and pre3 sit right next to each other on their little holders, charging away.

[iprice]

Funny enough, I saw in a daily newspaper recently that they are now making electric cars that use a process similar to that of webOS devices. Apparently charging pads will be incorporated into car parks and the certain electric cars will just park on top and charge a la Touchstone.

It's certainly sounds like a better than having to plug the vehicle in. Not sure how efficient the system is or whether adverse weather conditions (especially in the UK) would affect the charging though...

[SnotBoogie]

Originally Posted by sf_basilix

...virtually no commercials about the touchstones...not one has something as innovative as the touchstone...Not ONE manufacturer has made anything like what Palm/HP did. ...Why doesn't HP/Palm advertise this before apple does and claim it their "new" invention?

There is a reason why phone companies don't advertise charging technology: It draws consumers attention to the need to charge your phone and It makes consumers think your product will always need to be charged and that puts the product in a bad light. You don't draw attention to a perceived flaw. It's why they talk about battery life not how easy it is to charge.

The average consumer when faced with "look at how cool this charger is" says "I'm not gonna need to charge it that often am I?" If fact there are very few battery operated consumer products that promote how easy it is to recharge.

There is another reason. Charging tech is not exactly a feature that sells a ton of phones. Plus it's an accessory so the tough thing is it doesn't come with the phone. Not fatal or anything but it means a lot of buyers won't have one at all.

Regardless touchstone charging has been around for what three years now and it hasn't changed webos' fortunes. I don't believe it's any sort of killer app. I don't have one. mine charges just fine with a cord on the wall. I could imagine a lot of people saying something similar.

[pcimino]

Originally Posted by SnotBoogie

You don't draw attention to a perceived flaw. It's why they talk about battery life not how easy it is to charge.

I agree, but certainly the newer phones (and if they ever released that audio Touchstone) they could have focused on docking functionality (Exhibition mode).

[Walhalla2k]

Originally Posted by SnotBoogie

I don't have one. mine charges just fine with a cord on the wall. I could imagine a lot of people saying something similar.

this is true.. but only people who never tried the touchstone says something like that.. those who tried it cant imagine anything else then wireless charging...

[ka1]

I agree the Touchstone should have been marketed. And not just the Touchstone - the deep integration of the touchstone into the OS - Exhibition mode, automatic speaker phone, answering phone if picked up, etc.

[johnsonx42]

Originally Posted by ka1

I agree the Touchstone should have been marketed. And not just the Touchstone - the deep integration of the touchstone into the OS - Exhibition mode, automatic speaker phone, answering phone if picked up, etc.

well, actually I DON'T want it to answer when picked up, but that's why there's a patch for that.

[johnsonx42]

Originally Posted by inertia1

Why would you show a commercial that shows a person with three different touch pads when nobody will ever do that? Most people are trying to reduce the clutter of wires and adapters they have to deal with on a daily basis.

I assume you mean "touchstones" not touch pads, and why would nobody do that? I have a phone touchstone at my home computer desk, in the car, and at my office desk (and no, it's not because the phone needs charging that much... touchstones are great for more than mere charging). For the touchpad I currently just have the one at my home desk, but have another I will probably setup on the nightstand in the bedroom to use it as a clock/alarm/morning weather and news reader.

Really, until you actually have a touchstone you have no clue how useful they are. Even if you only have one just for charging the device, it's worth having. To each their own though.

I do admit one big downfall of the touchstones was the original pricing. I think the Pre touchstones were originally around $60 and the touchpad touchstones were $80! That's insane. I didn't get my first pre touchstone until Radio Shack had them on sale for $25 or something like that, and you can get them now for less than $10. The touchpad touchstones can be had for $40 now, much more reasonable.

[eblade]

I really really want to stock up on some extra touchstones, but $40 is preventing me from putting the pedal down on it. I did get one extra, from a friend, who threw in a case with it, but I want more, and I want them cheaper.. heh. The case was crap, though, even though it's one that I just saw in OfficeMax for $50 .. it's junk.

[SnotBoogie]

Originally Posted by Walhalla2k

this is true.. but only people who never tried the touchstone says something like that.. those who tried it cant imagine anything else then wireless charging...

100% wrong. I said i don't have one. Not that I have not tried one. I've used it. I know how it works. It's just not a feature i care about. Charging without plugging in? Fine. Exhibition mode? Great. I merely don't care pay for the price to do the first since i can easily charge it with an included plug rather then buying a touchstone and i don't have a desire to do the second, use it in exhibition mode because i simply don't have a desire to. If i want to use my phone i pick it up off a dock. Simple as that. It's not a case of "never tried" it's merely not a feature i have a pressing use for. And for the record nowhere did i say someone that likes touchstones and the feature is wrong to like the feature. It's like a cigarette lighter in a car. If it's free i'll take it but i don't want to smoke so i don't want it and i'm not paying 1 cent extra for one.

Originally Posted by pcimino

I agree, but certainly the newer phones (and if they ever released that audio Touchstone) they could have focused on docking functionality (Exhibition mode).

I agree to the broad idea that it's all about what you focus on. That being said, Exhibition mode is a more recent feature that was not available on the original pre and pixis. So where as now there are plausible ways to market it. I think early on they were left a tricky proposition of trying to highlight how easy it was to recharge a phone and thus trying to show a weakness as a strength. There are ways to do it i think, of putting a positive spin on such a thing but most companies have avoided even mentioning that even a wired charging dock exists.

I don't doubt that inductive charging will find it's way into devices by other makers. Apple for one though has always needed a port to sync with music on a desktop. When wifi sync becomes more common, i think they added it on ios, i think you open the door to putting inductive charging on a dock. Others on android phones could do the same. I will say this, wireless charging never truly intrigued me as much as wireless data transferring and data sync does. Now to me that would be a much bigger attraction then wireless charging and exhibition mode would be.

Originally Posted by eblade

I really really want to stock up on some extra touchstones, but $40 is preventing me from putting the pedal down on it.

if you mean for phones i think you can find them online for much cheaper. I left my wall charger on a trip and had to buy a new one. I looked for a cheap touchstone too. I couldn't find a store near me thought that carried them. Amazingly not even the verizon store that at the time was still selling palm devices. In the end i got a cheap micro usb cable from Frys.

Originally Posted by johnsonx42

I have a phone touchstone at my home computer desk, in the car, and at my office desk (and no, it's not because the phone needs charging that much... touchstones are great for more than mere charging).

I'm not saying you do need to charge it that often but you do see how that sort of phrasing you used can put that idea of needing to charge all the time in someone's head though? Nothing wrong with having a touchstone. I only offered what i heard from a phone manufacturer as to why they don't often talk about things like charging docks.

[eblade]

Yeah I know the Phone touchstones are $5 from Verizon if they have them, $6 from Amazon. I'll probably grab a couple more of those, but I really want the extra TouchPad stones, because I think HP is running low on them (or out already?) and they might become really rare.

[SnotBoogie]

Yeah i don't know about the touchpad ones. But i bet if you poke around there have to be some good deals. i've seen them advertised on sale. i didn't think much of it though since i don't have a touchpad. I don't know how much they even are. aren't they like $80?

Anyways best price i could find on a quick search is $39.99 at Walmart Walmart.com: HP TouchPad - Touchstone Charging Dock/Stand: Computers

[johnsonx42]

I just sold a couple here for $40 shipped, which was less than break-even for what I paid for them (i got mine for $34 from my distibutor, but they don't have any more... in fact they deactivated the part number 2 months ago, so I was almost shocked when they finally filled my back order 2 weeks ago). But if you look around you will find them for $40.