Mobigeek's English editor, PP MAryl, has found quite the deal on a new iPAQ 3870 for UK holiday shoppers, UK£299.99. It is indicated that PP MAryl saw the ad at Lakeside in Essex. You may want to leave now or risk missing a great deal.

PocketMac, the makers of the only solution to synchronize Pocket PCs to Mac OS X, has announced a recent update. Anecdotal information we've received indicates that it does work well. It's certainly a lot cheaper than purchasing a PC and learning a new OS!

Gartner Group, the oft respected source for industry numbers, and HP, the current holder of the popular iPAQ series of Pocket PCs had some fun this week. HP, apparently unaccustomed to large sales numbers from their PDA division, didn't get the correct numbers to Gartner in time for the research groups quarterly report. Gartner's initial report claimed a drop in sales of 1%, then HP sent in revised numbers and the replacement release showed a gain of 1%. All we seem to be missing are cream pies! Click through to see the revised release.

( BW)(CA-GARTNER)(IT)(ITB) Gartner Dataquest Revises Third-Quarter PDA
Results Based on Vendor Adjustments; Hewlett-Packard Restates PDA
Shipment Information for 3Q02

Business & Technology Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2002--Revised shipment
numbers by one of the top-tier vendors have significantly changed the
preliminary worldwide and U.S. PDA shipment results by Dataquest Inc.,
a unit of Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT and ITB).
Gartner Dataquest's restated numbers show worldwide PDA shipments
totaled 2.55 million units in the third quarter of 2002, a decrease of
2.4 percent from the same period last year. In the U.S. PDA market,
shipments totaled 1.21 million, a 1.4 percent decrease.
"HP's worldwide shipment numbers have been lowered by 89,000
(approximately 23 percent) from previous estimates due to a
discrepancy in its earlier tabulations," said Todd Kort, principal
analyst for Gartner Dataquest. "Based on this new information, market
growth rates have declined, showing that the PDA industry is
struggling more than previously reported."
The new results drop HP to the No. 3 PDA vendor worldwide, and
move Sony up into the No. 2 position (see Table 1). At the top spot,
Palm's market share has improved to 31.7 percent worldwide and 41.7
percent in the U.S. PDA market (see Table 2).
-0-
*T

Table 1
Worldwide PDA Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q02 (Units)
------------ ---------- ------------ --------- ----------- -----------
3Q02 3Q02 Market 3Q01 3Q01 Market
Company Shipments Share (%) Shipments Share (%) Growth (%)
------------ ---------- ------------ --------- ----------- -----------
Palm 808,805 31.7 754,810 28.8 7.2
Sony 344,963 13.5 90,690 3.5 280.0
Hewlett-
Packard 292,850 11.5 317,890 12.1 -7.9
Toshiba 144,391 5.7 8,000 0.3 1,705.0
Handspring 100,100 3.9 353,642 13.5 -71.7
Others 863,823 33.8 1,093,786 41.8 -21.0
Total Market 2,554,932 100.0 2,618,818 100.0 -2.4
------------ ---------- ---------- --------- ----------- -----------

Note: Does not include smart phones such as Kyocera 6035, Samsung
I-300, and Handspring Treo 180.
Source: Gartner Dataquest (October 2002)
*T

The Palm OS accounted for 50.2 percent of the worldwide PDA market
in 2003, compared to 28.3 percent for Microsoft Windows CE. In the
U.S. PDA market, Palm OS comprised 69.5 percent of all PDA shipments,
while Windows CE was on 19.7 percent of PDAs shipped.

*T
Table 2
U.S. PDA Unit Shipment Estimates for 3Q02 (Units)
------------ --------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------
3Q02 3Q02 Market 3Q01 3Q01 Market
Company Shipments Share (%) Shipments Share (%) Growth (%)
------------ --------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------
Palm 505,000 41.7 479,000 39.0 5.4
Sony 240,000 19.8 50,000 4.1 380.0
Hewlett-
Packard 117,000 9.7 150,000 12.2 -22.0
Handspring 80,000 6.6 276,000 22.5 -71.0
Toshiba 70,180 5.8 NA NA NA
Others 197,806 16.3 272,753 22.2 -27.5
Total Market 1,209,986 100.0 1,227,753 100.0 -1.4
------------ --------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------

Note: Does not include smart phones such as Kyocera 6035, Samsung
I-300, and Handspring Treo 180.
Source: Gartner Dataquest (October 2002)
*T

This information is preliminary. As Gartner Dataquest analysts
cross check statistics through their evaluation process, final numbers
will be available soon to clients of Gartner Dataquest's Computing
Platforms research cluster. This program is designed to help companies
focus on opportunity, with coverage of the complete range of computer
hardware platforms as well as associated supply chain components,
systems, distribution channels and end-user groups. For more
information on how to subscribe to this program, please call
408-468-8000. Reports can be accessed on the Internet at
www.gartner.com.
Gartner Dataquest is the leader in providing the high-technology
and financial communities with market intelligence for the
semiconductor, computer systems and peripherals, communications,
document management, software, and services sectors of the information
technology industry.
Gartner, Inc. is a research and advisory firm that helps more than
10,500 clients leverage technology to achieve business success.
Gartner's businesses consist of Research, Consulting, Measurement,
Events and Executive Programs. Founded in 1979, Gartner is
headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and has 4,000 associates,
including more than 1,000 research analysts and consultants, in more
than 75 locations worldwide. Fiscal 2002 revenue totaled $907 million.
For more information, visit www.gartner.com.

--30--sdg/ny*

CONTACT: Gartner, Inc.
Tom McCall, 408/468-8312
tom.mccall@gartner.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA CONNECTICUT
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS HARDWARE SOFTWARE
ADVERTISING/MARKETING
SOURCE: Gartner, Inc.