Palm Tries to Steal a Page from Apple's Playbook ... But Is It Bitten (Again) Instead?

First, Palm launches its much anticipated -- and critical company product -- Pre smart phone only three days before this week's Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, virtually ensuring that its Pre launch would be lost amid the Apple clucking (which it was -- did you see all those live blogs during Apple's announcements on Monday? Unbelievable how effective the Apple marketing machine is ... I continue to write about them now!)

Then, today -- less than 1 week after its Pre announcement -- Palm announces that its CEO Ed Colligan is moving out and its head of product development, Jon Rubenstein (former top executive at Apple, by the way) is moving in.  

Whether or not this executive move was planned prior to the Pre launch, it is a highly curious announcement at this moment in time for Palm.  Most likely this move was planned far in advance to signify to the world that this is the "new" Palm with a new attitude -- new innovative products (the Pre) and new top management (Rubenstein).  Apparently, part of Palm's strategy to out-Apple Apple ...

Nonetheless, it strikes me that Palm's marketing department could learn a lesson from Apple.  But, having said that, can't we all?