Device no show burns Palm

US gadget maker Palm said Friday that its loss for the quarter to the end of November would be greater than expected, as roll out of its ‘secret weapon’ fell behind schedule.

The company said revenues were expected to be in the range of $345m to $350m, compared to earlier guidance of $370m to $380m.

The shortfall is mainly due to a delay in shipping a product that the company had expected to have certified within the quarter.

The company was also hit by an unforeseen increase in warranty repair expenses and a shift in product mix that included higher than expected shipments of the lower end Centro device.

“We are disappointed that we did not get a key product certified for delivery in the quarter, but we are focused on realizing the long-term benefits and opportunities that inspired our transaction with Elevation Partners. We are pleased with recent improvements in our product delivery engine, the early success of Palm Centro, and the significant progress we’ve made on our strategic platform,” said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer.

In September, Palm killed off its confusingly positioned Foleo notebook/smartphone companion device, jsust as the product was due to ship.

Ed Colligan, CEO of the manufacturer, said that it has become increasingly clear that the right path for Palm is to offer a single, consistent user experience and a single focus for our platform development efforts.