SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Now that selling handheld computers is no longer a slam dunk for Palm Inc., the company is enlisting Michael Jordan’s help.
Palm, which has seen revenue and profits sink precipitously this year, is releasing new Jordan-branded versions of its m100 and m500 handheld computers in an effort to boost sales.
The retired NBA great — who is mulling a comeback next year with the Washington Wizards — will get 12 percent of the sales.
Jordan signed a three-year deal with Ann Arbor, Mich.-based PTN Media Inc., which will sell the special-edition handhelds online, in Jordan’s restaurants and at sports stores. Palm will manufacture the devices.
The Jordan m100 will cost $159 — $30 more than the standard version. The Jordan m500 lists at $425, about $25 more than the non-Jordan unit. They include a new logo and software such as MJ Trivia and MJ Pinball.
Palm has tried the celebrity-sales route before, with a light blue, Claudia Schiffer-branded Palm. Those models, also developed with PTN, are no longer are available.
Palm shares closed down 1 cent Tuesday, to $4.34, on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
