I'm finding the Pre incredibly desirable. It looks good, it looks fast, it looks smooth.
And most importantly, hardly anyone else will have one because the vast majority have locked themselves into an iPhone contract. Now THAT's desirability!
Palm: Pre, webOS & app discussion
- Thread starter Kid_Eternity
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I'm finding the Pre incredibly desirable. It looks good, it looks fast, it looks smooth.
And most importantly, hardly anyone else will have one because the vast majority have locked themselves into an iPhone contract. Now THAT's desirability!
editor
hiraethified
Sure, but I'm talking about them managing to stir up a massive press frenzy for the third version and I'm thinking that it's going to be a lot harder just because it's no longer so 'new.'
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Basically this.
editor
hiraethified
But does it matter? Palm aren't trying to create an iPhone beater, nor have they got the resources to do so, no matter how good the Pre is.
They're trying to create a great Palm phone that sells well, and I'd say they're on course to do just that.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
If it doesn't generate a buzz (outside us tech luvvies) it won't sell well enough to ensure Palm survives, if Palm goes down it will be to the detriment to the industry and smartphone users.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Yeah there's this since of building going on...70 dollars so we could be looking at roughly 45 quid for it?
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
Wireless charging, interesting technology for technology sake, but ultimately pointless. Just like wireless headphones and wireless mice, 50 quid so you can lose a cable? Still need to plug the charging device in.
Thinking about it further, if you really de-construct it, I spend 20 quid on docking station thing for my iPhone, whats the difference? You can put the Pre in a non-specific part of the fairly small charging device where I am forced to push it onto the specified slot. All that technology has solved what problem?
Thinking about it further, if you really de-construct it, I spend 20 quid on docking station thing for my iPhone, whats the difference? You can put the Pre in a non-specific part of the fairly small charging device where I am forced to push it onto the specified slot. All that technology has solved what problem?
editor
hiraethified
It appears that the Touchstone technology will be used for many other things, as yet undisclosed.
I'm not going to pay $70 for the privilege, but there are clear benefits. It's easier to slap your phone on a surface than fiddle about with cables every time, and there's some nice touches too. If the phone rings it automatically answers the call if you pick it up off the charger and if you put it down mid call it switches to answerphone.
Nothing revolutionary, but definitely handy and as Apple has proved time and time again, there's no shortage of people willing to pay premium rates for stylish things of questionable value compared to similar products.
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
I'm up with the idea of cable free charging. Someone ages ago came up with an intelligent mat for your table that can work out what you put onto it and charge it. It was contact charging, power was negotiated by the device that was put onto the mat, so you wouldn't get a shock.
It would be cool for there to be wireless power everywhere and power could be on our mobile bill.
Until such times, I think its an interesting technology demonstration but no more. I suppose if its cheap to make, good way of relieving the foolish with their money.
e.g. Vertu phones. 14800 quid for a phone that has jewelled bearing buttons, solid titanium case but no data cable and will go out of date in a few years time.
It would be cool for there to be wireless power everywhere and power could be on our mobile bill.
Until such times, I think its an interesting technology demonstration but no more. I suppose if its cheap to make, good way of relieving the foolish with their money.
e.g. Vertu phones. 14800 quid for a phone that has jewelled bearing buttons, solid titanium case but no data cable and will go out of date in a few years time.
editor
hiraethified
Like I said, Palm has hinted that the Touchstone will be used for more than just a charger.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Sprint internal documents show everything to be ready by May 16th, the Pre has been spotted in the wild and a general buzz it looks like the release date is close. Still think we won't see it till June at earliest but it'll be good to see this being sold. Palm needs to pre empt the new iPhone big time.
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
I would be very surprised if this country sees it much before November. Unless of course Palm have really gone for it on the manufacturing stakes. I suppose that the downturn is good in that there is a shit load of spare capacity in China able to crank out millions of handsets in the blink of an eye.
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
Its round thing you put your phone on? What else could it do that could possibly be of interest?
One foot, foot rest?
editor
hiraethified
You really can't think of anything?
I'll take a guess and suggest auto desktop sync, auto media sync, cloud back ups, music playback with built in speakers, network back up... you knew, all the sort of things that currently usually involve fiddling about with plugging in cables or delicately slotting a handset into a cradle.
You could do all that bluetooth, or wifi... If you used the Touchstone you'd have to get new speakers, etc when you could just bluetooth a2dp for them...
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
Exactly. Don't even have to take it out of your pocket for all that to work just fine, no touchstone involved.
So wireless comms etc is out because its old hat. My toothbrush does wireless charging, so its not like Palm created anything new, just changed its application and called it something cool.
I am at a loss to see how much further they can take the technology.
So wireless comms etc is out because its old hat. My toothbrush does wireless charging, so its not like Palm created anything new, just changed its application and called it something cool.
I am at a loss to see how much further they can take the technology.
editor
hiraethified
I've never heard of a phone charging through wi-fi or Bluetooth. And, of course, Bluetooth/Wi-Fi drains the battery a treat. Future Touchstone bases could come with speakers built in.
I'm not claiming that it's a revolutionary new thing, but it sure seems a lot easier/handier than your fiddly alternatives.
Isn't that exactly what Apple did with the iPhone?
There's never been a cordless phone charger till now so no matter how you spin it, it's a nice little addition for those who want it.
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
Fiddly? I push my phone into the docking station which sits beside my keyboard, its pretty soft push in and pull out. That was my point, its like they have solved a problem nobody had before they invented it.
Surely a nicer phone or releasing it earlier would have been better use of the resources?
editor
hiraethified
'Nicer'? What's wrong with the Pre?
You may not like the Touchstone concept but it seems to have excited an awful lot of people elsewhere. I'd certainly rather slap a phone on a charging surface which is smart enough to answer a call when I pick it up and switch to speakerphone when I put it down than mess about with cradles and docks.
But if you're determined to keep telling me it's actually a shit innovation then we'll have to agree to disagree, I'm afraid.
It's not worth $70 mind, but I'd certainly pay up to $50 for the convenience.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
There really isn't much difference between using a dock and the touchstone, a small click. I don't care if it auto answers the phone if I pick it up either, I can use my fingers to answer the phone quite easily! I'd only get it because it looks cool, Sunray's right it's a solution looking for a problem...
editor
hiraethified
Thank you for your opinion. I disagree and a fancy a fair few elsewhere might do too.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
You don't think it looks cool? I reckon there's a fair few people who'll get this because of that alone. In fact in one of the first videos I saw of it the Palm guy said it's cool and the journo/blogger agreed!
There aint nothing wrong with Palm trying to up it's cool stakes, it's what will help it not get trounced by Apple come June/July.
But if its attached to the Touchstone thingy you're going to be charging anyway. The main problem with sync'ng via Touchstone is that you're going to have to punch a signal through an inductive charging device. I would think that its going to be very noisy (electrically speaking) and it would hard to get enough bandwidth. I just think there's more proven ways to sync.
Of course, when the Pre does come out we'll be able to say for sure...
Once you factor in the Syncing Touchstone thats an expensive pair of speakers for one device...
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
I don't fiddle about with wires, I have one of these
No wires required, which is my point. There is precious little difference between that and the touchstone. The only difference? The Pre can be placed on an area, small area its not very big, rather than into the slot, that's it. Switching to speaker phone automatically is a nice tech demo, but wouldn't be want I wanted anyway as I pretty much use the headphones to make and receive calls, very comfortable.
I'm not saying its not cool, its very cool, but I think they should have made it a large rubber mat rather than something so small.
No wires required, which is my point. There is precious little difference between that and the touchstone. The only difference? The Pre can be placed on an area, small area its not very big, rather than into the slot, that's it. Switching to speaker phone automatically is a nice tech demo, but wouldn't be want I wanted anyway as I pretty much use the headphones to make and receive calls, very comfortable.
I'm not saying its not cool, its very cool, but I think they should have made it a large rubber mat rather than something so small.
editor
hiraethified
I use the speakerphone a lot and like the idea of being able to just slap the phone down to charge it or switch from the earpiece.
I've had loads of cradles for my phones in the past but the Touchstone seems a much more elegant solution.
Fair enough if it's not for you, but don't be surprised if a lot of phones switch to this system.
(*in response to your edit: the last thing I'd want on my desk is a large rubber mat, thanks very much!)
Lazy Llama
Suburban robots that monitor reality
So one of these perhaps - http://www.powermatdigital.com/product-line.html launched at CES the day before the Pre was announced.
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