Palm: Pre, webOS & app discussion

[editor]

With my G1 winging its way to me, I'm feeling a bit more relaxed about waiting for the Pre launch now. At least all my options are open and I'm not stuck to a contract. I'd hate to sign up to something now, find that the Pre really is amazing when it comes out later and be stuck waiting for my contract to finish.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I can't see the Pre, as good as it looks, being mind blowingly better than what else is out there tbh.

 

[editor]

I can't see the Pre, as good as it looks, being mind blowingly better than what else is out there tbh.

Well, it's got a few things that puts it above others for me, most noticeably its size, synergy functionality, support for older palm apps and a full QWERTY keyboard.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Synergy looks good but I can easily live without the others no probs if the phone works well but more importantly the applications are numerous and useful.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Is this the first review of the Pre?

 

[editor]

Is this the first review of the Pre?

The guy certainly seems impressed, although he may be a tad biased, of course:

Multi-tasking:

This is where the phone excels like no other. It truly Multi-tasks and does it with amazing flair. Putting it through a real world test, I started to launch app after app. Pandora, Webpages, email, among a few I cannot name), and the phone had NO LAG whatsoever. The ability to switch between apps using the cards interface was great and you could actually see everything running in the background. This has truly made this phone a revolutionary step in the next direction with operating systems for cell phones.

Furthermore, notifications kept popping up with emails, texts, etc. and the phone didn’t miss a beat notifying or allowing me to switch between the applications when new notifications popped up. I fell in love with this right away. All too often on several other phones, you have to stop what you are doing to accept an incomming call, text message or email. Not on this phone and it does it with some horsepower and slicker unlike any other device on the market. Apple is going to have a seriously hard time trying to play catch up to the Pre.

 

[Crispy]

Is this the first review of the Pre?

Not really, it's a gush from a fanboy who got to hold one for half an hour

Still, encouraging.

 

[editor]

Not really, it's a gush from a fanboy who got to hold one for half an hour

Still, encouraging.

Accepting the bias of the source, I can't imagine he'd lie about the smoothness of the multitasking because his site would lose all credibility if the Pre came out a stuttering, juddering mess. Mind you, his opinion does tie in with the Pre videos already seen: it does seem very slick and capable.

 

[jæd]

Accepting the bias of the source, I can't imagine he'd lie about the smoothness of the multitasking because his site would lose all credibility if the Pre came out a stuttering, juddering mess. Mind you, his opinion does tie in with the Pre videos already seen: it does seem very slick and capable.

It would depend on the Apps he's putting in the background, and how many would start it juddering.

It also seems Gushing Fanboy had to pay for his encounter with drinks...

I want an independent review...!

 

[sumimasen]

Yep this preview (not review) was certainly not going to be objective. What buggers me is how he mentions that under the conditions of his article he was not allowed to take photos or mention what the apps are like. WTF Palm, you're not releasing a nuclear device, enough with the cloak-and-daggers PR theme.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I want an independent review...!

Haha there's no such thing!

 

[UnderOpenSky]

It would depend on the Apps he's putting in the background, and how many would start it juddering.

Indeed. I can have loads of apps running in the background with no effect on the performance my phone, its more about battery life for me when running stuff that uses GPS or a wireless connection.

 

[Lazy Llama]

I suspect that the reason there are no photos and no mention of 'certain apps' is because Palm have some new apps, either 3rd party or their own, lined up for launch and they don't want the info leaking out.

We've already seen some of the 3rd party apps that are being developed and we know that Palm have only released the SDK to a limited subset of developers, but I would imagine Palm want to keep the apps up their sleeves until launch day.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I suspect that the reason there are no photos and no mention of 'certain apps' is because Palm have some new apps, either 3rd party or their own, lined up for launch and they don't want the info leaking out.

I thought that was kinda obvious because he says in the piece there are new apps he cannot mention but that are substantial etc...

 

[editor]

I suspect that the reason there are no photos and no mention of 'certain apps' is because Palm have some new apps, either 3rd party or their own, lined up for launch and they don't want the info leaking out.

We've already seen some of the 3rd party apps that are being developed and we know that Palm have only released the SDK to a limited subset of developers, but I would imagine Palm want to keep the apps up their sleeves until launch day.

Exactly. They spilled a fair few beans at the launch with their synergy technology, and I've no doubt there's developers busy copying that right now, so it's hardly surprising that they're keeping their cards close to their chest.

For the launch, they need other big apps to wow the public so it would be made to start leaking them all out now.

 

[sumimasen]

The apps aren't going to be groundbreaking though are they. Very cool maybe, but not worthy of top secret classified information.

 

[Lazy Llama]

If they're just run-of-the-mill apps it wouldn't make much sense to be so tetchy about them, but then Palm have been very secretive about the Pre all along. Not allowing people to hold it on their own etc which also hasn't made much sense.

 

[editor]

The apps aren't going to be groundbreaking though are they. Very cool maybe, but not worthy of top secret classified information.

Their synergy software most definitely was, so maybe they've got more smartypants stuff coming up. Word is that their Facebook client is going to be something a bit special.

 

[Sunray]

The guy certainly seems impressed, although he may be a tad biased, of course:

Multi-tasking was invented in the late 50's. Its not revolutionary.

 

[Crispy]

Dealing with it in a sane way on a mobile phone is pretty clever though

 

[UnderOpenSky]

The cards system is very nice, but under Symbian you just press a button to see what is running, under windows mobile you just tap an icon. Its not all that ground breaking.

 

[Sunray]

Dealing with it in a sane way on a mobile phone is pretty clever though

Hardly registers a flicker for me.

Windows Mobile has been doing it since day one. To state it is revolutionary is crazy talk.

I refer the poster to my comments on what is meant by 'revolution'.

 

[editor]

Windows Mobile has been doing it since day one. To state it is revolutionary is crazy talk.

I refer the poster to my comments on what is meant by 'revolution'.

Whatever it is, it's about a thousand times more elegant than anything Windows Mobile can muster.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

It looks pretty and sounds like a nice improvement, but pressing a button that's always at the top of your screen and selecting the app isn't really that hard.

 

[editor]

It looks pretty and sounds like a nice improvement, but pressing a button that's always at the top of your screen and selecting the app isn't really that hard.

What! In WM, apps don't even close when you hit the red 'X' button!

Instead - when you find your phone grinding to a halt - you have to click into the task manager and scroll down to find the program to actually close it.

Compare with the Pre: flick!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

What! In WM, apps don't even close when you hit the red 'X' button!

Instead - when you find your phone grinding to a halt - you have to click into the task manager and scroll down to find the program to actually close it.

Compare with the Pre: flick!

To be fair, in the two years I had a WM mobile phone I never had it "grind to a halt", it just closed down the least used app in memory to free up space for something new, can't say it was ever a problem...

 

[editor]

To be fair, in the two years I had a WM mobile phone I never had it "grind to a halt", it just closed down the least used app in memory to free up space for something new, can't say it was ever a problem...

I described the Palm's solution as being a whole load more elegant, and from what I've seen, it most defintely is.

I couldn't believe I had to rummage around in a W95-style task manager just to close a program in WM! Hopeless!

 

[Sunray]

Interestingly, Windows Mobile reasons for working like this is technologically sound. Its just it doesn't fit the conceptual model of most users have of multi-tasking, memory and power management. All a bit too exposed.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

What! In WM, apps don't even close when you hit the red 'X' button!

Instead - when you find your phone grinding to a halt - you have to click into the task manager and scroll down to find the program to actually close it.

Compare with the Pre: flick!

I know I came late to the WM party after using Symbian for years, but never had any of this, loads of apps running, no slowdown. Like I said icon at top of the screen, press it for a drop down menu of all you running apps, select or close the app you want from it. So we're talking the difference between one tap or two - hardly the end of the world.

[/IMG]

 

[jæd]

Multi-tasking was invented in the late 50's. Its not revolutionary.

Not really, but its a big sigh of relief that finally has a decent UI that works (we hope) on a mobile phone. Not sure about the current version, but the prevous one was a hopeless confusing mess to end users...

That's whats so appealling about the Pre. Someone actually seems to have done things right.