Palm: Pre, webOS & app discussion

[editor]

I can live with a less than super-shiny case if the OS does the job. The same was said about the G2 phone - because it's so light, it feels a bit tacky because we always associate quality with heft.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Another . I'm assuming this isn't a review unit...still looks very nice although the apps opening up look a little slower than those units Palm have been showcasing in recent months.

 

[Sunray]

The engadget podcast is nearly 100% pure pre this week.

 

[jæd]

Another review thats highlighted the keyboard as a problem:

The good: The Palm Pre's multitasking capabilities and notifications system are unparalleled. The smartphone features a vibrant display with multitouch functionality as well as a solid Web browser and good multimedia integration. The Pre offered good call quality and wireless options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

The bad: The Pre's keyboard is cramped. Battery life drains quickly and the smartphone can be sluggish at times. Lacks expansion slot, video-recording capabilities, onscreen keyboard, and Flash support. The Pre App Catalog is still in beta with a limited number of titles.

http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/palm-pre/4505-6452_7-33490473.html?tag=mncol;txt

I'm surprised at the lack of on-screen keyboard. How do you use it when the physical one is put away...?

(And I love that this phone is getting user-ratings already..)

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I've read there's problems with slowness of the of phone, don't like the sound of that tbh, also battery drain aint a surprise as it uses the same shitty battery the Centro uses...

 

[g force]

The idea of flipping from landscape view to portrait to enter a web address is a fail point for sure but that review was generally positive and seemed balance/fair.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Advert for the Pre: http://www.facebook.com/palm?v=app_80586168109&viewas=1487143300

 

[g force]

Crap...but I find most phone ads annoying

 

[Kid_Eternity]

It was a bit high concept wasn't it? All mood and hippy stuff and very little shots of the phone and why it's cool (the iPhone ones by contrast are simple but show you exactly how cool the device is)...

 

[g force]

Well there's that and it employs so many visual cliches that I lost count. The hated the iPhone ads at first (and their clear BS around app times) but they're not that bad on repeated view as it shows Apple's USP - the ease of UI use.

I think this could be the teaser ad though followed by more ads that actually attempt to articualte a USP...becuase if they attempt to go down the "lifestyle accessory" route it's doomed.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I'm assuming this is a gentle easing into the new Palm branding too...and likewise not sure they can pull off the lifestyle thing either. That said if they can show the speed and usefulness of the OS they shouldn't do too badly with the ads...

 

[Sunray]

I await the reviews and the flaws and bugs.

The iPhone was and still has plenty of flaws in terms of missing features, but when it did what it did, the 1st gen iPhone was rock solid. Apples QA was well on the ball with that.

I wonder if Palm can do the same.

 

[g force]

I dunno the 'missing' features cnet mentions....is voice dialling a real biggie? I used it once I think and that was just to see the comedy option it came up with, rather than someone i wanted to speak to.

 

[Sunray]

Voice dial is for proper hands free operation.

Can't be certified hands free in this country. Its illegal to press buttons on devices that are not part of the car.

 

[jæd]

The reviews are certainly coming thick and fast now. Respected Industry Pundit Walt Mossburg has posted his. Key problem appears to be the Palm App Store:

In fact, during my testing, one of my downloads from the App Catalog caused my Pre to crash disastrously — all my email, contacts and other data were wiped out, and the phone was unable to connect to the Sprint network or Wi-Fi. Palm conceded the catastrophe was due to problems it still has getting the App Catalog to work with the phone’s internal memory, and explained that this is one reason it hasn’t widely distributed the developer tools.

The battery life sucks as well...

http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20090603/palms-new-pre-takes-on-iphone/

I'm off for a bit. Play nice...

 

[Sunray]

Engadgets review

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/03/palm-pre-review/

 

[Crispy]

not in that review, but cut'n'paste only works in editable text boxes, not arbitrary text! >_<

 

[editor]

I really enjoyed reading that Engadget review. Looks like there's some tweaking to be done, but overall it's an exciting new handset.

I'm still up for buying it.

 

[Crispy]

definitely sounds like they've got a lot of stuff right and the niggles they do have should be easily fixed. And probably will be by the time it launches over here

 

[Sunray]

Like all devices of this type, its always a hard choice between getting it out the door and getting it right.

In Palm's case its getting it out the door 1st before the money runs out. Seems to have polished it off reasonably well with a few rough edges which are to be expected and I can imagine they are busily working on at the moment.

Needs to be bought by people to give critical mass to make developers consider it worthwhile developing software for it.

e2a : I've been reading about it more and I ponder if its strong enough in Todays market. The new iPhone 2 will be announced in a few days time.

Is there enough there I won't be able to do on the iPhone 2, perhaps even do on my phone now. Facebook and Twitter have applications. The Facebook app I can call and email. I can call using VoIP applications on WiFI. I can IM on all the networks. blah blah blah.

What is left? A keyboard? If thats a deal breaker then fine, but I look towards the new iPhone release to see how the playing field pans out after that.

 

[Structaural]

Backgrounding is quite the win for me. I think I could be quite persuaded by the 2nd iteration of the Pre next year. Depends what Apple pull out of the hat.

I've realised that 90% of the iPhone apps I use are mainly the built in apps, mainly because of lack of backgrounding.

 

[Sunray]

Yes as far as IM goes, background applications are useful, but Apples push server is going to be fired up when v3 is released to simulate background process at much lower battery cost.

I'll have to see how well it works before making any further comment on that. I'm pretty certain I don't want a loop running in the back ground on an appliation I cant see. Its not a number cruncher its a phone. e.g. Even Windows is event driven. So once you move from one application to the other, the previous app should get 0 cpu cycles. I see Apples push system as a network extension of event driven applications. What is nice on the Pre over the iPhone is that it keeps the applications loaded, meaning switching between them is much faster. If the new iPhone is much faster tho this annoyance will be reduced.

I like the Pre's notification system. Very slick.

 

[Structaural]

Yes as far as IM goes, background applications are useful, but Apples push server is going to be fired up when v3 is released to simulate background process at much lower battery cost.

I'll have to see how well it works before making any further comment on that. I'm pretty certain I don't want a loop running in the back ground on an appliation I cant see. Its not a number cruncher its a phone. e.g. Even Windows is event driven. So once you move from one application to the other, the previous app should get 0 cpu cycles. I see Apples push system as a network extension of event driven applications. What is nice on the Pre over the iPhone is that it keeps the applications loaded, meaning switching between them is much faster. If the new iPhone is much faster tho this annoyance will be reduced.

I like the Pre's notification system. Very slick.

It should be possible if the iPhone kernel is unix based as claimed, I've 80 processes running on this work computer and 77 of them are sleeping. I heard rumours of allowing one user background app but they're not very persistent. Push could work well but no good for radio apps - they should allow you to quit the iPod too, once loaded it's always in the background.

Anyway back to the Pre...
I'm quietly impressed except for the App store and the lack of developers, and battery life - but I understand you can actually remove it (my 1 year old iphone's battery is terrible now). They'll get it together hopefully. It all good for us consumers.

 

[Sunray]

I am very surprised by iTunes integration. Its cool, the podcasts that are on there and the way they work is near perfect and for that alone its great the Pre gets access.

But

From where I am standing they seem to have a clear Apple baiting policy, how far are they going to take this I wonder?

All Apple have to do in this instance is entirely change how it connects to the iPhone, which they can do as they have done it in the past. I got an update to iTunes yesterday. It might be that after the release of v3 of the iPhone software, it'll just stop working?

 

[editor]

A round up of reviews:

The Engadget Palm Pre review was an overall positive one: "Just like the iPhone's notches up the ladder, and the G1's contributions, the Pre moves the game forward in a very real way.
"We know this won't be the last of the webOS devices, and we know that as Palm improves its products, so will Apple, RIM, Microsoft, Google, and the rest of the smartphone gang. Unfortunately for them, their work just got a little bit tougher."
And Gizmodo says that the Palm Pre's screen is "the best multitouch screen" they've ever seen, but was slightly more reserved when giving its final verdict:
"The Pre," it says, "may have hardware that's worse than the G1/G2, but the whole package—the software and the hardware—isn't bad. It's good. It's different. That's something we can get behind. I can't wait to see what Palm gets dealt in their next hand."
But Wired US questioned the Pre's battery life, stating that in its review that the Pre typically can only manage a day's usage:
"A morning's worth of heavy use may leave the Pre powerless by afternoon. I've been testing the Pre for less than a week, and typically, the battery meter hits the red zone before sunset," its review says.
And the Wall Street Journal said it thinks the Pre is a brilliant phone – but that it still has some improving to do:
"All in all, I believe the Pre is a smart, sophisticated product that will have particular appeal for those who want a physical keyboard. It is thoughtfully designed, works well and could give the iPhone and BlackBerry strong competition -- but only if it fixes its app store and can attract third-party developers."
The New York Times Palm Pre review meanwhile, was similarly sceptical, saying that while the Pre is a promising handset, it's still no iPhone killer:
"The Pre will be a hit, but the iPhone isn't going away. First of all, Apple's lead of 20 million phones will only grow when the new iPhone 3.0 software (and, presumably, a third iPhone model) come out shortly.
"[It also] has its annoyances. Opening certain programs can be very slow — sometimes eight or nine seconds — and there's no progress bar or hourglass to let you know that it's still working."
And the tech-experts at CNET US give the Pre 3.5 stars out of 5, citing performance niggles as the main reason for a disappointing score:
"Despite some missing features and performance issues that make it less than ideal for on-the-go professionals, the Palm Pre offers gadget lovers and consumers well-integrated features and unparalled multitasking capabilities. The hardware could be better, but more importantly, Palm has developed a solid OS that not only rivals the competition but also sets a new standard in the way smartphones handle tasks and manage information."
And finally, USA Today says that the Pre could pilot Palm to smartphone glory:
"The first Palm Pre will certainly give the iPhone and other rivals a run for their money. To be sure, there are areas where it could improve: Bring on the apps.
"But Palm has delivered a device that will keep it in the game and give it a chance to star in it."

PC World gave it a 'very good' rating:

Hardware flaws aside, the Palm Pre made a solid impression on me. Its eye-catching design and smooth operation make this smartphone the most exciting device I've seen in a while.

I'm quietly impressed except for the App store and the lack of developers, and battery life - but I understand you can actually remove it (my 1 year old iphone's battery is terrible now). They'll get it together hopefully. It all good for us consumers.

Yep, the battery is removable, so you can just stock up on some cheapo back up ones and bung them in your bag if you're out for the weekend.

Someone's just pulled a Pre apart too!
http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Palm-Pre/palm-pre-dissasembly-repair-guide.html

 

[editor]

MarkSpace is about to release a sync tool for the Pre and Macs (PC coming soon):

Take all your favorites with you — from your Mac to your Palm Pre

The Missing Sync works with Mac applications you already know and use — Address Book, iTunes, iCal, Entourage, Safari and iPhoto — to let you transfer and sync information and files between your Mac and Pre.

The Missing Sync for Palm Pre works with Palm Synergy™ so that contacts from Address Book on your Mac can be viewed together on your Pre in a single list that links them with contacts from Google and Facebook accounts. Calendars from iCal can be viewed or layered together in a single view with other calendars.

Synchronize contacts and calendars automatically and wirelessly, via WiFi. Transfer and sync music, ringtones, photos, files, and videos fast with a USB cable.
http://www.markspace.com/products/pre/mac/palm-pre-sync-overview.html

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Anyone else see over being accused of Palm bias due to getting a free Pre?

 

[editor]

Anyone else see over being accused of Palm bias due to getting a free Pre?

Mind you, it's a bizarre accusation seeing as Laporte clearly says that he's only been given a review copy for seven days.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Mind you, it's a bizarre accusation seeing as Laporte clearly says that he's only been given a review copy for seven days.

Oh yeah totally, Leporte was on point with his reaction, he's a big guy profile wise and knows his stuff, he can't be accused of this kinda thing and let it fly. The other guy from Techcrunch was blatantly being a tosser about it...

 

[editor]

Oh yeah totally, Leporte was on point with his reaction, he's a big guy profile wise and knows his stuff, he can't be accused of this kinda thing and let it fly. The other guy from Techcrunch was blatantly being a tosser about it...

I guess there must have been a fair bit of 'previous' going on between the two but it was interesting to hear that Leporte 'loved' the Pre and wanted to buy one.

Edit to add: some interesting titbits:

Here are some cool and interesting tidbits we learned about the Palm Pre:

* In general, this Palm hardware reminds us a lot more of Apple's engineering style than any of hardware we've taken apart by other manufacturers (like Dell).
* The Pre logic board is substantially smaller than the iPhone logic board, which is very impressive considering how renowned Apple's engineers are for shrinking hardware footprints.
* We identified a liquid submersion sensor in the Pre, visible through the micro USB port.
* Some parts of the software feel rushed. For example, the app store describes the price of free apps as "$Try now." It looks like an overeager programmer hardcoded that dollar sign. While certainly not a showstopper, we hope Palm gets a chance to tidy up the little things like this soon.
* We tested out Sprint's 3G EVDO network on the road home and didn't notice any interruptions. Uploads and downloads were fast, and Pandora's application ran like a champ.
* A prepaid plastic recycling envelope is included in the box, making it easy to recycle your newly obsolete phone.
* The Pre's battery capacity is 1150 mAh, exactly the same as the iPhone 3G, though the Pre is reported to have slightly worse battery life due to its background process capability. The battery is user-replaceable, something the iPhone fails to offer.
* The Palm Pre is the first phone to use Texas Instrument's new OMAP3 (Open Media Applications Processor) platform.
* The processor is a 600 MHz ARM Cortex A8 + PowerVR SGX 530 GPU + 430MHz C64x + DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)
* The Pre is definitely not an easy phone to service. There are lots of fragile and tricky tabs that will make putting the phone back together challenging.

* We love the feel of holding the Pre in our hands. In its closed position, it feels much more comfortable to hold than the iPhone.
* Users who prefer physical keyboards will be satisfied, but iPhone veterans may be left disappointed by the lack of a software keyboard option.
* The Pre is definitely thicker compared to the iPhone (17mm vs 12mm). Not only does this allow the engineers more flexibility in designing the physical layout of components, but it also makes the Pre conform really well to our palm.
* The Pre is "Inspired by and designed in California," while the iPhone is merely "Designed by Apple in California."

http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2009/06/ifixit-palm-pre-teardown.html