I’m Putting My Palm Pre on Notice
This weekend, I entered my sixth month of Palm Pre ownership. Back in June, both James and I purchased a Pre and walked away with good impressions. It’s been a solid and fun ride so far, but I’m regretfully putting my Palm Pre on notice. I’m going to give the webOS platform another few months to mature. If it doesn’t happen, I suspect I’ll either eat the early termination fee or I’ll add a different phone entirely to my Sprint account. I like the device very much, but I’m routinely carrying two phones because the platform isn’t where it needs to be for me. Many Pre owners are thrilled with their Pre and I’m not suggesting they shouldn’t be. I’m looking specifically at my needs — and they’re not yet met with the Pre. Why is that?
The most glaring deficit is in the available applications. It’s not a question of needing 100,000 to choose from — it’s simply a matter of not having major titles available in the Application Catalog. I realize that Palm hasn’t yet opened up the catalog to everyone, so I don’t entirely blame developers. And I knew in advance that development would be slow for this reason. But I’m getting antsy and tired of waiting. Look at this way — can you name five webOS software titles from major third-party developers? I’m struggling to do so. Even lesser known “brand names” or “web brands” aren’t in the catalog yet. It seems that as each day passes, I hear about a great new app for iPhone or Android, but not for Palm. Recently we mentioned a few of these: Slacker, Photoshop, Remember the Milk to name a few just in the past week or two.
In many cases, I can use the Pre’s web browser to get things done without using a mobile application. Much of my online time is with WordPress, since that’s where this site is hosted. I’m not creating posts on my phones, but I’m reading — and responding to — comments, checking stats, scheduling posts and more. That’s doable in a small browser, but the WordPress iPhone client has me constantly carrying my iPhone in addition to my Pre. And that’s just one of many examples. The few Twitter clients for webOS are usable, but the ones for iPhone and Android are far better in terms of the user experience. Facebook is the same way — in fact, that’s a prime example. Until recently, the limited Facebook web client for mobiles was abysmal to use — I couldn’t even respond to a wall post or comment. It’s much better now, but Facebook on iPhone is where it’s at.
And about that webOS browser — it’s good, but it still needs work. Some of the basic functionality that didn’t work on day one still isn’t there. I still can’t tell where I am on a page because there’s no indicator. And when I try to read a reader comment here on the site, tapping the link to it doesn’t take me to the comment — it simply takes me to the post page where the comment is. I have to manually go and find it myself. Is it any wonder I just use the WordPress client for iPhone?
In any case, I’m committed to give my Pre a fair chance, given the known schedule and constraints. And I do love the hardware as well as the webOS UI. I’ll probably give things until February to sort themselves out. If I don’t see enough progress, I’ll very likely look at what Android 2.0 devices are available at that time. I doubt it will be a Droid though, as I expect even better devices in the first quarter of 2010. Android is far from perfect, but its maturity is happening far faster. And it’s a vicious cycle that puts Palm at a disadvantage — as Android gains market share and features, developers are far more likely to invest their resources in a bigger platform.
Think I’m being to hard on my Palm Pre? Let me know in the comments — just keep in mind that I’m speaking about my own needs. If a webOS device is meeting all of your needs, then you should be happy with your device. I’m not trying to convince you otherwise, nor is this a “jumping on / off the bandwagon” approach. Every one of us should be evaluating the mobile tools we use. If they don’t work, then seeking alternatives is what we should be doing.
I agree with most of your points Kevin, I too feel a bit of Android envy owning a Pre, and I also am disappointed in the lack of good apps. It’s too bad Palm has not yet used WebOS to its full potential, as I feel it’s interface superior to Android. Playing with and HTC Hero this weekend made me miss my WebOS gestures! I don’t know if I can ever go to an iPhone or Android, I just wish Palm would hurry and get more apps!
I love the user interface of the Pre while I feel that Android’s is a bit “utilitarian.” But it can be improved by Google, HTC or others, so that helps offset some of the lost glitz. A beautiful and intuitive UI is great, but if the platform offers less functionality, the UI alone isn’t enough for me.
Kevin, I say BlackBerry Storm2
LOL… I can just see that in about a year most smartphone OEM”s will be releasing more Android handsets. I think it will be the next wave of OS. Everyone’s use is different so I can see that some will stay with Palm Pre, BlackBerry, iPhone, etc…
Surprised blackberry is left out of the conversation. They have a huge installed base.
so does windows XP
You sound very reasonable and the points are well taken. The fact that you are happy with the operating system and the hardware is already a major statement. The apps will take care of themselves, as a native Facebook app is coming to webOS next week and the App Catalog is formally opening up in December. No need to panic. Anyone used to using a Palm Pre immediately notices the jarring OS deficiencies in competing platforms. I liken your problem to loving your house but wanting better furniture. Don’t throw out the house – the furniture is fixable!
I had the Droid envy. After playing with Droid on Friday, I felt that the Droid is not as polished as Pre and that it needs a little work. In fact, Eris felt a lot more polished than Droid. However, if it weren’t for the prohibitively expensive Verizon plans, I would seriously consider it. As such, I will be with Sprint.
Right now, I have the Pre and my wife has the Hero. I play with my wifes Hero almost everyday. I like it a lot. But Pre is giving me a solid email experience and an okay web browsing experience. Gdial Pro works quite well too.
But between the App Catalog and homebrew apps, I got nothing. And I feel that thanks to Palm’s slow response to a critical situation, most developers have abandoned ship. And they are not looking back.
It’s a great platform with tons of potential. It’s sad. But I agree with Kevin. It’s time to put the Pre on notice. I am pretty certain that once there is Android 2.0 device on Sprint, I would part my way with Pre.
It’s almost like dating a beautiful and smart girl who doesn’t take showers.
More like a beautiful and smart girls who is lazy.
More like a beautiful smart woman who doesn’t put out.
I really enjoy my palm pre, much more than the iphone. But I think AT&T is to blame for that. I also find myself 6 months into ownership seriously looking at Android. I chalk it up to the old adage that the grass always looks greener on the other side. My phone does everything I need and want it to do and I like Sprint’s service and price.
However, it seems that the pre really isn’t doing what you need it to do at this point. I don’t think you are being too hard on it, it seems to have been rather slow to develop. From the sound of it I bet you end up jumping ship.
I just read today that, hopefully, next month the full app catalog will be released, along with apps from other developers. We’ll see. (sorry I couldn’t find the link again) Personally, I love my pre. I tried the Hero and it just wasn’t as easy to figure out how to navigate different applications. I also really like having a real keyboard.
You got that one dead on. The Hero, like most Android devices, is surely competent… but I could not figure out how to open several apps at the same time right away. It took me over 10 minutes. Thats a lack of thought in programming. Its not polished, and its not nice to use. It seems like a very generic OS. I doubt 2.0 will fix this. I think it will mainly add new features.
Kevin, you were spot on. I was an early adopter of the Palm Pre. It was (in my eyes) the closet thing to an iPhone without the restrictions and limitation of the iPhone/Apple/AT&T. I knew I would have to wait a little while for apps before they started rolling out.
I remember reading an article on PreCentral.net that stated Palm advised that they were “overwhelmed with app submissions” and hired 1 or was it two extra people? Either way, if they’re so overwhelmed why are they releasing 1-2 apps per day?
It’s clear to me that when they’re publishing homebrew apps in their app catalog they aren’t so “overwhelmed” with apps from known brands. And therein lies the disappointment. I’m OK with only being able to chose from 300 or so apps for a while, but at the very least can we get 300 useful, diverse apps? I’m sick of seeing flash cards, tip calculators, etc. They don’t have one compelling application that makes you say “WOW, did you see that app WebOS had”? For example, if they released SlingPlayer they would have one-upped Android. If they released an Official Google Voice client they would have one-upped Apple/iPhone. But that didn’t focus on attracting popular developers. Hell even if they had to pay them a little bit to rush development for their platform over iPhone (like that would happen) or Android.
I think WebOS is awesome. The multitasking is smooth, the phone is great (though people bitch about the keyboard I like it). My main grip is lack of apps.
I knew Android would be my next move, I simply hadn’t been happy with 1.5 and 1.6. So I held out for the HTC Hero on Sprint, I realized I hate not having a physical keyboard. Then I was sad to hear the Samsung Moment used a ARM11 processor instead of Cortex A8.
In the end, I gave up Sprint and the Pre and went with a Motorola Droid.
Let me say this is the best Android phone I’ve ever used, I’m a phone freak so I’ve used everything. Next to the iPhone this is the best experience ever maybe even better. It’s fast, doesn’t bog down, real keyboard, not much thicker than iPhone, multitasks, and has a ton of apps. Sure Apple has 100,0000 or something but how many of those apps are actually useful? I haven’t run across a situation where I said “I wish I had an app to do…” every app I’ve needed I was able to find in the Android app store.
Having previously tried slow HTC Qualcomm 528Mhz Android devices and Android 1.5 and 1.6 with it’s atrociously slow browser, I can finally say without doubt that the Moto Droid is a great phone and has sufficient apps.
I’m an IT geek so I can deal with not having a user interface experience that’s super easy. Apple has that down. Android takes some getting used to for your non-tech savvy but I love 2.0 and Droid.
I think WebOS is great but I also believe it’s going to be a niche operating system. I don’t think it’s going to gain wide popularity or developer support. Which is a shame because WebOS as built well though there are still a number of issues and features that need to be worked out. And STOP with the damn iTunes back and forth already. I left Apple/iPhone and AT&T to get away from that proprietary phone and proprietary resource hog called iTunes. Very unprofessional that they advertise iTunes support for the Pre by means of some weekly hack they implement. That’s so tacky Palm!
@Derrick, @Kevin,
I absolutely agree with you guys. I’ve been in contract with my carrier and will be for the next 6 months so when the Pre came out on June 6, I was simply an interested bystander (though one who drooled at the chance of following my treo up with a Pre).
Month by month though, I’d notice the lack new apps and found it so frustrating (since I considered myself a future Pre owner and Palm loyal). And again you’re right, most of the apps were trivial and painfully repetitive. It was horrible each time when I read the Palm press releases dismissing the urgency and importance of having developers deploy at full speed writing code. And now, Android has really begun looking like a viable option.
I still am still waiting to for an unlocked gsm version of a preferred phone to use on my carrier so hopefully when that time comes I’ll know how the webOS saga turns out.
Until then thank you both for really breaking it down to the core issues.
Forgive my typos! I rushed that post.
9 days with pre and I am impressed w/few apps I have used. Friend owns G1 and he was impressed with youtube app. More apps and better battery life is what I’m asking for.
The apps are what is bothering me about the Pre. I love my Pre and love the way it moves and feels. It is the basic functionality that my Centro gave me that Pre still lacks:
– Forwarding text mssgs
– Different notification sounds for emails, txt, etc.
– Ringers are awful
– WebOS needs maturity. It still feels very basic.
– And apps. I can’t stand the Facebook App. It is awful
I don’t want to leave Palm, but if I don’t see improvement with Updates, I will be heading to HTC or something else.
You said it all..I will just like to add to add Battery life!
Here we are six months in, still no VVM app. I am sure there are a lot of folks (myself included) who would rely heavily on an app like that. One of the main reasons I jumped on the Hero was due to VVM. That app alone is enough to keep folks from dumping their Pre. I am almost at the end of my 30 days with the Hero, i have yet to see that WOW app in Palms app-catalogue. Palm is loading their catalogue with a bunch of redundant apps.
I’m with you 100% on this Kevin. Spot on.
I love the phone but it’s been slow in development so far.
I think a lot has to do with the SDK not taking advantage of much of the hardware and general support for the device. The 3D graphics is not being used at all. There’s still no video recording.
I don’t want to totally abandon the Pre since I think there’s a lot of growing left to do. If Sprint came out with an Android 2.0 phone using Snapdragon, I’d seriously think of jumping on it. At least I’d be able to do an ESN swap to switch back and forth between the two phones instead of totally abandoning the Pre by going with Verizon.
Or we just don’t have patience with all the Android hype in the past months.
I’m actually a bit befuddled by you and your post, along with the many others who’ve taken the “anything but Apple’s iPhone” with religious fervor. You’ve admittedly got an inferior product/mobile platform in the Palm Pre and you’re wondering if you’re being too hard on your Pre? Excuse me for saying it this way but — you sound insane. Like many on this blog/comments, I’ve had my share of Treos/palmos, winmo, nokias, blackberries, and blackberrys. I’ve spent time with virtually every smartphone including Droid. And I’ve spent countless hours with the Pre. Three things have impressed me and the Pre is not one of them. Blackberry has been great for messaging and as a pim. iPhone has been great as a media consumption and browsing device. And Android is quickly becoming more interesting and relevant. Where WinMo has failed (tieing everything to Windows on the desktop, server, and Office) Google will prob succeed since their portfolio of pdts and services are useful and pertinent on a smartphone. But the Pre? If Palm were the dominant smartphone, would u put up with its shortcomings? The fact that u r carrying around 2 phones when u acknowledge the iPhone does practically everything u need makes u sound internally conflicted about something other than product needs. I’d love to hear why u won’t just throw ur Pre back into the wild.
It makes him sound like a gadget blogger with phone lust. I can relate. And often carry multiple handsets as well.
You obviously have not used the Pre extensively. Anyone who believes that Android is a good OS and UI, and says the opposite of the Pre is (forgive me for saying it this way) soundly insane. WebOS is a superior platform when it comes to UI. Its OS has put everything in an easier way to manage, with littel hoops and ropes. Even on iPhone OS, which i really respect, I usually have to complete one to two extra steps to do the same thing I could do on the Pre.
I would agree that apps are very lacking, and that is very unattractive. But to say that one is impressed with BlackBerry, a company that has not changed the basis of their UI since its founding (they only change the look), impressed with Android, which takes people several minutes just to find out how to multitask, and iPhone, which is a great system… but has lacked basic feartures for years.
I can’t believe you when you say you have spent countless hours with webOS. Its simply not true. The UI, especially in the messaging areas (email, text, im, pic, etc) easily outperforms the blackberry (maybe not email, arguable). The UI and ease of use dominates the Android platform. iPhone OS is the only rival in UI here. I believe both are excellent, the Pre slightly out does iPhone because of how many steps it takes to do things.
I feel the same way. I love the Pre but there are certainly some glaring omissions in terms of apps in the catalog. I also feel that Palm is being slow and maybe missing the boat on the oppertunity they had. Even thought they picked Sprint to launch with they still seem to be slow to make the needed changes. Now that the Android avelanche has hit it will be hard for developers to look at a device that has limited market penetration.
For me the biggest apps that are missing from the app catalog are -
Facebook – not overly important for me but this is something that most look for right away. The second they had anything ready for the WebOS they should have shot it out there.
IM – why is no one working on a good multi system IM client. With Multi-taksing being such a bit plus on the Pre why can’t we get a good IM client.
Well I could go on and on but the bottom line is that I think Palm better get in gear before Android takes over in the race for second.
I love my Palm Pre it does exactly what it should. I wish it would do a bit more, but no phone is perfect. Palm is devoted to the WebOS platform, so more updates will come.
My major concern is the small keyboard and lack of space on the harddrive. But I’m not giving up my pre for these.
Kevin, I agree with your post. For all it’s beauty, webOS still very much feels like it’s still in beta. There were rumors of a speed boost, but now I’ve heard those aren’t happening with 1.3.1. The Palm Pre has the raw processing power, so clearly something is amiss within the OS.
Homebrew was great for early adopters and techies, but it’s hurting Palm now. They’ve gone out and embraced homebrew. It’s become the minor league for the App Catalog. When the Pre was announced, Palm was all about the webOS experience. Can you imagine if Steve Jobs were running Palm? Would he require customers sign up at PreCentral, so they could download apps/patches? Their advertising talks about the Pre’s ability to Think Ahead. Really, then why is the app download process so convoluted. Great, they appeal to the geeks, but have alienated the mainstream.
Don’t get me wrong, I love webOS. I just think it’s moving too slow and homebrew will ultimately turn it into a niche phone. Palm needs more than that to survive.
As for Droid, the Apps still pare in comparison to both iPhone and Palm. Twidroid is the best Twitter app? Really?
The sound quality on the Pre is also terrible. There is no EQ control and way too much hiss for this to be considered a decent MP3 player, will have to carry a Cowon around with me now.
Sounds like possibly your Pre has a bad headphone jack or maybe your ears are more sensitive to it than mine, I barely get any hiss at all on my Etymotic hf2 headset.
As for the original post, I don’t know. Sure, there’s a lot more apps on other platforms, but I still haven’t seen any “killer app” that I really feel like I need. Is Slacker really all that much of an improvement for you over Pandora, Accuradio, and all of the Shoutcast apps? Is Remember the Milk any better than the built-in Tasks app? (I’m not a big user of Tasks, but it looks to me like the only difference is just that RTM syncs over multiple devices). As for the mobile Photoshop, I don’t know, I personally have never been somewhere where I absolutely needed to edit a picture immediately when I only had my phone with me. I totally understand that others have different needs, but I just really don’t see how these apps are helpful other than for the wow factor. They’re cool, but not necessities.
With Twitter, have you tried out Twee? I can’t imagine that the Twitter apps for other platforms have any different a user experience, and as far as I’m concerned it’s the best one on the Pre.
I agree entirely that the browser needs to support anchors within pages, I don’t know how they released it without that. A scroll bar doesn’t seem like that big a deal to me though. Can’t say I’ve ever actually wondered where I am on a page to be that worried over a lack of one.
Like I said, different people have different needs though. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand webOS is still pretty much a beta throughout, but at the same time, these seem like nitpicks to me. If another device works better for you, of course that makes sense to use another device though.
You also mention Facebook, for the record we should be getting a free dedicated Facebook app from Palm this month (announced for Pixi launch), so I’ll wait and see how that is before complaining about it… Though honestly I only use Facebook for the contact info anyway.
Thanks for this post. I was considering trading my blackberry curve for a pre but since my blackberry works well for me, switching for the sake of checking out if the grass is greener, forget about it. I will take your word for it. Thanks!
I have a Pre, but it hasn’t been out of its box in at least a month. For some reason, I just can’t get into that device. I can only last a few days with is before jumping back to my Berry.
Honestly, I’m not looking to pile on here, but my list of complaints about the Pre is far longer than my list of compliments. I’m a huge Palm fan, and I hope they can get this thing figured out. However, at this point, I can’t think of a single reason to recommend the Pre over Android, Blackberry or the iPhone.
It’s quite obvious that the Android Tsunami has just begun and 2010 will be the Year of Android. Don’t forget that as a proud user of Android you can leverage your experience with the many other Android enabled devices on the way. Android is much more than just a Phone platform. Linux + Java = Android = World Domination. As The Borg say, Resistance is Futile.
I have temporarily(maybe?)switched from my Pre to a Treo Pro due to a little dust up with I.T. over Exchange access. After using WinMo again I had a rush of all the “little things” I was missing on my Pre:
-Voice dialing (45 minute commute, manual transmission, yeah…need it)
-Distinct notification sounds (its nice to know what to expect before you even look at the device)
-Category support on all PIM data (you blew this one Palm, you had this before!)
-Today screen (there..I’ve said it, I feel better)
Kevin I am surprised by the Twitter client comment as I find Tweed to be very good, maybe my exposure to other platforms is too limited. The only apps I really missed on the Pre were PocketInformant and eWallet. And the eWallet thing was really huge. I failed to realize how much I used the info I keep safely tucked away in eWallet.
I desparately miss the Pre browser, email, integrated search and the overall interface. All that stuff is really brilliant. So is file management. I never felt like I needed anything like File Explorer because all the apps always found the data they were supposed to…really simple.
So…will I switch back if I can get the Exchange thing resolved? Frankly…I don’t know right now. And that answer surprises me.
While I liked eWallet on WM, SplashID gets most of the job done on webOS.
“Kevin I am surprised by the Twitter client comment as I find Tweed to be very good, ”
The Twitter clients for the Pre aren’t bad and they do include notifications which I like. But I started using Tweetie2 on my iPhone about a week ago and it’s in another class entirely, in my opinion.
“I still can’t tell where I am on a page because there’s no indicator.”
The iPhone (or at least the iPod Touch that I have running 3.0) doesn’t have this either. I wish the scroll bar would stay on all the time.
I was very excited about the Pre, and was waiting patiently for Verizon to get it next year. The Droid release has pretty much deflated that excitement for me though. With the fast processor and big screen, and various improvements such as Flash and HTML 5 support coming next year, the reasons for me to consider the Pre (or Pixi depending on whether Verizon gets both right away) are fading every day.
It’s a shame, since it is a great platform. But I think the Sprint exclusivity has done more damage than good for them.
I’m surprised the iPod Touch browser doesn’t behave the same as the iPhone’s. Are you certain there’s no indicator there? It only shows as you scroll…
Yes, that’s what I meant, that it only shows when you scroll, which I wish it always showed. From your comment it sounds like the browser on the Pre doesn’t show an indicator when scrolling either? Hmm, that certainly would make it very lacking… Even my outdated Dare has it on the rudimentary HTML browser.
In comparison, I do have to say that browsing on my friends Droid, compared to my iPod Touch was much better. The speed at which scrolling can be done on the Droid makes it much easier to use Google Reader, which I use extensively.
Correct, it only shows when scrolling on the iPhone. Sounds like the Touch is the same; thx for confirming. There’s no indicator of any kind on the Pre. Nor is there a way to get back to the top quickly — you have to scroll. iPhone OS gives you that handy scroll to top feature by tapping the menubar. *sigh*
The Palm Pre can’t forward text messages to a single person, let alone multiple recipients without a hack. Even my old, crappy, dumb phone can do that.
I’m so glad the keyboard was too small when I tried it out over the summer, otherwise I would have been stuck with a crappy phone that can’t forward text messages, do video, or download a wide variety of apps.
I hear this complaint all the time, that the Pre can’t forward text messages. Quite frankly, until people started complaining about the Pre not doing it, I had absolutely no idea that it was even a feature anyone used. Out of curiosity (because I’d seriously like to know), what type of use do you have for that feature?
forward info a pal texts you to other pals.
I talked to another Pre owner recently (first time I ever saw someone else with a Pre) and this was the deal breaker. She absolutely needed the ability to forward text and since it doesn’t currently, she’s returning it.
I did show her how I was able to do it by hacking, but it’s not something normal users are going to do.
Get Preware installed (precentral.net) (yes, homebrew stuff is niche but it’s also incredibly cool and useful) – there is a patch that enables that feature. I use it all the time – seamlessly fwds SMS and MMS to SMS/MMS or email…
Just be patient. Remember, Palm invented the “smartphone” market… they will get this OS polished over the next few releases.
“Android is far from perfect, but its maturity is happening far faster.”
The Pre was, at launch, a much better device than the G1. Android has had a full year of software development, and only now is the hardware improving as well (for the past year, the only Android hardware was the same slow processor in the G1).
I’m not gonna lie, the current crop of Android phones are very compelling, but as far as maturity goes, it’s really taken a year for us to finally see the benefits. In that respect the Pre is maturing faster (multiple updates in the past year of release), but whether it’ll be enough to maintain competitiveness will be another story.
I agree with you on the time for maturity. That’s why I’m waiting a few more months yet. But the window of opportunity is closing fast for me and my Pre.
yeah I agree with Kevin. When I picked up my Pre I thought that development would go through the roof (that, multi-tasking, and AT&T lying about their incredible connection rate) brought be me to the Pre.
The Oreo effect (including silent inline hardware updates and a “if they don’t speak up don’t fix it” mentality), simplistic aps like the mp3 player (I use Etymotic buds and the sound is still so-so compared to the iPhone), lack of development across the board, and app-envy is making me rethink my choice.
I generally like the Pre and was looking forward to Palm delivering on the promise of a phone that will grow into a great tool. It has a great browser, multitasking, and keyboard, but for example how long is it going to take to develop a great bookmarking system with folders and a simple text list to go along with the browser? Forget the Pixie, take care of your current customers or lose us to Android…
I’ve been getting a chuckle about multi-tasking for a long time now. Every single smartphone except the iPhone has it. BlackBerry, WinMo, Pre, Android, every single one, yet it’s still listed as a major feature for individual phones.
To the Palm’s credit, few or none have managed it as transparently and gracefully as WebOS. In my Windows Mobile 6.1 phone, multitasking meant a trip through WM’s unpleasant task manager. Worse, programs in the background would be randomly purged (without the user knowing) to free up memory.
Good pr/marketing…when I was deciding to buy one it was the first thing out of everyone’s mouth…:-)
Kevin said: “If it doesn’t happen, I suspect I’ll either eat the early termination fee or I’ll add a different phone entirely to my Sprint account.”
I appreciate the fact that you have hands on day-to-day experience with some of the top devices on different networks. It makes a noticeable difference in your blog (topics, news, comments)…so keep that Sprint account with something new if at all possible
Thanks for the feedback and I’m hoping to stay with Sprint… mainly because it’s the cheapest around.
Palm Pre is a great concept but is dying because of the lack of support and lack of Palm’s own capacity to create a microcosmos around it. They now had enough time to get things done, you are pretty soft in your comments. No Skype client? No WordPress client? No MSN client? No widgets, no nothing.
I am picking up my Nokia N900 next week, which has full Linux (Maemo 5) built in. I hoped to get “the full computer experience in a pocket” from the Pre, but it failed.
Previously I tried the iPhone, the HTC Dream for Android and the Nokia N97 and they all fail to deliver, for one or another reason. The N900 looks great and starts off with many of the apps I expected for the Pre available even before launch.
I love this post and it’s these type of posts that made me bookmark JKontherun and check it daily, often multiple times. I wish this site had more posts like these, just look at the conversation it initiated among readers. I admit that in the last few months I’ve not visited JKontherun as frequently as I used to because most posts were just brief snippets of info and reposts from other tech sites. There are plenty of websites that do that. I read JK because I want reviews and opinions from two average joe gadget geeks that have access to wonderful new toys and because I feel that your readers are a thoughtful and knowledgeable lot. I hope we get many more posts like this one. I’d like to become a regular reader again.
I agree with the quality on this blog. I look several times a day.
I switched from a HTC touch cruise(o2 xda orbit 2) to the Pre at the German Release roughly a month ago.
I am still wondering if I expected to much from the Pre.
Having a device that lets you install everything and being customizable before gave me quite a big dissapointment while using the pre everyday.
I share your thoughts. The Pre has quite the ability to be much more, if palm would go a few steps toward the community.
The app catalogue is not evolving as I expected it, way too many updates and apps.(Being aware of the fact that the pre was already on the us market when it was released in Germany)
Furthermore the webOS version here in Germany is way behind the us version.(Speaking of a big gap between the versionnumbers in germany and the us.)
But I will not send away my Pre. I am not a fan of phones everyone uses and wants to have. I wouldn’t change the pre for an Iphone. I caress my Pre and hope for a change in Palms marketing and communtiy thinking.
You’re not being to hard on the Pre at all. Software is a major sticking point for mobile platforms right now. Unfortunately and unlike one commenter stated apps will not fix them selves. Software developers are looking for stable OSes to create profitable titles for. Palm is still not quite there yet, not to mention it’s only on Sprint which severely limits the Pre’s consumer reach. All this us being taken into consideration by software developers. Palm should gave some major changes by Feb. 2010 but if not I don’t know how they expect WebOS to keep up with major competitors. Windows Mobile and the iPhone have all the key developers in the mobile space with Android coming move up at a good pace. Which is why I’m also surprised that BB hasn’t died yet. Although it’s good at messaging it hasn’t changed much since it’s inception as a pager and for that RIM too, also needs to get off their Java train to something more robust or suffer the same fate as the PalmOS since other smartphones can accomplish the same tasks as BB.
I just hope Palm Inc. is still there by February. The company is bankrupt and users not being totally satisfied is not helping. Last Qtr Palm lost 160M and it is bound for Chapter 11 very soon if it does not comes up with a profit next Qtr. The price for the iPhone 3G at $99 is not helping either.
Too bad. Pre is a very nice phone with a great UI.
LOL. You are out of your mind and must be hating
palm for some reasons.
I don’t know, but reading lately, it seems like A) lots of apps will come in Dec/Jan timeframe, and even more important to me, B) the GPU will be used/accessed soon at the WebOS level. I see the GPU as the major step forward that will FINALLY get the Pre past the laggy feel it has most of the time. I love my Pre, but, I really love the smoothness of the iPhone 3GS. When the Pre is smooth like that, I’ll be fine. I kinda want more apps, but I really care less about the qty and more about some real quality. I need to see the Pre produce one game that is anywhere near as nice as any of the iPhone games. By any, I mean any of the good stuff. So far, the polish is lacking on the apps. Give me smooth, speedy Pre, then bring on the apps. And when the Pre throws in the GPU, and Flash comes along, our iPhone friends will be very jealous, finally.
Unfortunately, you’re not far off…I love the palm, and it is heads and tails above my centro as far as the os is concerned…but the centro had functionality that the pre didn’t have when it shipped…including syncing notes and contacts with my computer and an agenda! This stuff is the reason I chose the pre over all other phones, and it put a HUGE dent in my functioning. Also, I didn’t have a use for voice command, video recording and text forwarding, but not having them included annoyed me, and I met other people with the pre that were considering or had turned them in for those reasons….I have come to realize that they really must have been short on cash and had to get the system out immediately so people could see how revolutionary is…and they’ve done that.
That said, if it wasn’t for homebrew tweaks and apps, I would had enough and ran to the Hero…or even the iphone….I like the droid too…..homebrew has kept me in the game so far, cause I like the themes and it isn’t hard to do the tweaks at all, but I want to show off some killer apps, and enjoy the functionallity the other phones on this level(and many below) have! That said, the only thing that will truly anger me is if they come out with another device that does everything I want and this one can’t. I had that experience when I bought a treo 600 and the 650 came out later….I had forgotten Palm’s penchant for doing that and if it happens again I may actually be forced to fufill my empty threat….
sprint is not the cheapest… T-Mobile is. $50 a month for unlimited everything…..
Sprint is not the cheapest, but it sure has great coverage. I live in a remote location and we get crappy cell reception here, but me and my Pre have excellent clarity and service here! I LOVE my phone. : )
one word: slow.
c’mon now. 3 seconds to get the browser to open??
Well I’m in the UK and just finished my 18mth iphone contact. I’ve now taken a 2 year contact out on a pre.. Had it a few days and I’m still finding bits I really love……
I think the iphone is great dont get me wrong, but I wanted a change and I thought the iphone was just a tad to big. I do prefer the iphone keyboard mind, I found I could type alot quicker on my iphone than I can on the pre keyboard. It might be because I got used to it. I think the webOS on the pre blow’s the iphone out of the water to be honest, the multi-tasking is just awesome and after afew days I’m finding myself leaving apps open. If a little more speed can be found to get rid of the slight lag it will be awesome ! I know the pre’s new compared to the iphone but I do think it could come with a few more apps as standard like shares / facebook (I know soon to come) installed. Not sure I like the two way scrolling cards on the launcher, still getting used to that. I think app’s in the end will play a big part in choosing a smartphone and this is where Palm need’s all the help it can get. They need to allow 3rd party apps straightaway and help developers get a foot on the rung. Even if they can’t officially allow them, they should release a easy patch to allow them to be accessed by everyone, the hacking community is hugh and they need to notice this. Take the old xbox and xbmc.. I think xbmc played a massive part in making the xbox360 what it is .. Palm needs to make it easy and let them in. So here’s my wish list…
1. A decent GPS app, thats the only app I’m missing really
2. Allow 3rd party apps and allow access to these easily
3. Speed up the OS a little
4. They need to listen! add more options ie. finish call when you shut the slider.. disable the return button when texting not to send..
Would I choose the pre again over the iphone ? If I’m promised a gps app over the coming month’s then it’s a 100% yes. The gps location if far faster on the pre using googlemaps and it just need’s a third party to pull there finger out !
I’m I glad I bought it? Hell yes.. I think someone compared it to a good looking lady that’s not putting out .. Well I’m in the early stage’s of dating her at the moment.. I will give it a few months first !
Steve
Thanks Steve, i’ve been mulling the Pre over for the past month after using a pre-release sample (which i fell in love with btw) and your positive experience (from a UK Pre owner) has swayed me back into Palms arms.
There are drawbacks but i’m going to take a punt and have faith that WebOS and specifically the app store will grow and mature over time.
Dan
I was in the market for a new phone, and I wanted a smart one. I have of course heard the hype of the iphone (who hasn’t) but I didn’t want a phone that was strictly touchscreen. I did some research on the apps I need and the phone that would best suit me. I decided to get the Tilt 2, but when I went to get it, they were out of stock (I’m not a wait for the mail type of girl), and then I got turned onto the Pre. I asked sooo many questions I was in that store for hours. I really wanted a Windows Phone, but I am so happy with my Pre. I am constantly looking online to see what apps are available to make my online life and business life seamless and easier while I am on the go. I LOVE my PRE, and I will continue searching for apps that make my life easier.
I love the fact that I have both a keyboard and touch screen. The best of both worlds (And the phone closes, I hate open faced phones).
I just wanted to share.
Be a blessing and be blessed!
I share your frustration! I’m not in love with any one company but I truly think the Pre has the most useful OS out there today among the new generation phones. However, I still use my Treo 650 because it does everything I need to better than anything else out there, including the Pre. I am open to any other device that can do stuff better than the 650 and have looked at Blackberry and iPhone without luck. I think the Pre and webOS is better than either of those but still not where I want it to be for my needs, the biggest issue being a Note Pad type app and a stylus. I guess I’m fighting against the tide but I have not given up hope!
I have had the Pre since July and am currently on my second handset – Speaker stopped working. Anyway, I have to agree with Kevin and I will also give it a few more months and follow the same route. I am speaking for myself here, but I probably was re-living the past with Palm. Expectations were that I was looking for the same Wow I had when I got my first Treo 650 years ago. I think I have to let it go and realize that the Pre is an OK smartphone but it probably isn’t going to be what I need down the road – without some important applications and functionality. Every day, I become a little more disappointed, whether it’s the battery, latency, hanging up on a call and then realizing I dialed again, can’t forward a text and no video. All these things add up over time.
You have more patience than I do!! I bought it on Launch Day, and returned it 3 days later. I love the look of the new UI but simply could not give up the PIM functions of my Treo 755p. The poor PIM of the Pre, coupled with the missing phone features (customizable txt alerts…helloooo?) just made for a bad PDA and a bad cell phone, especially for $200!
I really like my pre, but because it is slow, I usually end up not being able to do what I intend. For example, I start the phone application and type the phon number. By the time it starts, it is so slow that it misses the first one or two digists. by the time it starts dialing, I realize the number is missing one or two digits, so I hang up and start dialing the number again, then the same thing happens again….
I really like palm, but I think it is a “dishonest” or “not nice” for palm or sprint to sell us a phone that they know is slow and get us hooked in this contract, etc….
I strongly suggest to all of us to contact Sprint and ask for our money back and for our contracts to be terminated.
I really do not need all this heart ache….
Palm is a great technical company with a terrible business sense. The problems with the app catalog, the weak API environment, scarce hardware acceleration…these are things resulting from bad business decisions when the Pre was being formulated, not technical deficiencies of the Pre itself.
Sometimes I think it would help Palm (and their fanbase) if they got snapped up by a bigger, more internally competent organization. Dell would be a great fit; they’re great as a business selling and supporting technology, not necessarily inventing it. Palm is the direct opposite.
Why did you jump onto the Pre anyway? Seems like you should have stuck with the iPhone since that is the phone that meets all your needs and worked for you. Going by your own advice, this detour was a waste of time.
I like the Pre, I like Sprint and I really *love* the WebOS. The interface, the gestures, email client, web browser are all top notch. I hate touch screen keyboards including the iPhone’s, you can never use two hands. With the Pre I can use both hands pretty comfortably, even with my huge thumbs. Seems like the Pixi’s keyboard is even better, so Palm got that right.
The apps… lacking compared to the iPhone, that has a two year head start, an unfair comparison. I am quite happy with the several web apps available through the browser which as I mentioned, I really like. Palm knows how to build a good developer experience, as their early success with the Palm OS demonstrates. This time around, I think they will succeed again, but need at least a year to judge them. What I like about their current approach is that they are updating and improving the OS regularly, which is where they failed in their last foray. I’m giving them till the next time I am eligible for an upgrade from Sprint, at which point I’ll seriously consider the Android phones. I am not ready to abandon my investment in the phone quite yet.