Palm Pixi Features, Apps, Facebook, and Memory Limitations in Video 53

by Dieter Bohn Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:37 pm EST

Here's a video of the Palm Pixi, demoed to us by a Palm Rep. We skipped around to the bits that were new or new-esque, so it provides a pretty good overview of the new features and app of the Pixi, but it's certainly not comprehensive for what's coming in webOS 1.2.

Palm Pixi Special Coverage

The Facebook app, as we mentioned in our flurry of Pixi posts last night, is a bit of a disappointment. It's more of a Facebook Friends Feed app than it is a full Facebook App. You can post your status and browse your Facebook news/friends feed, but viewing full profiles is mysteriously missing. On the other hand, if you can find your way to a photo gallery on Facebook, the features there are quite nice.

Hey - at least your friends are included in Synergy, right? Either way, if you're a heavy Facebook user, you're going to want to keep x.facebook.com bookmarked for now.

Finally, we decided to go ahead and include the bit where the Pixi runs out of memory and can't open more cards - after about 6 or so. Note that even after closing all the cards the error still crops up for a few seconds until the webOS can fully clear out all those swiped-cards. It's something we've all seen with the Pre, but usually not until we've loaded a ton of cards or had a rogue app go crazy on us. The Pixi will have those same issues, just with a lower threshhold. I'm not saying it's a big problem, I'm just saying that Pixi users will want to be a little more diligent about closing cards when they're done with them.

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53 Comments

Posted by p4trickh on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:46 am EDT

Rumor has it the Pixi has less memory and maybe a slower processor as well. Palm wants you to buy the Pre, but if you cannot afford the Pre they offer you a cheaper webos experience. You get what you pay for, if it is going to be cheaper it is going to have less features. Basically it is aimed for a different market, those who would buy the 99 dollar centro or another low end smart phone.

Posted by janric on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:59 am EDT

Hmmm.. If that's the case, why does Palm want to cannibalize the sales of the Pre? I mean I'm quite okay with the Pixi (so manly...), but I just think its a little bit early for them to release it. Also, I believe the Pre has a much bigger profit margin than the Pixi.

Posted by blz2 on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:35 am EDT

I noticed that while it doesn't have a physical center button, it does have a button that lights up to click to get into card view. nice.

Posted by ananimus on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 1:31 am EDT

This was my first thought, too, so I was watching them side by side. You don't have to listen very closely to hear they're not the same presentation. But that's the same presenter for sure, and it's scary how identical his script recital is.

Posted by adahm on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:37 am EDT

I'm a fairly heavy Facebook user and I got rid of the x.facebook.com bookmark within a day of getting my Pre. I have been using the full Facebook page ever since and it works fine aside from having to do a bit more scrolling because of the small screen.

Posted by eddieroger on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:43 am EDT

Wow, way to assume that what they showed was the final version of the app. Maybe they didn't show it because it's not done yet. Looking at the screens that they did show, it's clear that Facebook (or Palm or whomever is writing the app) is trying to create the WebOS experience with FB data, much like the way the FB for iPhone app looks like a typical iPhone app (example being the accordion view of the pic comments).

Posted by Felipe on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:46 am EDT

if you notices the other demo, they have gone through this a bunch of time (you see the same message over and over).

no telling how many times that pixie did that demo since its last reboot.

Posted by mu7efcer on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 2:33 pm EDT

I would have if the iPhone weren't on AT&T.

Posted by RenardRouge on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 4:50 pm EDT

And a Centro really isn't low-end, even though you'd think it should be. It's an updated, slightly faster version of the formerly high-end 755p

Posted by Joad on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:02 pm EDT

Palm sees the Centro as their low end model. They ran, not walked, away from PalmOS. It has those lousy gummy keys that are hard to read, tinier screen and worse battery life, so not really an "upgrade" to the 755. On the positive, it has PalmOS, now ships with twice the memory of a 755, has location API which Palm shafted 755 owners out of. As bad as the Centro is compared to the 755, I'd still take one over a WebOS phone that phones home to Palm with my every move.

Posted by RenardRouge on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 1:18 am EDT

Yes, I agree with all you've said. A strange mix of better and worse. It's the keyboard and screen size that is keeping me from getting the Centro. I just upgraded my Treo 650 to a 755p for $25 via eBay, though. I so desperately want to like the Pre but I just can't yet.

Posted by Joad on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:04 pm EDT

(I believe that was referring to their shills in PR).

Posted by FesterTreo on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:14 pm EDT

Did anybody notice that the demonstrator mentioned just at the start of the video that they are supporting Yahoo IM?

Posted by KamSmiff on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:21 pm EDT

Any idea if they'll make a touchstone back for the Pixi?

Posted by pyrognome on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:24 pm EDT

read the other posts. You'll find your answer.

Posted by rlopin on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 2:20 pm EDT

yes -- with 5 different colorful designs as well!

Posted by phillipah on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:36 pm EDT

Did any one else catch the fact that he said it was 3 months away form launch!!! That means it comes out in November....

Posted by mu7efcer on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 2:34 pm EDT

+1 on FB chat in the Messaging app.

Posted by sburlbaw on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 2:31 pm EDT

Youtube link not working on my pre. Any suggestions?

Posted by sburlbaw on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 3:15 pm EDT

Youtube link not working on my pre. Any suggestions?

Posted by sburlbaw on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 3:24 pm EDT

Youtube link not working on my pre. Any suggestions?

Posted by Jaime313 on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 3:44 pm EDT

So r those apps only for the pixi?
and is there going to be a Myspace app later on 2?

Posted by coff3_Blak on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 6:09 pm EDT

IDK Y Yu Wouldn't Just Spend Da Few Mo Dollars 4 The Pre

Posted by jhoff80 on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 7:20 pm EDT

Honestly I've seen many more Blackberries (notably, the Curve) in that group. But yeah, I think this is clearly targeted at high-school to college-aged people.

Posted by Joad on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:13 pm EDT

Hasn't that been Palm's target for the past 7 or so years? They tossed off WinceMobile for the "Enterprise" crowd, but kids were picking those up too. Tinier keys, worsening battery life, unreadable tiny screen fonts all add up to courting 16-year-olds who can nag their parents for the latest toys. If it weren't for the innovation of TRG, Sony and others, Palm would probably still be trying to pawn off 1MB devices with 160x160 monochrome screens as "good enough."

I'm not surprised at all that Palm would skimp yet again on memory on this "pixie." good idea to dump the slider, as it seems Palm learned nothing from their Tungsten slider fiascos.

Posted by maven1975 on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:40 am EDT

Well, Well, Well.. Looks like the memory problems on the Pre (That several of us have) were caught on video with the Pixi. Damn right you need to take it back to engineering.

Honestly, what is the point of Pixi? If the Pre is already $150, why bring out another product? The 8gb Pre will be free soon enough.

Palm, dont work backwards, move forward!