Round Table: Six months with the Palm Pre and webOS 52
Sun, 06 Dec 2009 8:53 pm EST 
Welcome to Round Table, which is in fact not a table at all. Round Table is a continuing series on PreCentral where we pose a question to the staff and they provide their thoughts and insights. The question could be something simple like “what’s your favorite webOS app?” or something a bit more complicated, like “what do you want from the next Palm device?” Or maybe we’ll just end up chatting about our favorite sandwiches, you never know. This time around we're looking back at six months of life with the Palm Pre and webOS.
Check it all out after the break: What was the most important event for Palm in the last six months, and what will be the most important in the next six months?
Craig: There has been no single big event from Palm since the the Pre was introduced but there are dozens from the user community. In July, WebOS Quick Install and fileCoaster threw open the door to homebrew apps like Solitaire and Checkers but none rocked like Music Player (Remix). Then came Preware and our world exploded. In September themes and patches came to the masess and suddenly our Pre phones could do almost anything. Oh, and somewhere along the way Palm released some updates and the Pixi.
Hopefully the biggest events ahead for Palm will be incorporating user patches and introducing the Pre 2. Imagine if Palm incorporated key user patches in one area each month: Messaging, Email, Phone, App Launcher, Browser, and Top Bar. Add in the Music Player (Remix) and the Pre and Pixi would suddenly have world-class apps, users would be a buzz, and the pundits would be blown away. Users could provide an endless source of patches. But if fragile Palm egos prevail, the Pre 2 will be irrelavent.
Derek: More important than the Pre launch in the long term will be the Pixi. Despite what Palm keeps saying, the Pre is a smartphone for smartphone geeks. The Pixi, however, has much more mass-market appeal, ala the Centro. In the 18 months after Palm launched the Centro they sold more than three million units, which is an awful lot for Palm. The hope, and expectation, is that the Pixi will replicate that success. Like the Centro, it's the smallest smartphone on the market. Like the Centro, it's a scaled down version of its big brother, the Pre. Like the Centro, it's a new smartphone at a very attractive price-point: $100. And like the Centro, it's an approachable cute phone. Assuming that Sprint's exclusivity on the Pixi isn't too long (they don't seem to be making a big marketing push behind it), the Pixi's eventual landing on multiple carriers will make it a serious contender in the mass-appeal smartphone market.
While the Pixi's launch may be the most important of the last six months, the next six months will be all about webOS and the successor to the Pre. While I have absolutely no evidence apart from industry trends to back up this assertion, I believe that summer 2010 will bring both the Pre II and webOS 2.0. Assuming that the Pixi performs as well as we expect, Palm will be well positioned for an iPhone-style global launch of the Pre II. What makes the hypothetical Pre II important is that it will demonstrate whether or not Palm has learned lessons on the hardware front. Software is easy enough to correct, but once the physical phone is out there, there's nothing that can be done to correct design deficiencies. The Pixi has shown that Palm does indeed know how to design a solid phone, but it remains to be seen whether that will be a fluke or the start of a trend.
Dieter: Although I'd like to pick several events, I'll pick one that I that think is indicative of the most important trend for webOS. Namely: the rapid release of webOS 1.2 and 1.2.1. It was (and is) a clear sign that not only is Palm able to rapidly release new versions of the webOS quickly and easily over the air, but also quickly respond to issues with updates (the Exchange bug in 1.2 was resolved in 1.2.1). Everybody agrees that webOS is very cool but could use a little more in terms of features, functionality, and speed. The fact that we're just over 6 months after the release of the Pre and we've received several major updates over-the-air is a Big Deal and keeps me from hitting the panic button about features I am waiting to see on webOS. 1.2 was the first big sign that this would be a trend.
Over the next six months, I'm torn between a few things. For Palm, it's surely going to be the Verizon release of the Pre. For me and for the future of the webOS platform, I vote for the coming changes to app distribution. Open and easy distribution of webOS apps combined with what we're hearing about the Ares development platform will mean that many many more developers will be able to get into webOS and we should see the number of apps skyrocket.
Jonathan: To me, the most significant event for Palm in the last six months was the standardization of the patch and homebrew architecture among independent developers, with help from the PreCentral and WebOS Internals sites. As a tech-savvy but non-developer user, being able easily install homebrew apps and patches has allowed me to customize my Pre to a much more usable point. No worries about the legality of jailbreaking, no problems managing the over-the-air updates for webOS, no problems with leftover obsolete code causing problems, no guilt recommending homebrew to less tech-savvy Pre users. The consistency and smoothness of the homebrew experience has got to be helping Palm and Sprint be supportive of homebrew, and it has allowed broad adoption and testing of some great apps and tweaks that are making their way into the "official" framework.
The most important event in the next six months will be the introduction of a webOS model above the Pre, likely on Verizon in the US. At this point, there's enough differentiation among power users, and enough room in the price point above the Pre, to fit in a Pre Plus, Pre 2, Pro, or whatever Palm wants to call it, just as the Pilot 1000 and 5000 were followed by the Palm Pilot Professional, the III by the IIIxe and so forth. The Pre 2 will likely include a higher-capacity battery, an SDHC slot, and expanded Bluetooth support. More memory is a possibility, although an SDHC slot will take much of that need away. Add the expected GPU support and a expansion of the SDK to the binary level for more sophisticated apps, and Palm will have a huge professional-level winner on its hands. Just adding carriers, as welcome as that will be, is not enough. Palm needs to push the hardware feature envelope, not with any revolutionary attempts (remember the LifeDrive with its internal HDD?) but with obvious evolutionary steps.
Robert: One of the most significant events for Palm in these last six months would have to be its very strong expansion into what has traditionally been a tough market for them: Europe. Being able to create a product that's compelling for the North American market and the European market has been a huge win for the company.
Going forward, Palm would be wise to aggressively expand onto other tier-one carriers, both in the US and abroad. While Sprint has been a solid launch partner for both the Pre and the Pixi, you have to look at the numbers: Sprint has some 37 million users and dropping, while Verizon and AT&T both have subscriber numbers exceeding 80 million. For some perspective, the buggy abomination of a smartphone that was the original BlackBerry Storm was able to sell some 1 million units in its first month, mostly due to Verizon's large subscriber base effective advertising campaign, while Palm's total sales for Q2FY2010 were somewhere in the 800,000 range.
Mickey Papillion, Editor, The Cell Phone Junkie: While the last 6 months have been very exciting for the webOS with multiple updates and a new app catalog, the most significant thing has to be the expansion of the platform. From the first time I heard that the OS was going to be changing for Palm, I wondered if it was going to be a positive chance. Initially, I was concerned that it would just be a one off thing (ie, software for the Pre only) and that there might not be any future devices. The introduction of the Pixi in November proved to me that Palm is truly putting its weight behind the platform. Then, Palm announced they would no longer sell Windows Mobile devices; rather, it would be focusing its efforts on its own operating system.
As one of the original leaders in PDA's, Palm has a very large following, and a community that has been craving an OS redesign for many years. webOS will continue to succeed with the addition of new hardware, which will give consumers the choice they desire in hardware. webOS is a great platform for the future, but will only succeed if there is continuous development and releases of new hardware.
And that’s what we think. Now there are two more steps: (1) we want to know what you think (the comments below await your thoughts), and (2) we’d like to hear what questions you would pose to the gang - send your suggestions for Round Table questions to roundtable@precentral.net.
52 Comments
I am just happy as can be with my pre....and some homebrew and some patches etc... Now, with this article I am getting ready for the bitch-fest! Article was very good but not looking forward to most of the comments! At one time I read comment posts very intently (could get good suggestions, hear some mild complaints but usually followed quickly by a good user solution)
Oh well... don't we all wish for the good ol days!?
+1... No phone is perfect but my Pre has been the most fun and user friendly phone I've ever owned. Please everyone, stop the bitching and be productive post your suggestions don't just complain. Complaining only turns people away from this great phone and OS.
I think the better question hear is what's gonna be Palm's next big thing. CES 2010 will tell. After seeing the new HTC line up today, Palm is gonna have to release something new and big in hardware terms (aka Pre 2). Otherwise I don't think palms future will be too bright. Many people complain about the poor quality of hardware (slider issues, screen cracks, charging door) on the Pre. And after seeing how nice the Droid, iPhone (except the glass screen), and Touch Pro 2 are there is no excuse for Palm. I only hope Palm know what todo at CES 2010...
hmmmmmm 6 months and 5 pres, webOS is simply amazing but Palm the hardware just flat sucks!
I couldn't agree with you more! I have never had good luck with Palm sliders. My old Zire 71 was just as bad as my Pre. But tha was ok because it was just for the camera. But the Pre needs it for the keyboard. Hopefully Pre 2 will slove such issues.
So weird. I read all these complaints about the slider and the screen, but I've had my Pre since release date (06June2009) and had zero problems with either!
I'm historically pretty hard (read: careless) with my toys, so I'm surprised that I've had no problems whatsoever in that department.
i've had a pre since oct 1 and i am totally satisfied with the experience so far. sprint has been way better than my previous carrier, tmobile, and the build quality on my pre has been perfect. no issues at all, yet. any updates from this point forward such as video recording or speed enhancements are just icing on the cake as far as i'm concerned (with the exception of the app limit fix, which is absolutely a necessity). integration of windows live would be nice too. ;)
ps. my last phone was a jailbroken first gen iphone. i much prefer the pre.
I couldn't agreee more that the Palm hardware just plain sucks. I upgraded the 5 phones on my Sprint plan to the Pre within weeks of the release date. Initially 2 or the 5 had serious battery issues. I'm not talking about the poor battery life issues, I'm talking about issues were the battery would heat up to the point where the phone was so hot it couldn't hold it in your hand. We got past that with 2 replacement phones in the first few weeks.
Now 6+ into the burn, the wear and tear issue are unbelievable. I've already had to replace 2 of the phone under warranty with Palm. One was the screen just went dead, I assume it was in the slider mechanism and the second the power button just stopped working.
Every one of the phones have cracks around the mini usb charging port. If you read the fine print in Palm's warranty they claim to not cover damages related to cracks around the usb port. Why do you think Palm would have been saavy enough to put that in the warranty language if they wern't aware that it is a common point of failure?
Bottom line, the hardware quality suck. With 5 phones, I can't afford the pain and lost time dealing with the hardware issues. When my contract is up...goodbye Palm. To bad because I really love the phone and WebOS.
its was a nice start but the next 6 months will be very important for Palm. Ie; launch on other networks, OS updates to add features and app catalog out of beta.
Most important thing for Palm in the last 6 months: 3 things all related - 1.) Palm does not go completely under; 2.) Jon Rubenstien takes over as CEO; 3.) Pays off $1B in debt while launching a brand new platform.
Most important thing for the next 6 months: Maintain the platform with software updates and new compelling hardware.
One side note to that: while I appreciate the workof the homebrew community, the whole patch/tweak scene should be non-existent. These features should all be part of the OS as options the user has the ability to turn on and off at will. Other platforms are already well on their way to duplicating the functionality of synergy. What will set Palm apart will be customability of the OS to the needs and desires of a wide range of users. Put that on a better set of hardware with Wimax and a decent VPN client and Palm will do well.
Agreed. Let's see what Madame Primrose sees...a strong, steady mainstream adoption similar to the shift to and growth of Firefox. Openness and flexibility will be consistently attractive to broad spectrums of users.
Chains tied to other platforms (google, apple) keep those platforms reined in having a specific finite number of users that are specifically targeted and corraled.
The openness and choice to build and easily configure what you, the consumer, specifically like in all areas of the phone will be the key. Not a mirrage of that with apps, which make you think you have that ability but are mostly distractions.
I think webOS needs to be optimized more (they are working on it) and push out the features that the community has already made. As the OS improves more and more people are going to see it for what it is - a kick ass platform that makes people's lives easier and more enjoyable.
More sales = more developer interest and apps
More apps = more sales = more resources
More resources = better future products
pressure Sprint to get us visual voicemail. No VM, WTF. It would be nice if we could speed the phone up a bit. Lets get video recording going and a voice recorder... Then this would be a full featured phone with fewer caveats whem people ask me for my recs... Updated SDK for higher qaulity apps would be icing on the cake after the aforementioned were addressed.... JMHO :)
I think as long as palm continues on this path of over the air updates as far as software goes, they will be on the right track to success. As far hardware, I've personally gone through 3 pre's since June. If they put more time into their next devices then all will be good.
Like lrn2swim, I've been very happy with my late model Pre. I also happen to live in an area with great Sprint coverage and - knock on wood - have had no hardware/build issues.
Given the solid build of the Pixi, I have faith that Palm will work out whatever Pre issues remain; as stated above, I've had none myself.
Going forward with WebOS, I think that speed and application development are the two areas that need to be addressed (fingers crossed for a GPU-enabling update).
I agree with amateurhack, job number one is to not go under.
I hope the pixi is doing well. If it isn't, then... well, then then should do something, even talk with Nokia (if the rumours are true), see what kind of deal they can work out. I don't know. I mean I've got a wish list, like everyone, but right now, someone at Palm is looking at sales numbers and planning the future and what's going to happen in the next six months is really up to those numbers.
I just wish someone from Palm would say, 'We've got enough cash for the next two years, don't worry.' Maybe on the 17th we'll get some more info.
pre multi task has made my ipod touch feel clunky. the capacative touch webkit browser I fell in love with on the ipod, certainly is there with the pre. now we only need it to speed up a little bit!!!
I can't wait to see pre2, I've had only one pre, but i feel like any minute my oreo will twist open.
Looking back to the ~last 6 months, I would have to say that the most significant moment for Palm was the Pre launch itself. I agree that there have been many, MANY incremental changes since launch day '09, and the rate of response per se is evidence enough of Palm being a new company. But none of the response, the community support, the fantastic homebrew development, and the rapidly opening floodgates of the official app catalog; NONE of it would have been there if Palm had genuinely botched the Pre launch.
That said, I believe the success of the Pre launch was due in large part to the phenomenal introduction they made at CES. Palm wasn't just launching a phone at CES, they were launching the company anew, and they did a great job of stopping the crowds there in their tracks.
Before then, people were quietly grimacing at spy shots of the "Roteo" and waiting for Palm to die. I doubt even the most rabid Palm fanboy would have dreamt that Palm could come up with something like the Pre. In a (continually expanding) sea of iCanToo's, the Pre was something truly novel. from that point forward, Palm had clearly earned its place in the modern OS market, and it began rapidly picking up awards (starting with Best of CES) to prove it.
So, what's my crystal ball say the most important thing is in Palm's next 6 months?
CES 2010. The one year milestone for the rebirth of the company, and there should be something significant to mark the occasion. Palm is facing a much more serious threat from the widespread adoption of Android than they are from Apple, and they need to recapture mindshare. When the Pre was first revealed, Gizmodo called it, "simply amazing." Most recently, they've essentially called the company that created it as good as dead. Fickle bunch, these tech bloggers. I think Palm needs to show them what their answer to the 'droid onslaught is, and establish a new wave of anticipatory excitement for "sometime in H1 2010" with the launch of Pre II.
Palm definitely looks like they are commited to advancing WebOS as much as possible. The Homebrew community is Awesome and thanks to them I have been able to update my phone to meet my every desires. The next big step for Palm is Developer support. I know that apps will make the platform. Also hopefully updated Hardware will help. One question I have is how hard is it for some of the $phone apps to be ported over to WebOS. People like Conniption (Shotgun Santa) can help with that answer I bet!!!
Palm needs to max out the capabilities of it's flagship device before it even thinks about releasing another one. I'm looking at you, GPU...
Nailed it. I'm quite surprised graphics acceleration wasn't explicitly mentioned. It kind of goes hand in hand with improving the SDK. But to instantly make all existing and future hardware turn heads, they need to get those GPUs burning. The buttery smoothness of webOS can only do so much to mask the lack of snap.
I was an apple iPhone 3G user and I'm enjoying my pre like crazy while the iphone just drove me crazy. What I feel best about is the palm treatment of the community and the creative license we give. Apply had everything in a stranglehold of Rules and regulations and spent too much time coming out with core phone functions that were missing and already on older phones for years!! When I found out my iPhone had no A2DP Bluetooth I thought there had to be a mistake. but it's something Apple left out on purpose and didn't even apologize for it. I felt like people had to kiss their feet for each dumb nugget of sensible addition. To Digress. palm the company I feel is aiming to please and I'm looking forward to see what they have in the upcoming CES.
Also, I have become a WebOS junkie and really can't see myself using anything else on the market. the WebOS is just too sensible and efficient of an interface. Not to mention beautiful. I will stay with palm so long as they keep WebOS.
Only ask is for hardware that military solid and fast enough to experience no lag. if that's going to be their next device the hoo Wah! I'm on board!
Long live palm and Web OS.
I so agree with you: Palm's treatment of the homebrew community (called jailbreak in the iPhone community) was both shocking and BRILLIANT!
I've had Palm OS phones since God was a boy. I fully expected Palm to either completely ignore the existence of the homebrewers, or try to legally shut them down. It did not occur to me that they would actually embrace it. I've seen Palm Tech Support guys actually recommend homebrew apps/patches in the official Palm forums. Made me do a double-take, then do the "Snoopy Dance!" :)
Apple, since they inception, has been notoriously horrible about playing with others. If they had been better about it, Mac OS would be the dominant operating system and Microsoft Windows would be a niche market (or not around at all).
Six months in, as a Treo owner, not yet impressed.
The good; the platform seems stable and continues to improve. Value is there with plenty of onboard features and low cost service from Sprint. Sprint, really backing the product nicely. PreCentral, without it, I'd have taken back the unit on Day 29. Touchstone, nice. Generally good marks on the O/S interface. Total dependence on the cloud.
The bad; Not looking for a million apps, just something beyond GUI's, repackaged internet data, repackaged caculators, simple games and restarant finders. General build quality, too many bad pixels and bad sliders. No video. Lousy phone application. No SD cards. Cant customize audio tones. Emulator high cost but limited ability of Classic. So-so keyboard and lack of physical device balance with typing.
And unconsciounably ugly; Battery life (or more telling, death). No carry forward of the Garnet applications, even the Palm PIMs. The application limit, almost criminal.
Anyway, in six months, if a device is out there that captures the Treo magic but has an o/s with a future. I'll pay the toll and move on. I'm really watching Android and Symbian more and more every day.
To me Palm biggest event was....the creepy lady ads.
and most important event for the next 6 months....I would have to say they need better commercials.
As for next 6 months, I would like to see
Hardware, a Pre2:
1) More RAM, more Flash
2) SDHC slot
3) Landscape slider keyboard
4) 5-way nav controller
5) Slightly larger screen (but not necessarily higher res)
6) Infrared emitter (think remote control)
Software:
1) *USER CONTROLLABLE* Flash support
2) Notification nags (audible/visible)
3) GPU support
4) Much faster response on menus and launching apps
5) Video recording
6) Built-in non-cloud backup/restore
7) Voice dialing
8) Voice control
9) More user control over launcher pages (categories, numbers, auto alphabetize)
Your hardware list for a Pre 2 is something that depends a lot on your taste and needs... landscape keyboad, larger screen, nav controller, IR emitter... those are things many people don't really need or even want, but I have to fully agree with your software TODO list.
The Pre has powerful hardware, it should be able to do all of those things and instead of dividing their attention and developing a Pre II, Palm should focus on the software for the time being. Show the full potential of their hardware, make their current customers REALLY happy. People would probably be even more likely to pay for a new Pre then if they've actually seen that they can expect new features and more than just bugfixes from Palm.
Right now, I wouldn't spend a single penny on a Pre II or Pre Plus. I've invested money in the Pre and got a product with great potential and a long list of things it might be able to do in the future but a VERY SHORT list of things it can actually do now. I rather see some commitment from Palm now than invest more money in it.
Most important event of the next 6 months? Datebk 6 for webOS is released and syncs with RTM or toodldo.
Until then, this is a toy that takes phone calls. (But I still love it)
Hardware I would like to see a giant screen, like the TX, and a horizontal keyboard.
A Palm TX owner myself with Datebk 6 on it.
My Pre can't replace my TX, the contrary neither.
I will let down my old TX when Datebk for webOS will be available. And when I will be able to buy it on the app catalog!
Except for that I like my Pre, its OS and keyboard.
Alright this is what I have to say about the pre....I love it but it was a let down for me until I was introduced to the homebrew community....and the hardware I need more for a second Pre...please get rid of the keyboard give me snapdragon and atleast 3.4 or higher screen size...embrace the home brew communities apps and patches and themes...I think the thems need official spot in the update to the palm catalog....give me better games....like sonic, crash bandicoot you know some nice 3d games....and with that give us a desk top app for syncing Mac/or PC ...they need to take a pole within there company asking what does the other companys do right and wrong with there OS get the results and fix tinker add take away what eva then give us the people a great running OS the has the do's and lacks the don't of there pole
I just hope Palm is NOT working on a Pre II or Pre Plus right now. That would just mean that they are again splitting their attention while in fact they should focus on the software right now! They got two devices out in the wild now, that's enough for the next 9 to 12 months.
Rather than publishing new hardware it's time to make full use of the existing one. Without GPU support the Pre is basically using 30% of its computation power right now. Seems like a waste of money to me. The app catalog is a load of crap. There are not even three really useful apps in it. None of the POPULAR iPhone apps exist for WebOS, not even a single instant messaging client is available, ...
As a Pre user I feel like I've invested money in a product that's new and unfinished but has great potential. Now please finish the product and make it worth the money I paid instead of delivering a Plus or second version of the same product and asking me to pay money for that one again.
And by the way: As for Dieter's opinion on Palm's update delivery capacity... I wouldn't exactly put it like you. It hasn't really been six months in which Palm has delivered a few major updates... it's rather been six months in which we have seen a series of smaller bugfixes. The updates brought almost NO new features, are hardly noticebale once installed and none of the big user wishes have been addressed so far. Not really MAJOR updates!!!
The most important event for Palm was the launch of the Droid. That's when people started thinking of Android as the real competition for the iPhone rather than the Pre. It's also jumped on to the Verizon network as the first real flagship smartphone offering.
I like my Pre, the OS and the keyboard.
I will love it when Datebk will be available on it.
it has never been easier to search for something on the internet over your phone until the palm pre. And over the past 6 months the software has GREATLY improved. I'm not completely satisfied, but many issues have been addressed.
also, the homebrew community is half the reason I love this phone. Although its sad to say that without it, I would be very disappointed. Patches add so much more functionality, I wonder why another average phone user would get this phone.
it has never been easier to stay connected to everyone I know. Try switching to another phone for a week, and you'll see how much it spoils you.
There are TWO BIG things I am missing:
I second the need for PIM updates. I am still attached to my T|X but it's seen better days. This leads me to my 2nd request:
Access to an unlocked GSM Pre in North America (preferably with a local hardware warranty). I'm hoping Palm starts 2010 selling unlocked Pre's online.
As a die-hard Palm fan, part of my loyalty has been data-dependence. With multi-years of Palm desktop data, the path of least resistance has been upgrading to newer Palm models bundled with Palm Desktop. In anticipation of my 2010 unlocked GSM Pre (wishful thinking), I'm working to get my data moved over to Outlook & Google Calendar. Makes me think -- if unlocked GSM + PIM isn't available for me in 2010, I'll have options to take my data to other phones (if I have to) once I'm ported away from Palm Desktop.
Here's hoping Palm comes through!
I've had the Pre since September, and liked it... but still carried my Centro because compared to Datebook6, TreoMemos, the Pre's calendar etc. is a plodding frustration. About a month ago I started using Homebrew and patching the blazes out of the Pre... and am now in love with the thing. My faith in the device itself is restored; I agree that palm needs to focus on software and full use of capabilities of this device. Next 6 months would hope to see
-focus on business and productivity enhancements; i.e. Calendars, memos, tasks
-integrate patches and make phone more customizable... contact groups, set tone/vib prefs
-voice commands/dialing
Essentially, turn the toy into a tool. Then I'll send back my Centro for the $15 refund :)
Honestly, I think the single most important thing to happen to Palm in the last six months, and most likely the most thing that will have the most residual effect is the USB-IF issues.
Think about it, if USB-IF really comes down on Palm for their hacking of the standard, Palm will be screwed. Not slightly, not significantly, but completely, royally screwed. iTunes support just isn't worth it.
+1
The iTunes debacle painted Palm as little more than a hack group working out of a garage, and the Pre as a half-baked hack job with delusions of greatness. A lot of people lost a lot of respect for the company. It can never be viewed as a serious, first tier player.
Moving forward, I think the only thing Palm can do to survive and turn things around is to abandon the Pre. Sound radical, but it is the best approach, IMO. The Pre has the stink of failure and disappointment about it. It wasn't an iPhone killer, or even much of a competitor, which it was supposed to be. Timed to steel thunder from the iPhone, the Pre was blown out of the water by the 3GS.
The build quality of the Pre is a nightmare. Products that develop that kind of reputation never recover no matter who makes it. Remember the Razr. It was the most popular phone in the world, but it couldn't overcome its increasing craptastic reputation. The Pre was never the most popular phone in the world. Its reputation for poor build quality is already reaching a fever pitch.
The Pre also seems too much like unfinished business. Everyone knows it was rushed out early in hopes of keeping the grim reaper off Palm's doorstep. That is not a great reputation to have, especially when it is true.
The homebrew community may be keeping the Pre alive right now, but it is also limiting the appeal of the Pre to the mass market. While geeks love it, the average consumer does not want to have to depend on jailbreaking and hacking and doctoring and patching their phone to fully enjoy it. All of those things are very scary and speak of a product that is not ready for prime-time. The Pre will always be associated with the Homebrew scene.
Palm needs to put out a new model that has no ties to the Pre, in name or form. They need to cut themselves free from the anchor that has become the Pre. A slab type, (dare I say, iPhone-esque) form factor. This is the most solid design with no moving parts and fewer things that can go wrong. Then, they need to poor the rest of their energy into differentiating their product from the rest of the market. They need to not just simply ape the form and features of the leading competitors; they need to come up with reasons why people would choose them over the others. Right now, I can't think of much that Palm can say they pioneered with the Pre or Pixi. To break out, they need to innovate in some area that causes them to stand out from the pack. They will not survive as an also ran. Because of their mistakes with the Pre, they are going to have to re-reinvent themselves.
6 months. I got my Pre the day they released. Like it.
BUT, I NEED A EBOOK READER!!!!!!!! ShortCovers is a useless for reading my vast ebook library. Getting really pissed! Don't want to carry my old Treo around to do what the Pre can't.
Someone make a ebook reader for webos!
I have been a loyal palm user since 1997 and I was and still am thrilled with my Pre. I haven't had any hardware issues with my Pre; I love it! I've been very encouraged by how well Palm has been able to quickly push out quality over-the-air updates. My hope is that palm will continue to listen to its user community and that the Pre 2 will be a culmination of the most requested changes, both in hardware design and in software.
I largely agree with Jonathan in regards to the Pre 2 needing a higher-capacity battery, an SDHC slot, and adding the expected GPU support. I want a faster and more stable experience; something as quick and responsive as the iphone or the Droid. If the speed issue were also addressed, along with battery life along with the ability to add an sdhc card, it would go a long way to keeping the Pre on top. I'm not opposed to Palm building a larger device to accomplish this.
To me the most important events are:
Realizing that my wife's vanilla nextel/sprint phone gets great reception while my Pre's reception sucks, forcing me to use the roam-only app half of the time.
Realizing that my Pre software is not actually comparable to the iPhone or Android phones, but is actually a good year or so behind those phones in development and graphics ability.
Realizing that buying a Pre at this time was a mistake.
the day we can copy and paste ANY text, picture, ect. Will be the day I commit to to palm for good.. Any news on how far out this is ?
I hope that Palm is working hard on Pre II and webOS 2.0. I think they've done a decent enough job in providing updates on a regular basis to keep the current users content. But they need to own a much bigger chunk of the market - so strategically, i hope that they launched the Pre/Pixi mostly to learn from and to perfect the mold. And do a proper global launch (with some serious and effective marketing - ala iPhone & Driod) with a much refined Pre II & webOS 2.0.
i think Derek hits the nail on the head. Pre is a cellphone geek phone and that's a problem. That said. i've never wanted a centro or something centrolike instead.
I'm not a cellphone geek so the biggest event to me was opening the app store up which i think is the disconnect between normal people and the cell phone geek population that keeps saying shit like the sdk this or ares that. the end result may be more apps but the normal person has no clue what that stuff is or that it exists. So you're left with the feeling that Palm is doing nothign and that's bad for Palm's goodwill.
web os updates have brought very little and to me were NOT significant. Had they updated all the included apps like the pathetic music player or added video recording or video editing visual voicemail yeah it would have been significant. Sure they need to fix the enterprise side. but if all you're updating is the geek tools i think the average consumer may fell like me. The Updates are welcome but don't majorly improve the user experience.
I agree that the updates have been the best thing. They give us hope about the future of WebOS and it's nice to get little updates here and there rather than have to wait 6 months or longer for one large update. I think it's a toss-up between the release of the pre on Verizon and AT&T and the improvement of the SDK as Palm's most important next move. Sprint is not going to get them where they need to be and I really hope they do not plan to give Sprint exclusives to upcoming phones. But the apps for WebOS are not too impressive which is also a big problem. I firmly believe 90% of iphone apps are worthless, probably even more. But that number is probably even higher for the Pre. The Pre is in desperate need of better, more useful apps and Palm should be creating their own if they can't get the developers to help. I think Lexi-comp and Epocrates will really help once they are released
holy great posts batman... This was a great article and the follow up comments were great. Honest complaints are fine and needed. Honest praises are greatly appreciated. Main article was fair and comments were fair. I have read on PreCentral that Palm does actually read articles and comments on this site. I have imagined myself as the appointed Palm employee with the job of scanning articles and comments... I do believe that last month, if that were my true job, I would have put a shotgun in my mouth and pulled the trigger!!! After reading this article and comments I have hope that some poor Palm employee isn't considering the same.
I'm surprised no one on the Roundtable mentioned the upcoming Flash addition to the Pre as one of the most important forthcoming "Pre" events over the next 6 months. Besides the fully-integrated web experience that will provide, the gaming possibilities will be exponential.
I was surprised at that, too. True Web usage ability would really make this a first-class device for me.
That said, I love my Pre. I love the homebrew patches and games. I haven't had it fall apart yet and it's been four months. My reception is fine, though I live in one of the most populous areas of the world, so it had better be.
If I have one complaint, it's the lack of real graphics-driven games. I did buy the phone for business use, so this was never a deal-breaker for me, but I'm getting tired of Sudoku.
As a long time palm user (and hopefully new web os phone owner thisJanuary when my Verizon contact is up.)agree with all above. The OTA updates are huge. Think about Treo and palm os updates that bricked the devices half the time in the past. Safe updates in of itself is a great advance. Good Outlook compatibility was crucial for business oriented/professional users who like fun on the side.
Big name developers is what's needed in next 6 months. Epocrates , lexicomp are going to draw in physicians, nurses who grew up with these applications from the palm os. Other name developers like electronic arts will hopefully follow. The current apps are slowly coming and hopefully binary SDK will leverage all of the Pre's capabilities to wow the average consumer with next generation web os apps. I don't need 100,000 cheap apps. I need stable professional products then a few fun apps on the side.
webOS is a great platform for the future, but will only succeed if there is continuous development and releases of new hardware.
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Then came Preware and our world exploded. In September themes and patches came to the masess and suddenly our Pre phones could do almost anything.
cara meninggikan badan Oh, and somewhere along the way Palm released some updates and the Pixi.