Sprint CFO really not fond of Pre, apparently 125
We've been warning webOS and Sprint faithful for some time now that the company is smitten with the EVO 4G and doesn't really have the time for its other children.
That trend continues today as Sprint CFO Robert Brust cast some not-so-subtle aspersions on the Pre at a New York investor conference:
"The Pre was for people who didn't really want the iPhone," he said. "But the EVO is a phone that people can get instead of the iPhone. We were in the distance last year and now we're catching up."
We're going to go ahead and disagree there, Brust, and say that perhaps there is a Pre owner or a thousand who bought the phone on its own merits and not in a fit of iPhone-hating pique.
Don't be too hard on Brust, he's probably still bitter that "The Pre didin't work out as well as we hoped" for Sprint. Then again, when Brust dropped that little quote on us last month, he blamed the issues on early inability to meet demand - a problem that's looking mighty familiar for that big Android slab.
Source: CNET; thanks gbuofu!
125 Comments
stick to punching numbers old man!
Hey hey! Don't hate the player, hate the game. Unfortunately Palm is the game in this situation.... Ok ok, I'm not a Palm hater by any means and I actually own the Pre. The biggest problem with the Pre was not WebOS but it had more to do with build quality, processing power, missing functionality (in the beginning), and crappy marketing. A combination of all those is what made Palm ultimately "fail". And from the looks of things right now we won't see another WebOS phone, which really sucks. And most of us Pre owners know we got the EVO 4G so why hate on that phone? I love it. Well, I hope HP changes it's mind and decides to try just one more phone with WebOS. A phone that has more than 1 ghz of processing power, at least a 3.8 inch screen, and possibly a front facing camera. Well, I can hope for those things and until then, I will enjoy my EVO 4G and my Pre. (That's right, I have two phones) HP, don't let us down.
Android is a fad like the hula hoop.. It'll last awhile and be popular for awhile but as for lasting. Lets face it Palm Pre may be outdated hardware but the OS keeps getting better with each update and now that developers can port their apps from iphone to WebOS with little time or effort there could be a WebOS boom around the corner..
If HP/Palm were smart they would release new hardware when that boom starts..
when that happens that CFO Bean counter will change his tune and probally say something clever like "we never doubted Palm we have been a supporter of Palm for years" CFOs are such retards at times.... It's all about the numbers not the product... The bigger the numbers the bigger his chubby gets.
You just described WebOS - a fad.
Since I switched to the EVO I now do more with my phone than ever before. Voice dialing, Google Voice, insanely long battery life compared to the Pre (based on my activities), no 15-25% battery drop after 10-20 minutes of web browsing, no problems with self signed email certificates, barcode scanner, Google Sky, auto focus camera that is fricking fast, NO SLUGGISHNESS what so ever, fast boot and shutdown, VOIP apps, mpd clients, a web browser that doesn't choke on frames - try looking at a phpmp song list, mini Flash built in, SSH clients, wifi FTP, wifi file transfer, and an on screen keyboard that simply rocks and learns how you type. All of this in one week of using the phone. How can WebOS and the Pre compare to that? It can't!
The Pre can be compared to a super model. Its pretty and nice to look at but really can't do much of anything.
And I know there are the people who are going to rant that WebOS is still in it's infancy. I say "TOUGH!" and "GET REAL!". Without functionality at release, or within months (not years) afterwards, a smart phone isn't going to cut it in today's market.
I think a lot of people are fooling themselves while at the same time denying themselves better functionality by sticking with a WebOS phone.
@echto
I agree with you mostly. I love how WebOS flows compared to Android. For all the reasons that you mentioned though, I can't stay with WebOS until a phone at least as powerful as the EVO and a screen at least 3.8 inches big gets released by HPalm. I also agree that Palm needs to have more features and apps like the ones you mentioned. Good luck HPalm, Good luck!!!
Pre Plus doesn't choke on anything as well. So WTF is your point if you've got dated information ? You sound like you were an Android fanboy from the get go.
I looked the EVO yesterday. The device is ok. Love the big screen but it's not going pull me off of the Pre for all of the reasons that folks have previously stated about Android and WebOS. The only thing that I miss is some kind of Skype and VOIP integration, but it's not like I can't call anybody via traditional dialing. The 720p capture is nice as well, but that's about it.
Android apps are mostly lame. Don't care about any sky app. The integrated Synergy stuff still rules. Hard for me to leave he platform because of it even with the limited amount of RAM and storage it has.
So annoyed that Palm hasn't released new hardware on Sprint.
it's so easy to hate.. Oh so easy.. Takes a stronger person to be nice..
ok listen, Android is good for you cause it's so easy a caveman can use it. Most of what you say can be done on a pre also.. If you know what your doing... Except all those fad google services.
hey don't get me wrong most of those Google services are nice... Until you look deeper on how much Google monitors what you are doing, where you are going, what you are looking up... Why? For better ways to market stuff to you.
hey that's all fine and dandy but I kinda like my privacy to do what I want and don't have a gestapo looking at my activities with MY phone that I purchased with MY money.
but hey if using those services makes your life easier then it's obvious that Android OS is better for you.
me I know how to use my phone. At any given time I'm doing 5-6 things at the same time. It's easier to switch from app to app and get things done quicker. WebOS is a better OS for me.
Bottom line is pick whatever phone and OS is better for you. That's uncool to be a Troll and make comments in a Palm Pre web site.... You changed to Android.. Go and hang with Android Central now... Take it easy and enjoy your EVO.
Please.... if you think every single application in the Android Market place is a google service you are seriously wrong.
I'm happy you are happy with the Pre. I'm happy with the EVO. I just think it's funny how people are scrambling for excuses to defend the Pre with while trying to dis a phone such a the EVO; "WIFI DOESN'T WORK AWAY FROM ROUTER! FRAME RATE CAPPED AT 30FPS!" and now this one, "Google monitors what you are doing, where you are going, what you are looking up.".
Again, please. You sound as if purchasers of the EVO aren't concerned about their privacy.
hey I'm not dissing on the EVO. Heck I was thinking of getting one on my second line at Sprint seeing I just moved to a new area of the state I want my old number I have had for 10yrs and a new local area code for people and my job here in the new area.
My only concern is the fact of security. I have played with the Android OS extensively and it just doesn't flow with the kind of usuage that I do. It doesn't flow like my pre does (btw I'm overclocking).
Android you have to "jailbreak" my Pre it's just homebrewing that Palm supports (with the exception of the overclock kernel).
It's 2 different OS's geared for 2 different kinds of people. What's good for you may not be good for me. Yes I agree there are too many people that get crappy over defending their Pre. Especially if there is someone almost being a Troll and likes to come in here and dis on the Pre when they don't even have one. I don't go to Android central and post in their stuff.
I have my own personal negative views on Android and mainly Google as a whole. The only thing I use Google for is searching the web. Other then that I don't agree with alot of their practices. Alot of what they do is like telemarketing just without having to contact you directly.
the EVO is a sexy phone.... But personally my WebOS I think is sexy also.... Just the hardware for the WebOS sucks right now. But I'm not using my phone for the hardware I'm using it for the WebOS.. Some of the flaws with the software deals with some hardware issues. If Palm/HP were to put WebOS on a device like the HTC EVO WebOS would act alot differently and there would be alot of people out there with a different opinion on the Palm front of smartphones.
Happy Androiding... I'll stick with my Pre a little while longer.
Well, no single smartphone is going to turn Sprint's contract churn around until they do something to remove the stygma of their place in the industry.
If Palm is worth having, they wont need to be a champion in Sprints lineup in order to sell. Evo is a tough sale, its just another Android and makes the buyer pay a premium on service even if there is no 4G service available. If they want to make that their flagship, it's gonna take a while to shallow out their dive and start gaining altitude. They really need a full powered Android that runs 3G or offer Evo with a limited-to-3G service contract in order to gain universal appeal. They wont have 4G in enough markets to make EVO the perfect-for-all solution.
And I'm sure Brust will favor whatever phone their currently selling the most of. If Palm releases new hardware and it starts outselling Evo or the Droid-of-the-month, I'm sure his tune would change even faster. Face it, he's a bean counter, he didn't pick the Pre, he didn't pick the Evo, he just fills out the report card for the last three months of math.
Sprint isnt doing as bad as you think. With them owning the prepay industry, (boost, virgin, and soon possibly metro/cricket) as well as where they have 4g they also have Clear internet which is selling very good as well. Hell even Comcast uses sprint for their wireless.
As for the extra charge, dont be so cheap. You cant go to ANY other carrier and get everything included in your plan for the same price as Sprint. An extra 10 bucks is nothing.
And lastly Droid is a brilliant idea. A complete open source OS with great functionality and not tied down to any one Brand. Ingenious!!!! I love me some Webos but HPalm is going to have to do something different than what apple is doing if they want to succeed.
I think Sprint is doing everything right, prepay programs, aggressive value data and calling packages, low ETF's, early upgrades, vastly improved service...yet they continue to lose customers and are still running for a loss. I dont think they're doing as well as you want to believe.
Brust was a luddite & a hatchet man when he was CFO @ Kodak. I know because I used to provide tech supt to the top level execs @ the Big Yellow Box back when he was Kodak's #1 numbers guy.
That said, the Pre has always been it's own worst enemy. Build quality issues & a Gen-1 OS (good as it is) combined with lackluster marketing pretty much guaranteed that it was going to be a Tier 2 product. I love mine & I'm sticking with Palm/WebOS, but lets not fault the man for expressing what a lot of people think.
His comments, perhaps, isn't necessarily about shining light on the Pre's past with Sprint, but merely Plam's future with Sprint.
CFO or not none us bought the pre for that reason... It was the OS that got us and continues to keep us for the most part. Lol
Just another out of touch officer.
seriously. In IT, I've yet to meet a CFO who actually understood technology coherently and was able to dictate and comprehend the direction of their company. Let's face it, CFOs are good at crunching numbers. It really stops there. Making blanket statements like that might be ok for a good portion of the users, but please don't classify everyone under the same criteria.
I agree. The CFO is just making a political statement that he thinks will be agreeable with the board. Sprint is looking for revenue "hope" everywhere and when they don't get it with the HTC EVO, then he will say something similar. Office politics is great but it gets in the way of accepting reality and doing the right thing.
Looking more and more like there could be a future exodus from Sprint, hopefully not.
Sorry, I'd have to disagree with this statement... I hate to say it, especially here, but if it came down to it, I'd pick Sprint and Android over Palm and some other provider any day of the week. I love webos, but it seriously took a back seat right now to phones like the Evo 4G that have impressive hardware but lacking in the software arena. I'm still hoping for some magical announcement from Palm/HP but its not looking too promising right now.
I agree with you and with him.
I bought the Pre because I didn't want an iPhone. And I think webOS is far and away the best smartphone OS out there, but the Pre is average hardware at best. It is perfect as a mid-range device between an entry level Pixie and something with a screen size and form factor to compete with the Droid, iPhone, and Evo.
My loyalty right now is to Sprint based on the quality of the service I have received and the excellent price. I want a bigger screen and more memory. I will give HPalm until year end to announce a competitive replacement addition to the webOS family that will be available on Sprint. If one doesn't show up then it's off to the world of Android for me.
If webos ran on the same hardware as the EVO you'd not be complaining at all. You're confusing poor hardware choices from Palm with webOS and the direction HP is going. Listen, anyone who makes a drastic jump to the next phone just because it's faster, is only going to be obsoleted by the next phone in 3-6 months, so let's be real here. I'd say it's probably best if we wait to see what H-Pre comes out with later this summer, after the iphone craziness settles. If the hardware still lacks, then I'd say it'd be a good move to get off palm. Aside from the quantity of apps, I still don't think Android has a great UI. It's terrible - it literally looks like a linux desktop. It's cludgy. There's no doubt Android will become more polished over time, but right now, webOS is by far the most polished of any OS. It just needs faster hardware and a few more add-ons and tweaks.
If webos ran on the same hardware as EVO i'd still be complaining about the crappy music player, and the utter lack of big name apps. sorry they're not getting me with Chuck knows best and wordbox. no offense to those developers but what i want is espn and only ESPN can do that.
Palm's problem is far from only hardware. Palm has so software issues too. Palm needs more the "just faster hardware." Without Apps and robust, well executed media services, they aren't going to keep people like me long term.
@blackmagic01
...you know they have ESPN over in fruit camp, you should probably go there instead. Here let my point you in the right direction...
http://www.tipb.com
Sorry i'm not a Pre Fanboy like you. That's about the dumbest business plan i can think of. When customers tell what they want send them to the competition. How about you just deliver better apps?
Then I guess you'd be about the dumbest consumer ever?? What sense does it make to buy a Toyota and keep b!tching "I wish this car had the radio from a Honda, and I wish it drove like a Honda, and I wish the trunk was a big as a Honda."
If you love the Honda so much, why are you still driving the Toyota and b!tching about it? Plenty of people love their Toyotas, go buy a damn Honda already.
...I swear it really amazes me that people will say a product or service is not right for them but yet will do nothing change it except bitch. *rolleyes*
thank you. Very well said.
get in... Hold on... Shut up. Webos is going to be a long ride... If you don't want to wait for the next corner... Get out.
make suggestions and requests.. But don't bitch.
either you believe...or you don't. If you don't. Move on... If you do , defend it. Be passionate about what you believe in.
blackmagic,
How many months can one have Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. RAG already, then go neutral for a few days. Enough moaning.
Take the weekend, go find the best device, buy it, and bless their online community with your presence. Everybody is upgrade elligible now, every phone and provider has weaknesses that could/should be improved. We get it.
For you to be so unhappy and bitter, yet continue to come in here and beat on a one plus year old device that still needs some functionality issues resolved and some key third party apps developed which we all agree on, its getting trite at best. MAN UP, TAKE CONTROL, GO GET THE PHONE THAT DOES IT BETTER! Midol can only do so much.
Thank god... There is some balls on this site.
I agree. Looks like all these complainers are doing is stirring up shit...or trying to make a decision. Shit or get off the pot.
way to man up predogs....
obviously NO ONE at verizon is fond of it either. All the reps/salespeople I've talked to hated it...mostly cuz it doesn't contain the word 'droid'...
it's the best kept secret in the world of mobile :p
Brust is right. Truth may hurt.
interestingly he said they are catching up. makes me think next phone will be a slab.
I think he's saying that the next phone IS here, and it's called the Evo. He's saying that Sprint is catching up because he feels the Evo is closer to parity with the iPhone than the Pre is.
yes you're probably right. great. remove my silver lining why don't you. lol. well silver for those that want a slab form factor. but yeah i guess that's likely what he meant.
exactly d donkey.
there is the iphone... Then there's the iphone wanna be's..
feel free to fill in any htc motoralla droid you want.
this old turd cfo just wants sales...and if that means copying the iphone..."well gosh darn it get those chinese to copy it and put that fandangled alien stuff on it. That crap seems to sell better than that black orb looking thing... I don't care how many design awards it's won"
heard at last quartters sprint board meeting.
Brust is right for a small portion of Pre owners. The problem is, he can't throw that blanket statement out on everyone. The reason why the Pre wasn't successful on Sprint is because Sprint doesn't have a great network. First, when Sprint used the term PCS, it got another nickname - pretty crappy service. That's from the consumers. Not good.
Second, what positive commercial ads did you see when the Pre came out on Sprint? This one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKSD30jl_h0
Guess what? It stunk! Then, Verizon comes out with this commercial for Droid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnaAQwGcBks
It makes everyone wonder what in the world is coming. Next, their stealth fighters prep people for Droid by giving them glimpses. What a freaking awesome job they did on marketing!
But when the Pre comes out on Verizon, they don't advertise at all and then when they do, they sell it to moms with the utmost terrible ads. Palm was setup to fail from the get-go.
If palm wants to win this time around, they need to make this launch the biggest launch ever. They need to make commercials with hints of what's coming, but a month ahead of time. Same way Verizon did it with Droid. Let people get hyped up about it. Then when they show it off, do it like Apple does it - make oohs and aaahs as you're speaking about each cool feature, as if no one else has it, or as if no one else can do it better.
I can only say Palm HAS to come out with hardware that will blow people away. If they don't, they'll remain at the bottom of the barrel with Apple and Android surpassing them. In fact, over time, Micro$oft may even pass them, simply because of the sheer marketing dollars they have to sell it right.
i disagree. "The reason pre wasn't successful was cause of sprint's network" I'm paraphrasing but then why do blackberries do fine on sprint? Was the Evo launch, even with revised numbers, double the Pre launch. Pre didn't do well cause it's not what people want.
of course he can't make a blanket statement about all pre users. no statement ever is going to be that. you can hardly criticize someone for making that sort of generalizations. He has to speak in grand generalizations.
Pre comes out on verizon and they don't advertise and that's why Pre did shitty? I disagree too. Sprint didn't advertise the EVO and it had a great launch so clearly if you have a good enough product you don't need to advertise. Pre was just not good enough for the average consumer. Verizon has more customers but from the poll they did on this site, taken with a grain of salt, most of the pre users here were on sprint. So why not a dramatic uptic in users with a bigger verizon customer base?
And what's the excuse for AT&T. Obviously when faced with the competition people are choosing other phones.
But to Brust. You say "Brust is right for a small portion of pre owners." But Brust said, "The Pre was for people who didn't really want the iPhone," That's not a statement about pre owners it's a statement about the target market. And either way i think it's pretty accurate. Read the forums and you've got people banning discussions of iphone and evo. seem to me most people that like the pre are anti iphone. They didn't want one. The problem though is most consumers do want an iphone. So to me he's spot on when he says the EVO is and iphone alternative. that is for people that like iphone but want an alternative. Pre is for people that hate iphone and don't want one. And that's the problem. Cause i'm in the former category. And Pre just isn't an alternative. Especially, in my opinion cause the media player isn't nearly as good as my ipod and you just aren't seeing any major companies making apps for webos. And those are both high on my list of importance.
@blackmagic01
Pre not do well on V?? It couldn't have ANYTHING to do with 95% of reps pushing and selling Droid to all Pre seekers...nah.
...and LMAO at the media player comment...wait, ooh Pre doesn't have some USELESS "coverflow" chooser for albums. By your logic, the iPod Shuffle should have been a gigantic fsilure but...
Seriously, I know guys don't like to ask for directions but I'm a helpful guy so here ya go http://www.tipb.com
you keep following my posts. get a life. Whaaaaa! typical blaming someone for your own failure. If the phone was really great you couldn't keep people from buying it. Do you think someone at AT&T is gonna talk someone out of an iphone that wants one? of course not. Your just making excuses for failure.
Ipod shuffles aren't exactly direct competion with large capacity cell phones or mp3 players, cell phones like a pre are. And apple made it's money on big ipods. you have to match it to be a player and Pre doesn't. it's not about coverflow. You mentioned Coverflow. NOT me. That's your hangup. As i don't use it. but i still use my ipod cause it kills the pre in usability. And I don't have to jump to a whole bunch of not interconnected applications to make it work. That the only thing you can think of is coverflow shows how little you understand about the problems with the media player. But what ipods do do well is it's got great sync capabilities, great playlist support, great podcast support, It doesn't lag or stutter when you touch menus. You don't have to worry about what folder you're putting stuff in. It's got way more features, and polish, and you don't have to hack my phone or download extra software to do get that functionality.
here, i got directions for you http://youarenotsosmart.com
Actually my music player works JUST fine. Syncs up with Rhapsody automatically everytime I plug it in and pulls over my songs, albums, and playlists. But alas, I was able to figure all that out without Steve Jobs telling me how to do it so keep on believing that Apples products are unbeatable in any market space.
But seriously, when will you stop trolling on P|C?
ha ha. You really didn't respond to any other posts. Ha Ha. just got all wound up and followed my posts. Sorry man/woman. The truth hurts. I'd suggest you get a hobby and stop waging you're personal battles to validate your own self worth by way of comment sections.
Pre didn't do well because they didn't make enough to meet demand for launch day. Nearly all stores were sold out well before launch, with many stores selling out before their normal opening hours.
Initial reception for Pre was poor with hardware issues and sh!tty battery life paired with flaming hoops of continued demand/shortages that prompted buyers to seek a more refined product in the interim. Today's webos released on revised hardware with a few key apps developed by/with HP support, should allow WebOS to start to gain traction in the market place.
Pre was what people wanted, it just didn't do it the first month and people gave up their goose chase to find one for themselves.
Maybe where you live Sprint is crappy but not where I live. I have zero problems with Sprint up and down the east coast. And they have the cheapest rates and plans.
But you are right about the advertising and launch failure.
My entire family has the Pre and we love it.
How many freaking apps does one need? I have a boat load and I use the weather apps the most. It a phone. And I surf the web with it too..no problems with either. But faster is always better!
What? I didn't want AT&T!
Edit: Oops replied wrong post
Its a numbers game. Bottom line, its about beating the iPhone as a company. Meaning activations, iPhone brings a bunch of customers and Sprint would like that too. The EVO is hot and big right now, so they are driving it to compete.
Doesn't mean its better than another phone, but Sprint needs customers badly. Where I am at it all about two things: iPhones or Verizon. Iphones because thats the phone to beat and Verizon because these people ar loyal to Verizon even if it means paying more, they dont care.
Does throwing last year's premier product under the bus sell new phones or just piss off subscribers?
As others have said, Sprint has poor network coverage in many places, so many who would have jumped on the Palm Pre bandwagon just didn't. You see the same thing where many people hate Verizon, so didn't switch to Verizon to get a good Android based device.
Since the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus came out for Verizon and Sprint, there has been virtually no new advertising that really makes people want to run out and get a Palm device. The commercials are just too subtle for a device that needs something that jumps out at people. Hell, the "life moves fast" advertising is good, but it took five times before I even noticed it was an advertisement for Palm.
All they have to do is jump out at people with something like this:
Black screen
Narrator: Do you do more than one thing at a time?
Scene opens with someone in business that is checking e-mail on his Pre.
Call comes in, show the popup with the voice from the other end of the call saying to check something.
Show the ease of just popping open the contact list, doing a quick SMS to a contact, getting the results in a text, which then links to the browser. Then a quick response over the phone with the requested information.
It may be simple, but showing how easy it is to just get things done on a Pre in a commercial without just being focused on what is going on all around "the user" is needed. Get the focus on the device and how you use it. Show how the Pre blows away Blackberry devices(which are very popular in their own right).
There could be a set of these sorts of commercials, from wanting to check sports scores while someone is making a friendly bet with a friend on the phone and then texting to another friend might go well for other consumers. Or one about doing business on the road, where a smaller phone would beat a larger phone in many situations(you don't want people to notice when you are using a phone in a meeting).
Ya right
everyone wants the EVO with its
Crappy wifi signal
720p video thats not as good at the Pre
Account syncing that has sync problems
Can only have 1 Exchange account
Ya.. Its a great phone lol
HTC and Google knows what the people want, polished turds!
All you need to do is have phone that will play media, hint at 4g speeds (and charge them for it), with high specs that are not as fast as other phones with lesser specs, and though in A ton of barf fart and a few good apps. Then you have a winner...
Yup.. They are good at selling turds :/
The EVO is hardly a turd.
I am one of the traitors who left the Pre for the EVO. I also got my Pre on launch day, so I wasn't a Johnny-come-lately to the platform.
Don't fire off wild shots at the EVO. There is enough room in the mobile space for multiple platforms to coexist. I've had none of the problems you list with my EVO and I find its speed, reliability, and app selection to be a refreshing change.
The fact of the matter is that WebOS is fantastic, but it was released half-baked and it still isn't even up to prime time. Honestly, how can you defend Palm's excluding a microphone API for a YEAR?
Here's what I suggest: If you're a Pre user on Sprint you have Premiere status. Get an Evo for a year and then if Palm comes out with some competitive hardware then switch back to Palm. That's my plan.
First the EVO's Wifi does not work away from the router
Now the EVO's Frame Rates are capped at 30fps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=699290
I own an EVO and it is stitting right next to me. I can assure you that it works just fine "away from the router." For those who may or may not be having troubles, it might just be a firmware issue that can be fixed. Same with the 30FPS issue.
What on earth does any of this have to do with Sprint's CFO and his thoughts on the Pre, anyhow? Sorry, but hating on the EVO isn't going to make the Pre any better and it isn't going to change the CFO's position.
Meow!
Why does anyone want a Pre with its
Total SHIT battery life.
Complete LACK OF FUNCTIONALITY IN THE OS compared to other devices.
300+ people on a website crying about how they're going to write letters to the HP CEO. (seriously - how many f*cking people live in the US and are using cell phones? MILLIONS!!!!... please, like your screeches matter... cry me a river).
..and did I say LACK OF NON-USELESS, Card this-card that, swipe this-swipe that APPS!
Oh and lets not talk about how long it takes to open the camera or save an image as an attachment to a text message. Lets just not talk about how long it takes to do things on the Pre at all.
You people are f*cking pissing me off with your blind dedication to what is yes a good idea on paper and in the minds of software engineers, but in current application a big ass lacking constipated bowel movement!
WebOS is great for what it can do RIGHT NOW. Is it PRACTICAL for the GENERAL NEEDS OF THE POPULOUS? FUCK NO! WebOS needs to go back on the drawing board for just that, more drawing.
I can't foresee another WebOS phone coming to the market for at least 3-4 years from now. But unfortunately that won't happen. Consumer demand *DICTATES* production. And right now the hot thing is Android AND NOBODY IS GOING TO BE MAKING/INVESTING/GIVING A DAMN ABOUT A WEBOS PHONE.
I think you might need more fiber in your diet. ;) Helps with the constipation issue.
But really, I wouldn't get so worked up over people with blind dedication to something. I've used the Moto DROID, played with a few blackberries, and before the Pre, was a basic dumbphone user. I'm more pleased with the Pre than with the others, the experience of using it is quite good. I'm not dissing anything else, not even fiber in the diet. But I do like my experience with webOS. I like the phone too, but the hardware isn't the best feature.
I've set up several patches, have enjoyed a good bit of homebrew, and this makes a big difference.
Hey, there are people with a blind dedication to Justin Bieber. I'm not one of them, but I have a daughter...and I love my daughter. We don't agree on everything, but I can let her have a blind dedication and life can still be good...baby, baby, baby oh!
And this is just a personal request...can the language (throughout the board) be taken down just a bit more? I mean, are you really THAT upset about this? Let's save the course language for "Look out Jimmy, there's a $*@$&!@ truck heading right for you!
this will piss me off too. I've beem with Sprint for 10+ years and if the pull some stupid shit like not getting an upgraded Pre I'm really not sure what I'm gonna do. Seriously, this is one of the best phones I have ever owned, I am still on my first pre and can not put the phone down. Homebrew is a huge thing admittedly but the phone is just perfect for what I need. Verizon sucks,at&t are nazis with their service and..well I'm not sure there is much worthwhile on any other service. If Sprint kills Palm stuff in the future I may end up going to a dumb pre paid phone since the companies seem only interested in putting us over a couch and F$#king us hard.
this will piss me off too. I've beem with Sprint for 10+ years and if the pull some stupid shit like not getting an upgraded Pre I'm really not sure what I'm gonna do. Seriously, this is one of the best phones I have ever owned, I am still on my first pre and can not put the phone down. Homebrew is a huge thing admittedly but the phone is just perfect for what I need. Verizon sucks,at&t are nazis with their service and..well I'm not sure there is much worthwhile on any other service. If Sprint kills Palm stuff in the future I may end up going to a dumb pre paid phone since the companies seem only interested in putting us over a couch and F$#king us hard.
they should get some young blood into the management team at sprint, get the ones who need the blue pill out. i dont think there will be a pre+ for sprint users.
any way of getting this turds email to let him know just how completely wrong and idiotic he is?
He probably doesn't use email.
True, but he has minions to read it to him.
Yeah whatever... he probably has to routinely ask his secretary or IT with help on his phone... He should stick to punching numbers, something Sprint hasn't done too well with in recent history... :P
Seriously, if sprint passes on the next gen WebOS product, it'll be their loss.
I have the pre, and the HTC EVO 4G SUPERPHONE. So let me tell yall this thing is a beast..:) super fast
His comments are spot on. A year ago, Android wasn't nearly as popular as it is now, and WebOS was the first platform to really rival the iPhone experience.
Today, the landscape has changed considerably. Android has considerable mindshare with growing sales. Palm still hasn't announced any new hardware since the Plus models.
He's a finance guy; he loves whatever he thinks will make the company money, particularly in the short-term.
If the Pre had sold better than the Evo, he probably would have said that the Evo was the "anti-iPhone" rather than the Pre.
Let's face it, Droid phones have been marketed FAR better than Palm. They're getting all the attention, and that's what a CFO cares about.
I think there's some truth to that.
I'd still take a palm pre over a droid,i phone or any other device that's out there or will be.
This along with what the boss of HP said the reason they didn't buy Palm, the poor build quality, the poor sales and poor advertising, poor returns rate of handsets and the lack of basic apps will in no way help Palm even if a new phone is announced. The Palm name has been damaged and it will take lots and lots for that to be repaired. The bad publicity is doing them no good and that may answer why some are leaving Palm HQ whilst the boat still floats. Android is becoming so popular and the iPhone will sell with or without adverts o2uk mcan;t even give them away anymore and it is such a shame as webos is so bloody good.
The UK networks may shy away from taking another Palm phone and o2 will avoid it like the plague even though they didn't help it. Now the other thing that won't help a webos device is having HP on it. People do not put HP and phones in the same sentence. So you have a brand name that is damaged and a company that dont make or have never ever made a good phone (HP)
O2UK don't even give you a replacement Pre anymore, they offer a Bold 9700, HTC HD2 or i was offered a Palm Pixi, the basic one with no WIFI. They have stopped the Pre due to the scores of returns of replacements. In the space of a week i have had 3 phones. That is poor!
Palm have a big hill to climb and HP need to get everything behind it to get it up there and i imagine it will be a struggle.
"The Pre was for people who didn't really want the iPhone," he said. "But the EVO is a phone that people can get instead of the iPhone".
Why does it sound like he's saying the same thing about both phones in my head? Except for his use of "was" and "is" of course...
+101
I read that comment as the Pre appealed to people who want a smart phone but don't want an iPhone. That it wasn't as good a phone as the iPhone. I agree. I didn't buy the Pre because I thought it was better. it's better in some ways, but overall I think the iPhone is superior. But I don't like how Apple does business and I was tire of the poor quality service I got from AT&T (12 year customer). If Verizon or Sprint had offered the 3GS I would have gotten the iPhone despite my issues with Apple.
The Evo does compete more directly and strongly. You can get up to 32gb memory, it has a much large app base, it offers a screen that is larger, not smaller, it offers 4G and multitasking (although not as good as webOS). Spec for spec the Evo is a strong competitor for the iPhone and the Pre is not.
You are correct. I just posted this before noticing yours.
So, maybe it will be more clear if I say it:
"the Pre is for people who don't want an iPhone"
"The EVO is a phone that people can get instead of the iPhone"
See the difference? Is it colder in the winter or the mountains.
I hate to tell you people this but he is completely correct.
that's funny, 'cause I know Russ McGuire is a big fan of the Pre. I wonder if they are dueling it out in the Sprint board room!? ;)
Has this older than dirt fuck ever used the damn phone?!? Excuse my cursing, but I'm really tired of hearing these dumbassses that "don't get it". I still have my Sprint Pre and I love it! Its the best phone I've ever had.
The Pre has hardly been a blockbuster success. He is not completely wrong.
Maybe he has a point, at the time, the pre did not have any significant features other than the palm name and the keyboard. webOS was brand new and still to this date has yet to prove itself.
Now compare that to the evo which has a larger screen, faster processor, 4g, 8mb camera, front camera, etc....
and it actually gives the buyer a good alternative to the iphone,
In my opinion there is a very small group who will actually buy a phone based on the operating system. The majority of the public only notices hardware.
my $0.02 worth (CFO can you understand this), go back to your green shade & #2 pencil & leave the smartphone comments to CEO's eh... On 2nd thought maybe listen to customers & how you will help win back current PALM USERS can you count how many *12 months * $58 avg rev.. Go find that replacement revenue..
I will now leave Sprint after 10 years & with my 3 Pre's. I happily vote with my thinner wallet.
cc: Dan@sprint.com
So, considering that infernal exclusivity agreement with Sprint is one of the (many) reasons Palm is in its current predicament, this douche's statements against the Pre are basically adding insult to injury, huh?
It's bad enough I had to wait A YEAR to get my Pre on AT&T; now this asshole is slamming my phone. What a dick.
HP & Palm is getting along, Sprint #1 focus is now on Andriod. The Iphone 4G is coming out. SMH, Palm is self crumbling.
I have to agree with him he has a home run with the Evo and the Pre has not been good for business with all the exchanges/returned units and bad word of mouth and press.
Sprint is not the only culprit here, Version, Att&T, the Shack and BB, nobody wants to buy this little cheap looking phone with a lacking OS that you need to install preware to make up for what its lacking, besides its old.
I went to The Shack on the 4June to get my Evo and the sales rep asked if I liked my Pre and I said yes, I never had a issue and he said everybody liked it but you won't find it in the store. Then he said we had to make room so they dumped the Pre.
Yeah, webos is pretty good but its getting old making excuses for a lacking OS thats losing ground. The Evo has card view in its stock browser and the ability to open more then one web page and go back and forth. Granted not as elegant but its there with flash lite.
With the fathers of webos abandoning ship with consumers for other manufactures it will only be a matter of time before they incorporate some of webos advantages into their OS's.
The more I use the Evo and Android OS the more I say to myself why did I buy that little turd of a phone. I thought apps like Where was good on the Pre until I got the Android version and WOW, they did a half @ss job for the Pre and I don't want to talk about Google maps and other apps!
The Pre is a pretty good 3D gamer but I didn't buy my phone for games. The Pre has fallen way behind.
Brust is a great CFO... he has done exactly what he's been hired to do: build OIBDA. He has nothing to do with purchasing phones, selecting phones, etc. He doesn't even have a laptop. He gets his e-mails printed out for him. He is basically the greatest cost-cutter in history, and his focus on the bottom line is PERFECT. Did anyone see this article?
http://www.utne.com/Science-and-Technology/Supreme-Court-Justice-Doesnt-...
That's Brust, except it's more pathetic for Roberts because he's only 55.
Putting any weight AT ALL behind what Brust says about a handset or mobile OS is a waste of time. He doesn't affect our strategy, our marketing... nothing. (But he's great at what he does, I can't stress that enough. I don't care if he thinks we're all descended from guano, I'm a fan of his.)
I will say this: to all those who said that it was Sprint's fault that the Pre didn't sell, take the EVO sales and shove it. The marketing for the Pre - from Palm, not our marketing - sucked. It is honestly too simple to sell. How do you sell how simple something is unless you just use it? You can mimic Apple's commercials, but that relegates you to the realm of a copycat, and that gets you nowhere.
If the Pre was an awesome handset with a ton of buzz, it would have sold. It was not. I LOVE WebOS. I owned a Treo 700p for 3 years before jumping for the Pre. The Pre is the worst handset I've ever seen running the best mobile OS the world has ever seen.
Well, MY Pre handset is fantastic. 800mhz and awesome patches for the win. Touchstone? Amazing.
You started off so good, too.
Nothing I hate more than having someone kick me when I'm down, which is what the CFO has done to us. We know what's wrong... Just put more salt on the wound & run our collective face in it. We know that the phone is the problem, but the CFO ass who made the comments while we are down!
the droid 2 is trash jus sayin
I want to be OUTRAGED! But, he's right -- I did buy the Pre because I hate the iPhone (but love the iPod Touch!).
I didn't know ANYTHING about the Pre before I bought it. I blame webOS marketing and a half-baked webOS at its release.
Now I know that Palm isn't the powerhouse that Apple is, and they don't have all the manpower to robustify webOS -- but a year after it's 'birth', it seems to really be coming into its own.
Brust may be a great guy but so was Dan Rather a well respected & loved newscaster for 40+ years, until he made a bad public comment that ended his career and any hope of going out in style. The pen is mightier than the sword, but OMG what the spoken word can do to one's image.
you know you really should say stuff like that ...you are talking to true blue webos/palm fans...if it weren't for the Pre i wouldn't have had renewed my contract at sprint. I haven't had any problems what so ever...until now >:(
Well, like I stated in another post, a store manager indicated to me that the Pre was simply "bad for business at Sprint" due to the very high return rate. I myself am on my 4th Pre and this 4th one is defective (charger door crack spreading to screen). Of the other 3 lines on my 4-line family plan, only 1 Pre is without defects. So that's 7, SEVEN!, bad Pres between 4 people in 1 year.
Some have been lucky to have gotten a none defective Pre, but based on my family's experience, I can understand this CFO's (and especially the store manager's) comments. That many returns just can't be good for business.
Now, I don't hate webOS, but I really don't like the experience I wound up having with the Pre. Guys, these things are now being sold cheaper than some "not-so-smart" phones, and free in some cases, an they are still not making waves. I'm seeing it now compared to the EVO and it will likely be compared to whatever the next shiny phone is that comes out in the near future. The fact is, the Pre wasn't selling well long before the EVO was announced.
No matter how much we love or loved the Pre, there has never been enough of us to make it a success from a business point of view. If there were, and especially if more were flocking to the device and OS, Palm would not need HP. Can that be turned around? Maybe, but like @nsabournemouth said, it's going to be struggle.
AMEN!
Android is Munchkinland, the Pre is the Yellow Brick Road, Jobs is the Wicked Witch of the West, Blackberry is stuck under a house somewhere, and Brust is just some old tree throwing apples at us.
honestly I brought my Pre because it was the best thing that sprint had at the time. If they had an iphone maybe I would have brought that. Don't get me wrong webOS did win me over. So as long as Palm, HP make a great device using webOS then that's what I will get. If Sprint chooses not to carry the next Palm smartphone I think they may lose a few million more customers. If people brought the pre because they didn't want the iphone who really gives a shit. The bottom line is they brought from your company. Sprint had a chance to be the first with android and blow it, now they are ridding androids dick. They are really still so far behind. Everyone doesn't want an EVO but now that's all they are gonna push but don't even have any more to sell. Sprint how about sending your buyers out in search of more up to date devices. Is it that hard to offer your customers more great devices at one time. Can you guys multi task? My pre can.
Robert Brust is a total doucher...
honestly I brought my Pre because it was the best thing that sprint had at the time. If they had an iphone maybe I would have brought that. Don't get me wrong webOS did win me over. So as long as Palm, HP make a great device using webOS then that's what I will get. If Sprint chooses not to carry the next Palm smartphone I think they may lose a few million more customers. If people brought the pre because they didn't want the iphone who really gives a shit. The bottom line is they brought from your company. Sprint had a chance to be the first with android and blow it, now they are ridding androids dick. They are really still so far behind. Everyone doesn't want an EVO but now that's all they are gonna push but don't even have any more to sell. Sprint how about sending your buyers out in search of more up to date devices. Is it that hard to offer your customers more great devices at one time. Can you guys multi task? My pre can.
honestly I brought my Pre because it was the best thing that sprint had at the time. If they had an iphone maybe I would have brought that. Don't get me wrong webOS did win me over. So as long as Palm, HP make a great device using webOS then that's what I will get. If Sprint chooses not to carry the next Palm smartphone I think they may lose a few million more customers. If people brought the pre because they didn't want the iphone who really gives a shit. The bottom line is they brought from your company. Sprint had a chance to be the first with android and blow it, now they are ridding androids dick. They are really still so far behind. Everyone doesn't want an EVO but now that's all they are gonna push but don't even have any more to sell. Sprint how about sending your buyers out in search of more up to date devices. Is it that hard to offer your customers more great devices at one time. Can you guys multi task? My pre can.
Gee, I wonder why Sprint hates the Palm Pre. I had to go in tonight and have this poor bastard order me a THIRD replacement Pre. He tells me that replacements for broken pieces of shit outpace actual sales 15 to 1. Sprint wastes too much manpower servicing this god awful shitty device. Palm is lucky they don't just discontinue the bitch altogether. I'm giving this one 1 month, if it doesn't work properly , hopefully I can sell it on Ebay to same sucker and get a phone that isn't "beta" or whatever codewords you nerds use for incomplete.
Can someone please tell me the difference between a phone "for people who didn't really want the iPhone" and "a phone that people can get instead of the iPhone"???
What? Well, apparently:
One is for people who don't want an iPhone.
The other is for people to get INSTEAD of the iPhone.
Is that clear to everyone?
Isn't this guy sounding qualified to be the press agent for the CEO of HP?
That is the most redundant and content-free statement to be repeated on this site... Whuh?
The statement made sense to me. As I understood him, one device (the Pre) was for people who flat out didn't want the iPhone (so it wouldn't matter what the specs were, how it really compared to the iPhone, how many apps, etc). This group simply would not purchase an iPhone. To them, the Pre with webOS was the only device worth considering. If you try to sell an iPhone to this group, they would not even consider it a valid option.
The second device (EVO) is for people who are looking for a high end phone and the iPhone is one of the considerations. When they compare specs, apps, usability, etc., they may or may not in the end go with the EVO. If they go with the EVO, it won't be because they simply hate the iPhone, but because after carefully considering both devices, they believe the EVO is best for them. This group sees the iPhone as a valid option, but considered the EVO to be just as good or better, i.e. they chose the EVO "instead of" the iPhone.
The difference is how each group sees the iPhone. Again, I can see his point eventhough we all know (and I'm sure he does as well) that there is some gray between the two groups.
+1
I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY..............
Listen up Mr. Brust and everyone at Sprint. You are losing customers at a rate faster than any other cellphone company in the US. So obviously it will not hurt for you to take my advice. Where else do you have to go when you are on the bottom. Maybe my advice will lift you up in the standings. You need to save every customer you have at this point. I have stayed with your company not because of the good service or the good phone choices. I have stayed because of the low prices. I have been a customer for over 9 years. My contract is up in October and I do not see a phone that you offer at this point that makes me want to stay with your company. The EVO is not for me because I do not want a phone the size of a bible. I do not want to look like the church lady carrying her bible around. I also really do not care for Android enough to want the EVO regardless of what size it is. As for Windows Mobile 7, I saw a bit of how it works on youtube and that is a joke. I really wanted the iphone to come to Sprint but it looks like you dropped the ball there. So that leaves RIM. The Blackberry is so 2000. I love webOS but I need up to date hardware. The Pre is great and webOS is wonderful but I want a new phone every year and that year is almost up. Without seeing anything that you offer to make me say "I WANT THAT PHONE", it looks like you will be losing me along with all the other hundreds of thousands of ship jumpers that have left your company. I am more that happy to stay with Sprint but you have two options to keep me. Either get a new webOS phone that is as good or better than the iphone or get the iphone (quickly). If not I will be leaving for AT&T. Your lack of desirable smart phones is one of the main reasons that your company keeps losing customers. Your other problem has been service. However I will say your service has gotten better over the years and I think it is great at this point. Remember, smart phone customers are where your bread and butter is. Not these low end feature phone customers who don't want to spend money on expensive plans. Those are the easy customers to please. Keeping a high dollar smart phone customer is the hard part. I will say that you have great plans and the prices are amazing. Now if you will just get me a top of the line smart phone that will be the envy of my iphone friends, I will be a happy Sprint customer.
P.S. all the Pre is missing for me to be a happy customer is a larger screen, a faster processor and more sturdy hardware. I don't ask for much.
P.S.S. I had the Touch Pro and was forced to take the Pre because my Pro had so many problems. Although I did not want the Pre, once I got it and used it for a month, I LOVED IT! The Pre is the only reason that I am still with Sprint. So you should be thanking not demeaning
WOW!! You say you are with Sprint because of plan prices which means you don't like to spend more money then you have to. Then you go on to say that you like to buy a new phone every year. Guess what, Sprint is the only company that has " new phone every year" promotion. So not only would you be spending more money on your plan with another company but you would be spending way more money on phones every year, not to mention ATT's new 2G data cap, which everyone that uses their phone as their primary data will go over. So you will be spending a lot more money with another company if you jump ship.
In my opinion, Sprint has been trying to get the best phones on their network for quite some time now. First with the Pre, then the Hero, then the Moment, most of the Black Berrys, and now the EVO 4G. Which brings me to my next point. The EVO is not really that big. It's big enough to enjoy the screen but not to big to feel wierd in your hand. I love my EVO. I agree with you that more WebOS phones should come out for Sprint with bigger screens but WebOS's future in phones isn't looking so bright, unfortunately.
LOL! This post is so uninformed it's comical. First, T-Mobile loses more subscribers on a % basis than Sprint every month.
Second, Sprint can't do anything to MAKE HP develop new hardware for WebOS, nor can it MAKE Apple bring the iPhone to Sprint.
Third, you say that you stay with Sprint for the prices, but you're jumping ship for a FAR more expensive plan to get a specific device. I don't even think YOU understand what you want.
I am amused at how quick executives are to quick to dismiss previously released succes statements of the past to brown nose google and apple. Apparently this guy decided to over look pre / webos as a key factor in their turn around from exponential increase in the direction of nonexistance. The pre brought a huge number of new customers according to news throughout sprints excusivity. A word of warning as others point out these guys only care about what makes the most money at the time they make public statements so for executives it is all about brown nosing the latest company in the press so they get more favors. Just look at the stock trend for sprint compared to that of palm. Coincidence I think not. Sprints stock rose and fell with palms as a direct result of the pre and webos. It has gone up some with the release of the evo but not to the calibur it did with the pre. You would think because of the "success" of the evo sales it would have got a record high. I'm willing to gamble that the next webos device to hit sprint will be a direct cause of sprint stock to hit all time high again. At this point now the general public is waiting for the apps to hit record numbers to bring the new platform to equal hypedom with android and iphone. Webos and the pre have already taken awards for best platform. Webos share of the market continues to climb. People got to stop hating on the little guys and start hating on the big guys who are buying off bias people to make the little guys look bad to make themselves look better than they are.
Wow, sounds like fanboyism run rampant to me. Let's not forget that 1) Sprint is a business, 2) businesses exist to make money, 3) you wouldn't have your cheap phone bill without Sprint, 4) dude is entitled to his opinion, and 5) Palm isn't doing itself any favors releasing half-baked devices with no updated hardware.
Chill out, take a Valium, smoke something, or go out and take a walk. It's a phone. The man is the CFO of a multi-billion dollar company and he does what is best for his company and the company's shareholders. That's capitalism for better or worse.
Sad.....But so True!! +1
BS without customers a big company becomes a little company, like Sprint is doing & hastned by CFO comments like this one. Sell your stook soon...
If you want to cancel your Sprint contract, pay an ETF, and go over to Verizon or AT&T with their prices and issues just because the CFO doesn't love your phone of choice....well, good luck with that.
I'll stick with Sprint, switch to the EVO for a year, and see what Palm has available next June.
First the EVO's Wifi does not work away from the router
Now the EVO's Frame Rates are capped at 30fps
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=699290
It will take a lot more than one hot Android phone to save Sprint. How about some decent customer service and some quality advertising? Neither of which your company has provided during the past year I switched to Sprint to get the Pre. Seriously, the plan pricing is better than anyones, the call quality and data are on par with the other providers. Why is Sprint failing? Look within your own company and stop trying to blame others. What happens when every other carrier has the next gen Evo? You had an exclusive on the best phone at the time and FAILED! My next phone will not be with Sprint. I think you have to experience being a Sprint customer to know that it is not worth the small plan savings to endure horrible customer service. "Sorry but there is nothing I can do to help you , but if you wouldn't mind could you respond on the survey that your concerns have been addressed and that I gave you excellent customer service?"
The two reasons I will continue to use my Palm Pre and not get EVO are:
1. I really like WebOS over Android. I have used several relative's Android phones and they just don't have that polished feeling. As for the apps that people above mention, I have not had a problem finding apps for WebOS. Anything I want is out there already... music, games, fancy calculators, Stitcher, Facebook, Stock, weather, & news. (Even great Patches to customize the OS)
2. I like having a hardware keyboard. The virtual keyboard is a pain to use. Although my cousin has the Samsung Moment that slides out to the side, i am not a big fan of it, and it is bulky. With the Pre I can open it and type with one hand.
"The Pre was for people who didn't really want the iPhone," he said.
He says that like it's a bad thing.
He is 100% correct.
The Instinct and The Pre were supposed to have been alternatives to the iPhone for those of us that did not want Apple and AT&T.
The EVO exceeds all expectations for me. Hardware, Software, Sprint Plans, Annual Upgrade, Corporate Discounts and Customer Service have been nothing but excellent for me as a fairly new Sprint customer of just 2 years now.
Until you have used an EVO for a few days I don't think you can make a fair judgment of the device. This thing is fast, insanely fast and is only going to get faster with Froyo 2.2.
The keyboard on the Pre is tiny and cumbersome of you have big fingers. The EVO's on screen keyboard is great and has really nice spelling correction on the go. You can spell horribly and the messages are corrected right behind you as you type.
It's a fast moving world. If there is better technology that works for you embrace it. Otherwise stay where you are if your happy.
My reality is the Pre is aging, no new hardware and left in limbo land with HP.
As a previous person posted try the EVO for a year and if HP/Palm has a new device then make the switch back. June seems to be the month to have your annual upgrade eligibility.
Go HTC EVO! And maybe we'll see you again soon Palm.
P.S. I miss the touchstone and the Chapura wireless sync. But it's a small trade off and not a reason to keep the Pre that is now my desk clock.
Burn the infidel
First off, Sprint has disappointed me time and time again. I've been on Sprint since 98 and been through all the ups and downs. I was ready to leave when Palm announced the Pre at CES. It really was the first phone in a long time that I got excited about.
On Launch day I stood in line to get one. I was third in line at Best Buy when they opened. Which put me on the top of the waiting list. That's right they shipped a whole two there. The largest Sprint Store in Des Moines sold out 10 minutes after opening and still had a line for the waiting list 5 hours later. So that makes me ask the question, Is the reason that Evo had such a strong launch had more to do with demand or with the fact that the phone was in stock?
As far as crappy hardware and returns goes, every smart phone and a number of the older feature phones I've had, were replaced at least 3 to 4 times within the year I used them. I'm not sure if I'm harder on phones than your average user but I don't think the return rate was any more than the Windows based HTC touch line was and is.
After owning two HTC phones with their UI on top of windows and using a Hero for about a week, I will never buy another HTC phone. Time and time again, I've had problems with the alignment of the touch screen and the screens just simply turning white. Also as soon as I learned that the Evo had HTC's UI running on top of android, it was a sale killer. Not only do I hate the interface but it means that Evo users will have to wait longer then other android users for updates. Oh and if you want to know how much of a nightmare updates will be ask a few Hero owners. No OTA updates and it wipes the phone.
Last Monday I took my older phone in for a replacement. Not my Pre but my HTC phone. This is the 8th one I've had replaced in 2 years. They tried to push me into upgrading to the Evo, I played around with it and really noticed that everything I didn't like about the Hero only faster. I ended up finding the size clumsy and even dropped the thing when I tried to do anything one handed. The screen seemed to be dim in the bright lights of the store which makes me wonder what it will be like in sun light. Needless to say I stuck with a replacement.
Regardless of what the Evo looks like on paper, it is not as polished as the iPhone or the Pre. Though I usually buy a new phone every year regardless, there has never been a better time to wait and see what comes out in the next 6 months. If Palm doesn't come out with new hardware, I will be dropping one of my lines and holding on to my Pre until Sprint refuses to support it. If there is no new Palm phones, I can only hope that Matias Duarte can clean up android's UI.
I dont see his statement as bashing Palm at all. His statement is valid, the pre was a alternative to the iphone, which is correct in every aspect. How does anyone see this as coming at Palm is mind bogeling. Lets not start bashing sprint, due to any website like precentral thinking in their own opinion that this is in any way bashing Palm. Read his statement and decide for yourself please.
he's an idiot, probably uses a blackberry.
I left AT&T and my iPhone to buy a Pre.
Yes, there were some issues, but as an early adopter, how could you not expect issues?
I hope that HP gives Palm another opportunity to continue to evolve the Pre. I understand why the Sprint CFO isn't too much of a fan. Heck, a number of these phones came back on them. People seem to love Android. (for now)
I LOVE that my Pre has a physical keyboard!
I think WebOS is great! Yes, it is a work in progress, but I'll accept that as long as I know the developers are working on making it better.
Am I disappointed that a lot of the things that worked in Palm OS on my old Treo didn't make it over yet. sure. I'm still sticking with my Pre.
Stupid is as stupid does.
Sprint isn't doing that well financially - maybe its time for early retirement as CFO is not doing his job.
What does that Sprint CFO know about smart phones, seriously, come on guys! That dude is clueless. People use the Palm Pre because WebOS is an innovative and useful OS and guess what, Sprint offers a LESS EXPENSIVE service compared to AT&T (good job Sprint, I love you for that). That CFO wants to pretend like he knows about high-tech smartphones and the younger generation when really he only knows about accounting.
We need 30-40 year olds running tech players like Sprint, otherwise they just go the way of the dinosaurs - extinct. What Sprint needs to do now is the pound on HP & Palm's door to come out with the next gen WebOS smartphone device. Sprint's CFO will begin to miss over 1 million WebOS users if Palm does not get us some new smartphones soon. I know Sprint's CFO did not outright say he does not value Palm WebOS users but I feel as a WebOS user he kind of insulted us by trying to insinuate the HTC EVO is a better solution - it's not. Sprint didn't get put it's marketing muscle behind Palm WebOS and to date I have not seen them do it well with the HTC EVO either - Sprint is part of the problem - HELLO!
The EVO is a better solution. From my posting above...
"Since I switched to the EVO I now do more with my phone than ever before. Voice dialing, Google Voice, insanely long battery life compared to the Pre (based on my activities), no 15-25% battery drop after 10-20 minutes of web browsing, no problems with self signed email certificates, barcode scanner, Google Sky, auto focus camera that is fricking fast, NO SLUGGISHNESS what so ever, fast boot and shutdown, VOIP apps, mpd clients, a web browser that doesn't choke on frames - try looking at a phpmp song list, mini Flash built in, SSH clients, wifi FTP, wifi file transfer, and an on screen keyboard that simply rocks and learns how you type. All of this in one week of using the phone. How can WebOS and the Pre compare to that? It can't!
The Pre can be compared to a super model. Its pretty and nice to look at but really can't do much of anything.
And I know there are the people who are going to rant that WebOS is still in it's infancy. I say "TOUGH!" and "GET REAL!". Without functionality at release, or within months (not years) afterwards, a smart phone isn't going to cut it in today's market.
I think a lot of people are fooling themselves while at the same time denying themselves better functionality by sticking with a WebOS phone."
You need to understand that all these problems are made by Palm and nobody else.
I have been given a HTC phone, O2 will no longer replace the Palm Pre with a Palm Pre, it has been pulled from their shops and i very much doubt the Pre Plus will do any better.
I got a Pre because it looked good and was cheaper than an iphone and you get what you pay for.
If the Pre was slapped on a HTC device i am pretty sure that there would be none of these problems. The Pre is now an old handset and the only good thing about it is the OS and UI but not even that can keep the value up. HP aren't well known for phones, well they are but for all the wrong reasons ie they aren't very good. As i said before the Palm name has been damaged, the brand has been damaged and you webos lovers will have to rely on HP to turn it around and they will be keeping things close to their chests and may upset some of you when they tell all about what they will be doing. The Pre is dead, long live...........?
PALM PRE Sucks balls! HTC EVO FTW!
Sprint to begin throttling data this summer!!
www.engadget.com/2010/06/11/sprint-to-begin-throttling-data-this-summer
Wifi is limited/junk unless right near router
Phone Graphics are capped at 30fps
http://www.androidcentral.com/evo-4g-limited-30fps
Now Sprint is throttling EVO data..
So, can someone tell me again WHY this phone is better? Please?
That engadget post has been updated:
"...actually refers to a new feature for businesses looking to restrict disproportionately high usage by employees with company data cards"
So you've found 2 defects ("possibly" fixable via software) about the EVO and you ask why it's better than the Pre? Have you seen the list of defects for the Pre?
I'm not getting into the "which is better" argument, but your post is a bit silly. If you know about all the defects the Pre has and it still works for you and you are happy with it, then it's the best phone...for you. If someone chooses to go with something else then shouldn't that be fine for them?
After a year with the Pre, I know better than to go comparing defects with other phones.
because its not a crappy palm device! and sprint is not capping any data.... Palm PRE SUCKS
It kills me how seriously people take cell phone operating systems...must have missed the memo