Seeing as everyone in the blogging world is scrambling to get up a Hands-on article on the Palm Pre, I’ll go ahead and say this now: if anyone claims to have gotten a true hands-on, they’re probably lying. We just got back from a post-announcement, closed doors Palm event where a handful of Pres were being demonstrated. While we could touch the phones, we couldn’t actually hold the phone, making it kinda tough to get a real sense of the phone’s weight and feel. Regardless, I still want one. Boy oh boy, do I want one. Read on for experiences. (Video is on the editing rack, by the way – we’ll have it up ASAP.)
The OS:
It’s straight up gorgeous, but it’s not perfect – yet. During our demonstration, a few things went on the fritz: there was a bit of lag, certain menus wouldn’t open no matter how many times they were poked. With Palm only promising “by the end of the first half of 2009″, they’ve still got nearly a full 6 months to crack out the bugs, so we won’t judge them too much.
At the very bottom of the screen is a notifications bar, similar to that found on Android. Icons light up when a new e-mail or IM comes in – touch the area, and the notifications menu opens to tell you what’s going on. To clear the notification, you simply swipe it off the screen
The “Cards” window management system is fantastic – it reminds me of alt-tabbing on a full blown desktop OS, with the added ability of being able to gesture swipe programs upward to close them.
All demonstrated gestures (single and multi-touch) appeared to work well. A small glow appears on screen beneath your fingers when doing multi-touch gestures – I’m not quite sure what the point is, but it’s a nice visual.
The quick launch bar, which is activated by dragging your finger upwards from below the screen, is great. Drag up, highlight any of the 5 applications you’ve got tucked away in there, release – the application launches.
The Hardware:
Like I said earlier, getting a true feeling for the overall hardware was difficult, as we weren’t allowed to actually hold the thing.
The speaker on the back was loud enough that we could hear a demo tune playing over the murmur of the event’s schmooze-and-boozers.
Our impressions of the keyboard are a bit tainted by the fact that our hands were awkwardly nestled at the bottom in a rather unnatural way, as our demo rep couldn’t take her hands off it. Regardless, it felt as nice to use as any Palm devices we’ve used previously, with keys slightly bigger than those on the Centro. As with any bite-sized keyboard, the keys could still be bigger.
When slid open, the back of the display serves as a mirror for self portraits.
The IM app:
Think threaded SMS – now throw in a bunch of other protocols into the same thread. Input your contact’s screen names into the address book, and webOS will automatically tie together all messages from each individual into one simple thread. For example, if you’re talking to someone by SMS and then switch to Google Talk, the Google Talk IMs are automatically incorporated into the same chat screen as the SMS.
Search:
Similar to the one-click search found on the Helio Ocean – from the main screen, you can start typing for a search term at any time. webOS will give search priority to local System/Apps and contacts, but it can also launch directly into an search engine (Google, Maps, Wikipedia).
Browser:
Demonstrated for us over WiFi, as the double-hitter of ultra-thick walls of the Las Vegas Convention Center and a hundred thousand people all carrying cell phones doesn’t work out well for a EVDO Rev. A demonstration. Browser seemed zippy – pinch/pull zooming worked well, and double tapping on any area auto-zoomed to the proper level for viewing.
I WANT IT!
Really? You don’t have any questions? I do?
QUESTIONS:
* How do you get music on it?
* Can you rent movies on it?
* Can you download music/podcasts to it wirelessly?
* Can you download apps to it wirelessly?
* How do 3rd party developers create/sell apps?
* How easy is it to update the internal software?
* Is the desktop sync app actually a useful app?
* Will it sync/push contacts/calendars/bookmarks from my desktop in real time?
*Click and drag
*See below
*Looks like you will be able to depends on developers
*I don’t see why not
*See below
*I don’t see why it would be difficult
*From what i’ve read you don’t have to plug it up, unless you want to
*See below
Below
Ok so some things haven’t been answered yet and we will have to wait and see, but it seems people forget that this is NOT an iPhone, if you want those features, don’t waste your time, go and buy an iPHone and be happy.
I don’t personally need real time syncing of everything at every time (just every hour or so), Rent movies… what? get a blockbuster pass – All the apps and development we will have to wait and see, but realize this:
Most if not all of the people writing all these articles you’ve been reading own an iPhone, and yet for some reason they are all EXCITED about this phone…. why?
Competition is GREAT for the consumer, and part of life – i hope it turns out to be as great as everyone thinks it will be, if not, i’ll wait for V2 -
Yes really,
if Apple fanboys are allowed to instantly want any apple device without reason or thought, then Palm fanboys can too.
Oh, and I’m a Palm fanboy.
Gotta say, it looks very cool. It’ll be interesting to see what apps are developed for it and if developers will get behind it. That’s still what makes the iPhone so awesome, for me anyway.
That looks slick. Looks a lot like the iPhone in the good way, screen size looks good, and the keyboard looks smooth too. One thing though, the keyboard only pulls vertically, and from the pics it look like it will have a landscape mode. That would be awkward to type sideways.
The screen runs both ways actually so you wouldn’t be typing sideways.
Wondering if Palm Pre has enough USP to set it apart from the iPhone and Google Android which have a greater userbase, more innovation and money…
Do you mean that Apple and Android have more marketshare among developers or users? It was my understanding that Palm still has a significantly larger marketshare than Apple/Android.
wow looks very nice, can’t wait to see the vid
Damn ads reload every time I click on a pic. That’s at least THIRTY FIVE RELOADS, unless I want to look at one of them again….
So will the new OS be able to run GoodLink like previous Palm phones? That is, can this thing run legacy Palm apps, or is this a whole new platform? If it’s not able to, it’s probably out of the running for a lot of enterprise users.
news.com reports that it won’t run old Palm apps, but that some sort of solution might emerge in the future. If they don’t run the old apps, then this platform is as good as any new one. Users will have to switch to it, and it may be easier to just switch to something else entirely. Existing user base loyalty isn’t a given at all if the company doesn’t demonstrate respect for users’ past investments.
I must say, this looks pretty darn sweet. I can’t wait to try this in person.
This phone looks awesome! It looks gorgeous! I just don’t have the words to describe it. It has been a very while since one phone really took my attention this bad and made me WANT IT NOW!!!!!
Size and Weight? {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/m1HlbUvJDO_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”Size and Weight? ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/5hJDdR0lEk”}}}
so what’s the OS? not PalmOS?
Not clear based on the article is it. The cards management should be cool, same setup as on my Mac. I wonder how the usability will end up being compared to BB etc., have to make sure there won’t be any security issues with the new OS with the restrictions on commercial use these days.
http://www.osattack.com/?p=64
Its basically Palm’s own operating system but designed using standard web technologies like CSS, XHTML and Java Script.
It will for sure make it easier for your average Joe Programmer to make programs for it.
Way to go Palm! This device looks awesome. The best of the iPhone and G1 in one!
Agreed. I hope this takes off.
I love it! I just bought a Centro through Sprint last week, so it looks like I’ll be using that for at least a year. By that time, the Pre should have a nice supply of apps (and updates) and be ready for me.
I used to love Palm but I think its too late in the game for them. iPhone is the winner android will be any where and the rest will suffer.
the name pre is weak. why not ipalm or mypalm. to me pre doesnt really mean anything. its a prefix. funny names that make no sense can handicap the sale of a premium product.
Yeah, it really killed the Wii.
“a PREmium product” ;)
It’s called the Pre because the phone will think ahead for you…anticipate what you want before you know you want it… thus simplifying your life. check out Palm’s website.
I can wait to check it out and see how solid it is. The keyboard is a big plus over the iPhone. I don’t think I will ever get used to typing on the touchscreen keyboard.
I like the product itself. The keyboard will be definitely useful, only thing stopping me would be Palm itself and their atrocious support. If they could give me any indication that they will be improving that aspect, i’m still sticking to my iPhone.
http:///www.jobstaxi.com
deadpool. it’s too late for palm.
Whatever.
If companies make a good product, they can succeed. Who cares if they failed in the pass, this looks like a good phone.
App Store? {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/CQ4vUuqquk_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”App Store? ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/REikYjwf8Q”}}}
Christ, can we just put a internet wide ban on video replies.
*an !
I was right about it being on sprint. my iphone is gone.
Didn’t Apple patent a lot of the touchscreen gestures stuff for the iPhone? The Pre seems awfully similar in some ways.
Yes and no. Apple is trying to patent specific gestures, as well as the term “multi-touch.” The technology has been around for almost two decades, and although you have to give Apple credit for making it popular to the masses, they certainly didn’t invent the concept.
Does the OS have Unicode support?
I really want this phone & i have high expectation palm phone. i have been a palm fanboy for years now & i really think they can pass apples iphone. the only problem costumer may have is the carrier ( Sprint ) never like then :)
The funny thing is that the expectation for Palm to bring out exciting product was so low that this might have accomplished that goal. The form factors looks like an evolution of the Palm treo. It shouldd be good for one handed operation. The new OS looks great ( multiple apps running is nice ) but brings many more questions. If the Apps are basically web apps, then who is going to pay for a website? do we subscribe to a service? in which case we have to sign on to all our apps. Ugly. Do the Apps work in Airplane mode if their ‘web apps’ ? How much memory is available after boot up? Is the processor fast enough? Will anyone buy this thing on Sprint’s network?
Just because the application is built using web technologies (HTML, CSS, JS) doesn’t mean it has to be hosted external to the device. My guess is that apps will be built somewhat like desktop widget libraries (see Yahoo! widgets). This is actually quite an elegant implementation considering the popularity of these technologies versus what other smart phones use (objective c, c++, c#).
The thing people always neglect in conversations about the iPhone vs. other smartphones is that the iPhone is also a superb iPod. Apple sells millions of iPods – completely aside from the phone business. It’s a wildly successful product that you get as a bonus inside what’s arguably the best smartphone.
Other companies have had years to compete with Apple on the iPod and haven’t come up with a product compelling enough to make a dent. So while the Pre and G1 may be interesting smartphones, theiPod aspect will be an enduring advantage for the iPhone.
In short: you can’t beat the iPhone just by making a great smartphone.
Anyone who uses the iphone as an ipod as well has to carry around a spare battery to recharge the phone halfway through the day…Oh …wait ..you can’t replace the battery on the iphone.
I use so many iPod docks anyway (in my car, around my house) in the course of normal use, that I’ve found battery life to be a non-issue, even when listening essentially all day. I occasionally plug my iPhone into a charger at my desk, but that’s about the only concession to battery life.
Anyway, the Pre is the first phone that gives this iPhone owner more than a few pinges of jealousy – there’s a lot of slick stuff here. Let’s hope all phones start integrating SMS/Gtalk/Fbook Chat so that we can kill off this ridiculous pay-per-message scam. The Catch-22 is whether users will buy it without the exciting stable of third-party apps, and whether developers will make those exciting apps for an unknown user base (and with a lot of platform competition).
Who the heck wants to carry around a spare battery everywhere you go? Do you wear a Batman utility belt for all your spare batteries??
SO wrong.
My iPhone lasts a full working day. I plug in it at night, and take it for a spin again the next day.
So wrong.
I totally see your point about the iPhone being a great iPod as well, and if you primarily use your phone as your main media player, well than it’s the perfect phone for you. But for somebody that doesn’t use their iPhone as an iPod, well than it’s easy for a great smart phone like a Pre to beat the iPhone, at least to that user. Remember, phones are a personal thing.
Will the Pre ever win the popularity contest?… probably not haha. But for a lot of people this a great option, I can’t wait.
SOLD!
How the G1 should have looked….
I think they might have taken a little too much inspiration from the iPhone. I’m not exactly sure I would call it an iPhone killer… more like an iPhone ripoff!
Are there any companies these days (besides Apple) that design original UIs??
Finally a keyboard any bird can use! Those iPhone keys are SOOOO too big! ;-) Doh!!! I guess it helps to have long nails and file them to a point…how in the world do people use these ‘keyboards?!’
Nice that the SCREEN will display in landscape and portrait. But how does having a keyboard designed only for portrait use help if you’re in landscape? :head bash: Oops! Maybe in six months…they’ll remove the landscape mode. ;-) “Problem solved, boss!”
here is another head bash for you oh smart-one, if the keyboard was in landscape how would you use it in portrait?? you have the problem no mater what way the keyboard goes. how about this: have a keyboard that goes both ways!??!? wow you are a smart one along with the rest of them.
Yes!!!!!!!!Finally Im proud to be affiliated with sprint. There hasnt been a phone that has caught my attention like this in a long time. Can’t wait!!!!!!! Any ideas about when its being released?
I would be so pleased if people stopped claiming each new smartphone as an ‘iPhone killer’. There are simply so many Apple zealots and poseurs out there that there’s no chance that the iPhone will be ‘killed’ anytime soon. If ever.
That phone had people lining up around the block for its release, people who had never used an iPhone, had no concept of its limitations, couldn’t possibly know whether or not it could even receive a decent phone signal, but were prepared to camp out for days to lock themselves into a ridiculously long, restrictive, expensive contract with a carrier they didn’t want to be with, all because they wanted the bragging rights to an ‘Apple iPhone’. And history has proven two things.
First that the iPhone was a roaring success. And secondly, that it was flawed in so many ways that if it had any other logo on it other than that Apple one, the ‘faithfull’ wouldn’t have touched it with a 10 ft barge pole. But they shut off their cognitive reasoning and the rest is history.
So, it’s safe to say, when a product’s time is right, then it will be a success, regardless of its faults. I expect the same thing to happen with the Pre. But at least the Pre should have a much less flawed launch than that piece of rubbish that was the original iPhone.
And may Palm and the Pre prosper. By the looks of what I’ve seen so far, they truly deserve it.
Hear that Apple? They deserve it.
share your opinions at http://www.PalmPreForum.org
Will this only be available to Sprint customers or will there be an unlocked version?
On 24 Feb 09, a Sprint rep said the Palm Pre’s release date is slated for 15 Mar 09. They didn’t know the expected price, but guestimated around $500 due to the power packed features of the phone. I told them that if the price of the phone is not at least equivalent to, or lower then the price of the IPhone, then palm could keep that “Golden Goose”. The features and style appear to be great, but if Palm is going to force people to take out a second mortgage just to purchase the phone, then they are making a big mistake in this economic environment, because the banks aren’t lending and the money trees in the back yard aren’t producing.
Even if Palm offered the phone for $250 – $299, with a 2-year contract, they will still make a good profit within a year and put Apple (IPhone) on notice. I hope they learned from the mistake Sony made with the PS3’s initial cost of $700-$800, which backfired in their face and caused more people to purchase a lower priced XBOX360 instead.
P.S. – I can not mention the rep’s name. I think the release date is a secret, and I don’t want them to get fired. There’s enough of that going on already.
Anonymous tipster,
LOL Anonymous(e) Liar hehe Ok sureeee Um haven’t we all heard the March 15 date foated around fr quite awhile? You price guestimate is way off too.No way they coud selll them with contract for that kind of price.Un subsidized maybe $499 list but with contract im guessing more like 199-249 hopefully not 299 or wil be out of range for many.
Great deal for anyone with a $30 Sprint Plan with phone, unlimited internet and unlimited text. SERO,does iphone have anything that comes close to $30 that lets you do all that? I think there plan is like $80 for all that hmmm 30 or 80 for the same plan which to choose,let me ask a 5 year old,even he would know which is better!!!!!!!
oops typo’s and their plan instead of there for the spell check nazis out there(iphone fanboys)
sprint really betting big time with the pre, but they didn’t do so well with the instinct when spent $200 million on promoting it.
Sprint is famous for spending big bucks on advertisements, but i seriously hope they will do well, at least folks at http://www.PalmPreForum.org spent sleepless nights try to find out the lastest and greatest info about the Pre!