Palm Pre Continues to Generate Interest at CTIA Mobile

[inkswamp]

looking forward to apple's response to this

Give me a single example of Apple directly responding to any competitor's product? They don't ever do that. They just set their course and go. I never understand these "Wow, this will really get Apple's butt in gear" comments because a) Apple's butt is already in high gear as it is and b) Apple doesn't seem to give a rip what others are doing. If that were the case, we would have had copy-and-paste in the iPhone from the start. We would have had DRM-free music in iTunes a couple years ago.

Apple has consistently followed their own compass and not shown any worry about getting bogged down matching features with the wannabes.

 

[slapppy]

bring on the competition!!! this will only make the iphone that much stronger.

is it still set for april 30th as a release date?

LOL... the iPhone is the same with just a bigger capacity. Looks like Palm has overtaking the iPhone in less than 2 years. So much for that 5 years ahead of the competition.

 

[macornomac]

I have the old Sero which is $28 a month after taxes for 500 mins unlimited everything. I've been eyeing this phone but don't want to change the sero plan if it's now allowed on that plan. My suspicion is that it will not be allowed on it and I have to get the SEP which is 99 bucks. I also have been thinking of caving in and getting an iphone. With the FAN discounts I could get it with the cheapest plan at least 65 bucks maybe. So we'll see.

 

[MacVixen]

That's the beauty of it, though - Sprint only has a 90 day contract on it.

After that, it will certainly go to Verizon (it being a CDMA phone and all). So they'll have opened themselves up to a HUGE potential market.

And I can't imagine they're not already working on (or at least considering) a version for T-Mobile and AT&T.

Really? Only a 90 day exclusivity contract for Sprint? Why would they even agree to something like that?

I agree that moving over to Verizon would open up a huge market for the Pre, but I'm just not sure what Sprint has gained from this deal. If I were considering a Pre, I would just wait for it to come to Verizon, especially if it's only a 90 day wait.

 

[chr1s60]

I think this is the first real competition for the iPhone. The Pre really does look like a nice phone. Of course, it will come down to how the phone actually performs once the final version is released, but it looks promising. I can say that if there was one phone out there right now that I would switch with my iPhone, the Pre is probably that phone. Then again, I am basing that off never seeing the phone in person or using it, so that could always change.

 

[Slim02]

It is funny. I keep hearing competition coming out of peoples mouths.. But seeing that the iPhone can sync up to both Windows and OS X.. No other smart phone can do that.. You have to do it yourself and that is a pain in the butt.. Also the Palm Pre is using Outlook for it email program.. That is one of the worries mail program to use for emails... I sorry but I see another failure coming..

 

[Digitalclips]

you mean 'easy to use'?

Nope, I mean retro.

 

[FullGaz]

I like the Pre. You can feel that the phone's applications are well integrated with each other, communicate with each other in a more fluent way, with a better flow of information. For instance, calendar events have attendees that you can find in your contacts - they are the same, not copy of the existing information.
The pre also has a very clever way to start new or switch between opened applications, something that the iPhone cannot do (not 'opened' applications).
Worth mentioning: no save button needed when you enter data (notes, address book...).
That global search is great, let's see how the iPhone 3.0's spotlight compares in terms of ease of use.
Of course, a lot of the UI has been borrowed from the iPhone, because it's already so good. However, it's been substantially improved in some areas.

In summary, the Pre focuses on the information whereas the iPhone has so far focused on the applications. It focuses on the user whereas the iPhone has so far focused on the device. The Pre will be a device you like to use whereas the iPhone is a device you want to use (for some it's difficult to see the difference )

In my opinion, this new device will give the iPhone a run for its money.
A long, fast, competitive run. And that's good news .

 

[xhambonex]

I guess you should apply for a job with Apple and make something better.

no thanks, i hear jobs sucks to work for. and i don't do programming. Though they are a great company, I think they take these OS's for the iphone and leave things out just so they can update it with ooo spotlight, and copy and paste. That could have all been done in the second version.

I guess my point is I want them to continue to progress the technology and the hardware they make. And I don't like that they have kept features out of their OS just to "update" a new version with features that should have always been there. Palm's new OS is something different, apple should respond with bigger changes than just copy and paste.

 

[EagerDragon]

Not sure why

I have an iPhone, not sure I really care what Palm comes up with.
Competition is good, maybe Apple will finaly add the features people been asking for the last 2 years.

Yes I know iPhone 3.0 is coming and it has a lot of features that were missing in the original iPhone and iPhone 3G, but as of yet I have not heard anything about vioce dialing and a front camera to do iChat is not a sure thing in the next model of the iPhone.

 

[DoubleU]

I'd like to see finished a Pre before I make any comments about it's ease of use or functionality. The iPhone that Steve Jobs demo'ed looked a bit better than the first gen iPhone that was released.

Also some 'basic' features that some people assumed would come with the 'phone weren't there. So I'll suspend comparisons until I get to try it out.

 

[j26]

It is funny. I keep hearing competition coming out of peoples mouths.. But seeing that the iPhone can sync up to both Windows and OS X.. No other smart phone can do that..

Huh???

My N95 can do that.

I like the look of this phone. I don't know how well it will go - Nokia is gearing up on the touchscreen stuff.

 

[dernhelm]

LOL... the iPhone is the same with just a bigger capacity. Looks like Palm has overtaking the iPhone in less than 2 years. So much for that 5 years ahead of the competition.

Pre doesn't exist yet. When it does, we'll see how far "ahead" it is. We'll also see if they've violated any patents to do it. But even if their hardware does look good, they've still got a while to catch up from an App Store perspective. That more than half the equation when you're talking about a smartphone.

Regardless, 5 years is nearly and eternity in the computer industry. Nobody is 5 years ahead of anybody, ever. 2 years is a big enough lead to lock up a huge chunk of the market.

no thanks, i hear jobs sucks to work for. and i don't do programming. Though they are a great company, I think they take these OS's for the iphone and leave things out just so they can update it with ooo spotlight, and copy and paste. That could have all been done in the second version.

I guess my point is I want them to continue to progress the technology and the hardware they make. And I don't like that they have kept features out of their OS just to "update" a new version with features that should have always been there. Palm's new OS is something different, apple should respond with bigger changes than just copy and paste.

And you are basing this opinion on what exactly? You don't program, yet you think you know enough about Apple's dev process that you just KNOW that they held back features that could easily have made it in? I am a programmer, and I have no idea why copy and paste didn't make it in earlier, but I assure you that there was a better reason than what you are suggesting. And you may want to watch the presentation again. There were a few additional things (like push notification) that were rolled out beyond copy and paste. Copy and paste was hardly the headliner of the release.

 

[Slim02]

Huh???

My N95 can do that.

I like the look of this phone. I don't know how well it will go - Nokia is gearing up on the touchscreen stuff.

So your telling me that your phone came with software that can work with both OS X and Windows? Can you prove it with a link or the name of the phone..

 

[riversky]

Verizon

Palm said that Sprint has a 90day (3-month) exclusive. Probably to ramp up production and figure out usage.

After that I expect Verizon to have this by November.

 

[dicklacara]

I really don't think it's that impressive. It does have a few features I'd like to see the iPhone adopt (e.g. multitasking), but at the same time it doesn't have the visual appeal or elegance the iPhone has come to be known for.

It appears to me that it isn't really multitasking-- the guy demoing always said that the app was paused, when he went to a new app.

Kind'a like Andy Hertzfelds "Switcher" on early Macs, where:

1) the app was paused
2) its status, display, etc was saved
3) it was switched out of memory
4) control was given to the new app

then, the process reversed to fast-resume the "switched-out" app.

Later, Apple called this "pseudo" or "co-operative" multitasking.

It is somewhat similar to switching between tabs on a browser.

If this is, in fact, what they are doing-- it should not to too difficult to accomplish on the iPhone OS or Android (or any other capable OS).

 

[GimmeSlack12]

LOL... the iPhone is the same with just a bigger capacity. Looks like Palm has overtaking the iPhone in less than 2 years. So much for that 5 years ahead of the competition.

Seems like iTunes just is never factored into the equation on this sort of thing. And it really should be. The iPhone/iTunes relationship makes the iPhone such a strong device that any competition cannot simply come at you with a flashy phone and expect to be an equal.

Apple's Phone/Computer relationship is just too strong. It makes up for any shortcomings of the iPhone's hardware.

 

[miggitymac]

Also the Palm Pre is using Outlook for it email program.. That is one of the worries mail program to use for emails...

Outlook is probably the most commonly used mail program for people who work in an office...i.e. ppl who make money...i.e. ppl who companies try to market to.

Even if these same people don't like Outlook, their workplaces often force them to use it...so for them, it might be a convenient thing to have it on a phone.

EDIT: And if you really hate Outlook, it's not like they're forcing you to use it....there's always web-based email...

 

[j26]

So your telling me that your phone came with software that can work with both OS X and Windows? Can you prove it with a link or the name of the phone..

It's a Nokia N95 8gb - but I'm sure any Nokia Smartphone is the same.

On the mac side, a simple plugin allows you to use iSync to sync iCal and AddressBook, and Nokia Multimedia Transfer for music, video and photos. Then there's Maploader for loading maps to the gps, but it's a bit poo, so I have my own methods of doing that. (It can all be done by Bluetooth btw)

On the Windows side there's the Nokia Suite which does all that.

 

[srl7741]

Competition is good

Competition is always good and will only make the iPhone better in the future.
I can't wait to use a Palm Pre. Till I can touch it and use it I won't know for sure how I feel about it. Either way It won't change my mind about using the iPhone.

 

[Slim02]

It's a Nokia N95 8gb - but I'm sure any Nokia Smartphone is the same.

On the mac side, a simple plugin allows you to use iSync to sync iCal and AddressBook, and Nokia Multimedia Transfer for music, video and photos. Then there's Maploader for loading maps to the gps, but it's a bit poo, so I have my own methods of doing that. (It can all be done by Bluetooth btw)

On the Windows side there's the Nokia Suite which does all that.

You just prove me right.. The phone works best when you are on Windows then On a Mac.. Why because it was built to work on windows not Mac.. Yes you can use 3rd party programs but it not the same as having made to work from the ground up as the iPhone and even the iPod.. The iPhone is a true device that can work with the same software no matter if you using a Mac or Windows..

 

[miggitymac]

Competition is always good and will only make the iPhone better in the future.
I can't wait to use a Palm Pre. Till I can touch it and use it I won't know for sure how I feel about it. Either way It won't change my mind about using the iPhone.

Many people probably had the same thoughts towards iphones..."looks nice...but it won't change my mind about using my BB"..

At least, that's what I thought before I got mine...

 

[beg_ne]

no thanks, i hear jobs sucks to work for. [bold]and i don't do programming[/bold]. Though they are a great company, I think they take these OS's for the iphone and leave things out just so they can update it with ooo spotlight, and copy and paste. [bold]That could have all been done in the second version.[/bold]

I guess my point is I want them to continue to progress the technology and the hardware they make. And I don't like that they have kept features out of their OS just to "update" a new version with features that should have always been there. Palm's new OS is something different, apple should respond with bigger changes than just copy and paste.

Can you please not comment on this that you know absolutely nothing about? You are extremely clueless on the amount of time and work it takes to make things happen.

Spotlight could not have been done in iPhone OS 2.0 because it uses an API (Core Data) to pull in the data, that did not exist until 3.0. It took a lot of work to get Core Data working in a manner that was suitable for the iPhone hardware. For most of the features Apple has to make to put in the iPhone they also have to make an API for that for 3rd party developers to use, it all takes time and a lot of hard to do properly.

And incase your head was up your ass the last month, Apple has made lots of changes to the new version, over 1,000 new API's so its not "just copy and paste".

 

[BongoBanger]

I'll try it out. If it's better than the iPhone or the N97 I'll get one, if not I won't.

Simple really.

 

[chameleon81]

How does she type ? I didnt see any virtual keyboard