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The Palm Pre's UI is peerless in its class.

edesignuk said:
Especially in the iPhone/iPod forums you're dealing with a lot of the younger people [says me at the grand old age of 25 :p]. Sensible sane discussion is mostly out of the question unfortunately :rolleyes:

This thread is laughably typical.
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Lol @ the hypocrisy. This is one of the more sensible discussions I've seen around here on the matter!
 
kdarling said:
Does anyone know if Palm plans to allow the UI to be skinnable?
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It depends on how much of the UI is itself based on using Cascading Style Sheets, as well as if Palm will open them up to the user.

Skinning with CSS is extremely easy and powerful. For an example, see the CSS Zen Garden. The entire page uses the same HTML content. Different designs simply apply a different style sheet that result in page layouts and themes that differ drastically from one another.

For example, with CSS alone you can change the memo app from the default cork-board and post-it style to a notebook page list style virtually identical to the iPhone's.
 
Kahnyl said:
I'm just not blown away by the iPhone anymore. ... It's not modern anymore.

At this point, I really couldn't recommend an iphone to anyone that didn't own one, which is a stark contrast to how I used to be.
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So then do tell - what smartphone IS modern (other than the Pre, which isn't actually for sale yet)? And by extension, what smartphone COULD you recommend to people?

clevin said:
Doing one thing at a time when desktop-level multitasking mobile device is out there, giving up the opportunity to enrich life by 10-15x, is the price people pay for being loyalists of apple, on top of other stuff.
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Desktop-level multitasking is, by definition, impossible on a 3" screen. And even if that weren't true, "enrich life by 10-15x?" I don't even know where to start with that one.

I guess apple is glad they have fan base huge enough to support it through the time when it has no superior products. Which is no surprise, like 1990s.
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I guess that explains their market dominance in mp3 players and expanding marketshare in smartphones and desktop/notebook computers. :rolleyes: Every post I see from you is extolling the Pre and taking shots at apple. Now if there were a word to describe that kind of posting behavior, what would it be... hmm...

Im glad I am about to use something really exciting that is close to a desktop replacement for most day to day tasks.
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You're going to be sorely disappointed if you go in with that attitude. No matter who makes it, a 3" screen and a tiny keyboard is never going to be anything like a desktop computer if for no other reason than typing will be a fraction of the speed and you can see a fraction of the content at one time.


edesignuk said:
Especially in the iPhone/iPod forums you're dealing with a lot of the younger people [says me at the grand old age of 25 :p]. Sensible sane discussion is mostly out of the question unfortunately :rolleyes:

This thread is laughably typical.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of laughable posts from apple apologists. There's also a lot of pure trolling by palm fans. However, there are also a great number of reasonable posts and good points by fans of each. This thread has had its share of all of the above.
 
Wow. I was starting to get excited about this device. And then I saw these videos...and it doesn't seem as impressive.

Now, I know it wasn't on the actual device and I haven't used the phone but wow...the Pre isn't as great as I thought it would be. It may have more features than the iPhone but when you compare two features that both devices have the iPhone blows it out of the water. Take copy/paste for example. I looks so much easier and intuitive on the iPhone. What sounds better? Having to open the keyboard and press a really tiny key to highlight or tap and hold for a second to get two bars to quickly slide around to select text? Once the text is selected, would you rather just get a copy or cut option or have to go into a menu...and then another menu...and then copy/press two very small buttons on the keyboard.

I guess I just fell into the hype for a second. I'm disappointed with how much the Pre requires the keyboard or going to a menu. I hate my iPhone sometimes with its lack of features but sometimes having everything is a bad thing. Rush everything and put everything in at once or put a little in at first and take your time to expand on it?

I really, really wanted to like the Pre and while it's multi-tasking and notification interface is amazing and it's interface looks fun...it looks disappointing. The hardware is hideous, the keyboard is the same as the Centro's, it lacks a software keyboard, and it's interface and navigation doesn't seem as simple as the iPhone's.

In my opinion, the only advantages the Pre has over the iPhone are multi-tasking, the notification and multi-tasking interface, file viewer, and being able to access your settings for one application in the application. And while those are important, I'd much rather have a simpler interface with a larger screen and better, more intuitive design (when you compare one feature on the iPhone to the Pre, like copy/paste, mp3 player, web browser). And I know that multi-tasking, a better notification interface, file viewer, etc. will come to the iPhone someday. Will it be soon? Probably not. But when it does come it'll probably be the best out there.

Gosh, that sounded fanboy-y.
 
QCassidy352 said:
I guess that explains their market dominance in mp3 players and expanding marketshare in smartphones and desktop/notebook computers. :rolleyes: Every post I see from you is extolling the Pre and taking shots at apple. Now if there were a word to describe that kind of posting behavior, what would it be... hmm...
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On paper, and often in execution, any Sandisk mp3 player is better than an iPod
 
Its Nice a mobile that offers you such connection with t world.
getting real time emails, messenger, calls and with apps ready to
interact without sacrifice user Experience {switch apps and forget
state}
it's a whole new aproach to a mobile, this is beyond calls and SMS
thnk about it is like you have all Internet services ready in
your pocket
 
QCassidy352 said:
So then do tell - what smartphone IS modern (other than the Pre, which isn't actually for sale yet)? And by extension, what smartphone COULD you recommend to people?
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The Pre's OS is modern. The fact that the phone isn't released for a few weeks doesn't alter that in any way.

And the only phones I'd ever actually recommend to people would be ones I've owned. Otherwise I'd just be able to give a vague opinion. I only own a G1 and an iPhone and I wouldn't recommend either at this point. The main reason I wouldn't recommend an iPhone is because I want to see the reaction when the Pre is in the hands of people who aren't Palm employees and because I want to see what Apple has planned for 3.0 and the new hardware.

The other reason I won't harp on to friends about the iPhone anymore is because it's lost it's sheen. I'm no longer giddy about it and I'm regularly annoyed by it's shortcomings.

One thing I don't get about this thread and others like it is the offense taken by people when you criticize a phone they've bought. These people don't work at either company, they don't know anyone that does and they don't own stock. I understand that there's a certain need to justify a relatively expensive purchase like a phone/contract and defending it is like defending your decision to buy it but some people take this **** way too personally.
 
Well another nice phone like the iPhone that I can not get because I am on Verizon great service but their phones are the worst :(


Looks like it may be time to go back to the old string and two cups kinda phone for me, because Sprint and ATT get all the great phones but their service stinks, and Verizon is all alone on CDMA but I am not sure who cuts their deals for Vendor phones, but they should be Fired! Get better phones Verizon, wake up and smell the rest of the world.


I always liked Pal, I just hope this time they fixed all their bugs unlike the Treo line.:rolleyes:
 
Kahnyl said:
And the only phones I'd ever actually recommend to people would be ones I've owned... I only own a G1 and an iPhone and I wouldn't recommend either at this point.
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So if I'm hearing you correctly, you wouldn't actually recommend ANY phone to others at this point.

The other reason I won't harp on to friends about the iPhone anymore is because it's lost it's sheen. I'm no longer giddy about it and I'm regularly annoyed by it's shortcomings.
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I don't have to be "giddy" about a device to recommend it to people, but Ok.

One thing I don't get about this thread and others like it is the offense taken by people when you criticize a phone they've bought. These people don't work at either company, they don't know anyone that does and they don't own stock. I understand that there's a certain need to justify a relatively expensive purchase like a phone/contract and defending it is like defending your decision to buy it but some people take this **** way too personally.
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What annoys me isn't the criticism of the iphone per se but that there's a certain segment of the MR population whose sole purpose in posting here seems to be to criticize Apple's products and insult the intelligence of anyone "stupid" enough not to realize there are "better options." That segment has been out in overwhelming force with regard to the Pre.

I understand wanting to discuss other tech products, especially if you're already a regular here. And yes, it does a service to us all to point out when there are favorable alternatives to Apple's offerings.

But ultimately, this is an Apple-centric site, not a general tech site and not a general smartphone site. There are ample other forums for discussion of Palm, blackberry, Windows, and whatever else your heart desires. If a poster comes to macrumors for the sole purpose of crowing about other products' (perceived) superiority to Apple's products, that poster has crossed the line between "useful contributor who isn't blindly loyal to Apple" and "troll." Unfortunately, the Pre has generated a wave of trolling the likes of which we've not seen in a long time.
 
fratboy said:
how is that uninformed? apple has a patent of MULTITOUCH and guess what the pre has MULTITOUCH and apple said it WILL defend its patents very harshly. so i expect the pre to have to get rid of its multitouch with an Software update.. and that would piss off alot of pre users.

like"hey i just had multitouch now i dont"
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One of the stupidest posts I've ever read.

Apple doesn't have a patent on 'multitouch'. It's a much too common and universal technology and technique. They have patents on certain, very specific implementations and techniques on accomplishing it. Your wishful thinking of a software update crippling the Palm Pre is just that.

I generally like Apple and it's products, but some of you are fanatical in your devotion and your attacks and dismissal of anything that isn't Apple.
 
dejo said:
You keep mentioning this "desktop-level multitasking". Care to elaborate on how that is different from other kinds of multitasking and how the Pre implements it?
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He means that you can run more than one app at one time and flip between them without losing data.

I had a Windows Mobile based phone at one time.

I could run more than one app at a time. The only thing it really did for me was cause the phone to crash because it didn't close apps and ate the memory up.

I couldn't do anything faster than the iPhone can do it in reality.

I want someone to give me a REAL LIVE example of how, other than notifications, it benefits me to have 2 or more apps running at the same time.

I am waiting...
 
And as an aside, how EXACTLY do you get music on to the Pre?

I want the exact steps because I simply don't know.
 
QCassidy352 said:
So if I'm hearing you correctly, you wouldn't actually recommend ANY phone to others at this point.
Click to expand...

No. If pushed I'd recommend the iPhone but, of course, now would be a bad time to do that even if I was head over heels in love with it.

QCassidy352 said:
I don't have to be "giddy" about a device to recommend it to people, but Ok.
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I do. I don't easily recommend expensive(ish) products like these. I don't want friends tied to a bad contract and device for years because of what I said.

Rat-Boy said:
And as an aside, how EXACTLY do you get music on to the Pre?

I want the exact steps because I simply don't know.
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I guess when connected to your computer it shows up as a drive and you manually copy files to it.

Rat-Boy said:
I want someone to give me a REAL LIVE example of how, other than notifications, it benefits me to have 2 or more apps running at the same time.

I am waiting...
Click to expand...

Having to leave the Last.fm app to read an email I just got is always annoying. This hasn't happened to me but having to stop editing a word doc or something similar just to change what album you're listening to in the iPod would suck.
 
Rat-Boy said:
He means that you can run more than one app at one time and flip between them without losing data.

I had a Windows Mobile based phone at one time.

I could run more than one app at a time. The only thing it really did for me was cause the phone to crash because it didn't close apps and ate the memory up.

I couldn't do anything faster than the iPhone can do it in reality.

I want someone to give me a REAL LIVE example of how, other than notifications, it benefits me to have 2 or more apps running at the same time.

I am waiting...
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one. It doesn't really benefit. Some apps could, sure. Like pandora (things like that).

iPhone DOES have background running apps. Phone app, SMS app, Email app, iPod app...everything is taken care of minus a few very things the minority use.

iPhone also holds data if you leave an app. i've experienced this many times. It's annoying ot have to hit the home button and go through that home page again, but hey...i'm not willing to switch my phone because of something that takes a second to do!
 
So peerless they stole the notes colours from Stickies.app.

And the colour selection checkboxes off of the back of a dashboard widget.

Not to mention more obvious things - like the switch UI elements (which I certainly hadn't seen before the iPhone + Time Machine System Preference) and the card metaphor (from Mobile Safari).

Give the Pre credit sure, but also give Apple credit, because without iPhone, there is no Pre. For a start, Sprint wouldn't have been sold on giving so much control to Palm.

Can we have a bit more pragmatism and a bit less hyperbole.

It's a phone, and exciting phone for sure, but not a revolutionary phone.

The UI is good, high quality work, but won't be to everyone's tastes.
 
QCassidy352 said:
So then do tell - what smartphone IS modern (other than the Pre, which isn't actually for sale yet)? And by extension, what smartphone COULD you recommend to people?



Desktop-level multitasking is, by definition, impossible on a 3" screen. And even if that weren't true, "enrich life by 10-15x?" I don't even know where to start with that one.



I guess that explains their market dominance in mp3 players and expanding marketshare in smartphones and desktop/notebook computers. :rolleyes: Every post I see from you is extolling the Pre and taking shots at apple. Now if there were a word to describe that kind of posting behavior, what would it be... hmm...



You're going to be sorely disappointed if you go in with that attitude. No matter who makes it, a 3" screen and a tiny keyboard is never going to be anything like a desktop computer if for no other reason than typing will be a fraction of the speed and you can see a fraction of the content at one time.




There are a lot of laughable posts from apple apologists. There's also a lot of pure trolling by palm fans. However, there are also a great number of reasonable posts and good points by fans of each. This thread has had its share of all of the above.
Click to expand...

Thank you for these points. I couldn't agree more!
 
Rat-Boy said:
I want someone to give me a REAL LIVE example of how, other than notifications, it benefits me to have 2 or more apps running at the same time.

I am waiting...
Click to expand...
You can listen to Pandora while writing an email. Are you suggesting that on your home computer you run one single application at a time? :rolleyes:
 
From the looks of those screenshots they stole the English language too. I'm not sure who invented that but I see that it's currently in use on my iPhone so I'm going to assume Apple holds the patent.
 
Here's a rational response...

The iPhone has become a beautiful thing and has also brought with it the magnificent iPod touch. There are a few things that need work on the iPhone - reception, the carrier itself, and some features. I do have trouble typing on it sometimes. The internet is a joy to use as are the apps.

The Palm Pre is also a beautiful thing and does owe its kick in the pants to Apple, otherwise we'd have yet another tired Treo with the same old Palm system that fell apart and stopped syncing right after Vista showed up. (Yes, I was a Palm user until that point! WTF!!) The Palm is no iPod, but honestly, I think the memory levels of the iPhone make it an annoying half-assed iPod anyway. I'm resigned to having an iPod be my iPod, and I am much happier. I like Sprint far better than AT&T though both could use a half dozen kick in the nuts. All I've seen is a demo of the Pre, so I can't opine further than that.
 
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