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yalag

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A friend of mine is actually a developer for the palm pre and she says the palm pre is just so much better? It makes the iPhone feels like a toy. The hardware keyboard makes you type much faster and also that the phone is smaller and fits better in your hand. Anyone else have any input on this? I amabout to buy a new phone, trying to decide.
 
A friend of mine is actually a developer for the palm pre and she says the palm pre is just so much better? It makes the iPhone feels like a toy. The hardware keyboard makes you type much faster and also that the phone is smaller and fits better in your hand. Anyone else have any input on this? I amabout to buy a new phone, trying to decide.

What do you value in a phone?
 
A friend of mine is actually a developer for the palm pre and she says the palm pre is just so much better? It makes the iPhone feels like a toy. The hardware keyboard makes you type much faster and also that the phone is smaller and fits better in your hand. Anyone else have any input on this? I amabout to buy a new phone, trying to decide.

It all depends on what you want it to do. If you need multi-tasking, go with the Pre. If you need a real keyboard, go with the Pre. If you want power, go with the iPhone 3Gs. If you want a phone that can hold music, go with the iPhone. Do you want games, go with the iPhone. Easiness of use, go with the iPhone. It is all about what you need and what you are looking for.

Also, you need to look at what service works best near your area...Sprint or AT&T?
 
I have a BlackBerry and an iPhone, I am faster on the iPhone and I e-mail more often on the BB (work).

However, as the above poster asked ... what do you value in a phone?

Your friend saying the Pre is better is a developer for the Pre? Figure the odds.

I am wearing the best shorts money can buy ... why? Because my money bought them and they're on me. Consider your source. 😎
 
Mostly the software and the useability of the UI. I know the appstore has a lot of apps but I hear most of them are garbage...

That doesn't tell me what you need though. What kinds of software do you want. What are your needs? What would you like to be able to do with a phone?
 
Mostly the software and the useability of the UI. I know the appstore has a lot of apps but I hear most of them are garbage...

Even if 99% of the app store apps are garbage that's still hundreds more good apps for the iPhone than there are for the Pre.

The Pre passed the iPhone 3G in many ways (a few, really) and the iPhone 3GS leapfrogged over the Pre and the Pre is buried.

Do you use a Mac or PC to sync your phone?
 
3GS.

It's a better build quality for the price (doesn't feel cheap)
More storage capacity for the price ($299 out of pocket; 8 vs 16 GB's)
Better selection of useful apps (50k is ridiculous)
Better support (Apple still supports the original iPhone!)
Stable company (Palm is on the ropes and judging by Pre's sales....)
Better network with AT&T (from my experience)
More content than 3G (iTunes Store is win for content)


I'm not even sure why you're asking this question.
 
A friend of mine is actually a developer for the palm pre and she says the palm pre is just so much better? It makes the iPhone feels like a toy. The hardware keyboard makes you type much faster and also that the phone is smaller and fits better in your hand. Anyone else have any input on this? I amabout to buy a new phone, trying to decide.

I miss my LG voyager keybaord, but the pre seems a little small and using it it make the phone feel a little top heavy.
if I hd a developer friend that was doing some cool stuff and had access to cooler stuff I think I would go that route
 
I'm not even sure why you're asking this question...on an Apple fanboy message board.

Fixed.

Anyways, go with whatever network is better in your area. Or, what carrier most of your contacts have as these will be free calls anytime. If you value having music or games on your cellphone, go with the iPhone. As for the App Store and all their apps, don't worry about. Excluding games, all the worthwhile apps are multi-platform anyways, or there is an alternative that is very similar (but this may not be true for the Pre yet because it just came out). Lastly, go to the Sprint store and the Apple store and give both a very good test drive.
 
yalag:

I had a Pre for a week. I ended up returning it and getting a 3Gs. For me, the main reason was the lack of a good Sprint signal both at home and work, while I have no trouble with AT&T signal. I don't know if you have the luxury of determining this ahead of time.

But, I miss the Pre's multi-tasking (having Pandora running while doing other tasks). I mostly miss the excellent way Pre handled push notifications. Even if the phone was asleep, it would display at the bottom new email and sms message notifications (I am still amazed the iPhone doesn't do this). The Pre also handled multiple calendars very well (google, exchange calendars).

However, I do not miss the tiny keyboard. I thought a real keyboard would be better, but it was just too small. I really like the new landscape keyboard on the iPhone. I found that I can type pretty good with it.

Of course, all the apps the iPhone has is a HUGE reason to go with it.

But, it all boils down to the fact that mobile phones are all about connectivity. So, who do you think will be the best carrier for you?
 
You really have to weigh what you value.

The network in your area should really be a STRONG consideration.

But after that, here is how I see them:

Multitasking: Advantage Pre
Notifications: Advantage Pre

Everything Else: Advantage iPhone 3GS
 
If you get a PRE wait for it to come to another network besides Sprint.

Sprint has horrible coverage and horrible customer service.

I don't think a Sprint Signal can even go through walls.
 
If you get a PRE wait for it to come to another network besides Sprint.

Sprint has horrible coverage and horrible customer service.

I don't think a Sprint Signal can even go through walls.

Doesn't Sprint piggy back Verizon? So anywhere Verizon has coverage you have Sprint coverage.
 
Historically Palm has done amazing at doing PIM apps and synchronization. The Pre keeps that legacy alive. At the same time, historically Palm has been terrible for games & media integration.

Apple on the other hand has the iPod heritage and does great with games and media, however their PDA ability is sub standard.

So if you want games & media, go for the iPhone. If you want a PIM, go for the Pre.
 
Your friend is unemployed so he just tells people they are a Pre developer. Tell them to look around, times are tough, and there is no shame in being unemployed. It is certainly more prestigious than telling people he is a Pre Developer. Even if he really is a Pre Developer, I seriously suggest he tell people that he is unemployed instead.
 
Mostly the software and the useability of the UI. I know the appstore has a lot of apps but I hear most of them are garbage...

So if one of 20 pre apps are good and 1 out of 1000 iphone apps are good, there would still be 2.5 times more good iphone apps than pre apps.
 
If you get a PRE wait for it to come to another network besides Sprint.

Sprint has horrible coverage and horrible customer service.

I don't think a Sprint Signal can even go through walls.

This is the classic response from someone who has never had Sprint in the last 3-5 years. The truth is, Sprint's network runs circles around AT&T's. And as another has pointed out, you get free roaming on Verizon's network, which is the largest in the US. So, network-wise: Sprint+Verizon>>>AT&T+T-Mobile.

As for CS, it all depends on who you talk to. I can tell you though, I've had more CS problems with AT&T in my 7 months with them than I've had with my 7+ years with Sprint.
 
Previous 3G owner who is currently using the Pre here. I love my Pre, I think the keyboard is good though the best keyboard I ever used was on the Bold. With Sprint I'm actually able to keep and hold an EVDO (3G) signal everywhere, while AT&T I had to force my phone into edge (2g) mode to keep from dropping calls.

I'll break it down quickly:

-Palm was a company on the brink of going away. They had their investor conference call yesterday and have beat expectations. They'll be around for a while.

-While Sprint is the worst financially right now, they are still a company with 49 million subscribers and the third largest. It's possible one day a different logo and company name is printed on your bill, they're not going anywhere.

-Both phones have a 30 day trial, get both. However I must tell you that you have to use each phone as your primary phone to really get a feel for how it works. Send texts, surf the internet, make calls, travel, etc.

-Speed tests between the Pre and 3GS are mere seconds apart. I put my Pre side by side with a friend's 3GS and I won some and he won some but the difference between the two were nothing big at all.

-If you value games on your phone, need a lot of storage for your media you might prefer the iPhone.

-Multitasking really is amazing, and it's something I thought I'd never really use. Notifications are better on the Pre than the iPhone
 
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