Comments on: HP Veer 4G Initial Impressions

HP Veer Palm reviewPIC Associate Editor Kris Keilhack brings us his first take on the new HP Veer 4G…

My initial impression out of the box is that the Veer is impossibly tiny! I was expecting something along the lines of a reduced-size Pre but I was not expecting anything this Lilliputian! The Veer can hide completely under a credit card! It slips safely into a shirt pocket without a moment's hesitation. Without a doubt, this little gizmo is the best execution yet of Palm's "river pebble" theme as first seen at CES 2009 with the original Pre.

Read on for the full HP Veer first impressions piece.

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very nice review

Gekko @ 5/6/2011 2:41:41 PM # Q

but very weak product.

RE: very nice review
HyperScheduler @ 5/6/2011 3:44:24 PM # Q
Agreed.

Thanks for the written and visual comparisons to Palm OS devices.

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/7/2011 4:54:43 AM # Q

"There is a reason companies go into a tail spin, they don't make what people want. Cheap imitations are not going to work, nor is "wait until the upgrade, you will be impressed." How about now!" – TheSovereign

RE: very nice review
richf @ 5/7/2011 3:09:17 PM # Q
Good review Kris. I'd never get one of these, but I can see a market for non geeks. Did you have any trouble with the keyboard skipping or double typing. This gives me greif on my Pre Plus. Also I need a memo app like the one in Palm OS so I can retire the Treo 700P. Grafitti is what keeps me using the Droid.
Have a nice day!
HP 41CX->HP 75C->Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid>Pre Plus
RE: very nice review
freakout @ 5/7/2011 3:42:25 PM # Q
nice write-up. look forward to the full review.

I'm about to get a Pre 2. Was contemplating waiting for the Veer - I love the teensy form factor - but only 8GB of storage basically killed it for me. Having 16GB on my WP7 device has spoiled me and I'm never going back!

RE: very nice review
hkklife @ 5/7/2011 9:19:49 PM # Q
The solid, well-built nature of the Veer's slider makes me actually contemplate a Pre3-sized device. Or, even better, a landscape slider from HP with a 4" screen & a "smiling" pull-down keyboard.

Timmmmay, how much is a Pre 2 nowadays down under? I finally got to a VZW store with a working Pre 2 display model recently and gave it a thorough fondle. I have to admit that the 1Ghz CPU & glass screen makes it feel like a much higher-end device. The build quality has definitely been improved. Basically, the Pre Plus is what the original Pre should have been. The Pre 2 is what the Pre Plus should've been. And the Pre 3 is the proper Pre sequel and should have been out 6 months or more ago.

Spoiled by 16GB? Heck, I filled that up in 2009 on my Droid 1. I'm now bursting at the seams on my 32gb MicroSDHC card. Those weekend trips with a bunch of 720p video recordings will quickly gobble up the space...
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: very nice review
freakout @ 5/8/2011 12:52:07 AM # Q
Agreed on HPalm's glacial release schedule. I'm amazed they haven't churned out a keyboardless webOS option either, given the obvious desire for one.

Pre 2 - nor any webOS phones, for that matter - is still not available officially in Oz. I was actually going to stick with WP7 (on my LG Optimus 7) until they were, but now that webOS Internals has found a way to get proper App Catalog access outside officially-supported countries, I'm ready to jump in. A UK website is selling it for $450 AUD unlocked. I'd actually rather just order one from HP in the US direct - with the Aussie dollar so strong lately, I could get it for $420 instead - but the US model doesn't support the same 3G freqs as the UK one.

I really miss webOS. Looking forward to having it back!

RE: very nice review
LiveFaith @ 5/8/2011 6:22:43 AM # Q
Nice primer Khris. Thanks for the comps to other devices.

A device like this would have a certain appeal if everything synced real-time with a real phone, allowing users to swap sims to take out the Miata for a spin instead of the F-350 dually.

I cannot fathom trying to type on that infantile KB. The Pre+ is already too small for adult hands now. All the connector shortcomings would be deal killers for me (not to mention postage stamp screen) and unfortunately show that decision makers in this company still don't get it.

Looks like more of the same story ... a great OS and bad hardware, thus no buyers, thus no potential app profits, thus no app devs, thus dying platform. In the coming months ...
Pat Horne

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/8/2011 6:36:34 AM # Q

By poesias on Sat, 07 May 2011 5:31 pm EDT
+0
because it must feel wonderful to have to rely on something the size of a gumball to do the most rudimentary functions of a phone. jog and listen to music? gumball. charge your phone? gumball. God forbid you lose the thing.

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/8/2011 6:57:30 AM # Q

By UntidyGuy on Fri, 06 May 2011 6:46 pm EDT
+3

Josh Topolsky totally rags on the Veer in this week's This is My Next Podcast:

http://thisismynext.com/2011/05/06/podcast-005-05-06-2011/

"The Veer is so wildly underwhelming in comparison to any other smartphone on the market...It's like a Pre 2 again...Why should I get excited about this brand?"

"It won't be long at all (before they are giving them away}. I don't think it will be a hit product"

"This is the best you've got right now? The Veer should have never existed. It seems to me to be wasted resources."

RE: very nice review
freakout @ 5/8/2011 11:53:03 PM # Q
The Veer's another attempt by HPalm to capture the success of the Centro with a small form-factor smartphone. It's success will depend entirely on the appeal/novelty of a smartphone so tiny.

Will it work? I dunno. I really like the form factor, but the specs (specifically, limited built in memory and a boring camera) made me pause. Then again, I'm a geek. Maybe that Centro market is still out there and hasn't moved en masse to the iPhone/Android already.

I hope it's a massive success for them. They sure need one at this point - the only thing that's going to get large numbers of developers onto webOS is an unquestionably hit product.

RE: very nice review
LiveFaith @ 5/9/2011 8:53:58 AM # Q
Wasted resources? Well, I never!!!

But Palm sure has ...
Tungsten W
LagDrive
Treo 800w
Treo Pro
Pixi

... only thing they could have done worse would have been to try to make their own laptop with typical Palm underwhelming specs for the price. Oh wait. :-o

Quit wasting time with these DOA phones HP. Get a 4"+ slab superphone to market yesterday to show off the fabulous and functional OS that the innovative people at Palm created. Maybe then customers might want one and devs might actually try to pursue them.
Pat Horne

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/9/2011 9:03:34 AM # Q

Reverend - go play with an Infuse 4G and let us know your thoughts.

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/9/2011 5:14:04 PM # Q

bring some value to the team instead of just bitching and complaining.


RE: very nice review
hkklife @ 5/9/2011 6:22:13 PM # Q
At CES 2009 (that's 28 months ago, kiddies) at the big unveiling, my biggest concern with the Pre was its limited storage. Even back then 8GB with no word of a future 16GB+ model and no microSD slot was pretty lame compared to the 16GB iPhones already on the market. My #2 concern was the Pre's underwhelming screen size.

Fast-forward to fall 2009 and what does Palm introduce but a cheaper model with a smaller, lower-resolution screen and the same amount of storage. Fast forward to 2010 and the Pre 2 comes with more storage, faster CPU but the same lame screen. Now in 2011 the first fruits of the Palm acquisition is.....another 8GB device with a <1Ghz CPU and the smallest screen yet on a WebOS device (or any modern shipping smartphone). Not good!

There is simply no way I would buy a new phone today with anything less than the absolute bare minimum screen dimensions of 800x480 and 4", with qHD 4.3" or better ideal.

Samsung's Infuse has raised the bar for screen sizes while sadly not bumping up the screen resolution. Still, a Droid X2 or an Evo 3D pack plenty of pixels into a 4.3" screen. All of those devices are probably going to actually be available in the next 30 days, which is something you cannot say for HP's "big screen" Pre 3 (3.58").
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: very nice review
Tuckermaclain @ 5/9/2011 7:15:24 PM # Q
Looks nice to me. Has that StarTac/Vx form factor going on. I don't care for my Evo that much. If it were available on CDMA I think I would get it. AT&T coverage is just not good enough in the upper midwest.
RE: very nice review
hkklife @ 5/9/2011 9:00:07 PM # Q
You could honestly go from an Evo to a Veer? That's nearly a 2" loss in screen real estate!

Evo to Pre 3, I could definitely see. Evo to Pre/Pre2, POSSIBLY . Evo to Pixi or Veer? NO WAY!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/10/2011 2:45:42 AM # Q

BS.

RE: very nice review
Tuckermaclain @ 5/10/2011 1:34:00 PM # Q
@HKKLIFE: I could go to a veer. I did all the EVO stuff. Seeing vids, netflix, car starting by phone. I really just need a phone to make calls, send texts, check my office outlook, and maybe surf the net in a pinch if I'm bored. I travel with a laptop. I have computers everywhere at work & home. The phone is a tool for me. I'm not all enamored with the latest phone-toy. I have other things to do. Still carry a PDA because no phone has been able to replace a good PDA yet. Treid the Centro, and I really like it but wifey sent it through the washer. Don't have any lying around. Screen was painfully small.
RE: very nice review
hkklife @ 5/10/2011 2:24:32 PM # Q
Ah, I see. All too frequntly, I am working off-site without reliable internet access or access to a PC so I pretty much have to do it all from my phone or my tablet if I don't have my notebook with me. Since I always worry about theft/loss/damage, more often than not I go super-light and just take my phone. Thus, I am not opposed to "making room" for a 4.3 or even a 4.5" device. The Dell Streak 5 is definitely too big but anything less than that, given the appropriate specs, carrier, and battery life, I would be game for.

Honestly, the Veer & Pixi screens "feel" smaller to me than the Centro, primarily because of the loss of the d-pad and WebOS' UI elements making such horribly inefficient usage of screen space & pixels.

If I was in your position, I would follow the advice of TVoR and FJH and hunt out a new or mint condition 128mb Centro (since you use Sprint) on E-Bay and switch to it. If you can live with the incredibly lame Blazer, then that device was the paradigm of Palm OS performance. Stick in a decent 4GB microSDHC card and use Aceeca's new 64-bit Windows to Hotsync and you're all set!

Another option would be to carry a Centro for PIM & phone purposes then carry an iPod Touch (or equivalent Android PMP/PDA from Samsung or Archos) for multimedia, web browsing, picture taking etc.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/10/2011 2:37:58 PM # Q

maybe you should go back to the star tac or maybe the the two way pager?

RE: very nice review
Tuckermaclain @ 5/10/2011 8:16:22 PM # Q
I still carry a pager every day. If I'm elbows deep in somebody's abdomen I don't want to answer a phone. I wish I could integrate my pager into the sell with a second SIM or something. Cant do it with Sprints current crop. I always have my pager, TX and phone to lug around. You are pretty amusing. You assume what you want is what everybody should want. Keep it up. I enjoy reading it. It makes PIC more fun to read. The members posts that I enjoy reading most are/were: TVoR, FJH, Satan, Mike Cane (when angered), HKK and you.

I guess as far as advances in technology are concerned, sometimes you just need a screwdriver--not an 18v Li-ion drill. It works well and is really foolproof.

RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/11/2011 7:49:38 AM # Q
RE: very nice review
Tuckermaclain @ 5/11/2011 11:12:23 AM # Q
That looks sweet.
RE: very nice review
Gekko @ 5/11/2011 11:27:20 AM # Q

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Ericsson-Liveview-display-Android/dp/B004E2V4NM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305138187&sr=8-1

i was tempted to buy it but two things stopped me -

1. why would i wear this watch over the $7K watch i already own?
2. poor early reviews regarding connectivity, stability, and battery life. however - supposedly - things got much better after the last software update.

if you get it let us know how it works.

RE: very nice review
Tuckermaclain @ 5/11/2011 8:05:05 PM # Q
Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a Citizen Eco-Drive and it's quite nice.
You like me! You really like me!
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2011 8:19:40 PM # Q
The members posts that I enjoy reading most are/were: TVoR, FJH, Satan, Mike Cane (when angered), HKK and you.

Satan! Now THAT'S a blast from the past!
TVoR - The best Palminfocenter poster of all time.
FJH - A legend in my own mind.
Mike "tabes dorsalis" Cane - poster child for early intervention with i.m. penicillin ;-)
hkklife - Palminfocenter's life support machine

Missing from your list:

Jeff Kirvin
Dr Opinion
Ska
stonemirror/"Lefty"/David Schlesinger
Marty Fouts/PenguinPowered
Rhino Steve
Pepper
legodude
Timmmmmay
David Beers/cervezas
relyons
Surur

Wait a minute... what's this?:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8378/#119116


FJH

Wherefore art thou, SeldomVisitor?
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2011 8:37:02 PM # Q
How could I have left out the wackiest of all, hengeem/SeldomVisitor?
His picture is under the Webster's Dictionary definition of "vendetta". And "deranged". Carried on a "wee bit obsessed" 24/7/365, 10 year psyche-stalker vendetta after he got his a$$ fired at Palm. Wow. Just wow.


FJH

Reply to this comment

Funny Engadget review

HyperScheduler @ 5/16/2011 7:12:42 AM # Q
Not able to provide the link but the Engadget review of this device is a good review, too.

Love this:

Slide open that slick little hinge with your thumb and it'll snap into place before long, revealing a tiny backlit QWERTY keyboard with roots buried deep in the geneology of Palm. The Treo 600 all but finalized the layout in 2003, the curved rows arrived with the Treo 650 in 2004, and 2007's Palm Centro ushered in the transparent, jelly-like buttons that the Pre and Pixi are now famous for. In short, you'll be right at home here if you're a Palm junkie, but if not, learning could be a chore.


Reply to this comment
RE: Apothekerlypse
mikecane @ 5/17/2011 5:08:45 AM # Q
The man is a moron for scaring everyone like that. They must concentrate on the huge product release coming soon.
RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/17/2011 9:04:00 AM # Q

----------------

RE: Better but still too little, too late
Gekko @ 10/13/2010 7:27:02 AM #
p.s. i predict that Apotheker will soon run HP back into the ground and after several abysmal quarters his head will roll along and all unprofitable unsuccessful "ventures" like Palm and webOS will be shut down.
when times are good - everyone is fat and happy and there's a lot of margin for error. when times are bad - everyone starts pointing the finger at everyone else and they start looking under every rock to cut costs and trim fat.

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/9586/first-palm-pre-2-pictures-emerge/

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/17/2011 12:42:52 PM # Q
RE: Apothekerlypse
hkklife @ 5/18/2011 6:07:03 AM # Q
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I like it!

History almost always repeats itself!


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/19/2011 1:10:55 PM # M Q
RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/21/2011 6:17:38 PM # M Q
CORRECTION
HyperScheduler @ 5/22/2011 8:36:04 AM # M Q
PalmOS device appears at 2:09... Sorry about that.
RE: Apothekerlypse
richf @ 5/23/2011 8:24:02 AM # Q
Thanks for that. Damn near made want to run out and buy Palm V. HAHA
Have a nice day!
HP 41CX->HP 75C->Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid>Pre Plus
RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/23/2011 11:54:59 AM # Q

popped into an AT&T store today to check out the Samsung Infuse 4G. very nice device but i could not tell that much of a difference between the 4.5" display and a 4.3" display. very very thin device but large bezel. also checked out the HTC Inspire 4G. very nice phone. lastly i checked out the Motorola Atrix and the HP Veer. neither impressed me.

if I was on AT&T (which I thank my personal God that i am not), i would either buy the Infuse or the Inspire. i'd probably lean towards the Inspire because i like HTC build quality and i like the Sense UI. the 4.3" display appeared to be almost the same as the 4.5" and with a lot less bezel. also - not a fan of the Samsung layer UI.

so Reverend - there you have it. since i assume that you are still with us and you didn't ascend up in the Rapture as planned - it's time to go treat yourself and get a new phone. it looks like you're going to be here for a while, so you might as well enjoy it.

http://mashable.com/2011/05/21/rapture-bomb-pics/

RE: Apothekerlypse
hkklife @ 5/23/2011 9:08:00 PM # Q
No, no, no...THIS is going to be the monster HTC release of the year. IF this phone were on Sprint or VZW, I'd take it over the Evo 3D in a heartbeat (I'd rather have a 2D 4.5" screen than a 4.3" 3G screen assuming both were the same quality of panel and resolution)

http://pocketnow.com/android/htc-holiday-for-att-reveals-monster-specs

Get this one, Pat!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/24/2011 12:23:39 PM # Q

yeah that's nice but it's not out yet and we have no idea when it will be out. meanwhile, the Reverend is left holding nothing but a busted Pre and his dick in his hands. he needs to get into the game. at least before October 21.

http://thesop.org/story/20110524/harold-camping-my-bad-i-miscalculated-new-rapture-date-oct-21-2011.html

RE: Apothekerlypse
Tuckermaclain @ 5/24/2011 8:24:15 PM # Q
You have devolved into a clacker.
RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/25/2011 4:01:41 AM # Q

bring some value to the team.

RE: Apothekerlypse
Tuckermaclain @ 5/25/2011 5:17:24 AM # Q
just did
RE: Apothekerlypse
Tuckermaclain @ 5/25/2011 5:28:33 AM # Q
I wanted to make a post about something interesting I noticed when I transplanted the motherboard from of my old, beaten tx into a new one. The old Palm was really falling apart and I swapped boards because a bunch of software registration is linked to to ROM ID. It's easier this way. Then I noticed something. I need to find a Palm forum to post it on. If only there was some place--some "information center" perhaps, that people could exchange thoughts on Palm devices. If only.
RE: Apothekerlypse
HyperScheduler @ 5/25/2011 9:09:36 AM # Q
For what it is worth, *I* am interested in hearing more about your experience with the TX.

Thanks!

RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 10:48:34 AM # Q
richf wrote:
Thanks for that. Damn near made want to run out and buy Palm V. HAHA

I still have mine :-P

RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 11:05:02 AM # Q
Gekko wrote:

yeah that's nice but it's not out yet and we have no idea when it will be out. meanwhile, the Reverend is left holding nothing but a busted Pre and his dick in his hands. he needs to get into the game. at least before October 21.

http://thesop.org/story/20110524/harold-camping-my-bad-i-miscalculated-new-rapture-date-oct-21-2011.html

The biggest downside to HTC is that they are insisting on going with smaller batteries. Most days I don't make it without recharging my Thunderbolt. I would recommend going with a device that is already on the market so that you can find out about potential problems.

RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 11:07:52 AM # Q
HyperScheduler wrote:
For what it is worth, *I* am interested in hearing more about your experience with the TX.

Thanks!

Ditto... I have two TXs although they don't get much use anymore. I've made the transition to Android, but I keep them around in my Palm graveyard collection.

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/25/2011 11:12:03 AM # Q

Want To Turn Off 4G LTE On The HTC Thunderbolt Easier? Try LTE OnOff

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/04/want-to-turn-off-4g-lte-on-the-htc-thunderbolt-try-lte-onoff/

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/25/2011 11:14:51 AM # Q

How to De-Crapify Your Home: A Start-to-Finish Guide

http://lifehacker.com/5804927/how-to-de+crapify-your-home

RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 1:11:55 PM # Q
Gekko wrote:

How to De-Crapify Your Home: A Start-to-Finish Guide

http://lifehacker.com/5804927/how-to-de+crapify-your-home

Funny... but I'm a geek. I do tend to keep around some relics of the bygone era.

RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 1:40:17 PM # Q
Gekko wrote:

Want To Turn Off 4G LTE On The HTC Thunderbolt Easier? Try LTE OnOff

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/04/want-to-turn-off-4g-lte-on-the-htc-thunderbolt-try-lte-onoff/

Not much point in a Thunderbolt without LTE. That was one of the big reasons to get it. The free (for now ) mobile hotspot using the LTE network was great on the drive to Chicago where there was LTE coverage. And no, I was in the back seat using one of the two Xoom over wifi.

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/25/2011 2:28:12 PM # Q

stop complaining about the battery life then. using 4G 24/7 will burn your battery life regardless of size. 3G is plenty fast enough for most smartphone situations. if you are in the car or elsewhere and have a power supply, sure, go ahead and leave 4G on. otherwise, leave it on 3G and only toggle on 4G when you "need" it. if you have a Ferrari and want to constantly drive 200 mph, don't complain about the gas mileage. they can only make the gas tank so big before they ruin the aesthetics of the vehicle.


RE: Apothekerlypse
BaalthazaaR @ 5/25/2011 4:39:44 PM # Q
Gekko wrote:

stop complaining about the battery life then. using 4G 24/7 will burn your battery life regardless of size. 3G is plenty fast enough for most smartphone situations. if you are in the car or elsewhere and have a power supply, sure, go ahead and leave 4G on. otherwise, leave it on 3G and only toggle on 4G when you "need" it. if you have a Ferrari and want to constantly drive 200 mph, don't complain about the gas mileage. they can only make the gas tank so big before they ruin the aesthetics of the vehicle.

My complaint was not about the battery life, but about the fact that they are going cheap on the battery by including smaller and smaller batteries even though they know that power consumption will be higher. I'm not asking for a huge battery, but they did go down to a 1400mAh battery for this device.

The battery life is a known issue and they know that there is a software issue that they have still not fixed.

The most power (70%) is consumed by the damn screen anyway despite having a 15 second timeout and the brightness set to almost nothing.

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/26/2011 4:51:00 AM # Q

leave 4G off and see how your battery life improves.

RE: Apothekerlypse
LiveFaith @ 5/28/2011 6:47:19 PM # Q
Sounds like a great solution Lizard Boy. Buy a brand spanking new cutting edge toy only to disable all the new stuff, so you can actually make it useful.
Pat Horne
RE: Apothekerlypse
LiveFaith @ 5/28/2011 7:10:45 PM # Q
Yes, I'm still here, but times are a little tough financially right now.

Just have a pair of jeans, my black Nike's, and an "In Case of Rapture this Shirt Will be Unmanned" tee shirt that I wore on the 21st. Still have my Pre+ with a year left on contract. Thot I was gonna stick it to ATT by getting the phone free but never finishing the 2yr due to the end of the world. At least there's October!

Nevertheless, I'll get by ATT and check out the Veer, Inspire, and Infuse. Not getting the Inspire due to the lack of ffc, nor veer due to the obvious, and am not too high on the Infuse due to the massive width and wasted bezel.

Android itself just seems really uninspiring to me and the fact that all the mfctrs have to create UIs to functionally use the thing is troublesome. HTCs appears the best IMO. But compared to the integration and elegance of WebOS, I am going to have to be wowed by an Android device to make the leap. The iPhone hardware at 4-4.25" display with some decent battery life, and I could be swayed.

Palm TX... the secret shocking saga
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2011 7:39:21 PM # Q
"I wanted to make a post about something interesting I noticed when I transplanted the motherboard from of my old, beaten tx into a new one. The old Palm was really falling apart and I swapped boards because a bunch of software registration is linked to to ROM ID. It's easier this way. Then I noticed something. I need to find a Palm forum to post it on. If only there was some place--some "information center" perhaps, that people could exchange thoughts on Palm devices. If only."

What a tease you are. Careful - you just might get your a$$ smacked by Aunty Mike Cane if you sashay over to the Village tonight. Tee hee.

FJH

RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/29/2011 6:42:54 PM # Q

>Android itself just seems really uninspiring to me and the fact that all the mfctrs have to create UIs to functionally use the thing is troublesome.

Reverend - come on. the manufacturers add in their own UI layer not so users can "functionally use the thing" but to add their own "special sauce" unique additional value to their offering. in fact, many users prefer the "vanilla" Android experience of the "pure" Google Nexus phones. but you know that already. or should have.

as far as Android vs. iPhone -

http://www.examiner.com/android-in-new-york/verizon-is-getting-the-iphone-but-should-you-go-android-instead


RE: Apothekerlypse
Gekko @ 5/29/2011 6:55:20 PM # Q

why would you want be trapped on some lonely tiny proprietary island all by yourself?


RE: Apothekerlypse
mikecane @ 5/30/2011 6:52:12 AM # Q
>>>What a tease you are. Careful - you just might get your a$$ smacked by Aunty Mike Cane if you sashay over to the Village tonight. Tee hee.

Look at how obsessed that disappointed-by-all-meds son of a bitch is. How pathetic.

Reply to this comment

Veer - bought two

TooMuch @ 5/28/2011 3:50:14 PM # Q
After reading reviews (including whiners and haters), I made the decision to go check out the Veer in an AT&T store. In the end, I bought two for my teens from BestBuy. Here is my experience and a thought.

AT&T Store

The rep didn't even know what a Veer was. I pressed him that it existed so he inquired of his manager. He said, "Oh yeah, the Palm Veer." Ha

Yep. Shockingly small. Until it was in my hand in 3D, the size still seemed conceptual.

Data on the phone was fast! Much faster than my iPhone 4. People can say what they want about AT&T 4G. I say it is MUCH faster than 3G!

Hardware was solid. Surprisingly nice clicky keyboard. Easier to use than I expected. Best built "Palm" hardware in years.

My teens truly liked it. My daughter, who got an iPhone for Christmas, wanted the Veer. My son liked it too...although he preferred to wait for the Pre3.

BestBuy

The $0 price was incredible. They had the white one but not the black one. So, my daughter got the white one. We had to order the black one, which is being shipped to our house.

I bought the first one this store had. It just came off the truck. The store staff marveled at the size. They all noted that they wanted to check out the phone more. One rep said to the others, "WebOS is a great OS. It may be back." When I mentioned that they could see a Pre3 and TouchPad in the near future, they talked even more.

The other buyers in the store couldn't take their eyes of the Veer. "What phone is that?" "I've never seen anything so small." "Look at that."

After 3 days, my daughter absolutely loves her Veer. I asked her this morning about it again. She says it is the best phone she has ever had. (Blackjack, dumbphone, iPhone 3, Veer) I asked her if she missed all of the iPhone apps. She said, "not really...the apps weren't nearly as cool as this phone." She added, that many of her friends want that "cute little phone" now.

In the end, my son said, "Let's just get the free Veer for me...I think I will be satisfied with it, but if the Pre3 comes out in the next 30 days I might upgrade if the price is less than $200...Otherwise, I can't justify the cost over free."

The Veer may do much better than pundits and punkers think.

As a current iPhone 4 user, now I am really intrigued to see a Pre3. Just win I was about to give up on HP/Palm...

RE: Veer - bought two
TooMuch @ 5/28/2011 3:53:32 PM # Q
off
when
RE: Veer - bought two
LiveFaith @ 5/28/2011 6:58:09 PM # Q
Dang. What is this. Someone that actually uses a WebOS device round here. Thanks for the report. Interestingly, you may be right, the tiny phone may find a niche. My kids love tinkering with my Pre+ even tho they have had iPhones and iPod Touches. The UI functionality is really good. My son even downloaded the PDK and wants to build some apps for the Pre, and not for his iPod.

The OS rocks and if HP actually got the hardware done in excellence then it will make positive impressions, unlike my featurephone feeling Pre+.

I'm not interested due to screen real estate alone, but the Pre 3 holds some interest, and a 4" slab with WebOS holds a lot. I still am not convinced that HP is that interested in the space. Only time will tell, because their leaders are liars.

Give us a 30 day update.
Pat Horne

RE: Veer - bought two
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2011 7:44:22 PM # Q
I wanted to like the Veer. Why did HP cripple it with the damn dongle? Sell it unlocked for $200 and I'll consider picking one up for Aunty Mike Cane to slip into his/her purse when (s)he goes dirty dancing in the Village.

FJH

Veer to the left
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/28/2011 7:59:54 PM # Q
Is the Veer's voice quality abysmal - like it is with 95% of the smartphones currently on the market?

At what point did it become acceptable for manufacturers to produce PHONES that sound like you're talking from insde a tied up burlap sack? Does anyone use their phones for, you know... TALKING?

FJH

P.S. Where is the damn TouchPad, HP? If/when it ever gets released HP had better be planning on undercutting iPad by $100 or giving buyers an option to add an unlocked Veer for $100. If webOS is ignored by users and developers over the next year it will be time to throw in the towel. 12th round, bleeding, battered and behind on all scorecards. HP needs a knockout , but it's about to run out of time and iPhone 5 is getting ready to step into the ring...

RE: Veer - bought two
richf @ 5/29/2011 7:39:51 AM # Q
Just read yesterday that Touchpads are shipping to Walmart last week of this month. Rumored to go on sale first week of June. Wish I had a link but never thought I'd need it. Processed it just as a rumor.
Have a nice day!
HP 41CX->HP 75C->Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid>Pre Plus
TouchPad: to buy or not to buy
Fake Jeff Hawkins @ 5/29/2011 11:38:30 AM # Q
I was expecting June 13. Tried to "borrow" a TouchPad from a connection at Palm and he said they are not alowed off site (I don't believe him).

If the price is right and the browser is slick and the hardware is well constructed I will buy a TouchPad. The webOS UI is the first UI I have liked since the original Palm Pilot and then bested only by Launcher III and Launcher X.

iPhone 4, MyWi, Infinidock, Infiniboard, StyleTap Platform and TouchPad. We'll see. Just need another T3 with Cobalt for a full helping of Palm Retro Goodness!


FJH

RE: Veer - bought two
Gekko @ 5/29/2011 6:46:17 PM # Q

what kind of an awful father makes his kids get Veers? that's borderline child abuse. and i don't believe for one minute that those poor kids had any choice in the matter. disgraceful.

RE: Veer - bought two
mikecane @ 5/30/2011 6:55:50 AM # Q
>>>Sell it unlocked for $200 and I'll consider picking one up for Aunty Mike Cane to slip into his/her purse when (s)he goes dirty dancing in the Village.

Look at how pathetic he is!

>>>I was expecting June 13. Tried to "borrow" a TouchPad from a connection at Palm and he said they are not alowed off site (I don't believe him).

And he's sooo psychotic he doesn't understand a SNUB when he's been given one.

RE: Veer - bought two
TooMuch @ 5/30/2011 8:51:14 AM # Q
Speaking of children...

When an undisciplined child can't control others with fact that child often becomes abusive.

RE: Veer - bought two
Tuckermaclain @ 5/30/2011 11:00:58 AM # Q
I am throwing in the towel on my EVO. Ordered a 128mb Centro from ebay. Nothing handles PIM like Palm OS and it doesn't spy much on me. When my contract is up the Veer is my first choice.
RE: Veer - bought two
TooMuch @ 5/30/2011 11:48:40 AM # Q
Were you responding to my note about undisciplined children with forum jabber about stock that hasn't hit some BB stores yet?
RE: Veer - bought two
mikecane @ 5/30/2011 5:15:47 PM # Q
>>>When an undisciplined child can't control others with fact that child often becomes abusive.

Oh STFU. Everyone knows you're the same guy as that twat with another handle.

RE: Veer - bought two
Tuckermaclain @ 5/30/2011 5:43:14 PM # Q
"Were you responding to my note about undisciplined children with forum jabber about stock that hasn't hit some BB stores yet?"

One of the few comments that made me really laugh out loud! No. I was not responding to you.

RE: Veer - bought two
LiveFaith @ 5/30/2011 8:53:47 PM # Q
That magnetic connection on the Veer is pretty cool from what I saw. But to remove the 3.5mm is just plain nutty and then the cherry on top is blaming lack space on the decision. HP's spokespeople are the anti-channeling Abe Lincoln ... they cannot tell the truth.
Pat Horne
RE: Veer - bought two
TooMuch @ 5/30/2011 9:21:19 PM # Q
RIP PIC


RE: Veer - bought two
Gekko @ 5/31/2011 10:57:46 AM # Q
Reply to this comment
RE: RIP Palm.com
gmayhak @ 6/2/2011 8:42:04 PM # Q
Hey Gekko,
You're kicking a dead horse and smiling about it but it's good to see that there are still two or three people checking into PIC from time to time.
HP is trying hard to recruit developers for the summer launch and I think they may be able to produce some great hardware but with only a couple percent market share they have an up-hill battle ahead. I was tempted to port some iPhone/iPad apps to webOS but I'm too old and it's way to complicated ;-)
The good news is that by next year we will be able to get the hardware dirt cheap on ebay and when hackers figure out how to access the processor power and bypass the carriers we'll have some kick-ass PDAs.

Gary
Tech Center Labs
www.talestuff.com
www.iTalentProductions.com

RE: RIP Palm.com
Gekko @ 6/3/2011 3:45:57 AM # Q

come on, grandpa. this isn't news?

RE: RIP Palm.com
LiveFaith @ 6/3/2011 7:18:43 AM # Q
HP spins Palm off when they get profit / shareholder pressures next year. Yet another logo arises from the ashes!
Pat Horne
RE: RIP Palm.com
HyperScheduler @ 6/3/2011 8:52:13 AM # Q
@ Gekko: Thank you for posting that link about the death of Palm.com. I appreciate that.

@ Gary: Which particular hardware do you predict will be cheap on eBay? The Veer, for example?


Thanks,

HyperScheduler

RE: RIP Palm.com
gmayhak @ 6/3/2011 5:24:09 PM # Q
The Veer if it follows in the footsteps of the Centro. Actually, the Centro is probably a better PDA than a hacked Veer could become and you can pick a new one up on ebay for under $40.

Gary
Tech Center Labs
www.talestuff.com
www.iTalentProductions.com

RE: RIP Palm.com
hkklife @ 6/4/2011 11:40:58 AM # Q
Turn off the radio..RIP out the radio and a Centro is still an effective little device.

The Veer, just like all other WebOS devices, other than the "niceties" of integrated wi-fi, GPS, greater internal memory, and a better camera, is absolutely worthless as a standalone device without cellular service.

There is still no easy way to bypass activation on a WebOS device and they are so cloud-dependent that it would be foolish to entrust one's data solely to the device. Add to that the lack of expandable storage, no removable battery, proprietary connectors and no standard local synchronization, and a Veer would be a poor choice for anything but a poor man's mp3 player/camera/camcorder even if you could get one contract-free for $100.

Centro (or a real Palm OS PDA) all the way if you want an unconnected "PDA" for PIM purposes, iPod Touch or one of the better Android non-phones (Samsung Galaxy Player 4" or 5" in particular) if you want more of a focus on web browsing and media.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: RIP Palm.com
LiveFaith @ 6/4/2011 9:59:33 PM # Q
Buggy whips & film cameras!
Pat Horne
RE: RIP Palm.com
Tuckermaclain @ 6/6/2011 5:17:50 PM # Q
Pat, your're starting to sound like Gekko. Maybe when Palm is spun off Dmitri can pick it up for a song. Glad to see some support for PalmOS here. My Centro from eBay came in hours before I left for vacation. Wish I'd had it to play with while the wife was shopping. On a whim, I bought my daughter a Pixi to see what she thinks about it. They're almost free on eBay. She's a little social media demon.
RE: RIP Palm.com
gmayhak @ 6/7/2011 8:41:44 AM # Q
Hey Kris, Apple finally listened to you and cut the cord on desktop iTunes with iOS5 ;-)

About 1 hour into the keynotes... http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/11piubpwiqubf06/event/

Gary
Tech Center Labs
www.talestuff.com
www.iTalentProductions.com

RE: RIP Palm.com
HyperScheduler @ 6/7/2011 9:18:06 AM # Q
Another interesting thing about yesterday's Apple keynote is that iOS 5 will allow free syncing between the iPhone's calendar app and the Cloud.

It always surprised me that the iPhone lacked the equivalent of Palm Desktop software where we could look at a computer screen of our calendar that synced with the calendar on the handheld device. Sure, I achieved the benefit of that by syncing with Google Calendar, but it never made sense to me why Apple did not include it as just a free feature of the handheld device like Palm did.

RE: RIP Palm.com
rpa @ 6/13/2011 11:40:59 AM # Q
Palm O/S is still the best PIM out there but I have learned to live with iCal on my MBP syncing to my iPhone4. One odd quirk is iCal has timezone support but the calendar app on the phone doesn't.
Reply to this comment

Palm OS Web browsing...

Tuckermaclain @ 6/12/2011 9:59:21 AM # Q
Going to work on moving all my stuff to a Centro this week. If you guys can remember back that far can, can you think of a better browser than Blazer for Palm OS? Yes Gekko, you can make a comment like "use the phone book." It's a real question though. Any ideas?
RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
Ryan @ 6/12/2011 2:39:37 PM # Q
Opera Mini would be your best bet if you can get it to work. You might have to hunt for an older version and the JVM files... also:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/7769/five-tips-to-improve-the-palm-blazer-browser/

RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
Tuckermaclain @ 6/13/2011 2:24:50 PM # Q
Thanks Ryan. Found the files. Found an "Opera Front End" program that will make it integrate better. Find out next week how it works after it's loaded and activated :)
RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
LiveFaith @ 6/13/2011 5:22:23 PM # Q
Lizard Boy brings out his Buggy Whip in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ...
Pat Horne
RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
Tuckermaclain @ 6/15/2011 7:03:54 AM # M Q
this is painful.
RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
hkklife @ 6/15/2011 8:17:01 AM # Q
What is painful? The archaic state of Palm OS browsers or the lack of input from the PIC faithful?

Opera is probably your best bet for "complex" sites but honestly Blazer is still a pretty snappy browser (especially in its Centro incarnation) for text-only or WAP/mobile-formatted sites.

Also, did you get a 64Mb or 128Mb Centro?
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
Tuckermaclain @ 6/16/2011 2:05:18 PM # Q
The archaic state of the browser and the small screen/low resolution. The Evo was much nicer at browsing, but I hated all the Google spying. Havent tried the Opera yet. Loaded a complete mirror of my wife's Centro onto it and was getting some resets. That's all worked out and I now have Agendus and some of my other software I can't live without installed. I spend too much time goofing of on the internet anyway so maybe this is a good thing. Will try Opera this weekend. Gotmy daughter a Pixie and she loves it. One thing I havent tried is looking at my outlook schedule at work. If I can't do it I'll try the Pre and see how that goes.
RE: Palm OS Web browsing...
HyperScheduler @ 6/16/2011 4:24:09 PM # Q
Please do keep us updated; I am interested in how this works out for you. Good luck!
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