Comments on: Palm Releases New Facebook App for webOS

Palm Inc. has released an updated version of their Facebook app for webOS. The application is being billed as new major version, as it was rewritten from scratch by Palm's own developer team this time around.

The new v1.1 Facebook app brings an improved interface and much improved functionality allowing users to do all that Facebook stuff. Highlights include an enhanced inbox, improved news feeds (shake to refresh), profile views, better photo albums and photo video uploading, events and birthday support, people search and more Palm Synergy integration.

The application is free and is available from the Palm App Catalog and online.

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Works really well

Scotland @ 3/4/2010 2:02:50 PM #

It is nice and works well - much better than any of the 3rd party FB apps. FB notifications and IM isn't yet part of it but the rest works great.

Assuming Dataviz can come through with Docs2Go some time soon, my main software needs on WebOS will be covered.

P.S. WebOS 1.4 has been a really amazing release - performance is noticeably improved.

RE: Works really well

rpa @ 3/4/2010 2:40:50 PM #

WebOS would be viable for us old Palm users who are not into FB if Palm could release a PIM equal to the Garnet PIM with back up on the desktop and not in the cloud.

RE: Works really well

Scotland @ 3/4/2010 3:13:43 PM #

A couple points on your statement.

>>WebOS would be viable for us old Palm users who are not into FB if Palm could release a PIM equal to the Garnet PIM

Valid point - there's general agreement that the current PIM apps aren't as good. It really depends on what you need (how heavy/intense your PIM usage is) in order to answer the question as to whether the PIM apps are good enough.

>> with back up on the desktop and not in the cloud.

This is no longer the case - there are a number of 3rd party synch options available now. If this is what is stopping you, then you'll want to do some research.

RE: Works really well

BaalthazaaR @ 3/4/2010 3:39:22 PM #

Scotland wrote:
>> with back up on the desktop and not in the cloud.
This is no longer the case - there are a number of 3rd party synch options available now. If this is what is stopping you, then you'll want to do some research.

Not entirely. I don't want to have my data on someone else's server. With webos that is plainly not possible. The sync options, as I understand them, will sync to and from the Palm servers.

RE: Works really well

e_tellurian @ 3/4/2010 3:41:12 PM #

Would the choice to interact with ones content on the Palm server from a desk top computer also address some of the issues?

E-T

RE: Works really well

e_tellurian @ 3/4/2010 4:14:07 PM #

The cloud could offer back up service to a secondary server of choice a nice feature of working with Palm. Getting a server with a Palm product is an added service. The question is can people have this service and work off their own server too?

E-T

RE: Works really well

Scotland @ 3/4/2010 4:47:02 PM #

Scotland wrote:
>>>> with back up on the desktop and not in the cloud.
This is no longer the case - there are a number of 3rd party synch options available now. If this is what is stopping you, then you'll want to do some research.

>>Not entirely. I don't want to have my data on someone else's server. With webos that is plainly not possible. The sync options, as I understand them, will sync to and from the Palm servers.

Well then, you're probably in trouble because Cloud storage is increasingly the trend and the norm. I think Win Phone 7 series announced they will work this way and Android phones work under this same model as well.

That said, I agree it would be nice if it was a user-configurable option to *not* use it. However, I think the handset companies see it as addressing a deficiency of stand-alone smartphones (Treo users, for example, who forgot to or never synced) and feature phone users - namely, a lost/broken phone (or a new phone) meant data loss.

In any case, we're a bit off topic...

RE: Works really well

e_tellurian @ 3/4/2010 6:24:41 PM #

What do you think of an interchangeable hard drive?

E-T

RE: Works really well

vetdoctor @ 3/4/2010 7:35:20 PM #

Interchangable Hard drives? Wouldn't stone tablets be smaller and lighter?

RE: Works really well

LiveFaith @ 3/4/2010 8:51:29 PM #

**Assuming Dataviz can come through with Docs2Go some time soon, my main software needs on WebOS will be covered.**

I wondered when I read this if Palm was "eating their own 'dog food' or not" when developing the new FB app. This segways into your comment @ D2G for me.

Here is what I mean. Since Palm has now opened up the Linux core of WebOS for development, and since Android, and Maemo, and Access OS etc all are based the same. Should it not be possible for devs like dataViz to do the basic creation at the Linux level with much smaller specializations needed for the various buildouts?

Excuse me if I'm being ignorant here, but this appears to me that WebOS core devs could benefit from the entire mobileLinux infrastructure. Seems to me that Android and WebOS etc could actually help one another in this way. True?
Pat Horne

RE: Works really well

rpa @ 3/4/2010 9:34:28 PM #

"I think the handset companies see it as addressing a deficiency of stand-alone smartphones"

It comes down to the revenue potential as to what features are enabled on cell phones, not any concern by the hardware makers about your ability to remember to back up your data. As the carriers control access to cellular technology in the US, the push to always online and cloud backup is a way to sell people unlimited data plans so real time advertising revenue can be achieved. You walk near a restaurant and get an sms advert on your phone about the blue plate special inside....there are many revenue streams possible for the carriers with always connected cell phones.

RE: Works really well

Scotland @ 3/5/2010 12:21:33 PM #

@Pat
Yes, I think so. With multiple OSes supporting Unix processes and C/C++ code a common code base is possible with only the GUI needing to be platform specific. Blackberry OS and Win Phone 7 won't fit into this paradigm, though.

The reason iPhone gaming apps are relatively easy to port is because they have no (or few) iPhone GUI OS dependencies.

In fact, with the PDK and Homebrew, I believe it would probably be possible to have an Android emulator within WebOS (similar to how it is done by Classic) though it would take a good amount of effort and ultimately the HW might not be up to it (at least not right now - next-gen multi-core ARM processors).

@rpa
Good point. In the US, though, this doesn't translate into as much direct revenue as in other countries - metered service is not the norm here (Synergy/Cloud = more data usage). However, the switchover from feature phones to smartphones is causing carriers to upgrade the data plan requirements (i.e. requiring unlimited data plans) - which means more revenue (directly) for them. As for indirect revenue, it opens up marketing opportunities like you are suggesting. Search revenue would be the most immediate opportunity. In the WebOS 1.4 update, it apparently has an option on Verizon to select between Google and Bing search. The fact that this option is not available on Sprint implies to me (pure speculation on my part) that Verizon requested it and is getting a cut.

However, as I also said, I think for non-sophisticated users, it allows for (mostly) reliable backup of their contacts. Back in the dumbphone era, I can speak for myself and say it was a pain to switch to a new phone when there was no easy/direct way to carry them forward. Carriers no doubt appreciate this as it would reduce/eliminate a help-desk/customer service pain point.

RE: Works really well

xdreduardx @ 3/10/2010 6:39:36 AM #

Scotland wrote:
P.S. WebOS 1.4 has been a really amazing release - performance is noticeably improved.

The load time of all the apps has considerably degraded from the previous (1.3.5) WebOS. This is evidenced by the load icons flashing on the screen during load. Centro load time for apps was nearly instantaneous.