Comments on: Palm CES Event Video Highlights

Palm Pre VideoWe've just uploaded the first of our series of video highlights from Palm's CES event today. For starters, we've posted the first few minutes showcasing Jon Rubinstein and Ed Colligan's introduction of the most impressive hardware release in Palm's history. In addition, we've got a 8 minute clip of the live demonstration of the WebOS UI and features on the Palm Pre during the event.

As time permits, we will be posting additional details, videos and articles from CES. In the meantime enjoy these first videos after the break.

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Great job guys!

Gekko @ 1/8/2009 4:36:44 PM # Q

great work on the coverage.

looks like a great phone. this is light years ahead of my centro. this jump for Palm is like going from an C-64 to a 2009 PC.

i think i'll buy one.

RE: Great job guys!
MikeT5 @ 1/9/2009 9:41:30 AM # Q
Agreed-The Pre is so beautiful it makes you wanna cry! Even Colligan looks good w/o his 5 O'clock shadow! You've all heard this one before, but after financing 1/2 of the national debt and TARP bailout plan with my legacy apps, which date back to initial releases and upgrades for the IIIc (remember that one: "keeps on ticking after clicking"), T5 (still great on a wireless keyboard for landscaping spreadsheets), and my decked-out "'Claus'-ified" Centro, I hope the Pre will support a decent emulator until the developers convert their wares over to WebOS. The Pre really, really looks great in its design, engineering, multi-tasking software, and execution, and seems to be keeping pace, if not exceening, cutting-edge graphics. A real "Dream Machine, palm! Stay in the clouds and keep up the great work!

RE: Great job guys!
LiveFaith @ 1/9/2009 9:51:43 AM # Q
Ti OMAP 3430 chipset will allow up to 720x360 encoding / decoding at 30fps. Core runs at 550mhz, with full 2D/3D accels. This is a powerful graphical device and absolutely beautiful execution of hardware and software. I'm stunned to be frank about it.

Ed Colligen deserves some serious kudos here. Not for blowing CEO smoke for the past 5 years while Palm drifted without a sail in the sea. But, obviously Palm DID spend a long time/$$$ doing analysis on a future OS. More importantly, he got on the airplane to Mexico and sold the relaxing podfather on Palm future hopes. Obviously that guy is a visionary and product phenom.

I'm excited, but waiting on the HSPDA version for ATT. Would $pend this afternoon if not for Sprint and it's sad coverage here in the sticks.

Pat Horne

RE: Great job guys!
mikecane @ 1/11/2009 9:41:04 AM # Q
>>>Core runs at 550mhz

Yeah, but is Palm *underclocking* it? We don't know, do we? Witness the netbooks that have come out with underclocked CPUs to extend battery life.

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I'm truly blown away

scstraus2 @ 1/8/2009 5:12:35 PM # Q
I really didn't think they still had it in them. Well done Palm- I love you again.

Palm Pilot 5000->Palm Pilot Professional->Handspring Visor->Handspring Visor Prism->Handspring Visor Neo->Handspring Treo 180->Handspring Treo 270->Palm Treo 600->Tapwave Zodiac 2->Palm Treo 650->Palm Treo 680->...

Samsung i780!

Goodbye Palm

RE: I'm truly blown away
medevilenemy @ 1/8/2009 8:37:57 PM # Q
I sooooo want one of those... can't afford one, but still... maybe by the time its available for verizon customers...

Hey, scstraus2, think its time to remove "goodbye palm" from your sig? :-p

RE: I'm truly blown away
averageguy @ 1/8/2009 11:27:22 PM # Q
what what what!!! ive been waiting for years. finally something i would not be embarrassed to have in public

m125-zire 71-zire 72-zodiac 2-fossil wrist pda
"Never pay full price for late pizza" Michelangelo
Reply to this comment

Palm Pre on CNBC

Gekko @ 1/8/2009 5:22:48 PM # Q
RE: Palm Pre on CNBC
LiveFaith @ 1/9/2009 10:26:01 AM # Q
Yessssssssssss! Listen to the EP hypster at :05+ ... "THE PHONE IS SMALLER BUT THE SCREEN IS B I G G E R ...". WooooooHoooooo! Somebody out there is listening. I've (and others) been begging on here since the Zire 71 leak in a French sales flyer back in uhhhh 2002?

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa125/livefaith/71vg.jpg

Way 2 Go Palm!

Pat Horne

Reply to this comment

This is all very nice but . . .

Caspian @ 1/9/2009 5:51:06 AM # Q
Without clear backward compatibility, it is not a Palm device in the sense that it has meant to be a Palm device for the last 12 years. With this new device, Palm has killed development for the POS and it has killed devices running the POS. So, except for the fact that it carries a name that I have used for years, it is a completely new device requiring new software and giving me no compelling reason to remain loyal to Palm. I don't understand the reasoning behind creating a new device and OS that alienates an existing user and developer base and tying it to single carrier.

I hope that we are all so blown away by how great the new webOS performs and by the quality of the hardware that we forget all of the devices and applications that have just been orphaned.

David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55> Palm T|E> Palm T|E2> Palm T|X

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
imfallen_angel @ 1/9/2009 6:40:06 AM # Q
That's the first thing I though also...

backward compatibility... could we import our data (address book, agenda, etc.) and will it at least have an emulator (at the very least) to use the old Palm software.


Second thing... how much memory does it have? and what about SD card capacity? I've yet to see anything about that.

Third thing: media capacity? the site states ACC and some others, but what about WMA? DivX/Xvid? These two are the bread and butter on my present Palm and won't care about any new devices if they are missing these.

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
Caspian @ 1/9/2009 7:12:39 AM # Q
There appears to be no built-in backward compatibility. So, you will need to rely on a 3rd party emulator or buy all new apps, which don't exist yet.

Built-in memory is 8GB. No card slot. If I need more than 2GB on my TX, I plan to get Dmitry's app to let my TX run high capacity SD cards while I wait out the Pre to see who will carry it and what it will really do.

Palm lists the formats that it will run natively.

My guess is that this will create a market for Palm OS emulators on the major smartphone platforms to provide an escape route for long time users to move to other platforms, including webOS. The lack of compatibility with legacy POS application surprises me most.



David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55> Palm T|E> Palm T|E2> Palm T|X

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 7:24:29 AM # Q
> ...will need to rely on a 3rd party emulator...

And the emulator will need to be written in javascript and HTML.

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
Caspian @ 1/9/2009 7:37:04 AM # Q
I am not a programmer, but I understand from reading other's comments that building an emulator will not be an easy process if it is possible at all. There are really two issues involved, one is moving data to the new device and the other is running legacy applications on the new device. Data migration should be possible, running legacy applications seems to be a big question. And even if it became possible, would we like the performance? I know that you can run Windows on a Mac, but who would choose to do that as a long term solution? (That's a rhetorical question, to please no barbs from Mac users.)

David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55> Palm T|E> Palm T|E2> Palm T|X
RE: This is all very nice but . . .
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 7:42:15 AM # Q
My reply was facetious, of course.

An emulator needs (emulated) access to the hardware, minimally. The Pre is not advertised to allow that at this time - web or bust.

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
Caspian @ 1/9/2009 7:50:55 AM # Q
You could obviously tell that I am not a programmer. So the answer is that it will be impossible to run legacy apps, is that right?

David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55> Palm T|E> Palm T|E2> Palm T|X
RE: This is all very nice but . . .
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 7:58:00 AM # Q
It certainly is impossible at THIS time. We have no clue what Palm has up their sleeves for 6+ months down the line...

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
BaalthazaaR @ 1/9/2009 8:07:11 AM # Q
I thought that it ran Linux underneath. There should be a way to run non webos apps, and have the launcher launch it.
RE: This is all very nice but . . .
LiveFaith @ 1/9/2009 10:35:22 AM # Q
Getting data over from PIMs should have about a dozen "cat skinning" methods right now. Beyond that, Palm as with OS5, will most likely streamline that for legacy user.

As far as backward compatibility, I have no reports on it. Probably no emulation. Sure waiting for apps is no fun, but this platform WILL generate it's own economy and most everything will be replaced with something much better. Emulating is a pretty nasty experience in most cases anyway. Hopefully the Linux core can be accessed for tons of cool goodies as we go forward.

No expansion on this Pre. 8mb + cloud is Palm's answer. I still would like MicroSD, but its no deal breaker. Palm is really forward looking here. This type device is about updated usage patterns.

We always have the trusty (rusty) Treos to hold on to for a while to watch the sparks.

Pat Horne

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
hkklife @ 1/9/2009 11:01:17 AM # Q
It was hinted at that it is "All Web now, All Web always"

A few hints were dropped very quietly that MAYBe for a big-name game title or something that really stresses the hardware as a killer app, they might make "certain exceptions" but I would not hold my breath on it.


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->?

RE: This is all very nice but . . .
hotpaw4 @ 1/9/2009 5:58:42 PM # Q
> "All Web now, All Web always"

That would cut out a significant portion of the gaming market, and slow down development of some of the types of games that could adapt.

.

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Was anything other than windowing demoed?

SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 5:56:09 AM # Q
Real question - was anything demonstrated other than the windowing stuff? The two videos I just saw here, for example, did NOT demonstrate anything other than windowing stuff. ("cards' sure do look like windows to me!)

Was Wi-FI done? GPS? REAL browsing?

Anyone got some links to videos showing this stuff?

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 9:09:06 AM # Q
Video? Sound? Flash? Copy-n-paste?

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 9:10:17 AM # Q
Camera?

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
DrewT3 @ 1/9/2009 10:03:06 AM # Q
RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 10:10:58 AM # Q
I'm seeing lots of videos showing windowing features.

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
DrewT3 @ 1/9/2009 10:13:57 AM # Q
The third link has web browsing, photo and music viewing, messaging.

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
SeldomVisitor @ 1/9/2009 10:29:44 AM # Q
I don't think I saw web browsing (need to be online?), though video, camera, sound are there.

RE: Was anything other than windowing demoed?
DrewT3 @ 1/9/2009 10:31:31 AM # Q
There is a web browsing one somewhere - the demoee asks to see YouTube and notices that the flash video does not play. The demoer shows NYTimes.com and comments that they are using a WiFi connection.

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beautiful

danceman @ 1/9/2009 6:24:38 AM # Q
this thing is beautiful

RE: beautiful
chuckwjk1 @ 1/9/2009 8:51:20 AM # Q
Yes, it is very clever and beautiful alright. Now what is this Sprint Stuff!!. Where is GSM support??. I am not willing to jump to Sprint for this phone or any other phone. I do want to see this in a GSM unlocked flavor.

Palms owned: IIIe-> M125-> T|T-> T|3-> Tx-> Treo608 (unlocked)
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Might be too clever

mikecane @ 1/9/2009 7:05:20 AM # Q
I was thinking about the OS today and it hit me that the Gesture Area could be the FAIL spot for this.

The OS dev in the demo made a point of talking about how the screen lacks things lack "back arrows" and the like - clearly a shot at the iPhone. Fine, take that shot. But OTOH, everything is *right there* on the screen for iPhone buyers to see.

This bottom Gesture Area is not intuitive. It's a Learning Step.

I keep wondering how many people, with Classic Palm OS, actually used strokes in the Graffiti Area - like to call up, for example, the Graffiti Cheatsheet. I don't think most did. (I'm not a representative sampling; I had hacks that ADDED strokes to the Graffiti Area!)

How many people will wind up with a ton of apps open (which Palm says is no problem, but...), maybe even *open emails*, not knowing how to flick things off the screen to "close" them or how to move through cards via the Gesture Area?

It'd be interesting to know if Palm did Focus Groups about this new UI. And if, in those groups, they specifically had to *tell* people to use the Gesture Area and to flick things *off* the top of the screen.

Yes, Pal, has done breakthrough work with that - but is it actually *intuitive*?

RE: Might be too clever
mikecane @ 1/9/2009 7:05:52 AM # Q
Out, damn typo! "Yes, Pal," = "Yes, Palm," Yeesh.

RE: Might be too clever
mikecane @ 1/9/2009 7:07:07 AM # Q
Argh. Another. "screen lacks things lack "back arrows"" = "creen lacks things LIKE "back arrows"".

I need to proof better. Or is that bettr?

Reply to this comment

This or iPhone?

mikecane @ 1/9/2009 7:16:55 AM # Q
As someone pointed out in another thread here, this OS is now sufficiently different from the Palm OS we have known that there's no longer a reason to go with it.

It'd be like making a leap to an iPhone, except one with a Palm brand name on it and some non-iPhone features (like a keyboard).

Using my LifeDrive this morning, I realized that what I was using No Longer Exists at Palm. I kept wondering how I'd do the things I was doing on both an iPhone and on a Pre. I concluded it'd be nearly the same way on either an iPhone or a Pre - *neither* which would be thoroughly enjoyable to me.

For Calendar, I'm as yet unconvinced that Palm's wOS one would be any better than the upcoming Pocket Informant (is that the name?) for iPhone.

For Memos, I'm still undecided. Contacts is a wash on both platforms. I don't have the web-contacty stuff Palm touts, so that has no meaning for me.

iPhone has the ton of native apps *right now*.

The card multitasking is something Apple could probably add to the iPhone OS. (Right, like Apple would be afraid of a suit from Palm - go see Expose and Spaces, and even MultiFinder, Palm!)

Plus, Apple has its tablet later this year - the iPod Air/iPod Touchbook.

No decision yet. But the scale tips towards iPhone for me at the moment.

RE: This or iPhone?
Rastick @ 1/9/2009 7:33:15 AM # Q
Oh Mike, Mike, Mike.

The iPhone is now sooooo 2007.

RE: This or iPhone?
Solo @ 1/9/2009 7:35:56 AM # Q
Don't forget a thing Mike, you're looking at a Palm phone that will be released in June. Probably the Iphone will be on its 3rd generation in June, with its improvements, bells & whistles... so maybe the the matchup won't be the same.

And being a Palm addict (now Iphone convert) since the beginning, let just say that version 1.0 from Palm was always very buggy... so you'll have to live 3 months with major annoying bugs.

But I love the fact that Jobs got a kick in the butt by Rubenstein, that will crack the whip a bit at Apple, and it's us that reallly gonna be the beneficiary of that. (Do I hear notification coming?)

RE: This or iPhone?
Caspian @ 1/9/2009 7:49:23 AM # Q
I'm asking the same questions. I'm not on ATT, but the iPod touch is more compelling today than it was 24 hours ago.

David
Palm III> Palm IIIx> Palm IIIc> Sony T615> Sony T665> Sony TH55> Palm T|E> Palm T|E2> Palm T|X
RE: This or iPhone?
freakout @ 1/9/2009 8:02:33 AM # Q
It'd be like making a leap to an iPhone, except one with a Palm brand name on it and some non-iPhone features (like a keyboard).

A permanently available physical keyboard introduces OS-wide find-as-you-type for everything. Contacts, apps, web pages, web searches, all but a few button presses away. iPhone's dinky virtual crapboard has got nothing on that.

Not to mention the gesture navigation which makes for what looks like a far superior solution for multi-tasking, as compared to constantly ducking back to the iPhone launcher via their home button.

RE: This or iPhone?
mikecane @ 1/9/2009 8:12:25 AM # Q
>>>The iPhone is now sooooo 2007.

Hahahahahaha.

Physical keyboard doesn't excite me. I've played with the iPhone alot. The virtual keyboard works fine for me. I can make the same numbers of typos with either one!

RE: This or iPhone?
rmhurdman @ 1/9/2009 9:10:54 AM # Q
"I'm asking the same questions. I'm not on ATT, but the iPod touch is more compelling today than it was 24 hours ago."

Which raises the question of whether Palm would sell a non-phone version. It's working for Apple, but Palm has already sworn: no more PDAs.

Everyone keeps talking about deal-breakers: no SD card, no open GPS, no legacy support, whatever. But for me, it's the monthly contract that I have no interest in. I don't want a phone. And I don't think I'm the only one. My Asus EEEPC is great, but when my iPod dies, I'll probably get an iPod Touch. Palm totally missed the boat with their ill-conceived LifeDrive, then gave up too early.

I don't care whether or not this phone is the new greatest phone ever. I've noticed that people change their phone every year or two. Palm is going to have to run pretty fast just to stay in the same place. I'm ecstatic not to have ever invested in Palm stock.

RE: This or iPhone?
Gekko @ 1/9/2009 9:19:23 AM # Q

just wait to buy the unlocked version when it comes out and skip the contract and just use the wifi. if you ever want to convert it to a working phone, easily done. and who knows - maybe there'll be some type of skype app available someday. problem solved.

RE: This or iPhone?
hotpaw4 @ 1/9/2009 9:57:46 AM # Q
Palm said no more PDA's.

But wait until they evaluate the reports on how many gazillion iPod Touch's sold this past holiday, even in the worst economy since the Great Depression. The Touch is basically a poorly done (for PIM use) PDA, and selling like hotcakes. Apple basically just ripped the radio away from their phone, and have a killer PDA.

.

RE: This or iPhone?
nastebu @ 1/9/2009 11:39:23 AM # Q
The one point the Pre is, to take Palm at their word, clearly superior to the iPhone is the multi-tasking-running in the background bit. Despite having promised it months ago, Apple hasn't delivered on a background notifications solution for the iPhone, which means that things like AIM are pretty useless. Also, the inability of third party applications to communicate with the iPhone's datebook and SMS client is very irritating.

I love my iPhone. Most of the complaints about it (keyboard and PIM applications included) are wrong or just nitpicks. But if Palm puts this puppy out without significant bugs and Apple doesn't solve some of the issues they've been struggling with, Palm has the better phone. Who would have thought? (okay, freakout would have guessed, but even a stopped clock...)

RE: This or iPhone?
freakout @ 1/9/2009 2:51:42 PM # Q
But if Palm puts this puppy out without significant bugs and Apple doesn't solve some of the issues they've been struggling with, Palm has the better phone. Who would have thought? (okay, freakout would have guessed, but even a stopped clock...)

I'll pretend not to be hurt by that. :P

Palm always had the better phone. Even the Centro is a better communicator than the iPhone. Apple just came out with a far superior OS and much nicer hardware. (Don't have that advantage anymore, though!)

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 -> Treo 650 -> Treo 680 -> Centro

RE: This or iPhone?
justauser @ 1/9/2009 4:15:01 PM # Q
Pre or iPhone? I'm surprised that Mike is leaning the iPhone way. I bought an iPhone for my wife. Here in Australia, 70% of iPhone users are females... and that says it all to me.

Mike's just leaning towards iPhone cause Apple might release a Foleo rip off.
http://tinyurl.com/7ndtua

RE: This or iPhone?
hotpaw4 @ 1/9/2009 6:17:03 PM # Q
The iPhone Develper SDK allows me to use a mix of Objective C and C... the same kind of C used for PalmOS SDK development. Unless Palm has done some serious magic on Javascript (it's possible), there are some classes of apps that can't be done as well for a webOS as they can with compiled C. So I'm going to wait until I see their SDK before deciding if I want to try playing with Palm's new OS & phone. Until then it's iPhone all the way (and my aging Treo for a few PIM apps that are still better than anything I've found from Apple or their App store).

.

RE: This or iPhone?
mikecane @ 1/9/2009 6:46:35 PM # Q
>>>I bought an iPhone for my wife. Here in Australia, 70% of iPhone users are females... and that says it all to me.

Australia has always been a weird country, anyway. That PM who took a walk into the ocean and never reappeared. Hey, I've read Bill Bryson's book!

I've always wanted an iPhone. But the Pre is the FIRST thing to come along that's an actual *speedbump* to getting one. I keep thinking about that kick-ass multitasking they've created. Damn, that is fine!!

RE: This or iPhone?
justauser @ 1/11/2009 1:11:34 AM # Q
Mike, I think you know more about Australian history than the average Aussie...

Reply to this comment

Need to know questions!

jezor @ 1/9/2009 10:02:59 AM # Q
1) Can one plug a MicroSD or any other external storage card *into* the Pre (as opposed to its acting as a flash drive for another device, which it's clear it can do)?

2) Will the Bluetooth stack include support for external keyboards?

3) Will it allow a developer to create Jot/Graffiti compatibility for those of us who like to write with one hand instead of typing with two?

4) Will it run PalmOS apps?

5) Will it support offline apps (I'm thinking about things like Hebrew support)?

I can't wait to see this thing in action, and really hope all of the above are "yes." {ProfJonathan}

Jonathan I. Ezor
jonathan.ezor@palmgear.com
PG Team Leader (http://www.palmgear.com)
PalmBlog: http://www.panix.com/~jezor/palmblog

PG Team Leaders are not paid employees of PalmGear.com. The views expressed may not represent those of PalmGear.com.

RE: Need to know questions!
AdamaDBrown @ 1/9/2009 10:44:54 AM # Q
1. It does not appear to have expandable memory.

4. It definitely does not run Palm OS applications.

RE: Need to know questions!
hkklife @ 1/9/2009 10:51:22 AM # Q
Q) Can one plug a MicroSD or any other external storage card *into* the Pre (as opposed to its acting as a flash drive for another device, which it's clear it can do)?
A: No, zero external storage slot onboard. it has a fixed 8gb, of which ~7.4 is available. This is the biggest drawback of the device IMO and HORRIBLY cripples it for any serious prosumer/media savvy users. I just was at the SD committe's booth the other night. they had 64gb microSDXC cards there and the XC extension of the SD format can top out at 2GB. Palm has yet again firmly buried their hands in the sand in regards to users wanting/needing removable storage to extend the usefulness and functionality of their devices. No MicroSDHC slot on Pre==EPIC MEGA FAIL!


2) Will the Bluetooth stack include support for external keyboards?

No comment but I personally doubt it. They didn't want to say much about BT other than stressing that it's A2DP compliant and supports BT 2.1 + EDR.

3) Will it allow a developer to create Jot/Graffiti compatibility for those of us who like to write with one hand instead of typing with two?

Possible to create it with web tools but with no way to interact with the OS....I highly doubt it.

4) Will it run PalmOS apps?
Nothing was mentioned, and it was strongly hinted that Garnet is dead, gone, and in the past. this is an entirely "new" Palm we're looking at and aside from supporting legacy Palm OS users ot import their PIm data, there is really NO acknowledgement of the past 12 years of Palm OS. Sorry, guys.

5) Will it support offline apps (I'm thinking about things like Hebrew support)?
Yes, offline apps will be supported but they will still have to built with web-style "tools" and technologies. But if you are asking if an app will require online connectivity--I asked that and they said "no" in a roundabout 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->?

RE: Need to know questions!
Ryan @ 1/9/2009 10:53:41 AM # Q
3) It uses a capacitive touchscreen and does not even support a stylus, you need to use touch (ie your finger for everything) so that would rule out most handwriting recognition.

5) the apps are built on web tech, but run on the device so developers could make offline apps

RE: Need to know questions!
vetdoctor @ 1/9/2009 12:52:18 PM # Q
This is the biggest drawback of the device IMO and HORRIBLY cripples it for any serious prosumer/media savvy users.

But 90%+ users never use the second GB. To 90%+ users 8GB is plenty. True the power users are stiffed for now....until Pre2 comes out with a 16 GB (then one with 32...etc) memory ala iphone/ipods.


In short, I had always believed that the world involved magic: now I thought that perhaps it involved a magician.
- Chesterton

RE: Need to know questions!
mikecane @ 1/9/2009 6:49:24 PM # Q
>>>and the XC extension of the SD format can top out at 2GB

You meant 2 *terabytes* of course. Yeah, ain't that something?! Man!!

RE: Need to know questions!
hkklife @ 1/9/2009 7:29:02 PM # Q
Aye, Mike, I of COURSE meant 2TB. I'm a shambles right now after the past three days. I don't CARE what most users use or don't use. Let them have their 1gb of internal storage or let them stuff it with gigs upon gigs. I want that CHOICE. Apple won't let us have choice and now Palm is becoming like that too.

I have some more disappointments straight from Palm re: the Pre:

1. NO video capture

2. NO voice dialing native, either into the phone's mic or via BT. They claim to be "looking into ways to add this feature eventually". That means, of course IMHO, getting dinged with a monthly $ charge for that rotten Nuance voice contro. A next-gen flagship device like this should have all of this standard. Let's hope they pull out another miracle in the next couple months (unlikely)

3.WebOS' Contacts app cannot have its fields renamed or have additional or custom fields added (from what I was told by the Palm reps-I was unable to confirm this personally).
So if I have Mike Cane in my contacts list and want to add his "vacation home" number, I cannot create a new field and entitle it that since I do not consider his beach condo his "home" or his "office". It appears that I am forced to shove it under home/work/fax/mobile etc. In fact, I didn't even see if you can have multiple fields for "mobile" or a spot for custom fields. I'll review our video & still footage tonight and see what I can spot.


Omitting "old school" features like IR, styli, hard app buttons, Graffiti, and even desktop synchronization is one thing. But jettisoning CRITICAL features like video capture, removable memory card slots, voice dialing and going backwards in battery mAh capacity on your powerful, fastest CPU, largest screen device yet is just retarded.

So far from CES I am announcing the following awards from what I have seen so far:

Best of Show (tie): HP DV2 premium netbook & Palm's WebOS

Biggest disappointments of show: Sony P-Series netbook & Palm Pre


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->?

RE: Need to know questions!
mikecane @ 1/10/2009 8:51:49 AM # Q
>>>3.WebOS' Contacts app cannot have its fields renamed or have additional or custom fields added (from what I was told by the Palm reps-I was unable to confirm this personally).

Oy.

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Broadcasts to mobile devices to start in 22 cities

Gekko @ 1/9/2009 10:19:21 AM # Q

Broadcasts to mobile devices to start in 22 cities

By PETER SVENSSON – 18 hours ago

LAS VEGAS (AP) — TV stations in 22 U.S. cities announced Thursday that they will start broadcasting their signals this year in a format designed to be received by mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players, GPS units and in-car entertainment systems.

Unlike current mobile TV services, the broadcasts would most likely be free, and would provide access to local news, weather and traffic updates. The broadcasts could also fill an important role in emergencies like hurricanes, since they can be received by portable devices and don't jam up under load like cell-phone networks.

But will there be any gadgets on the market that can receive those signals? That's less clear, since there are no firm launch dates for compatible products.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h6VvtwIlXWqp6ISnkzvYPyTkMalAD95J99680

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Answers to Questions

ozz @ 1/9/2009 7:38:21 PM # Q
Again, here is an article from PC Magazine which addresses some of the questions we have:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2338583,00.asp


RE: Answers to Questions
mikecane @ 1/10/2009 8:58:33 AM # Q
>>>9.) How do you get music and video onto the Pre?
>>>You can drag and drop it over from your PC using USB mass storage, or buy songs on the device using a built in Amazon MP3 Store client.

That brings up its own set of questions too!

When plugged into a PC/Mac as a USB mass storage device, are people going to be presented with a default set of folders that CANNOT be renamed and into which specific files MUST go? This is how it works on the ECTACO jetBook eBook Reader:
http://jetbook.net/manual/jetBook_manual_Eng.pdf (PDF link)

>>>When browsing through the contents stored in the internal memory of the device, you will see the following folders: Books, Music, and Pictures. Do not delete or rename these folders!

The ECTACO allows folder creation, however. I hope the Pre will too. There'd be nothing worse than one ginormous Video folder that can't be further classified by TV, movie, music, or whatever.

RE: Answers to Questions
DarthRepublican @ 1/10/2009 11:28:29 PM # Q

>>>9.) How do you get music and video onto the Pre?
>>>You can drag and drop it over from your PC using USB mass storage, or buy songs on the device using a built in Amazon MP3 Store client.
That brings up its own set of questions too!

When plugged into a PC/Mac as a USB mass storage device, are people going to be presented with a default set of folders that CANNOT be renamed and into which specific files MUST go? This is how it works on the ECTACO jetBook eBook Reader:
http://jetbook.net/manual/jetBook_manual_Eng.pdf (PDF link)

>>>When browsing through the contents stored in the internal memory of the device, you will see the following folders: Books, Music, and Pictures. Do not delete or rename these folders!

The ECTACO allows folder creation, however. I hope the Pre will too. There'd be nothing worse than one ginormous Video folder that can't be further classified by TV, movie, music, or whatever.


SD cards on existing Palms and just about every other PDA, camera, or smartphone also have dedicated folders like DCIM, Music, and Palm. Palm doesn't ask you to not delete or rename these folders, its devices just recreate them when you do so. I suppose the Pre would probably do the same. I also saw a brief mention of the Pre supporting photo albums in a PC Magazine article. If they're anything like the photo albums on the Treo/LifeDrive/Palm TX, they'll just be folders created under the DCIM folder.

Screw convergence
Palm III->Visor Deluxe->Visor Platinum->Visor Prism->Tungsten E->Palm LifeDrive->Palm TX
Visor Pro+VisorPhone->Treo 180g->Treo 270->Treo 600->Treo 680->T-Mobile G1
http://mind-grapes.blogspot.com/
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