PreCentral Forums - Cross-Platform Chat http://forums.precentral.net en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:50:04 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.precentral.net/images/misc/rss.jpg PreCentral Forums - Cross-Platform Chat http://forums.precentral.net Has anyone tried the Verizon Eris? http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216202&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:12:58 GMT It's kind of a cousin to the Hero so wondering if anyone tried it.

I have a co worker thats looking to get a smartphone after having BB at his previous job. I did point him to Sprint and Hero... but really at our work Sprint signal in building sucks so really looking at Verizon for him. My other co worker has a Droid but I think he is looking at spending a little less.

I know the Eris has a smaller battery than the Hero so wondering how else it differs. Nice looking phone though IMO. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat donm527 http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216202 Verizon commercials http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216113&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:40 GMT Has anyone seen these? They just did one where it was old Christmas cartoon movies and it has the Iphone on the island of misfit toys. Hilarious! AT&T has sued Verizon over these commercials, does anyone know what happened with that? Also do you think what Verizon is doing is fair or accurate?

Here is a link to the commercial.

YouTube - Island of Misfit Toys Verizon Commercial ]]> Cross-Platform Chat homerlanza http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216113 How to keep me as a customer http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216076&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT I won't be buying a Pre. I bought a Centro a few months ago as a placeholder until the Pre was released. The Centro is my 7th Palm with no interruption by other PDAs. I have been a loyal customer since Palm first came out in the mid 90s but I am seriously thinking of moving on because my needs are not being met and because of quality issues.

I have liked Palm's OS. LifeDrive and TX met my needs the best with Centro coming in a close second, or is it third? I am one of what I am sure are many, many people who got tired of hauling a laptop around a long time ago. I am sure I am one of the few who have rebelled over it but this is the secret I think Palm is missing.

I don't want to have a portable computer and a phone. I want to have a computer I can leave at home, whether laptop or desktop, a work computer I leave at work and a computer/phone that travels and communicates with the other 2 in between. That means I want my computer case to carry a comfortable keyboard, my wires and my phone/computer if I choose not to keep it in my pocket. LifeDrive was doing this for me but the hard drive was too easily broken. Even TX did this because the screen was large and I had a separate keyboard for when the on screen was not enough. I wrote papers and presentations, edited and so on right in the car, on the plane. It was my library for reading, my cinema for viewing, etc.

I don't want to carry a phone and a laptop. I want my phone to be my laptop and my laptop to stay on my desk.

Another need? I travel to the middle east often. What's up with Arabic support? Is the market not large enough for you? Everybody from grampa on down has a phone here.

Regarding the quality issues? Centro, specifically, I have to regularly clean my charging contacts with alcohol swabs to get a clean contact to charge. It is always rebooting in the middle of something. One other thing, messages come in without information on when they were sent... what's that about?

Thanks for letting me vent. I'm going to the HTC website now. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat hootowl41 http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=216076 <![CDATA[Why I've chosen the 3GS over the Pre - constructive!]]> http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215774&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:11:06 GMT As an ex-Treo 650/680 user and long-time devotee of PalmOS, I've been following the development of the Pre with great interest. With no viable Palm optiion once my Treo 680 expired, I jumped ship to a Blackberry Bold. It's been fine - gets the job done, but doesn't particularly inspire.

I finally got to play with a Pre a few weeks ago (I'm in the UK) and I loved it, but here's the mental mulling up that I did when deciding between it and an iPhone:

Form factor. +1 to the Pre. It's small and feels great in the hand. The screen is sharp.

OS. +1 for the Pre. WebOS is superb and the approach to notifications and multitasking are excellent. Apple could learn a lot.

Keyboard. +1 for the Pre - hardware keyboard beats on-screen keyboard. It's not rocket-science - some feedback beats no feedback. Can't believe some people argue this.

Browser. +1 for the Pre. It's getting Flash so just pips the 3Gs.

Applications. +100 for the iPhone. Yep, it's all about the apps. Smartphones are applications platforms at heart and the iPhone is peerless in this regard. The phenomenal number of apps, both good and bad, blows away anything WebOS has, or has coming in the pipeline.

I want Palm to succeed. I don't want an iPhone, but I'm buying one anyway to get the suite of apps that I need for work and leisure. I know that it's early days for WebOS, but there's no indication of support for native application development and without that there is just no way Pre apps will come close to the potential quality of the App Store smorgasbord.

The Pre is so good in so many ways. I hope that Palm announce a native app strategy and release a lower-level API. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat pmckean http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215774 Impressed with Droid Commercials http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215670&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:52:07 GMT Gotta say that even though I am not in the market for a Droid, I have been impressed with their commercials which create a buzz about the phone. When I go Xmas shopping, I will check one out because of that.

Why didn't Palm come out with a blitz add campaign like this to create a buzz about the Pre...what did we get, a flow girl talking about a Juggler in some weird fantasy place that isn't remotely related to how the phone works in real life.

It isn't about the phone, it is the memorability of the commercials that make the person want the phone and think they need to have on. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat DSPKweb http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215670 Google Phone http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215602&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:52:54 GMT Even more cause for concern competition for Palm Pre.
Specs are not out yet and it's all speculation. If the information is correct, however, an early 2010 release would have it's toll on Pre sales with Verizon.

My 20 cents: If anyone can kill the iPhone in the next few months it will for sure be none other than Google.

Discuss. :D


The Google Phone Is Very Real. And It’s Coming Soon


The debate over Droid v. iPhone rages on, but lots more Android surprises are on the way. Get ready for the Google Phone. It’s no longer a myth, it’s real.

The next “super” Android device will almost certainly be a HTC phone that’s much thinner than even the Droid or iPhone – The Dragon/Passion. This is the phone the senior Android guys at Google are now carrying around and testing, at least as of a couple of weeks ago. If you’re willing to give up the Droid’s keyboard, the Dragon/Passion is going to be a really cool phone. It should be fully available very soon.

But it isn’t the Google Phone. Everything up until now has just been a warm up to the Google Phone.

Way more interesting are the rumors we’ve been hearing for months about a pure Google-branded phone. Most of our sources have unconfirmed information, which we describe below. But there are a few things we have absolutely confirmed: Google is building their own branded phone that they’ll sell directly and through retailers. They were long planning to have the phone be available by the holidays, but it has now slipped to early 2010. The phone will be produced by a major phone manufacturer but will only have Google branding (Microsoft did the same thing with their first Zunes, which were built by Toshiba).

There won’t be any negotiation or compromise over the phone’s design of features – Google is dictating every last piece of it. No splintering of the Android OS that makes some applications unusable. Like the iPhone for Apple, this phone will be Google’s pure vision of what a phone should be.

That’s it for confirmed, super-high confidence information, which frankly isn’t a whole lot more than we all heard back in late October. But we also have a few more details as well that we’ve gathered from a number of sources. Everything that follows we still consider to be just well-sourced rumors:

One source told us that HTC, a Taiwanese company, is building the new Google phone, but we think that information is incorrect. We have some fairly good information that suggests Google is working with a Korean phone manufacturer on the Google phone – LG or Samsung (we mentioned this on CrunchGear earlier this week). Samsung has multiple parts in the iPhone and could be pressured by Apple not to work with Google, which says LG is the more likely partner for Google. So rumors like this one may be much more important than they first appear. But either way, the best information we have right now points directly at Korea as the birthplace of the Google Phone.

We’ve also heard from a good source that Google is planning a big advertising push around the device early next year – like January.

That’s all we have for now. We don’t yet know what the device will look like, how big it will be, or even if it has a physical keyboard. But we do know that Google is getting into the phone building business directly, and doesn’t seem too concerned about competing with all the other device manufacturers building Android phones.

Update: The Google Phone may be a data only, VoIP device. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat leroove http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215602 The Droid fails AS A PRODUCT when compared to Palm Pre and iPhone http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215478&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:57:46 GMT The Droid fails AS A PRODUCT when compared to Palm Pre and iPhone http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/08/droid-palm-pre-iphone-product-comparison/ The Droid fails AS A PRODUCT when compared to Palm Pre and iPhone



http://scobleizer.com/2009/11/08/dro...ct-comparison/ ]]> Cross-Platform Chat akitayo http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215478 Where will you be in 3 months? http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215296&goto=newpost Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:55:34 GMT After reading the article, "Fan vs. Fanatic" I started to question my own loyalty. I am definitely a BIG PALM FAN. However some interesting and important thoughts were brought up. In this age of modern technology, I, like most consumers want the best product. True, price is a factor that needs to be weighed in to the decision, but none of us would have ever even bought a Pre, or care this much about smart phones if we only looked for a bargain. Back in March, when I first heard about the Pre, I was as ecstatic for the release of the HTC Touch Pro 2 as I was the Pre. It just so happened that the Pre was released first. I wasn't a Palm rookie either on June 6th; I toted 3 different Treo models over a period of about 4 years, so I knew Palm was a brand I could trust to make a solid product. It's been 5 months now and the Pre has been great, but also frustrating in many areas. I look around at the smart phone world now and I see the HTC Touch Pro 2, the HTC Hero, the HTC HD 2, the iPhone 3GS, a whole plethora of Blackberrys, and more recently, Google's Android phones, and Nokia's new N Series phones. Of course, webOS is among the strongest, if not the strongest OS that any of these phones use, so the Pre is definitely a contender, but are it's other shortcomings too much to overlook? I have been a huge advocate of the Pre to my friends and colleagues. So I feel a sense of connection to it. But I have to wonder... am I missing out on a better phone experience?

I started this thread to get a sense of the other phones out there that other members were fond of. But I'll ask the question in a different form.
In 3 months, if the Pre has not made significant changes, (and by significant, I mean whatever changes that you would personally like to see) would you consider switching to a different phone, or stick it out with the Pre? Also, if you did not own a Pre, what other phone out there right now do you think you would have, or want? ]]> Cross-Platform Chat boston_ant http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=215296 Anyone switch from iPhone to Pre? http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214980&goto=newpost Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:31:07 GMT I apologize in advance if this has already been discussed, however I did try searching the forums first and didn't find anything that answered my question. Has anyone else on here switched to the Palm Pre from an iPhone. I currently have an iPhone 3GS and my wife has an original iPhone. I am considering switching to Sprint and getting us both the Palm Pre. I have gone to a Sprint store and tested the Palm and I really like the phone just as well as my iPhone, some things I like better. The main reason I am wanting to switch is because the Sprint calling plans would save us a ton every month over what we're paying for our iPhones. I was just wondering if anyone else had made the same switch and if they were glad they did or had some regrets. Also anyone switching from AT&T to Sprint glad they made that decision? Thanks for your help. ]]> Cross-Platform Chat metrowarrior79 http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214980 Smackdown!!! Is the Palm Pre this bad? http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214627&goto=newpost Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:24:47 GMT ...Because I've really enjoyed the phone from the day I bought it in June.



iPhone vs. BlackBerry vs. Droid vs. Pre: Smackdown!
Galen Gruman, InfoWorld
Nov 14, 2009

[excerpts]

The Palm Pre claims to support Exchange, but it supports only a few ActiveSync policies and thus can access only low-security Exchange servers.

Apps for the Pre have largely stalled, though the early ones showed promise.

The Palm Pre and the two Droids have limited copy-and-paste capabilities.

The Pre, Droid, and Droid Eris have limited security capabilities (the Pre has the most and the Droid Eris the least) and no management tools.

The Palm Pre's UI is clunkier than either the iPhone's or the Droids'. It shares many of the same principles, but is less consistent in, for example, its use of scrolling and menu access. Also, the separate swipe area for some gestures is confusing, as it's hard to remember which swipes work where on the split screen.

The Palm Pre's keyboard is similar to the BlackBerry Bold's, but the glossy keys and red-on-black print make it harder to use, especially when you're hunting for a symbol.

The Palm Pre feels the cheapest of the bunch in terms of finish and materials quality, and its fuzzy screen is an issue.

iPhone vs. BlackBerry vs. Droid vs. Pre: Smackdown! - PC World ]]> Cross-Platform Chat Skysurfer http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214627 <![CDATA[NYT: "Dell’s Out-of-Town Tryout for Smartphones" (Android)]]> http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214345&goto=newpost Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:01:16 GMT Interesting!

Quote:
Dell’s Out-of-Town Tryout for Smartphones
By Saul Hansell
The New York Times
November 13, 2009

Dell’s Out-of-Town Tryout for Smartphones - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

Dell has finally confirmed what has been bouncing around the market for some time, that it is entering the smartphone business.

It’s not saying very much about its strategy, other than that it is using Google’s Android operating system. (That, in itself, confirms what is becoming clear about Android: That it is now the Windows of cellphones, the operating system for hardware companies that don’t write their own operating systems.)

What Dell is doing is not starting by fighting head-to-head with Samsung, HTC, Motorola (not to mention Apple and Research in Motion) in the United States. Rather it debuting its products in two big developing markets where, presumably, its core strength in delivering generic technology cheaply will be valued.

Dell said it will distribute its first Android handset, the Mini 3, through China Mobile, the largest phone company in the world, with half a billion customers. In Brazil, the phone will be sold through Claro, the Brazilian wireless outpost of América Móvil, a big chain of wireless companies controlled by Carlos Slim Helu, the Mexican financier.

The company did not release any specifications for the Mini 3 handset. It released a few photos that make it clear that the phones are thin touch-screen models with no physical keyboards.

###
]]> Cross-Platform Chat KevMeister http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214345 Business Week: Inside the App Economy http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214288&goto=newpost Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:18:20 GMT Looks interesting: Inside the App Economy - BusinessWeek (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_44/b4153044881892.htm) Looks interesting:

Inside the App Economy - BusinessWeek ]]> Cross-Platform Chat KevMeister http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214288 Hero vs Pre http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214170&goto=newpost Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:19:46 GMT Okay so I now have a Pre and a Hero.

The Pre:
I was so excited for this device to hit store shelves. I couldn't stop thinking about the Pre for months. I knew how to use the pre before I even had one. So I got in line and waited (at 3am).. Got the phone.. Boom, hit a snag. Had two huge round distortion circles arond the bottom. Crap, go back, they gave me another one.. 8 dead pixels.. yes 8. Took that back, had to wait a week to get another one.. 4 dead pixels and an oreo keyboard. Called Palm, they sent me one, 1 dead pixel and a little wobble.

So I dealt with the poor build quality and started to really customize my pre.. heres what I liked.

1) The multi-tasking is phenomenal on the pre. Effortless and smooth.
2) The swooping back in forth using the gesture area. GREAT
3) Easy to use OS
4) Web Browser GREAT
5) Screen is very responsive.
6) Great CPU

What I didnt like.
1) Palm.. They annoy me to death. I love how their updates are so small and minor. At the rate they are going, expect a fully functional Smart phone in 2012.
2) App catalog is a joke. Basically what you have is an application pulling information from the web.. basically mirroring anything that you could easily pull up on the web browser.
3) Build quality is a joke. Period.
4) The OS gets boring. There really is only so much you can do. Customization is extremely limited.
5) GPU. Yes I know the webgpu is coming.. Umm.. hope you like playing games in a browser. This doesn't help battery life nor speed up general OS functions, all processes will still be held on the CPU.
6) Limited memory, 8GB can be gone through quickly.
7) No compass, trust me, after having the Moment and Hero, this is so useful, more then you'd ever think.
8) Can't get a calendar to open quickly? Are you kidding me? Waiting 10secs for your calendar.. Joke

Basically the Pre has a lot of potential if Palm ups things. They had a unique device for about a month, then came a lot of other devices that have more functions. Palm really disappointed me.. I guess thats it.

The HTC Hero:
So I had my Palm Pre and I was getting real sick of waiting around for a fully function smart phone that wasn't behind in functions compared to other smart phones. I went to the Sprint store and played with it and out of desperation I purchased it.

What I liked:
1) Sense UI is UNREAL.. Amazing. Everything in one click.
2) Apps are useful, amazing, and most are free.
3) Has a compass. Great feature for navigation.
4) Fast, even though it has a slower CPU then Pre, its still snappier.
6) The calendar opens instantly, no waiting
7) Most programs open instantly
8) GPU is fully used
9) Customization is unreal. I can do anything to my Hero to make it MY phone.
10) Everything is synced to a cloud, just like the pre, in fact, better then the Pre. I get constant facebook updates (through the widget and through my Address book).
11) No build quality problems. Solid and works. No dead pixels, no squeaking. (I know it doesn't have a slider).
12) Email is far superior to the Pres.

What I hate:
1) There is multi-tasking, but its a bit rough around the edges.
2) No way to really "Close" a program w/ out a 3rd party program
3) Camera sucks, period. 5MP my ***
4) Browser isn't close to as good as the Pre
5) Screen isn't as responsive
6) OS does take a LOT of time to learn
7) On Screen keyboard isn't that great ]]> Cross-Platform Chat tntsniper http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214170 Verizon billing http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214143&goto=newpost Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:49:25 GMT Hi

I found this NYT article/blog post interesting on how Verizon reams you on your monthly bill. Makes me glad I have simple billing from Sprint.

Verizon: How Much Do You Charge Now? - Pogue’s Posts Blog - NYTimes.com

(I threw this in cross platform forum even though it may or may not fit there) ]]> Cross-Platform Chat jabou http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=214143 Smart phone OS showdown: iPhone vs Android vs Palm Pre http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=213927&goto=newpost Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:12:30 GMT Good article about the operating systems, but I do not think they took into account the Homebrew side of webOS. Smart phone OS showdown: iPhone vs Android vs Palm Pre - Crave at CNET UK (http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39029453,49303981,00.htm) The Pre gets very good ratings in several... Good article about the operating systems, but I do not think they took into account the Homebrew side of webOS.

Smart phone OS showdown: iPhone vs Android vs Palm Pre - Crave at CNET UK

The Pre gets very good ratings in several categories.

If the comment below is true then what is the big deal with iTunes???
"There's another problem with the iPhone -- in order to function, it must be paired to one computer, and one computer only. You can't sync it to a desktop PC and then start using it with your laptop. This is a truly horrible problem caused by iTunes, and so far Apple seems unrepentant." ]]> Cross-Platform Chat rfceo http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=213927