early adopters of Hero just go spanked....droid

stockh · 10/28/2009, 02:02 PM

I feel a little bad for the users who recently purchased the Hero. The Droid is coming out next week and is head and shoulders above the Hero.

Just to make things worse, expect Palm to update WebOS shortly and from my speculation release plans for a new handset which will complete their handset lineup:

pixi = low end ($99)
pre = mid ($149)
TBA = high end / business ($199)

Moral of this post..... quit chasing technology or go broke trying

LupeValenz · 10/31/2009, 03:36 PM

Doood!!! I'm so enticed by the Droid. Ohh and I love that lil notification sound they have when you get email, it says Droid in a creepy way

. Palm really needs to work on speeding up the device. Its so sad seeing other OS launch their calendars and come up snappy, very lil lag switching to days/weeks/months. The only thing Palm has going for them I believe is their cards multi-tasking. Everything else seems to be a simliar version to android with the notifications bar, the synergy with 2.0 now in android. Droid looks amazing and the Xperia 10 UI is incredible, I can't wait to see the unveiling on Nov 3rd.

jcross22 · 10/31/2009, 04:04 PM

Welcome to the wonderful world of computer technology. This is what happens on every platform. Eventually you have to pull the trigger and buy something knowing that in x amount of days something newer and better will be released. If you sit around waiting for the perfect smartphone device to be released you're going to be going a long time without a new phone. I don't think the new Hero owners are feeling spanked, the Hero is a solid phone and pretty soon will get the 2.0 update. And in a few months something else will be released that will top the Droid.

berdinkerdickle · 10/31/2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockh

Moral of this post..... quit chasing technology or go broke trying

Agreed.

My thoughts are we tend to think the grass is greener. With technology; it is!

I could move to something cool and then move to something even more cool, but my Treo Pro does everything I Need.

acipollo · 10/31/2009, 04:15 PM

Unless you want a physical keyboard and a flash, when the Hero gets 2.0 there will be no difference except for screensize and res. And the one I toyed with had very laggy home screens.

sivan · 10/31/2009, 04:57 PM

What's funny is that Android has the GPU, OpenGL (ES?) and what not, and yet there are no games for it.

THETRUTH · 10/31/2009, 06:57 PM

I have a bunch of games that you can't get in the market and they are 3d, so I am not sure about the no games thing. If you want to see no good games, go into the palm store. I think there is a new tic tac toe game in there lol....

some android games are on iphone level. Here are some examples...

prince of persia, speed forge, midnight pool, par 72 golf, asphalt 3, snow rally, fishin 2 go, hyperspace, tightrope hero....and so on.. All great games with cool graphics and some 3d... Some are in the app store and some aren't.

sivan · 10/31/2009, 07:14 PM

How many games can you install on the Hero?

davis.rob · 10/31/2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockh

Moral of this post..... quit chasing technology or go broke trying

Amen!

I just have to chuckle a little bit about all the buzz over the Hero ... and here we are barely a couple of weeks later and there's zero buzz on the Hero and everyone's all jazzed about Droid. They're all really not *that* different, and as several have pointed out there's always the next great thing.

One thing I will have to give Palm props for (and that I still really like) is that the Pre is still the smallest and most pocket-friendly of all the smart phones *and* it includes a physical keyboard. Quite an impressive feat of design and engineering to cram all of that into such a small package.

bclancy · 10/31/2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockh

I feel a little bad for the users who recently purchased the Hero. ...

I feel good for everyone that we are getting (hopefully) good phones to choose from!

Quote:

Originally Posted by stockh

Moral of this post..... quit chasing technology or go broke trying

Even buying just a single phone per user per two years, we may still be "going broke" on what we pay the carriers during the life of the contract. Let's not forget that the phone's are subsidized by the profit carriers make on our contracts!

THETRUTH · 10/31/2009, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivan

How many games can you install on the Hero?

not sure the amount but I have about 30 games and 20 apps. I didn't load my navigation app because of sprint nav. Plenty of room for more though. The apps are usually less than a meg

sivan · 10/31/2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THETRUTH

not sure the amount but I have about 30 games and 20 apps. I didn't load my navigation app because of sprint nav. Plenty of room for more though. The apps are usually less than a meg

Yeah but most are trivial games, nothing approaching the iPhone. Android is a long way from becoming a mobile gaming platform.

I can't keep track of who is making which claims, but I'm pointing out that with all the noise about OpenGL, GPU support etc. from obsessed gadget freaks, Android doesn't have much to show for. That is clearly not the top priority for Palm.

THETRUTH · 10/31/2009, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivan

Yeah but most are trivial games, nothing approaching the iPhone. Android is a long way from becoming a mobile gaming platform.

I can't keep track of who is making which claims, but I'm pointing out that with all the noise about OpenGL, GPU support etc. from obsessed gadget freaks, Android doesn't have much to show for. That is clearly not the top priority for Palm.

I'll say they are not right up there with the iphone but I don't really want them to be either. I don't want 85,000 apps. I had an ipod and I couldn't find apps to save my life. The app store is like going christmas shopping. Long lines and a ton of people. By the time you get through all the crap, you forgot what you went in there for.

The android app store has a lot of fluff but I am plenty happy to just have the options. I have gone into the app store for palm everytime they put more apps and I don't see anything in there I would even think about paying for. I think that the pre could really have some awesome apps if palm would open up and allow more access to the os.

SiniStereO · 10/31/2009, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sivan

What's funny is that Android has the GPU, OpenGL (ES?) and what not, and yet there are no games for it.

Like WebOS 1.x, Android v1.x doesn't have very good support for 3D or games. However, Android v2.x is now the standard, and it supports both 3D acceleration and rich gaming experiences. Google has stated that it's aiming for a "PSP-like gaming experience."

The lack of 3D acceleration on previous Android handsets was due to the ongoing patent litigation between Broadcom and Qualcomm. As far as I know, Qualcomm-based GPUs are still embargoed in the US.

OMAP has no such limitation. Android v2.x includes GPU drivers for OMAP, much unlike WebOS.

SiniStereO · 10/31/2009, 10:44 PM

Let's not forget that those who purchased the HTC Hero knew well in advance that it used an aging processor still in the midst of litigation. Or, at least, they had the ability to figure this out. Innovation in the market is hardly surprising, so Hero owners were anything but "spanked."

Besides, HTC has affirmed their commitment to delivering Android v2.x to existing Hero owners. Anti-spank.

sivan · 11/01/2009, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiniStereO

Like WebOS 1.x, Android v1.x doesn't have very good support for 3D or games. However, Android v2.x is now the standard, and it supports both 3D acceleration and rich gaming experiences. Google has stated that it's aiming for a "PSP-like gaming experience."

The lack of 3D acceleration on previous Android handsets was due to the ongoing patent litigation between Broadcom and Qualcomm. As far as I know, Qualcomm-based GPUs are still embargoed in the US.

OMAP has no such limitation. Android v2.x includes GPU drivers for OMAP, much unlike WebOS.

I said that even with OpenGL, GPU support and deep access, the selection of games on Android is abysmal.

The way some people here were screaming about the GPU you would think Android had more to show for it.

LupeValenz · 11/01/2009, 12:31 PM

Hero doesn't have to worry, they have a sexy hardware and will be able to get Android 2.0 update as well. Seriously looking at android now.

doublebullout · 11/02/2009, 08:23 AM

If trading up from a Pre to a Hero is "spanking", then I've been a naughty boy. More spanking, please. ;-)

The Phone Diva · 11/02/2009, 11:22 AM

No one got spanked, no Droid on Sprint. They're on different networks, so you either take Sprint's low cost network and deal with the older spec Hero, or pay a lot more on your plan for the Droid on Verizon.

Seems many are content with the low cost option, although Sprint keeps losing customers again, for some reason. But if they were on the same network, then yes people'd be PO'ed I'd think.

Elysian893 · 11/02/2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Phone Diva

No one got spanked, no Droid on Sprint. They're on different networks, so you either take Sprint's low cost network and deal with the older spec Hero, or pay a lot more on your plan for the Droid on Verizon.

Seems many are content with the low cost option, although Sprint keeps losing customers again, for some reason. But if they were on the same network, then yes people'd be PO'ed I'd think.

Or you get the Moment