On Closer Look, the Palm Pre is Still Impressive

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PrMPOX

Kvkrqeuy of DE 8:26PM July 13, 2009

I am forever holding out for that 'perfect' phone. The iPhone was nearly there - the Pre could well be a lot closer. But there will be something missing. Now, as a product development manager I know only too well that a company can spend a lifetime perfecting its product but by then it will no longer be in business. What matters then, is that the company has a far sighted game plan to give you that 80% perfect product and then incrementally improve on it - and yes of course it will cost in upgrades but that's business. I truly hope Palm has this plan sorted with the same level of thought that has been put into the Pre's execution. I often think that Apple never did this right - the 3G version of the iPhone almost seemed like an afterthought or a knee jerk reaction to the public response. And what about the headphone jack - products have a roadmap but I suspect Apple has a few u-turns in its. Is the Pre's lack of a memory expansion slot a cynical marketing exercise - I doubt it.

Sharad Patel 6:34PM February 03, 2009

I wasn't aware of the iPhone's limitation in running multiple applications, which seems ironic to me: that was one of the inherent weaknesses of the old Palm OS. And, that alone will cause me to abandon my longing for the iPhone and wait for the Pre. I want to be able to do more than one thing with my mobile device, and it sounds like the iPhone simply wont' allow that.

Mark of CA 2:12PM January 13, 2009

So when is the release date?? I'm looking forward to this phone but my Treo 650 is coming quickly to it's end of it's life, though still ticking after 3 1/2 years....but Palm don't wait too long, if it dies before you release Pre, I'll go iPhone.....

Emery of CA 2:55AM January 13, 2009

I am pleased to see the arrival of the Palm Pre, and after watching and listening to the 2009 CES presentation online I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to purchase my own. Seeing the intuitive UI in action was the true sale point of this remarkable phone. Palm has managed to create a new operating system that not only captures many of the things that made Apples I-Phone popular; it has actually improved upon them. This operating system could truly be the pivotal building block that rebuilds the former glory of Palm. As to the hardware that is wrapped around the OS. I have one suggestion expansion slot. This phone already has (8) gigs of memory on board from what I am told but why not add on the ability to expand with mini SD. I love a phone that has diversity and this would be killer if they gave the user the ability to choose how they want to manage information and media. The sliding Querty board was wise to keep, and in keeping it palm acknowledges that many users still like the tactile. I will admit that I am waiting for the evolution of the keyboard in phones I think Apple might still hold the edge there. I also like that Palm opted for the removable battery so you can keep a spare and swap. But I haven’t heard anything about talk time, battery life etc… a concern for me. What good are the bells and whistles after all, if you can only play, work, and most importantly; talk for a short time. Otherwise the phone appears to be compact without being too small as well as light. Something I always like in my phones great big functionality, little compact space.

Tracy Motley of AZ 11:42PM January 12, 2009

Exec. Chairman Rubinstein's argument with Jobs tells a lot. Rubenstein's the man who basically saved apple, with products like the ipod and the next generation computers and operating system (borrowed heavily from the open source community ie. linux and FreeBSD) had heated arguments with Jobs about a keyboard on the iphone. Whether keyboard or no, it was Jobs' greatest mistake to egotistically argue with the genius who basically saved his then god forsaken dump of a company (people in the industry know that Jobs had taken a little too much credit for Apple's success). iPhone in the long run will have problems if they do not cater specifically to the mobile arena. They basically tried to cram a desktop OS into a mobile element - thus the limitations. Palm focuses, as Rubinstein and Colligan point out, on one thing, mobile. I expect that Rubenstein will strategically lead his company into the forefront of the mobile arena, while Apple and its pathetically blind followers will wonder how their glory had passed so quickly. As Rubenstein said, you cannot hope to make a comeback (as apple once did) with a single great product, but by building a team that consistently produces great product after great product and stays ahead. Let the apple lovers adorn their useless lives with well polished and over marketed yesterday's products, while the real innovators take charge of an industry that currently is dominated by a lumbering giant drunk on its own early success. Our society loves to be told how to think. Wall street analysts are so wrong so often and so consistently that it is frightening how eager people are to believe their recommendations. They have given Apple and Rimm firm nods, while writing off palm. Rimm is down over 75% from its 52wk highs, Apple down over 60% from their highs. Palm is down 35%, and it is currently rising still from its Pre announcement. Believe the message of the market or some clueless analysts? People will still trust the analysts en masse, and that is why people will lose money now and over and over again in the markets, via hype, ignorance and greed.

acp6s of VA 11:20PM January 12, 2009