Palm Pixi, Pre Plus Review Roundup

To your point - from a functional perspective, yes, most users won't open 50 cards. However, there have been a lot of complaints from users about running out of resources and getting the "Too many cards open" error message when trying to open a new app. This will cut down on those complaints and the need for reboots - both of which increase usability a lot in my opinion. I don't get that message all that often but having this amount of headroom would be very welcome.

Another somewhat less heralded advantage that the extra memory opens up is that the OS can have more background notifications and processes running without affecting usability as well. The extra headroom should also reduce the impact of the inevitable memory leaks that will come out of native processes that use the PDK. Up til now, all processes have been Mojo framework related processes for which Palm has direct responsibility and control. With native C/C++ 3rd party software being a reality soon, going forward, it won't be quite so easy to guarantee that.

Thought I won't switch from Sprint to get one, the Pre Plus definitely seems to warrant the name. I'm already looking forward to the next version of the phone (Pre2?) that will be available on Sprint. It will also be interesting to see what the specs are of devices debuting on AT&T later this year.

-System-wise cut & paste on Centro (and EASILY accomplished)
-Superb one-handed navigation on Centro
-Option of using stylus for legacy apps/detailed input work on Centro
-FULL version of DocsToGo w/ full editing/creation capabilities on Centro
-Centro can search system-wide, including email contents, memo contents etc.
-Centro doesn't "phone home" to Palm to report user's location/data habits
-Better/more fully featured classic Palm OS PIMs on Centro. Then you have the availability of DtBk, Agendus etc.
-VersaMail 4 has more overall functionality than the barebones WebOS email app. ChatterEmail (now sadly EOLed by Palm) is even more robust.
-Standard voice recorder app on Centro
-Standard video capture capabilities on Centro
-IR port on Centro
-Memory card slot on Centro
-Voice dialing (shitty execution, but at least it's available) on Centro
-Option of local Hotsync and/or SD-based backup on Centro
-User remappable side button, app & d-pad on Centro for better gaming, quicker
-Less overall lag on Centro, esp. when launching apps
-Home button hold button for most recent apps is "good enough" for me.
-Centro can operate as an unconnected "PDA" without initial carrier activation or maintaining service. Pre/Pixi become paperweights without continued $ (monthly service fee) and an initial carrier activation. What if something bad happens (say, you have to cancel your phone service for financial reasons and your WebOS phone breaks or you are traveling abroad) and you cannot access the PIM data on your device or the Palm Profile backup in the cloud?

Look, in no way whatsoever am I saying the Centro is a BETTER or more modern device than the Pre/Pixi. I am simply saying that Gekko does have a valid point with at least many of the above topics. There remain some very key areas in which Garnet (especially the final, most optimized iteration of it found on the Centro) trounces WebOS for sheer usability.
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->Verizon Moto Droid

A good number of items in your list, Kris, should be addressed this year. Doc2Go editing and video capture (with EDITING!) will definitely be addressed in first quarter. Some items like backup/synch to PC and ability to pull forward PalmOS memos to WebOS are already addressed by 3rd party apps/solutions. As for PIM apps, I think Palm would do themselves a real dis-service by not coming up with a substantial update to improve the situation and I have a hard time believing that they won't at some point reasonably soon (hopefully 2010) - they can never make substantial headway on corporate purchases if they don't. Search capability should only improve (searching email, memos, system-wide as this has been a common complaint also).

Lack of expandable storage (SDHC/XC) continues to be a major disappointment in my book. I can only hope that they'll have to adopt it at some point (hopefully on Pre2) given it seems to be pretty common on phones not made by Apple and Palm (although devices without an SD slot also tend to have less onboard storage).

Despite the occasional miss, Pre, Pixi, and WebOS continue to be an amazing leap forward. After many years of waiting while PalmOS languished on various Treos, we finally have in the Pre, a modern OS with a superb UI, real multi-tasking, a 640x480 capacitive screen, with a keyboard, with a REAL web browser (and Flash support coming soon as well). Moreover, it keeps getting better as Palm is investing in the platform and addressing shortcomings while adding new features.

http://www.bloomberg.com/streams/audio/radio_live.asx

2. do you have an FTP app available?

hkklife wrote:
Roberto, no offense but there are still many areas where the Centro (and older Palm OS Treos) excel over the current WebOS devices:

-System-wise cut & paste on Centro (and EASILY accomplished)
-Superb one-handed navigation on Centro
-Option of using stylus for legacy apps/detailed input work on Centro
-FULL version of DocsToGo w/ full editing/creation capabilities on Centro
-Centro can search system-wide, including email contents, memo contents etc.
-Centro doesn't "phone home" to Palm to report user's location/data habits
-Better/more fully featured classic Palm OS PIMs on Centro. Then you have the availability of DtBk, Agendus etc.
-VersaMail 4 has more overall functionality than the barebones WebOS email app. ChatterEmail (now sadly EOLed by Palm) is even more robust.
-Standard voice recorder app on Centro
-Standard video capture capabilities on Centro
-IR port on Centro
-Memory card slot on Centro
-Voice dialing (shitty execution, but at least it's available) on Centro
-Option of local Hotsync and/or SD-based backup on Centro
-User remappable side button, app & d-pad on Centro for better gaming, quicker
-Less overall lag on Centro, esp. when launching apps
-Home button hold button for most recent apps is "good enough" for me.
-Centro can operate as an unconnected "PDA" without initial carrier activation or maintaining service. Pre/Pixi become paperweights without continued $ (monthly service fee) and an initial carrier activation. What if something bad happens (say, you have to cancel your phone service for financial reasons and your WebOS phone breaks or you are traveling abroad) and you cannot access the PIM data on your device or the Palm Profile backup in the cloud?

Look, in no way whatsoever am I saying the Centro is a BETTER or more modern device than the Pre/Pixi. I am simply saying that Gekko does have a valid point with at least many of the above topics. There remain some very key areas in which Garnet (especially the final, most optimized iteration of it found on the Centro) trounces WebOS for sheer usability.

Yep. That's why I took my palm pre back in two weeks: sucky PIMs and missed the 5-way, kept my palm centro (which has a crappy web browser and is slow and laggy in areas). I now carry two devices: iPodTouch and my Centro. Pretty happy with this combo.

Blackberry Bold, Curve, and Tour are all candybar smartphones with a built-in exposed keyboard - i.e. a dead-ringer for the Pixi which is the exact form-factor that Palm pioneered with the Treos. The Pearl doesn't have a full QWERTY keyboard (yes, like all BBs it has good dictionary look-up, word completion). The Storm hasn't set the world on fire as a large/full screened design.

Like Palm, RIMM isn't as strong in the app space as some of the competition.

Other than inertia in the consumer space, their strong carrier relationships, and their still relatively strong presence with corporate email solutions, what is selling Blackberries? Their corporate email presence is weakening due to Microsoft liberally licensing their client-side Exchange APIs (to Apple, Google, Palm) during the last few years, and the BB OS is aging and the BB user interface needs a refresh. Finally, does anyone buy a BB to play games? - Palm has the potential to generate more excitement with their platform in this area.

Unlike Palm, RIMM does have deeper pockets, though - so, worst case, they can sacrifice their profit margins if they really want to maintain their market share. Given increased pressure from Apple, Android and Palm in the US, my guess is that they will.

RIM has been cutting prices to keep marketshare. Apple has been more focused on maximizing per-unit profits. Once iPhone expands to a few more carriers, watch Apple start their full court press and begin to put the hurt on RIM. iPhone is the hot phone and the platform can easily do email. iPhone For Business is the NeXT growth market for Apple and these gains will come primarily at RIM's expense. Imagine a smaller-screened iPhone with a physical keyboard and turnkey MS Exchange support on Verizon in summer 2010. RIM's only response would be to "pull a Centro": sell Blackberrys at a loss and try to make it up in volume. Not exactly a great strategy, as Palm has so eloquently demonstrated.

Are you suggesting that having the ability to have one application that is updating and processing while you are working in another isn't useful because of the technical process that the system uses to accomplish the feat?

Although, it's a bit arcane, I multitask using Palm OS on my Treosauras all the time. I can listen to Web radio with PocketTunes, and surf the web, pop up a calc in a window, then check memory, battery etc in a window, get a call which shuts off the radio, end the call and the radio resumes, and I continue to surf. All this assuming the poor thing does not crash. :-D

Palm OS aint bad, but a robust OS is certainly welcome.
Pat Horne