Comments on: Palm Offers $200 Pre 2 Discount to Developers

Excellent question, sir, and one I've wondered aloud myself recently. Perhaps one of our Pre-owning friends here can chime in? I HIGHLY doubt Palm is shipping out specially modified "wi-fi mode" Pre 2's to developers. Will one of these things even let you set up a Palm profile without a SIM card installed?

I know I researched the issue heavily a year ago or so when trying to help a friend overseas get a used Sprint Pre to use via wi-fi for testing purposes. I know that at the time (WebOS 1.3.x or so) a CDMA WebOS device HAD to have active cellular service & connection for the initial startup thing to complete so I imagine a valid, active SIM card would also be required. Sorta like how a virgin iPod Touch/iPhone has that USB cable symbol and prompts you to connect it to iTunes.

And I have read reports elsewhere that a Pre will cease to function if it's rebooted after cellular service is removed from the device, so you cannot even use it like an unconnected PDA the way you can a Palm OS, Android, or WinMob device!

Android smartphones, thankfully, can have their initial activation bypassed with 4 taps (though I could see some manufacturers' custom ROMs disallowing this feature eventually) but I think it's still mandatory for WebOS and iOS. I know there are ways to hack the Pre and get around that but it involves Linux command line work and a lot of needlessly complex tomfoolery.

Again, the best thing HP/Palm could do for developers or to stir up casual interest for WebOS would be a WebOS "Touch" PDA/PMP-style device not dependent on cellular service. Wi-fi only devices are all the rage nowadays in these tough economic times. Look at all of the people pissed that they cannot get a wi-fi only version of th Samsung's Galaxy Tab. But while that kind of device would've been a home run for Palm in the first half of '09, it'd be little more than an interesting curiosity at this stage of the game.
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