You're lucky that you missed the review I had written of Palm's Pre after working with it for six weeks. I couldn't see the attraction. The $299 that Sprint charges to let you out of the store with the Pre isn't justified by the phone's out-of-the-box features, and the anemic App Catalog presents few opportunities to elevate the device to the capabilities of others in its lofty price range. The Pre isn't a bad phone, but it's simply not worth the $200 to $250 premium over the BlackBerry Curve, the T-Mobile G1, and the iPhone 3G.
I grabbed my Pre on June 6, but it wasn't until July 16 that I figured out where Pre, and Palm's WebOS platform, actually fit in the market for professional mobile devices. On July 16, Palm released the SDK for WebOS, a set of tools and documentation that Palm had, inexplicably, withheld. Why, I wondered, did Palm want to keep the SDK out of power users' and developers hands when the WebOS platform was all about the ease with which new applications could be created in JavaScript?
[ How does the Palm Pre stack up against the iPhone? See "Deathmatch: Palm Pre versus iPhone" and see the Palm Pre versus iPhone side by side in InfoWorld's comparative slideshow. Also compare the BlackBerry Bold and iPhone 3G in our "BlackBerry vs. iPhone, side by side" slideshow. ]
Where's the Mojo?
On paper, part of WebOS' appeal is that a Pre user can edit script, HTML, and style sheet files to adapt the device to their liking, and the Web-based approach reached all the way up to the top level of the GUI. I liked this idea, not just for individuals, but for broad corporate or organizational deployments of devices. I was OK with the Pre's consumery feel, knowing it wouldn't take much effort to clear out the gimmicks that cast a cheap pallor on the phone and make a professional user's experience uneven.
Get the independent advice and expertise you need to support a virtual workforce.
The increase in Linux popularity has increased the frequency and sophistication of malware attacks. Read this 2 page white paper now to learn how you can protect your Linux environment with real-time protection that is certified by all major Linux vendors.
Download now »
Ensuring acceptable application delivery will become even more difficult over the next few years. As a result, IT organizations need to ensure that the approach that they take to resolving the current application delivery challenges can scale to support the emerging challenges. This handbook elaborates on the key tasks associated with planning, optimization, management and control and provides decision criteria to help IT organizations choose appropriate solutions.
Download now »
A common misconception is that mid-range storage requirements are dramatically different than that of a larger enterprise. Mid-range storage users may require less capacity, but they have similar functionality and management requirements. This ESG paper examines mid-range storage needs and reviews a new solution that adjusts size while retaining value, performance and functionality.
Download now »
Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts
3 Recommendations
