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the Palm Pre, color me impressed

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Thinking of getting a Pre if Sprint can give me a cell phone with service in my apartment, which is a feature lacking on my iPhone.

How many apps are there now on the Pre? How do you guys access Facebook, AIM, and others? Is there a good weather app?

Thanks!!
 
Solideliquid said:
Thinking of getting a Pre if Sprint can give me a cell phone with service in my apartment, which is a feature lacking on my iPhone.

How many apps are there now on the Pre? How do you guys access Facebook, AIM, and others? Is there a good weather app?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...


There are like 80 apps right now in the store. You can access Facebook thru the html site, or a mobile version.

There is a built in aim app or you can use something like meebo.com which links up all your messenger programs into one big list!
 
Palm just announced that sideloading of apps will not be subject to any reviews at all. Just submit an app, Palm will give you the url and you can give out that url to anyone. Clicking that url will install the app on your user's Pre. Essentially, homebrew apps can simply be called as apps not in the official catalog.

http://www.precentral.net/easy-and-open-app-distribution-theres-platform

Solideliquid said:
Thinking of getting a Pre if Sprint can give me a cell phone with service in my apartment, which is a feature lacking on my iPhone.

How many apps are there now on the Pre? How do you guys access Facebook, AIM, and others? Is there a good weather app?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Sprint will also give you a free Airrave and waive the monthly fee if your service is poor inside your apartment but good in your general area. Just call retentions.

App count is now 120, with a hundred more homebrew apps. Indeed, manuy homebrew apps are now in the official App Catalog, with the Facebook clinet Freindsflow being one of them.
 
Wow. This thread went dead :)

Aside from the miserable battery life, I am really happy with the Pre. Just about every annoyance with the phone that I had when I got it has been patched away by folks in the community.

For example, one feature that I didn't realize I missed until it was gone was my phone # blacklist. I would get telemarketer calls and I'd just drop them in the blacklist and life was good.

A few days ago I noticed that someone had implemented a patch to basically do the same thing. You just make a contact called "Do Not Answer" and assign the number to that contact, and life is good again.

For anyone who has this phone...it's totally worth your while to install Preware on it and check out all the homebrew apps and OS patches that people are putting out.
 
Yeah, there's numerous daily updates on precentral and a few were big ones, they just aren't reported on gaf. :)

Jailbreaking the phone is so easy, not shunned by Palm and the phone is nearly unbrickable. Which is great because Palm is releasing updates fast. 1.3 will likely come soon with release of Pixi.
 
Pixi reviews are in.

palm_pixi_review_622.jpg


pixi.jpg


http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/palm-pixi-review/
engadget said:
As some commenters have pointed out, the Pixi is showing up for $29.99 (after an instant discount) at Walmart online right now. Let's be very clear here -- one of our major issues with this phone was that it doesn't offer enough differentiation from the Pre, a point which is particularly important when there is only a $50 difference between the two. Without question, this phone for $30 is an incredible value and without compare in the world of smartphones. If that kind of price becomes the norm with this device, it would be hard not to recommend it to buyers.
Click to expand...
Note: Walmart deal is gone. :(

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Palm-Pixi-Review-review-r_2314-p_1.html

phonearena said:
PA rating

* Design 8.5
* Display 9
* Camera 3.5
* Sound Quality 9
* Battery 9
* Connectivity 10
* Multimedia 8.5
* Organizer 10

Excellent
9
out of 10
Click to expand...

http://www.precentral.net/palm-pixi-review
precentral said:
Pros:
Small
No, seriously, it's small!
Only $99
webOS 1.3.1
Cons:
No WiFi
Slightly slower than the Pre
Slightly smaller screen than the Pre
Click to expand...
 
Can someone please help me find an unlocked Palm Pre?
I have been looking for months to import one to Denmark and I have found one on Amazon.de but it reads this description:

"Palm Pre Smartphone ohne Vertrag, O2 Branding, kein Simlock schwarz"

Which should mean it is not an unlocked device, correct?
 
1.3.1 is up, now downloading

Coming days earlier than we were told to expect it is Palm webOS 1.3.1. Weighing in at 126 MB, webOS 1.3.1 brings a number of under-the-hood changes to the webOS, as well as adding features like Yahoo support in Synergy. Also new in 1.3.1 are improved notifications for emails, a track scrubber in Music, text message forwarding, the ability to set a custom ringtone for text messages (see changelog for instructions), Google contact sync only now pulls from My Contacts instead of everything, Google Apps and Yahoo Small Business work with email, and you can now set a PIN lock timer.
Click to expand...
 
Anastacio said:
Can someone please help me find an unlocked Palm Pre?
I have been looking for months to import one to Denmark and I have found one on Amazon.de but it reads this description:

"Palm Pre Smartphone ohne Vertrag, O2 Branding, kein Simlock schwarz"

Which should mean it is not an unlocked device, correct?
Click to expand...
it is an unlocked device.
 
Coming days earlier than we were told to expect it is Palm webOS 1.3.1. Weighing in at 126 MB, webOS 1.3.1 brings a number of under-the-hood changes to the webOS, as well as adding features like Yahoo support in Synergy. Also new in 1.3.1 are improved notifications for emails, a track scrubber in Music, text message forwarding, the ability to set a custom ringtone for text messages (see changelog for instructions), Google contact sync only now pulls from My Contacts instead of everything, Google Apps and Yahoo Small Business work with email, and you can now set a PIN lock timer.
Click to expand...

Thank goodness to the bolded!! I'm still liking my Pre, but I honestly am itching to get my hands on an Android handset, but I'm not due for a handset upgrade anytime soon.
 
The speed increase is subtle, but there. I've noticed more responsiveness both in opening aps and in certain areas where it used to inexplicably slow down (Such as scrolling in the alarm app).
 
The photo app is tons faster now, both when opening it from the camera after taking a picture and when going through the launcher.

The Music app is the same way. No more 3-5 second delay before you can do anything.
 
What's Sprint's coverage like? Is there a map you could share, please? When roaming on Verizon do you get the highest speeds?

Could the iPhone go the Sprint? ;)
 
Love my Pre and the 1.31 update makes some major improvements. Hope they work on making that Facebook app a bit better. I like their UI for it, just needs more features.
 
Video quality is decent/slightly more than decent. Sound is good.

I don't have links to any vids. But I hear some of them don't have sound. Don't think the alpha software isn't sound recording capable. It does capture sound.

You can output to 3gp or mp4 format.

It's exciting stuff. Here's hoping they figure out how to display what your recording on screen instead of blindly shooting.

Also, if you're recording, hold the Pre horizontal. If you hold it vertical (or keyboard side down if that gives you a better idea of what i mean) it plays back fine on the Pre but it'll play back with the video rotated 90 degrees left if you transfer the file to a PC. In other words, hold it so the keyboard is to the left. Make the camera lens be on the upper left when shooting.
 
danootz said:
Video quality is decent/slightly more than decent. Sound is good.

I don't have links to any vids. But I hear some of them don't have sound. Don't think the alpha software isn't sound recording capable. It does capture sound.

You can output to 3gp or mp4 format.

It's exciting stuff. Here's hoping they figure out how to display what your recording on screen instead of blindly shooting.

Also, if you're recording, hold the Pre horizontal. If you hold it vertical (or keyboard side down if that gives you a better idea of what i mean) it plays back fine on the Pre but it'll play back with the video rotated 90 degrees left if you transfer the file to a PC. In other words, hold it so the keyboard is to the left. Make the camera lens be on the upper left when shooting.
Click to expand...


Just start the camera app so you can see what youre shooting.
 
Well, flash 10.1 mobile beta will likely arrive by the end of the year since adobe repeated that when they released 10.1 beta a few weeks ago instead of pushing it back. So I think the next update will be to help support flash beta.
However, I'm going to say full video recording will come before full flash due to what palm put in 1.3.1 to allow the homebrew crew to enable it.
 
Asbel said:
I tried that and it won't save anything I'm trying to record (at least I can't see it under videos). Not a big deal since this is just alpha.

I should also mention the other big homebrew development, patches for battery saving and cpu scaling.
http://www.precentral.net/patches-enable-palm-pre-cpu-scaling-power-savings
Click to expand...
For those who installed the patches yesterday, they pulled the 600MHz versions today, as many people reported problems with them. Apparently some of the early Pres have a processor that doesn't meet the 600 MHz spec, causing crashes.

Mine seemed to run 600MHz ok but I uninstalled and reinstalled the 500MHz Smartflex version on my Pre...not sure yet if battery life is much better but I would expect the Smartflex version's gains to be modest.
 
Relix said:
Just bought it... randomly I might as well add :lol

So cute. :lol Anything of note I should know?
Click to expand...
There's a lot. I'd start with precentral.net. Leave apps open and multitask to get the most out of webos but learn which apps are battery and memory hogs to close. Here's more battery saving tips http://forums.precentral.net/palm-p...urces/191265-extending-battery-life-tips.html.
Once you feel comfortable, get preware for over the air homebrew downloading. (if you patch, remember to uninstall them before you update the OS). Enjoy. :D
 
Asbel said:
There's a lot. I'd start with precentral.net. Leave apps open and multitask to get the most out of webos but learn which apps are battery and memory hogs to close. Here's more battery saving tips http://forums.precentral.net/palm-p...urces/191265-extending-battery-life-tips.html.
Once you feel comfortable, get preware for over the air homebrew downloading. (if you patch, remember to uninstall them before you update the OS). Enjoy. :D
Click to expand...

I am playing around with it. I accidentally downloaded all my FB contacts names, pictures, phones and emails :lol

Honestly this is the best phone I've ever owned and I am just getting the hang of it. Awesome stuff.
 
Relix said:
I am playing around with it. I accidentally downloaded all my FB contacts names, pictures, phones and emails :lol

Honestly this is the best phone I've ever owned and I am just getting the hang of it. Awesome stuff.
Click to expand...

That's just how the Pre works.

Just you wait until you find the surprise it leaves you after you log into aim!
 
jonnybryce said:
That's just how the Pre works.

Just you wait until you find the surprise it leaves you after you log into aim!
Click to expand...

I haven't tried AIM yet, scared of some battery issues =P. I am right now updating to 1.3.1, update was huge. I should have chosen WiFi but I let it download over EVDO. Sprint Navigator, Pandora, YouTube, hell even the browser is awesome. So much awesomeness in just a tiny device. I hate to say this, but this is one of those life changing moments. I will never be able to go back to shitty phones now :lol. I am going to be adding a Total Protection Plan for $7/month just so I am on the safe side. I do hate that there's no virtual keyboard, but I read there was a homebrew patch for that, so I am gonna be working on that soon. First I gotta get used to the system, settings, nice stuff, etc.

Also I need some tips regarding care.

Is it good to have the phone in the pocket? I always have phones in them but some people have said this kills them faster. Should explain why no Cellphone can last over a year with me:lol . Is it true? I am planning on having it inside the little pouch it came with. I also bought a screen protector so that should be a great plus.

And finally... battery. I am used to leaving devices charging overnight and I've heard this kills the battery. Is it true? Or does the Pre have some kind of mechanism to stop that from happening? Especially with the uber-awesome charger and the higher tech it has?

With that I am off... enjoying this thing more than I ever could :lol
 
Relix said:
I haven't tried AIM yet, scared of some battery issues =P. I am right now updating to 1.3.1, update was huge. I should have chosen WiFi but I let it download over EVDO. Sprint Navigator, Pandora, YouTube, hell even the browser is awesome. So much awesomeness in just a tiny device. I hate to say this, but this is one of those life changing moments. I will never be able to go back to shitty phones now :lol. I am going to be adding a Total Protection Plan for $7/month just so I am on the safe side. I do hate that there's no virtual keyboard, but I read there was a homebrew patch for that, so I am gonna be working on that soon. First I gotta get used to the system, settings, nice stuff, etc.

Also I need some tips regarding care.

Is it good to have the phone in the pocket? I always have phones in them but some people have said this kills them faster. Should explain why no Cellphone can last over a year with me:lol . Is it true? I am planning on having it inside the little pouch it came with. I also bought a screen protector so that should be a great plus.

And finally... battery. I am used to leaving devices charging overnight and I've heard this kills the battery. Is it true? Or does the Pre have some kind of mechanism to stop that from happening? Especially with the uber-awesome charger and the higher tech it has?

With that I am off... enjoying this thing more than I ever could :lol
Click to expand...
Leaving aim signed on all the time does drain battery. Power users just get a bigger battery.

Your contact list can get huge. Learn to love universal search. I really want a pixi because of this.

Sprint nav is great. If you get gps connection problems, dial ##gps# -> tap get fix. Turn by turn voice works well but if you want a mounting and charging solution check this thread for touchstone car mounting ideas http://forums.precentral.net/palm-p...mounted-your-car-post-your-pictures-here.html. It's not official so the risk is yours but magnetic car dock + wireless charger = so damn convenient. I've just started putting the touchstone on a non slip dashboard mat and I don't see this sucker going anywhere.

I noticed a few virtual keyboards in the app store too but I haven't tried them.

Never heard about the pocket thing. Pre is a slippery beast though. Consider getting a case. Most cases don't work with the touchstone however.

The battery saving thread says to top off the phone often. Some rechargeable batteries do lose charge if left charging overnight but not the type in the pre.

edit: You can look up the battery type of the pre to confirm, I've forgotten which type it is. Also, I've heard that the battery percentage doesn't display the correct amount after an OS update since it needs to recalibrate.
 
Well, battery life is bad, but on its defense I dled the 128MB update and tried a bunch of intensive shit, plus signal is on the low side here. So, excused!

Now, is there any way to mass text people easily instead of one by one? Like... I hold down a button, and tap on the name and its added? The way I am doing it, manually adding one by one, is tiresome. =(
 
I've heard of a workaround by creating a group in google contacts and just texting to that group. Haven't tried it myself though
 
Asbel said:
I've heard of a workaround by creating a group in google contacts and just texting to that group. Haven't tried it myself though
Click to expand...
Posting from the Pre. Awesome thibg. GAF did make the browser chug a bit but otherwise its perfect. Battery life is my gripe. Excellent, and springs coverage is very good so far. I am sure palm will update to add some of themissing features.
 
Relix said:
Posting from the Pre. Awesome thibg. GAF did make the browser chug a bit but otherwise its perfect. Battery life is my gripe. Excellent, and springs coverage is very good so far. I am sure palm will update to add some of themissing features.
Click to expand...
I take it you bookmarked the secondapps neogaf site. (you can even add bookmarks to your quick launch for one swipe access. however, palm screwed with touch sensitivity in the latest update and i've been having problems posting. i need the next update to fix sensitivity.)

For comparison, with light use, my battery drains ~20% every 4 hours (with aim on it was 30%). This is now my base and if I see faster drain, I use trial and error to find the cause. If your signal cuts in and out, that could really drain battery. If it's at home, you can try to have sprint send you a free airave to boost your signal.

I'm looking forward to flash. Hopefully the beta is still coming this month. If you want to try the beta, sign up at adobe.
 
On today's investor conference call, CEO Jon Rubinstein just confirmed that webOS 1.3.5 is coming soon and will have a bevy of improvements, including:

* Allowing for installation of more apps
* Enhances WiFi and app performance
* Improved battery life
* Increased speed and responsiveness on the Palm Pixi
Click to expand...

man, they really need to get cracking on video recording and flash (c'mon adobe, where is that beta?)

give me those 2 things and the phone will do everything i wanted when i bought it
 
I'm loving the improved battery life and rather curious what enhances to wifi and apps mean. Update can't come soon enough.
 
Battery lasted from 11AM until 7PM for me :lol I was so pissed =P. Completely went dead.

I let it charge... but I turned off GPS, put push emails (As they arrive), off Wifi, off GTALK, etc. Let's see how long it lives.

Been 45 minutes without connected to a charger... 93% so far after a 4 min call, one text, a minute or two of Facebook browsing and some photo watching and task managing.

Hmmm.....
 
Battery life on the Pre is beyond terrible. It's probably my biggest complaint with the device. Even just 30 minutes of web browsing at work on break drops the battery nearly 20%.

Getting an extended battery is out of the question, considering there isn't one that doesn't make your Pre thicker than it is. I've seen some pictures of people putting batteries on their phone that make the Pre the size of 4 stacked together.

Hopefully 1.3.5 improves the battery a lot, but i'm not expecting much...
 
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