This is my farewell post to Palm – as I finally have entered the Android world with my purchase of an Evo 4G.  My latest palm phone was a Palm Pre – using Palm’s new WebOS.  Frankly the WebOS was a fascinating OS with some features that I still miss (the notifications and the card motif are wonderful).  The poor hardware and the lack of apps was what pushed me over the edge into the Android world – from a very long history with Palm based products.  I was on Sprint -with the original Palm Pre – that was very slow and the screen was behind the times.   I had the phone repaired once and on the day I bought my EVO the speaker broke again (tried to call someone and I couldn’t hear anything).  The final nail in the coffin was that the promised os upgrade (with flash support) wasn’t coming and Sprint wasn’t offering the new devices.

My history with Palm devices goes way back – well before they had anything to do with a phone – when they were just a PDA.  I remember watching the Palm devices with envy – desiring the concept of getting organized.  I believe my first Palm device was actually a Handspring Visor Deluxe (in my favorite color of blue).   Handspring was a competitor to the original Palm company – at the time owned by 3com (anyone remember U.S. Robotics - a modem company who bought the original Palm?).  The Handspring devices had an expansion slot at the top of their devices where you could add items like cameras, gps – even a phone.  I remember getting this device with joy – as it provided you the ability to have a digital calendar (the Handspring Calendar is still one of the best I’ve had – Google Calendar is still lacking things), notes, etc.  What was innovative in general about the Palm devices was the Graffiti entry system.  You used a stylus (as I write this it sounds so last century) to write characters in an area at the bottom of the screen.  I remember liking it as it would turn my scribbles into actual words (which the pen doesn’t do as well).  Therefore you could “write” out your calendar entries, enter to-dos, take notes, etc. without a keyboard.

That was my first “Palm” device – which I paid about $200 for back in 2001 (about 10 years ago which tells you how fast technology moves).   I actually tried to use it as a phone back then – using a phone module and a “Voicestream” wireless plan (the plan allowed only 60 minutes a month).  In July of 2002 I upgraded to a Visor Edge (for about $150).  This was a thin, metallic PDA with a later version of the operating system.  I managed to make it just over a year before upgrading which I now realize mirrors how often I upgrade technology (and empty my bank account).  This model also had an internal battery instead of using a bunch of AAA batteries.  Of course back then the black and white screen and no connectivity meant that the battery lasted for days – instead of hours.  I also remember that one of the best features of the Palm was the backup and restore feature – so transferring from the Visor Deluxe to the Visor Edge was easy.  The default desktop software would backup your data, apps, etc. every time you synced it.  So if you upgraded devices or lost your data it was very easy to get everything back.

At some point I abandoned using the Visor as a phone and my family started using a sprint phone (yes – one phone for both my wife and I).  I remember that thing being this big, black brick – that even worked on “analog” networks (which practically nobody remembers anymore).  I think after that thing got run over both my wife and I got Sprint phones of our own (we we’re big spenders then – 2 phones).   But then my pent-up need to upgrade took over and I bought a Treo 180g and switched to T-mobile.  This was my first “smartphone” (actually one of the first smartphones ever).  It was an interesting phone – in that it had this flip-up “cover” that contained the speaker.  It was like most “Palms” – in that it had the Grafitti area, the buttons and especially the software.  One of the early compelling features of the original Palm OS was the apps – long before Apple’s app store I was buying/downloading apps for my Palm devices.  As I upgraded I was able to keep these apps, my calendar entries, etc.  I made it a total of 8 months between buying the Visor Edge and the Treo 180g.

The problem with that phone was that it wasn’t well built – the flip-up concept had an issue where the wires running to the speaker (the one you hear people on) would wear out.  Therefore I think (from looking at my e-mail history) that I ended up buying a few of these phones.  I also remember the Grafitti area ended also wearing out – from so much use.  I think therefore I ended up buying another version that had the keyboard – which in a way was the end of an era – as the “Grafitti” concept was one of the key features of the Palm OS.  The good thing was that along this journey I was able to upgrade/replace devices while keeping my data (Calendar, notes, etc.) and my applications.

I liked my phones but the T-mobile service wasn’t the best and my wife really wanted to go back to Sprint.  So my next device was a Palm Centro – a Palm branded phone for the Sprint network.  So in 2007 I again switched to another Palm Phone – this time with a color screen!  At that time the Palm Centro was not my first choice – as it was a lower end phone – vs. the higher end Treo lines.  It was truly a Palm – so my apps and data were again transferred to the new device.  The Centro actually had a pretty good keyboard on it for it’s size – very usable (using your thumbs).  The screen, while color, wasn’t too spectacular -as it was basically the same lower resolution screen – but in color.  This was when the Palm OS was really starting to show it’s age – not as advanced as some of the alternative phones.  Despite the fact it had a web browser and e-mail it did have good battery life – something I’ve missed.  It also had a great signal – so it worked very well as a phone (something that doesn’t seem as important now).  Overall it wasn’t a bad phone – just a bit behind the times.

So now we get to my last Palm Device – the Palm Pre.   In some ways this wasn’t a Palm Phone – as it wasn’t based on the Palm OS – but on Web OS. Originally I thought I could run my old apps on the phone – but found out later it required an emulator for more money (so I never moved them over).  At this point I switched to Gmail for my e-mail, contact, calendar, etc. (see this post on that journey) – one of the best choices I ever made – and worked wonderfully on the Pre.  I remember how much time I spend deleting e-mails from the Centro – on top of deleting them from the e-mail account itself.  The Palm Pre also had a good web browser (based on Webkit) that was a world of difference from the rudimentary one on the Centro.

In many ways the Palm Pre was a wonderful device – one I had a lot of hope in.  I think one of the best features was the “card” interaction.  You could every easily and intuitively switch from one app to another by flipping through the apps like a deck of cards.  If you wanted to close an app you flipped it away – just like a deck of cards.  The notifications in WebOS were also great – showing up at the bottom of the screen in any app you are in (unlike Android which shows then on the home screen).  For text messages that could be great – as you could see the message without the need to switch out of the app.

Ultimately for me I decided to move to Android as I was disappointed by both the hardware and the lack of apps.  I remember seeing over and over information about an app – but for iPhone and Android only.  I do believe that implementing WebOS on an tablet could be wonderful – provided the hardware is sufficient.  The lack of apps will still be an issue – as developers will only develop for so many devices (with Android and iPhone being the most dominant – with Blackberry and the new mobile Windows next).

Good Palm History Sites:

• Palm OS Device History List
• Palm Wikpedia Page
• A brief history of Palm
• From Palm Pilot to Palm Pre

In many ways this Palm Pre is a significant upgrade from my Palm Centro – a jump into a new world of mobile computing.  The browser is great (web-kit based) and the notification system is wonderful.   Having access to apps like Facebook, Pandora, Twitter Client, etc. has been great.  In many ways it really is a portable computer – as I can surf the web, check e-mail, facebook – listen to Pandora, etc.  So at first, and at times, I enjoy using the device.  Oh – and it’s a phone too that I can hold in my hand….

Over time though I’ve been disappointed as it just doesn’t quite make it there. The battery life is horrible (I have to charge it during the day and today I was listening to Pandora while plugged into an AC adapter and it still was running out of battery).  Sometimes it just acts strange – turning the orientation to the side doesn’t always work – as I think the processor can’t keep up.  So sometimes I have to turn and turn to get it to shift – then it’s sometimes completely upside down.  The other day I was using the Sprint navigation (which worked well) but I was fortunate the battery just lasted until I pulled into the driveway (and of course my spare batteries were also dead).

One of the most annoying features is how it dials 911 without my intent – yes it dials 911!  I had a pin code set (just numbers) to lock the phone – but the problem is that the touch screen keeps registering the keystrokes wrong.  It also, instead of registering I click done, will then click on the emergency mode.  It did this to me twice while I was on vacation – dialing 911 for me – wonderful surprise.  So last night I gave up and switched to a password I have to enter with the keyboard so I don’t have to touch the screen and it screw up.

It also has this annoying habit of showing a “too many cards” error at random times – which means I need to reboot.  Something to do with memory management -as I don’t think this phone has much RAM.  Again – it’s like it was close – but not quite there in how it handles multi-tasking – in that the swipe, notifications, etc. is neat – it just doesn’t work right all the time.

The other thing that concerns me is that frankly I think it’s a dead platform in terms of a smartphone. Palm was struggling against Apple, Android and others – so it was about to not make it.  HP came in and bought it up – but I don’t know if they care about  smartphone part and not just the OS.  So I seems most of the app development occurring on the Android and Apple platforms – which the Palm Pre being left behind.  I was supposed to be able to use Flash on the phone this Spring – but it’s late Summer and still nothing.  I’m wondering if it’s ever going to come…

So I guess this phone is pretty frustrating at times – but I’m stuck with it for a while. On Sprint I can switch after a year – but there’s still an investment involved.  I’m going to try to stick with it – using the password, charging it during the day every day,  switching batteries, etc.  I’ll use my apps – but have to be careful with battery life.  That said, I’m not sure if other smartphones have much better battery life – as they seem to suck down battery quick….

Anybody got a recommendation for an Android phone on Sprint?

It’s a beautiful device – with a good screen.  Photos look great on the thing – the process of viewing photos is also excellent.  I checked out the book application and can see how it would be enjoyable to read books on the thing – as it feels natural. 

My wife and I also used the web browser – as we we’re looking for something on toysurus.com (Amazon) for my daughter.  My wife had a little trouble clicking just the right way (small buttons) - but the on-screen keyboard wasn’t too bad.  The home button is also useful – for if you don’t know what to do click on that and you can start over.

I tried a few other applications – but nothing took my breath away.  I did enjoy the action of flipping through the apps – as screen gestures (swiping, pinching, expanding, etc.) seem an intuitive way of interacting with a touch screen.  I found these gestures to be similar to those I use on my Palm Pre – I don’t know if that’s because of the engineers at Palm being from Apple or just that they’re a logical concept for a touch screen.

I couldn’t help comparing the iPad to my Palm Pre and one thing was obviously missing – the ability to mult-task.  I’ve never had much experience with an iPhone – but “grew’ up on Palm devices.  The problem is now that I’m hooked on multi-tasking – of not having to close applications.  Maybe that’s also why I have so many tabs open in Chrome on my laptop…  Then again, the iPad wakes up much, much quicker than my laptop….

I had my wife play with the iPad to see what she thought – as she’s more normal than I am.  At first she was a little unsure what do I do (again no iPhone experience).  Overall she didn’t seem to interested in the thing – but then again she’s not into new gadgets.  This is what my wife does on a computer:

• She edits a set of simple word documents daily and prints them (this was a break for the usage of the iPad)
• She checks her e-mail (currently through Outlook, but I’m trying to get her to go to Gmail as I have a funky setup to have Outlook work with the same data file on multiple computers)
• She logs into Facebook
• She uses Quickbooks to invoice her clients (also printed) and keep here business books
• She pays bills online
• She does some online shopping – at various sites – which includes printing the online confirmation page

This does not translate into a heavy computer user (like me who keeps getting frustrated with slowness after having multiple apps open) – but it’s more than what an iPad can do now.  She also indicated she likes the physical keyboard – which might mean a notebook could work – but except that the screens are too small for Quickbooks to be effective.

If the iPad was maybe $150 for an extra device I might be interested in it – to read books, quick web surfing, photos, etc.  It would be more functional than a Kindle (i.e. it can do more) and likely more ability for a rich experience.  What I would really like would be a tablet like device to read on – but would be more functional.  Have rich content, linking to web pages (in parallel to my reading – not replacing) AND would have longer battery life.   The iPad itself is a little on the heavy side to hold with one hand (I’m still thinking about those pads in Star Trek).  I can’t justify now spending money on what is more of an entertainment device (a content consumption device) vs. what is a productive device (more of creation than just consumption).  If you’re looking for something to consume content it could be a great buy – but understand what you are buying.

So for me the iPad is not there yet – but it captures my attention and imagination.  I did my test with my wife and right now it doesn’t make sense.  Maybe also for the fact that I can get a basic laptop (probably better than what I have now) for about as much money – which represents more value to me.

One of the areas I have Android envy is the app store – as Palm’s is nowhere near what Apple or the Android marketplace has.  I’ve found some apps – but it’s not not the same.  I really wondered about the future of apps given the uncertainty surrounding Palm.

What’s encouraging is that HP isn’t just buying Palm for it’s assets – but it looks like it will back the WebOS platform: http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/28/hp-palm-deal-webos/.  If they’re going to back the platform then more apps may come out.  Also there is the potential for the WebOS on different hardware  - say a tablet? (The more I think about it the WebOS on a tablet could be pretty slick).

See what some ideas are for WebOS on other devices: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/04/28/the-top-5-hp-products-we-would-like-to-see-post-palm-buyout/

Update:

- Another Related Article: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20003716-260.html?tag=smallCarouselArea.0

Maybe everyone else has the experience – but good synchronization is wonderful.  I’m hoping that if I can actually buy an app on my Palm Pre (app store won’t let me purchase anything) I can get a password app that synchronizes with a desktop version  – keep it simple and the same…

• Undo Button – this weekend I decided to write something up in the “Memo” application so I could copy it out later.  The writing went OK – but when I went to copy the text over I clicked on the wrong thing and wiped out the whole memo.  That’s when I discovered there really isn’t an undo button (I even tried rebooting hoping it wouldn’t save…)
• Copy and Paste is pretty rough – you can’t select text – it’s kinda all or nothing – like a URL,  the whole text of an e-mail, etc.  Doing more advanced editing isn’t very easy – something I miss from the old Palm OS
• The battery life is not so great – as I sometimes have to charge during the day….
• I occasionally get a “too many cards” error – even when I don’t have that many cards open…
• The app store is decent – but not as robust as I had hoped – it looks like some developers are choosing not to release for WebOS….

Overall it’s still a good device with potential – and a major step up from my Palm Centro.

So at the Sprint store I looked at the Palm Pre, Palm Pixi and an Android based phone.  I’m used to a physical keyboard (had one for years) so that was one of the main factors for me.  My initial impression of the Android OS (I can’t remember the phone) wasn’t as favorable as the Palm Pre – as that seemed to make sense for me.  There must be something of a design principle that Palm has that I’m used to.

I have this phone for just a few days and I already like it a lot - the “card” layout seems intuitive and the web browser is so much better than on my Centro.  I’m also transitioning to Gmail (from Outlook) now so that’s going to be great on this phone – as it reads my Gmail account (no more deleting e-mails off both the phone and from Outlook).  The screen is gorgeous – maybe that’s just because I’m coming from the Centro – but it has impressed me.  The Facebook client is also much, much better than on the Centro – much more robust.

The keyboard isn’t as good as on the Centro – but it’s still very usable.  I’m getting used to the different access to special characters – but some of the items are even more intuitive.  I do miss the directional buttons – as editing text is more difficult – but there’s a little trick with the orange button that helps with more precise control.  I do like on the web browser how you can zoom in – which makes interacting with web pages much more effective.  I looked at a YouTube video the other day – and it much more easy to watch than on my old Centro.  I’m still not impressed with Sprint TV – as I just tried it and it didn’t work (which was too common on the Centro also).

Overall I’ve been impressed with my new phone – Andrew likes his new gadget!

The Palm Pre looked like a potential iPhone killer – but seems to have fallen pretty flat.  I like the idea of multi-tasking, support for my legacy Palm apps, and a newer screen.  What concerns me is the long-term potential of Palm – whether they’ll be around for the future.

There are 2 main competitors that may be the death knell for Palm:

1. Google’s Android OS – shortly after the Palm Pre came out Google’s Android operating system seem to have taken off.  You have the Droid, the Nexus One and a growing host of phones coming out on multiple carriers based on this OS.    There’s a whole set of apps being created for  this platform.
2. Windows Phone 7 Series – just when I had about written off Microsoft as a real player in the smartphone market (as Android and iPhone seemed to be duking it out) they announce a redesigned OS.  This looks pretty impressive and likely to take even more attention away from Palm.

So we now have little Palm going up against Apple, Google and Microsoft – I don’t think this looks good for them.  Palm has always been a company that flirted with bankruptcy -so I don’t know how much time they have left.  I may still upgrade to a Pre if it makes financial sense – but I not so enthusiastic about it as before.

In theory it could save us money to buy the phone up front and get a cheaper monthly rate – and it could give use the freedom to change carriers.  For me I can’t see how I could afford a $500-600 phone – that’s a lot of money to lay out.  But paying $200 for a phone seems more feasible – even if it means a higher monthly rate (as I don’t have the cash to pay more money).  I wonder now if that’s really a form of financing for the masses – as we can’t manage our money enough to possibly save money.  As a society we’re addicted to financing – to the small monthly cost that ends up costing us more money.  We like to max out our money to the point there’s no margin anymore – so putting down that amount of cash seems insurmountable.

I don’t know if this will change over time – as if these devices become more like computers we may be willing to pay more in order to keep our phone and ditch our service.  I’ve had a palm phone for years (not the new Web OS but the original Palm OS) and have worked hard to keep all my data and applications.  I’ve gone from Sprint to T-mobile and back to Sprint.  I’m actually one of those strange Sprint customers who’s happy with my service and the costs.  I’ve kept most of the same apps and data from one phone to the next – using the palm Desktop to synchronize (my data is not in the cloud – but is backed up locally on my computer – that is when I sync it…).

Then again with the growth of the cloud will all the data eventually be in the cloud?  Will the phone just be a UI into common data in the cloud – that moves from my phone to my tablet to my PC, browser, etc.  Will the phone eventually be a light computer – possibly using an OS like Chrome?  Will Apple or some other company come up with some UI that will blow us away – will the hardware change to the point the phone part is basically the size of a bluetooth headset (anyone seen Minority Report?).