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Thu, Dec 17, 2009 - 09:38 AM EST — AAPL: 195.03 (0.00, +0%) | NASDAQ: 2206.91 (0.00, +0%)

Ars Technica: Traveling with a Palm Pre is draining; makes you want your iPhone back

Monday, July 06, 2009 - 01:42 PM EST

"Palm's new phone is great for keeping you connected while on the road, but you can't do cloud messaging when you're physically in the clouds. You also can't play games, because there really aren't any, and in fact the Pre doesn't offer much in the way of sheer fun (unless your idea of fun is tweeting about the lack of available apps in Palm's store)," Jon Stokes repots for Ars Technica.

"Because I've now spent lots of quality time with the Pre in airports and on planes (some of them grounded on runways for hours), I can now report with authority on what it's like to travel with Palm's newest phone. What I found is that the Pre is a pretty boring travel companion who tires way too easily," Stokes reports. "The first thing to note about air travel with the Pre is that airports are very iPhone-friendly places. You don't notice just how many shops and electronics vending machines have iPhone accessories—chargers, battery extenders, external speakers, etc.—until you've rejoined the ranks of the iPhone-less. So, when traveling with a Pre, you need your charger with you at all times."

Stokes reports, "Speaking of not being able to buy things for the Pre, Palm seriously needs to get its App Catalog in order. Compared with the iTunes App store, with its tens of thousands of diversions and amusements, Palm's App Catalog is a barren wasteland with only about 30 titles currently on offer."

"You also have to be careful how much you message on the ground, since doing intensive e-mail and IM seriously drains the battery. After a full night's recharge, I picked up the Pre and began doing e-mails and IM over breakfast. By the time I was on the shuttle back to JFK an hour later, my battery was down 30 percent. Ouch. If you are going to sit and tap out one message after another on the Pre, make sure you've got access to a power outlet," Stokes reports.

MacDailyNews Take: Multi-tasking on a device that is inadequately designed to support it is utter stupidity.

Stokes continues, "Sprint TV's live TV streaming to the device works quite well, and I got a huge kick out of watching ABC News and some reality TV shows on my phone. But I estimate (I haven't formally tested) that I could stream about 30 minutes of TV to the Pre before completely nuking the battery."

MacDailyNews Take: That sounds really useful. (dripping sarcasm)

Stokes continues, "Ultimately, traveling with the Pre made me want my iPhone back, because while the Pre keeps you connected, when you're stuck on an airplane you often just want to watch a TV show or play Field Runners."

Full article here.

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Jul 06, 09 - 01:01 pm Comment from: TowerTone

"It's the software, stupid"

Wow! Where have I heard that before?

Jul 06, 09 - 01:09 pm Comment from: Jersey_Trader

TowerTone, you also have heard, "Developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, developers, ..." from a dancing monkey at Microsoft. Over 50 MILLION apps vs. 30 apps.

Windows games kept Windows sales up with kids. With the iPod and iPhone, people no longer need the burden of a full scale PC. Typewriters and buggy whips were big once too.

Jul 06, 09 - 01:10 pm Comment from: Jersey_Trader

TowerTone, I forgot the Sony Walkman CD players! I think they just had a 30 birthday. May they rest in peace.

Jul 06, 09 - 01:14 pm Comment from: bobchr

IPhonus enviosus!!! (Coyote Roadrunner speak) beep beep!

Jul 06, 09 - 01:16 pm Comment from: TowerTone

actually, I was kind of thinking of this

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/21668/

not saying it was original, but....

Jul 06, 09 - 01:20 pm Comment from: Predrag

There is no doubt, software makes all the difference. I haven't seen the Pre yet, but I have made a mistake of getting a (free with plan) Windows Mobile device (LG Incite).

There are zillions of little things that are wrong with this device. You may want to read more about it here (I highly recommend the text). It is just amazing how an entity with over twenty years of designing OS and developing software can make so many wrong choices and create such frustrating, dreadful user experience.

There is no wonder iPhone is taking of. Let's not forget; million of them were sold in less than 3 months, for $600 (with FULL subsidy) when it first came out! Of course, those people got $100 back from Apple, but they didn't know they were getting it when they shelled out $600 for the device!

Jul 06, 09 - 01:26 pm Comment from: Deus Ex Technica

"Palm's CHICKENS have come HOME to ROOST!"

(h/t Rev. Wright)

Jul 06, 09 - 01:26 pm Comment from: Zune Tang®

Typical 'glass is half empty' viewpoint from a MAC lemming.

It's easy to harp on Pre's perceived miniscule and insignificant shortcomings. I happen to like charging batteries. Even better I enjoy the simple pleasures of finding and using an available outlet in public places like bus stations and airports. You meet new and interesting people with whom to negotiate sharing an outlet which is often delightful as airports have a way of putting people at ease. One big happy traveling family. You MAC fangirls have no idea as you probably never leave home.

If you're scoring public social interaction features on smartphones it's Palm 1, I-Phone 0.

Your potential. Our passion.™

Jul 06, 09 - 01:27 pm Comment from: TowerTone

BTW, JT
I believe it was the cassette version with all the candles, although they have kept the same name, the CD version could have been "Son Of Walkman", "Walkman Tall, pt II", "It Came From Sony".

The catchphrase for removing recording abilities of cassettes to listen only CDs should have been "Sony: Putting the 'less' into 'useless'".

What were we talking about?

Jul 06, 09 - 01:28 pm Comment from: January 24, 1984

Bus stations?

Jul 06, 09 - 01:37 pm Comment from: Buster

Having 30 minutes of web connectivity before battery exhaustion is more than enough for anyone....isn't it?

Before long people will starting thinking that maybe 64K is not enough memory.

Jul 06, 09 - 08:00 pm Comment from: HueyLong

Over 50 MILLION apps vs. 30 apps.

Jersey_Trader: are you sure about that? I'm more inclined to accept the true figure — 50,000 apps — than your bogus one.

But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good slap down, eh?

Jul 06, 09 - 11:37 pm Comment from: El Guapo

@ Jersey_Trader
"Over 50 MILLION apps vs. 30 apps"

I think it's closer to 50,000

Jul 07, 09 - 11:52 am Comment from: Hugh Jass

Here's what a good friend of mine just wrote me about his new iPhone 3GS battery life...

"The batteries drain quickly in 3g mode. They recommend you keep the phone in 2G to save batteries. I swear you can actually watch the battery meter drain as I download files, it is crazy!"

Note to MDN: People in glass houses....

At least the Pre has induction charging (something my Braun toothbrush has had for a decade)... meanwhile the iPhone needs the archaic clip-in charging cord....

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Thu, Dec 17, 2009 - 09:38 AM EST — AAPL: 195.03 (0.00, +0%) | NASDAQ: 2206.91 (0.00, +0%)

Ars Technica: Traveling with a Palm Pre is draining; makes you want your iPhone back

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Thu, Dec 17, 2009 - 09:38 AM EST — AAPL: 195.03 (0.00, +0%) | NASDAQ: 2206.91 (0.00, +0%)

Ars Technica: Traveling with a Palm Pre is draining; makes you want your iPhone back

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