MacDailyNews readers far and wide have sent us an ad airing in Canada for beleaguered Palm’s derivative iPhone device that’s misnamed “Pre.” Beleaguered Palm should have called it “Post,” as it seems to follow everything Apple does with their iPhone like a brain-damaged puppy dog. The few things that beleaguered Palm does try to come up with on their own are laughable, for one example: An antique keyboard with mechanical buttons that slides out only in portrait mode, even though the device, following Apple iPhone’s lead, uses sensors to allow for automatic landscape mode. With no soft keyboard, beleaguered Palm’s ill-conceived device actually forces users to use a sideways keyboard or forgo landscape use when a keyboard is need altogether.
Anyway, here’s one of Apple’s iPhone commercials that debuted in January:
Direct link via YouTube here.
Now, here’s beleaguered Palm’s derivative “new” ad:
Direct link via YouTube here.
Note that beleaguered Palm doesn’t show off their device’s amazing ability to “type” in landscape mode.
And, it’s only from Bell because Bell couldn’t get the iPhone exclusive. Beleaguered Palm’s Pre is obviously the preeminent emblem of loser wireless carriers.
Beleaguered Palm has no shame to along with their no apps. They must also think their potential customers are stupid. Hapless and app-less, the company’s running on fumes and obviously quite desperate, as any firm with even an iota of class wouldn’t have copied another’s original work so closely in the first place, much less feel the need to stoop to copying even their TV commercials.
Exactly how much does beleaguered Palm get to steal before Apple takes legal action? Or is Apple simply content to just watch beleaguered Palm fail on their own?
[UPDATE: 11:45am EDT: If Bell had the ad made, then beleaguered Palm had to sign off on it (unless they’re even more incompetent than we even can imagine), so everything above stands as written.]
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
Apple Hand Model is better.
I realize that, like most of the others on this forum, I pay more attention to this tech stuff than the average person.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if companies like Palm and Microsoft think people are complete idiots. I guess they’re banking on it.
Palm is truly a low class company. Whatever clout they had before is now gone!
Even the music is similar. Palm is run by losers. Ex-Apple wannabe-MS employees…
“Palm is headed by vindictive, derivative, scorned little men. Outfits headed by such people usually do not fare very well.” – MacDailyNews, August 20, 2009
It is fun watching them fail but as much as I enjoy it and think they deserve to fail it is rather embarrassing to watch. It is like the guilt over looking at a bad car accident as you pass by. SJ is probably correct to not invest time & resources in going after them. It is like the wounded animal that needs to be put out of its misery.
@MidWest Mac
“… I can’t help but wonder if companies like Palm and Microsoft think people are complete idiots. I guess they’re banking on it.”
“No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.” – H.L. Mencken
So the Pre takes the Hand. I’m happy just to give them the Finger.
Is it just me, or does the image on the Pre commercial look simulated? When the hand model moves the map around, it sometimes actually leads the movement of the hand. When the device rotates, the image turns more than 90 degrees, and even that rotation happens faster than the device rotation.
“Images are simulated” is standard practice in advertising, although in the US, the advertiser is required to provide the small-print disclaimer during such ad; I’m not sure if Canadian authorities require such disclaimers. However, none of the iPhone images are simulated; they are taken with a real iPhone and look exactly as the real thing.
Palm’s commercial is pretty shoddy, notice the background music? It has vocals that the narrator has to speak over, distracting from its message. They should only have instrumental music in the background while he speaks and then after the narrator’s concluded his speech should the vocal line “touch and go” be heard. What agency would do something like this?
Have Palm stolen it or have Bell?
previous: My thoughts exactly when I saw the ad. I thought to myself, ‘hmmm. I’m pretty sure the Pre isn’t that predictive or fast.’
The voice over script is almost identical as well.
I have to say though, it’s a heck of a lot better than those ads with the creepy blonde chick. That woman gives me nightmares.
Something needs to be made clear here: Bell stole the ad, not Palm. Unlike Apple, Palm is letting the carrier make TV ads on its own. Doesn’t change the fact that the ad is a total ripoff, and that Bell has no class. They are the worst at customer service!!!!!!! http://eliasmakos.com/2009/08/18/bell-canada-incompetence-or-culture-of-evil/
Epic Fail!
Advertising standards bodies should be hitting them for not stating that the entire sequence is concocted and not real, not realtime.
That screen rotation was pure fabrication…
Palm scores another duck.
Did you see how cramped the finger movement was on the Pre? I love how the iPhone showed all of its cool apps but on the Pre it felt kind of empty. lol aww XD
Un Believable.
Not only is the song the same, IT’S IN THE SAME METER!!!
(2/4)
Clearly, this is a Bell Telephone ad, not a Pre ad by Palm…
Funny. With the Pre, you can open, enlarge, move, rotate, reduce and close, slide, type, and move easily between multiple apps.
With the iPhone, you can check snow conditions, check calories, and where you parked the car.
The iPhone sells slightly better than the Pre. Now you know why.
Make that: The iPhone sells “slightly” better than the Pre. (just to make sure everyone understands clearly).
@elgarak
Well put. Well put: Palm is far too concerned about how “cool” (ahem!) their device is, while Apple focuses on what we the consumer can do with it.
Advertising and marketing 101. Looks like some folks failed that class!
Bell (and Telus) had no chance to get the iPhone, because Rogers (and its Fido subsidiary) is the only wireless company in Canada using GSM.
Bell and Telus are rushing like mad to get GSM service (or its next-gen equivalent) ready in time for the Vancouver Olympics, so they can take part in (over-)charging GSM-phone-toting visitors from the rest of the world.
Notice how when the keyboard slides open, the phone “locks” into place. In other words, the video switches to a closeup where the actors fingers aren’t typing anymore, it’s simulated at that point.
Finally, when the video switches back to the guy, he’s just swiping away.
@ Noodle-Armed Choir Boy
Except Chrysler.