The written musings of a long-time Apple //e and Macintosh tech nerd. Opinions are my own.
BoyGeniusReport.com has gotten their hands on some (read: 60) iPad screen shots. Can’t wait until Saturday, April 3rd, to get your hands on an iPad? Maybe these photos will help scratch the itch until then.
You can view all 60 photos on the BGR website.
[Via BoyGeniusReport.com…]
Do you have a new webOS Palm Pre or Pixi? Do you have eReader or Fictionwise account with a lot of ebooks that you can’t read on your new phone? Problem solved! Enter pReader for webOS devices.
pReader, currently at version 0.8.3, is a free third-party application, written by MHWsoft, that allows you to read a number of popular ebook formats. pReader supports plain-text, HTML, PalmDOC, MobiPocket, eReader, ePub, and Amazon AZW files. That’s a lot of ebook formats for an application that doesn’t cost you a dime.
Getting started with pReader is easy. First you download and install the application from Palm’s App Catalog. (Search for ‘preader’.) Next, connect your Pre or Pixi to your computer, and put the phone into USB mode. In my Pre’s storage space, I created a new folder called “pReader eBooks” and copied some of my old eReader Pro ebooks into that folder. Lastly, unmout your webOS phone and that start up pReader.
When you start pReader, tap the Add Book To Library button, select your book, and then, if you have a DRM encrypted ebook like those sold by eReader.com, enter your unlock information, and then the book becomes available for reading.
With pReader, you have a free way to read your ebooks without having to purchase MotionApps Classic which, in my opinion, is a little bit on the expensive side.
For more details, check the pReader description page.
PreCentral.net has posted an official statement from Palm on the webOS hacker community’s attempt to speed up their phones running webOS.
In the brief statement posted on the PreCentral.net website, Palm writes:
“We have had a number of questions about the recently released “overclocking” patches and what Palm’s position on them are.
Palm is working hard to improve the speed and performance of webOS, as shown in our recent 1.4 update. While we appreciate the effort the webOS community has put forth to try and help us along that path, the use of this application is neither endorsed nor recommended by Palm and will likely result in a voided warranty. Palm encourages webOS users to let Palm release official updates that provide safe, reliable, over-the-air features that improve their device in a number of areas, as we have in the past at a rate of approximately once per month.”
There you have it, folks. Overclock your Palm Pre or Pixi at your own risk! If you you overclock your phone, and you end up getting burned, Palm is going to charge you to repair or replace your phone.
You can read the full article on the PreCentral website.
[Via PreCentral.net…]
Earlier today I received the dreaded webOS “too many cards open” error message and was forced to reboot my Sprint edition Palm Pre smart(er)phone.
The funny thing about the error was that I didn’t have any cards open at the time. I know that Palm is working on fixing mutlitasking issues with webOS and that is a good think. But I still don’t have to like rebooting. Besides, it takes forever, doesn’t it?
The answer to that question is, “Not really.” I waited with my finger poised hovering over the Restart button waiting for the clock on my phone to advance to the next minute. When I saw the time rollover, I jabbed at the Restart button an let webOS do it’s thing.
It turns out that “forever” is really about 3 minutes. Not took bad, and certain less than forever. I know it can seem like forever when you are waiting for the the phone to close up shop, reboot, and reload everything. Sorta like a watched pot will never boil kind of thing.
Fortunately for me, I don’t get the too many cards error message on my Pre. Maybe it’s because I don’t load too many third-party apps on my Pre. Na. Maybe it’s because I don’t keep a lot of cards open all the time. Na. I’m not sure, really, why I don’t get the error message as often as some people report. It probably really does relate back to how we all use our phones and how webOS handles multi-tasking and background tasks. Then again, I’m not a software developer, so I can’t say for sure.
Anyway, the time to bet is 3 minutes to reboot a Palm Pre smartphone. I’ll have to reboot my 8GB 2G (first generation) Apple iPhone and see how long it takes to start up. Could be interesting.
I just found out from a reliable source that only Sprint edition webOS devices, namely the Palm Pre and Pixi, are the only webOS devices that can use Yahoo IM from inside the Palm Messaging application.
No reason was given as to why there is a difference between the Sprint and Verizon webOS phones – only that Sprint phones can and Verizon phones can’t.
Go figure.
Sprint and HTC Corporation today announced summer availability of the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, HTC EVO 4G exclusively from Sprint. HTC EVO 4G delivers a multimedia experience at 4G speeds that is second to none, making it possible to download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go with one of the largest pinch-to-zoom displays, at 4.3 inches, in the wireless industry.
Sprint 4G offers a faster wireless experience than any other U.S. national wireless carrier, and Sprint is the only national carrier offering wireless 4G service today in 27 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G1,giving HTC EVO 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today.
“Sprint continues to lead the 4G revolution as we introduce HTC EVO 4G to give our customers an experience that is unlike anything available in wireless to date,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level.”
“HTC and Sprint have a strong history of working together to bring consumers technologies and advancements that make their lives easier,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We believe that the HTC EVO 4G represents the best of Sprint and the best of HTC working together to bring an unmatched device to the U.S. This combination of HTC and Sprint innovation will allow people to do even more while on the go, faster than ever on the Sprint 4G network.”
HTC Evo 4G Specifications
Productivity
Entertainment
Hardware Specifications
Pricing and Availability
Customers will be able to purchase HTC EVO 4G through all Sprint channels and through national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, this summer. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo.
You can read the full version of today’s announcement on the Sprint website.
According to AppleInsider.com, both Amazon and Barnes & Nobel will be developing their own iPhone/iPod touch/iPad application.
“Both companies revealed to The New York Times that they will create new digital readers and storefronts in addition to their existing applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. The App Store software will also compete with Apple’s own iBooks application and accompanying iBookstore, which will also be available for download on the App Store rather than coming preinstalled on the device.”
You can read the full article on AppleInsider.com…
Palm’s webOS smartphones, the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, will be arriving on AT&T “in the coming months.”
AT&T’s 80 million customers will soon have a new choice for staying connected in their fast-paced lives — the Palm(R) webOS(TM) platform. Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today announced that the Palm Pre(TM) Plus and Palm Pixi(TM) Plus phones will be available on the nation’s fastest 3G network for $149.99 and $49.99, respectively, with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
“AT&T and Palm have a history of smartphone leadership, and today’s announcement is a significant milestone for us,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. “With Palm webOS phones coming to AT&T, Palm can help most anyone in the United States stay connected so they never miss a thing.”
“We’re offering our customers even greater choice by adding Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus to the nation’s best smartphone portfolio,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Palm webOS plus included access to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network and the ability to talk and surf the web at the same time is a powerful combination.”
Pre Plus and Pixi Plus also support a variety of AT&T services, including AT&T Navigator for audible turn-by-turn navigation (subscription required), AT&T Address Book to easily synchronize online contacts to your phone, and YPMobile to quickly find local businesses. They also include the following features and specifications. (NOTE: A complete list of features and specifications for each phone is available at www.att.com/WebOS or www.palm.com/PrePlus and www.palm.com/PixiPlus.)
Pricing and Availability
Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus will be available in AT&T stores and online at www.wireless.att.com in the coming months for $149.99 and $49.99, respectively, with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate. More information is available at www.att.com/webOS.
Analysis
With all of the negative press that Palm has received over the last week or two, I’m really surprised that Palm isn’t talking about ship dates for the AT&T versions of their webOS phones. I realize that carrier testing can be sort of a mystic black art that can consume lots of time of software developers and system engineers both at Palm and AT&T. I really do believe that time is of the essence here and that Palm and all of their carrier partners here in the US really need to take things up a notch and get on the ball with their marketing A-game so to speak.
You can read today’s full press release on the Palm website.
I have been reserving my judgment and remaining silent on Palm’s future prospects lately. After reading the reports from Palm’s latest financial earnings conference call, I have to say, that I’m a little more that worried about the company’s future outlook. (PreCentral, BoyGeniusReport, PalmInfoCenter)
Palm is sitting on a mountain of unsold webOS devices to the tune of about 500,000 according to some analyst reports. That, combined with slower than expected sales at Sprint and Verizon has lead to lower earnings for the quarter. Next quarter isn’t expected to be any better. Some analysts are revising Palm stock price estimates to a target of $0. That’s seriously not good.
So where does that leave a 10+ year user of Palm’s hardware? Well, no where, actually. I’m happy with my Palm Pre. I really like Synergy; the replacement for HotSync that collects all of my data and presents it in a single use to use location. By entering in my account information, I can have my Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Exchange data at my finger tips. Any updates on any or all of those accounts or on my phone, and the data is instantly updated everywhere else. That’s pretty cool if I do say so myself.
But the longer term outlook could be much less optimistic. Palm’s CEO, Jon Rubinstein, was quoted as saying:
“We had an arrangement with Sprint that when we launched with Sprint that they would invest in marketing and carry the product and for that they would get an exclusive for a period of time. That really determined when we could do our launch at Verizon. I agree with your premise that if we could have launched at Verizon earlier, prior to Droid, that we would have gotten the attention that the Droid got and since I believe that we have a better product, I think we would have even done better.“
And there in lies the problem. Even though Palm’s webOS operating system is very good, it’s all of for not if they can’t effectively market and sell their products. Without growing sales, it is really hard to attract companies like DataViz to provide the kind of excellent applications, like Documents To Go, that are needed to add functionality to Palm’s devices.
When you are staring down at these grim assessments, it is really kind of hard to get excited about Palm products; and this is coming from a self-proclaimed Palm fanatic. Will I continue to use my Pre for the next 15 months until my current Sprint contract runs out? Sure will. Come next June though, I may have no choice but to switch to a BlackBerry.
In a related article, seen over on PalmInforCenter, former Palm co-founder and former Palm board member, Donna Dubinsk, was recently quoted as saying that the separation of Palm’s operating system from their hardware was a “huge strategic error” back in the early part of the 2000’s.
“Dubinsky said all the shuffling took “critical resources and attention from product development.” And even though it happened years ago, she called the decision to spin off PalmOS a “huge strategic error.” “As RIM, Apple and Palm all have demonstrated, these devices need to be highly integrated hardware and software developments in order to optimize the user experience,” Dubinsky wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “When Palm no longer could advance the OS, and had to create a new one, it lost several years.”
So, finally, in 2010, a former high level Palm executive admits what Palm fans everywhere have known for years: selling off Palm OS to PalmSource and keeping the hardware business in house was an incredibly stupid move that caused Palm to lose their leadership position in the smartphone race. The effects of this decision are still being felt today as Palm continues to flounder and fight to stay relevant in a now crowded smartphone market space.
[Photo via PreCentral.net.]
Now that I have made my Apple iPad reservation with an Apple Store here in Connecticut, I’m taking a look at what accessories I might want to get for my new mobile gear.
If I’m going to have my iPad with me at the office, I’m going to need something more than a screen protector. I’ll have to get some kind of case of it. And it looks like Apple’ iPad Case is a perfect fit for my tastes. It no only protects the iPad, but it also serves as a stand for the iPad so that you and position it for watching video, reading, or viewing photos. It also folds to become an angled wedge that positions the iPad so you can type on the on screen keyboard. (I’m able to touch type on a hardware keyboard, but I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to “touch type” on the iPad. We’ll have to see how things go.)
The iPad Dock works just like you would expect the iPhone or iPod dock to work. It provides you with a base to plug your iPad into and then has a dock connector port you plug in the iPad’s dock connector to USB cable and plug the other side into your Mac or PC. There is also an audio line out that you can connect to external powered speakers. The Apple iPad Dock also works with all of the other iPad dock connector accessories like the video out cable.