[1MacGeek]

@ k4ever : Let's use your checklist -

Multitasking? Check.
Can't cut and paste? Check.
Can't edit documents once you open up the box? Check
Won't tether to your laptop? Check
Does not have the ability to swap out batteries? Ok, you got me there.

Unfortunately you were shooting for the same target as Palm - where Apple was, not where they were going. With the new 3.0 software coming out in a week, all your objections vanish, save for the battery swapping. I personally just don't see this as a big deal, as I am always near a USB outlet for a quick recharge. Oh, and that means I don't need to swap batteries and all the hassle that goes with it.

[1MacGeek]

@ TechPhonix : That "reject" model has the same amount of memory as the top-of-the-line Pre. It was the only fair comparison to be made.

[1MacGeek]

Dueces said:

Failed launch of the Pre? What bizarro world are you living in?

That would be the bizarro world where Apple sells one million iPhone 3Gs in a weekend, and Palm sells 50,000. That, by any but the most biased accounting, is a failure. As I mentioned Palm may be ecstatic over it, but for Apple "only" moving 50K units would be counted as a dismal failure.

[jmoriconi]

I'm most likely never going to bother posting on this steaming pile of a site again... didn't realize that by doing so I was subscribing to 10+ spams a minute. Even though I've gone through the convoluted process of disabling all the 'yes, please spam me by default' options for my account, i think principal alone is enough to warrant boycotting this place. Sayonara!
Message was edited by: smax013 - no profanity please.

[JetpackJesus]

You know there is more to a phone than the available storage space? The 8GB is the only comparable aspect of these phones. The processor in the Pre is vastly superior to the 3G, which is why it can handle true multi tasking. The Pre is a technologically superior phone in almost every way but storage capacity. I don't know about the 3G S processor yet. That may well be comparable to what the Pre has, but to claim the 3G is comparable to the Pre is simply false.

[jonahu]

Do have no interest in multi-tasking? The ability to run Pandora in the background while checking your email, browsing the web, instant messaging? Do have no interest in having a "real" resident IM client running in the background so the your instant messages are uh.. "instant". What about the physical keyboard? Could that maybe be a reason that eludes you? What about the faster processor? Could that be another reason that has eluded you? What kind of research have you done? This has nothing to do with opinion - you just have failed to mention any real differences between the Pre and $99 iPhone 3G that a typical user might find valuable - and yes these differences do exist.

[mickytricky]

Did you just delete all the negative comments?? What a shame PC World!

[mickytricky]

If you don't need them you might as well remove the comment functionality from your articles. If you do, be prepared for negative comments as well. And even though you claim you are not a rpe hater your first page on twitter has the following:
he Pre's Best Days Are Already Behind It (I promise)
Five Reasons the Pre May Not Prevail http://bit.ly/ZSaSk I am so tired of all the hype!
The Pre is not the homerun Palm needed http://bit.ly/BlAho
So, I am not the only one who think the Pre has problems
Establishing an OS requires serious developer support, which Palm lacks.
Palms developer program fell apart several years ago, as did Palm. This is starting over. Not from zero, but close.
The rest are about bashing 'Bing' and praises for 'Iphone' and 'Google'
That doesn't say much about you.

[k4ever]

@1MacGeek: You've got to be kidding me, right? Lets see, where do I start... The IPhone is at software version 3.0 and it is just now getting cut and paste? WTF! That is a requirement for a business phone right out of the box, not almost 2 years later. Last time I checked, it still can't edit documents right out of the box. You need to download an app for it. An app(s) that wasn't even available until months after the initial launch. As far as I know you can't tether your laptop to an IPhone without jailbraking the IPhone. Based on all of the tech sites I looked at , 3.0 software won't allow tethering either. So, let me get this straight, you want Joe or Jane Blow, who probaly don't know a darn thing about modifying the phone, to violate his/her warranty (jailbrake) to do something (tethering) that 99% of other "smart phones" can do without modification? Thats pretty weak, just like your battery statement. To paraphrase your statement "I don't care about not having to change my battery because I'm always near a power source". Well genius, if I'm near a power source I don't have to worry about changing my battery, either. I can just plug in my phone. What about the people who actually leave their home or office and go to places were power may not be available? Thats the purpose of having an extra battery. Dude, your comments are as weak as this story. We get it, you like the IPhone. Thats great! So do I, but until Apple actually fixes the problems I've listed, I won't buy one. Its not the right fit for what I would use it for. I'm definitely not alone. Even with all of the IPhones sold, They haven't put a dent in Blackberry or even Nokia smart phone sells. What I've listed are the reasons why. BTW, what about the keyboard? You failed to mention that...

[wowwww]

Are you for real?
http://online.wsj.co...611-709031.html
Analysts are viewing the changeover positively. These folks are professionals, not armchair quarterbacks like you (recent stock market events notwithstanding)
Also you say this thing about the 3G being cheaper but the fact is the 3GS is the iPhone that is comparable in spec to the Pre and it costs exactly the same -- see:
http://www.billshrin...versus-android/
The Pre is a great phone. The multitasking makes you feel like you're using a real computer, not a toy. And Synergy is exactly what I needed all this time -- one place for everything: AIM, SMS, Gtalk, Outlook mail, Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook calendar, Google contacts, Outlook contacts, my old Treo contacts/calendar/memos -- all in one place. Nobody is left out.
Oh and all these people who keep talking about how the app store has so many more applications than app catalog are really just crazy. They just finished building the phone for crying out loud -- how do you expect them to have thousands of applications for a completely new platform? How many apps did the iPhone have the week after it launched? I guarantee you there will be lots and lots of apps very soon, especially since there are a lot more developers who can hack HTML/Javascript/etc than Objective C.
Believe me there are some of us who don't believe the Steve Jobs/Apple hype and don't want to climb aboard the iPhone boat. I want to be able to replace the battery myself. I want a real keyboard, not a picture of one. I want to actually use my phone, not play with it.

[GreatScott]

I was under the impression that Sprints Everything plan was already way cheaper than any comparable ATT plan.
Please correct me if am wrong but the extra $100 for the Pre would be payed back in about 3 months and at the end of your 2 year contract you would be way ahead.
If this is incorrect than please tell me why.

[molex]

How can something that is not up yet go down??

[k4ever]

@1MacGeek: To prove my point even further go to CNet's top cell phone site (http://reviews.cnet.com/best-cell-phones/?tag=leftColumnArea1.0) and look at "Best Smartphones". The IPhone is not there. It used to be there, but there was no justification for it. Now if you look at "Best MP3 Phone" or "Best Video Phone" the IPhone tops the list. If there was a "Best Gaming Phone", the IPhone would probaly top that list too. CNet seems to be a more reputable site than PCWorld (they actually check facts), and they seem to recognize that the IPhone is just not a good smart phone. The Pre is an excellent smart phone and that is what Palm was aiming for. BTW, did AT&T or Apple subtract the number of IPhones returned for refund from their sales numbers. I know of at least a dozen people (me being one) who have returned their IPhones for various reasons and asked for something else. When I returned my IPhone, the AT&T store manager told me that a lot of other people had returned theirs also. I still believe that the IPhone is an excellent phone. Its just not a good smart phone. AT&T's pricing and network coverage doesn't make it any better, either.

[pogeypetey]

hmmm... calling a phone an abject failure in less than a week would be plausible if it only sold 10 units. But unit sales of over 50k units without really advertising? You lose all cred when you open your mouth.

[jonahu]

community comments?

[sk1m781]

I made a login just to point out that this article is absolutely awful. 3g is at least as good as Pre? No. Saving $100 on your handset justifies a loss of $1,300 over the term of a 2 year contract? No. Get a life. Your article is terrible it has 54 "yes" and 488 "no" for a reason

[niboned]

@sk1m781 said "Your article is terrible it has 54 "yes" and 488 "no" for a reason"

Yes, that reason is a bunch of whiny fanboys and h8ters who don't see the possibility that a phone that offers little new innovation from a marginal carrier with a poor track record just might have a hard go of it. Aww, what's the matter, get your widdle feewings hurt? Enough already. Heaven forbid anyone citizen a phone that JUST came out and has very little road testing under its belt.

Yes, it might turn out to be the best phone in history but give it a freaking rest already with the criticism of the author. Most of the value arguments in favor of the Pre are specious: "the iPhone is a toy" No, actually it is a quite useful business tool, which is clear to anyone who has used one in an enterprise environment. Also, "The Pre costs so much less over time" Fine, I still prefer the features of the iPhone and am willing to pay for that. Do I wish AT&T would act differently? Of course. I also wish Sprint had been a better company as well, so that we did not have to drop them as a prefered carrier.

The bottom line is that until the Pre has somewhat of a track record all this defense of it is just so much hot air. If you never want a negative info, never stray past the manufactures web site.

I'll say it again: Relax, watch and quality will win out, whether it's Palm or Blackberry or Apple or whomever.

[dpa62]

Open your eyes and your mind David Coursey. You have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to the Palm Pre.
You don't see how it can become a real success? What the hell is wrong with you?

[1MacGeek]

k4ever said:

@1MacGeek: You've got to be kidding me, right? Lets see, where do I start... The IPhone is at software version 3.0 and it is just now getting cut and
paste? WTF! That is a requirement for a business phone right out of the box, not almost 2 years later.

Way to move the goalposts. In short, you aren't interested in a rational conversation - you are interested in having your way. That's fine, but it doesn't make what you say any more correct. Nearly everything you claim on behalf of the iPhone is wrong, because you want it to be wrong.

Oh, - Apple announced tethering as a standard feature on the GS (and presumably the 8GB 3g), not a jail-broken one. But please - don't let facts stop a good rant.
Message was edited by: smax013 - no personal attacks

[1MacGeek]

k4ever said:

@1MacGeek: BTW, did AT&T or Apple subtract the number of IPhones returned for refund from their sales numbers. I know of at least a dozen people
(me being one) who have returned their IPhones for various reasons and asked for something else.

Ok, let's give you the benefit of the doubt and assume for the moment this is 100% Moses-walking-down-the-mountain gospel. It would still mean Apple is outselling Pre 19:1. The reality is the developers are not going to jump ship from Apple to Palm on those numbers. Smart phone or not, Apple is still going to kill Palm in the "smart phone" market.

Palm has an utterly flawed business model that will not withstand a direct attack from Apple & AT&T. Let's suppose for a moment that Apple drops the entire 3GS line down to one model - 32 GB - and prices it at $199. Who do you think will take it on the chin? Answer : the Palm Pre. There are just too many features people want in a portable "smart" phone that are absent on the Pre.

Were it to be otherwise, the Pre would be outselling the iPhone 19:1.