I'm not actually AT CES but I've been following it on the blogosphere. The big mobile announcement is of course the Palm Pre. It's the first device running the long awaited (and twice delayed) Linux based, next generation Palm platform, which is called WebOS rather than Nova. Very iPhonesque in appearance, but with a slide out QWERY keyboard, the Pre features a multi-touch UI. The few people who've been allowed to play with it have found the user experience be quite slick and intuitive. There's address book and calendar integration with Google, Microsoft Exchange and Facebook! and treaded messaging which can show SMS and IM messages in the same thread.
Initially the Pre will be a Sprint exclusive so it's CDMA/EVDO Rev A. (plus WiFi). Palm has said that there will be a GSM/HSPA version eventually. No details on pricing although Palm's CEO supposedly suggested that it would be priced the same or even higher than the iPhone. Availability in "The first half of 2009".
Palm's survival depends on the Pre's success. In the last month or so Palm and its boosters have been hinting that this Phone and OS will offer real breakthroughs in innovation and usability. Now that it's been announced, there doesn't seem to be anything revolutionary in the form factor or specs (3.1" 320 x 480 screen, GPS, 8MB RAM, accelerometer, 3.5mm headphone jack). If the Pre is the game changing device Palm needs, the magic will have to be in the software and the user experience. Here's hoping it is, as a long time Palm user, I'm rooting for them. Don't know about that name though. "Pre" what?
There has been a lot of Sprint-dissing in some of the blog posts and comments I've seen but I don't thing it's such a bad thing. Sprint is on shaky ground financially but their 3G network is actually very good, much better in speed, stability and footprint than AT&T's overloaded and flaky one. The Pre will show well on Sprint. Even if Sprint does fail, someone will acquire their customers, network and nationwide spectrum licenses. CDMA is essential to success in the US (something Symbian has yet to figure out). Of course Palm needs to get a GSM model out within a few months of the initial launch, you can only sell so many phones using technology that only works in North America.
I'm more concerned with the development environment. There are no development tools yet but according to CNET, apps will be written in HTML, Javascript and CSS. That sounds like Web Apps and Widgets only. No support for native apps or even Java and no way to run legacy Palm apps. In today's marketplace a high end device like the Pre needs to support 3rd part development of applications that can access hardware features like location, bluetooth, speakers, microphone, filesystem, phonebook and calendar. The browser is Palm developed and based on the WebKit core. Palm has supposedly given the browser, and the widget runtime, JavaScript hooks in to all those phone features. That's not a bad idea, it's exactly where all the new widget platforms like BONDI, Nokia Web Runtime and the Access and Opera Widgets are headed. It looks like Palm might get their first. Palm desperately needs developers to quickly create an application library for the Pre and developing Ajax widgets should be faster and easier than native applications. If the Pre sells and Palm and Sprint don't place signing and certification roadblocks in the application distribution process, developers should flock to the platform like they did to the original Palm Pilot
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posted by Dennis Bournique
January 9, 2009 @ 1:02 pm
7 View Comments
