Question for those who switched from Palm Pre

**Chief85** · 12-12-2010, 07:01 PM

So until something with better hardware comes out with WebOS, I'm making the switch to the Epic later in the week. Who knows, maybe I'll love it so much that I won't ever switch back...

So, I know how big of a long shot this is, but I was wondering if anyone had found a way to extract text message history from the Pre, and import it into Android. I'm guessing the answer is no, but thought it couldn't hurt to ask you fine people.

**Matty-Mo** · 12-12-2010, 07:13 PM

yeah i am pretty sure that is not going to be likely. unless sprint can manually do it...

**Chief85** · 12-12-2010, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Matty Mo

yeah i am pretty sure that is not going to be likely. unless sprint can manually do it...

This was my gut feeling, but then again, I couldn't imagine the possibility of half the things that people around here manage to figure out...

**ragnarokx** · 12-12-2010, 07:26 PM

I suppose if you really needed them, you could forward them to someone else, switch phones, and then have that person forward them to your Epic. Sorry I don't have a better suggestion - but I don't know much about the Pre.

**Donmeister85** · 12-12-2010, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by scotchandcigars

So until something with better hardware comes out with WebOS, I'm making the switch to the Epic later in the week. Who knows, maybe I'll love it so much that I won't ever switch back...

Dude, not sure about the importing of the text messages to your phone. But having come from the Pre, after spending a week with the Epic 4G, I'm saying "Palm who?" WebOS is nice, but wow, they've got some serious catching up to do on the hardware side, AND the app side of things too. I've had a blast with customizing this awesome phone! I've learned a lot and still have a lot more to do, but I'll get there with the help of the Android Central community, and a lot of google searching.

**Matty-Mo** · 12-12-2010, 09:40 PM

yea trust me, i came from the pixi then to the pre and then to the evo and now epic. o and had some bb's as well and nothing can touch the greatness that is epic! however i was talking to my friend at sprint and he said some store might be able to transfer the texts but wasnt sure...

**ejohnnyk** · 12-12-2010, 10:08 PM

I had a Pre and loved webOS.

Android rocks. The Epic is amazing. The apps are awesome.

Just a question... I delete all of my text messages about once a month. I've never experienced a situation where I would want to save one long-term (that is what e-mail is for). Forgive me, but why would one want to save text messages?

**Matty-Mo** · 12-12-2010, 11:04 PM

i think thats the question we are all wondering???

**special_k** · 12-12-2010, 11:46 PM

I work at best buy and the system we use has an option to transfer sms when we transfer contacts. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Definitely worth a shot though.

**bipoler#AC** · 12-13-2010, 03:01 AM

Simply ....( I forget exactly how its been a minute) the Pre will allow you to copy all of an conversation and I would paste it into an email and save sms like that...when you "copy all" if the segment is really long then u have to do that at different points in the message to get the full message....

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

**feralpanda** · 12-13-2010, 07:34 AM

I'll echo what most have said...I had a Pre for a year then switched to the Epic 4g and have zero regrets. I really really really liked my Pre and WebOS for the most part but the speed and flexibility of the Epic win out any time. There was a bit of an adjustment period but once I learned Android I really couldn't imagine going back. Plus I've been really disappointed with what looks to be the Pre's successor so you can count me as one of the many happy Epic converts.

This may be a dumb question as a follow up to a question, but whatever happened to BitPim? Do those guys do much in the way of android phones or is it mostly unnecessary now that its much easier for the end user to get into the guts of their phones? Could something like that possibly help to extract the sms stuff from his Pre?

**psm9** · 12-13-2010, 08:00 AM

Also switched from the Pre (last week). I loved WebOS and held on for 6 months past my upgrade date, but when Epocrates announced they're pulling out of WebOS, I wad done.

I do NOT regret the change. The Epic is a dramatically better device (In fact, the day before I switched, a screw fell out of my Pre. Not sure from where, but that can't be a good reflection of build quality. Android is quick! and smooth. The app choices are also fantastic.

**Donmeister85** · 12-13-2010, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by ejohnnyk

I had a Pre and loved webOS.

Android rocks. The Epic is amazing. The apps are awesome.

Just a question... I delete all of my text messages about once a month. I've never experienced a situation where I would want to save one long-term (that is what e-mail is for). Forgive me, but why would one want to save text messages?

I don't know. Some of us are packrats. Like, I hardly deleted any of my conversations on my Pre since I "doctored it" back in April. Just the text messages from my girlfriend and I numbered near 10,000...

Anyways, to the OP, if you have Internalz on your phone, you can look for a file called PalmDatabase.db3. Don't quite remember the location atm. It's possible to save this to your computer so you can at least access it there. You can view it using either notepad, or even Microsoft Word, but the formatting will be way off. There is another program used specifically to view the contents of .db3 files, but I can't remember where it is, or what it's called. I'll see if I can dig it up when I get some spare time, unless you beat me to it.

**milominderbinde** · 12-13-2010, 10:29 AM

If you are new to Android, check this link out from the main forum menu for the Getting Started with Android - Tips and Tricks:

. . .

Getting Started

Even on a fast phone like the Epic, you can eventually end up on an episode of Hoarders with the fire department having to rescue you. We have had countless people say that after a few months their phone had gotten so slow as to be hard to use. Sometimes it is all the junk they have been hoarding. Bad apps and widgets also running are the other main issues.

So for this reason the advice in the Messaging Tips and Tricks section is to set the Message app to automatically delete all messages past 100 or so in a conversation. The steps are given there.

If you are coming from webOS, this section is for you:

Palm webOS Homebrewer's Guide to Android

You know how for a year and a half, developers kept coming up with amazing patches for webOS? And Palm would not listen?

Google did. Over 130 of our favorite Patches are options in Android. This guide shows you where they all are.

**Chief85** · 12-13-2010, 11:09 AM

Wow, thanks for all the positive comments and helpful insights!

Originally Posted by ejohnnyk

Just a question... I delete all of my text messages about once a month. I've never experienced a situation where I would want to save one long-term (that is what e-mail is for). Forgive me, but why would one want to save text messages?

I understand that question. As one other poster said, some of us are packrats. Even then, I don't keep most texts. But for stupid sentimental reasons, I wanted to be able to keep texts from the S.O.

I'm going to try and figure out how to copy an entire conversation and just put it in an email; that seems like the best option. I also have ripped out the db3 file for further extraction if needed.

Thanks again everyone!

**NJ2** · 12-19-2010, 01:40 AM

I had a program thats called TREODESKTOP, it would extract your CALL lists AND your TEXTS and save them, you had to run it with SYNC program. If you had to do a hard reset to your palm, you could just resync from your computers soft ware back up and it would ALSO put all your texts and call lists from the last time you did a sync, back on your palm/treo.

I'm no phone tech, but there were threads that I have read where it tells you how to save and import your contacts from SNYC to your EPIC, but I didnt do it, just did them manually one day, kept me busy and gave me a change to play with the phone.

**Chief85** · 12-19-2010, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by NJ2

I had a program thats called TREODESKTOP, it would extract your CALL lists AND your TEXTS and save them, you had to run it with SYNC program. If you had to do a hard reset to your palm, you could just resync from your computers soft ware back up and it would ALSO put all your texts and call lists from the last time you did a sync, back on your palm/treo.

I'm no phone tech, but there were threads that I have read where it tells you how to save and import your contacts from SNYC to your EPIC, but I didnt do it, just did them manually one day, kept me busy and gave me a change to play with the phone.

Perhaps the name is misleading, but this would seem to be less than helpful considering the fact that I don't have a Treo, I have a Pre...

**wynand32** · 12-19-2010, 12:53 PM

I think I'm a little bit late in this, but if you install Preware and then Save/Restore, you can backup your SMS messages as an HTML file. They can't be restored to anything (including another webOS device), but at least you'll have them in a readable/searchable file.

**Chief85** · 12-19-2010, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by wynand32

I think I'm a little bit late in this, but if you install Preware and then Save/Restore, you can backup your SMS messages as an HTML file. They can't be restored to anything (including another webOS device), but at least you'll have them in a readable/searchable file.

Perfect, this will work just fine. Thanks! Now, if my Epic would just get here already...I'm getting impatient!

**junior38** · 12-20-2010, 07:23 PM

Why won't some of the my contact photos won't show up when the person calls? Only some will work even after linking all my contacts to there fb,twitter,and emails.

**jjeffcoat** · 12-27-2010, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by Matty Mo

yea trust me, i came from the pixi then to the pre and then to the evo and now epic. o and had some bb's as well and nothing can touch the greatness that is epic! however i was talking to my friend at sprint and he said some store might be able to transfer the texts but wasnt sure...

How does the Epic compare to the Evo?

**lbm323** · 12-28-2010, 03:12 AM

i really enjoyed my pre and web os and after having the epic for about 3 months i can say i prefer Web OS over android. Web OS seemed smoother and more intuative however the hardware did lack and the community was alot smaller. Because of that i will stick with android. But if webs os had the same number of apps and as good hardware i would totally go back.

**jk175d** · 12-28-2010, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by jimjeffcoat

How does the Epic compare to the Evo?

For me the Epic smokes the EVO. Screen is that much better. And though I don't use the real keyboard as much as I expected, it is still a plus.

(rooted Epic running the awsome Froyo based Quantum 2.1 rom)

**Chief85** · 12-28-2010, 11:28 AM

Well, about a week later and I can say that I am enamored with this phone. Coming from the ridiculously limited Pre hardware, I never knew how great having a phone this...functional...could be. It just zips along, and even gets way better battery life than my Pre!

I would consider going back to WebOS with some nice hardware and a lot more developer interest, but for now, the Epic and Android are treating me quite well.

**psm9** · 12-28-2010, 11:47 AM

I have to agree. I loved WebOS, but he Epic (even on 2.1) is a way better device. My wife's Pre just feels and looks cheap in comparison. WebOS has good potential, but in the end, it still lacks. I'd love to see if HP can get their act together, but until then, I love the Epic