Jump ship from Palm WebOS to Android?

[timh83]

So, I'm thinking of jumping ship from Palm WebOS to Android. But I have a few questions. So if anyone could help me out, it's greatly appreciate it! First question is: I have heard that there are different versions of android software for different phones, is this correct? I guess what I'm wondering is, can all Android devices run the same latest software update? The second question is: For those who have already jumped ship from WebOS to Android, what are some of the things that you like better about Android and what are some of the things you miss about leaving WebOS?

 

[kinster02]

Most can especially the newest devices with 2.2.

Look in the Evo / Epic forums that's where you will find most of the ex Pre owners.

I would answer your question since I had given up my Pre in June and I don't miss anything about the Pre and WebOS but I'll let you get what you need from the other ex Pre owners in the forum.

 

[JDGAFFLIN]

I just made the switch this week, so I'm still learning the ropes. As of now, I'm having a difficult time adjusting to not having cards. That being said, there is multi-tasking, its just a bit more transparent.

The App Market alone was worth the switch for me, however. All in all, I'm digging Android, but from a user perspective, the webOS user interface is a bit more polished.

 

[scotbotmosh]

I made the jump from a Pre to the Evo about 6 months ago..have not looked back since.

The most recent Android version out is 2.2 (Froyo - 2.3 is due to come out soon) However some carriers have not pushed out the 2.2 update to their phones. Palm doesn't really have this issue since it really only has 2 phones out at the moment. If you buy a premier device like the Evo or DroidX you should be fine, just make sure it has Android 2.2 on it.

What I miss about WebOS the notifications & the general slickness of the OS. Other than that Android has a boat load of other features that simply bury those.

The Android OS is slick and has a ton of hidden features in it that will keep surprising you (like facebook & twitter status updates in your contacts....) Not having to rely on a prayer in order to get the apps you want to use on your mobile is nice too, since Android has way more apps than Palm, and are a lot better. It seems to follow this logic developers always develop for the iPhone and most of the time for Android at the same time, and IF you are lucky they will get around to Palm.

The front facing video camera on my evo is awesome & video calling is amazing as well. The 8MP rear camera shames the Palm 5MP camera. Looking through my old Palm pics compared to my Evo pics is night and day. Also you will be going from about a 400Ghz processor in that Pre to a 1Ghz processor in just about any new Android device you pick up. The camera app is way faster to load as well. With my Pre I noticed that most moments I tried to capture were already here and gone by the time I got the Pre out and waited for the camera app to open. Also the battery on my Palm was pretty bad, the Evo isn't exactly the Prius of the smartphone world, but my battery life is better than what I experienced with the Pre.

And lastly (but I am sure there are many more) as an android subscriber you get all the Google updates ASAP, and Google is constantly updating their apps. Think you will see the new Google maps 5 on the pre before 2012? I would be surprised. Oh yeah and widgets are amazing as well..there is no limit to the amount of customizing you can do with Android as well.

It also multitasks well also..with all that being said...dive in man..head first. you may miss some small things, but you will not regret it. My wife still has her pre and I use it from time to time and it is just a generation or two behind already.

 

[ddpacino]

Well, Most phones will have either 2.1, or 2.2/Froyo. Version 2.3/Gingerbread was released this week on the new Nexus S. Nexus phones are stock Android phones so they will always get the latest updates. The G2 is stock too, but I am not sure about their update timeline. If you do not get a stock Android, you have to wait for the carrier/manufacturer to issue an update.

I most definitely miss the cards, that was one of THE Best features, EVER! However, it looks like version 3.0/Honeycomb may introduce cards, or something similar (Google hired webOS UI designer Matias Duarte). I miss synergy as well, although you can still link accounts -- just manually.

I do like the Wealth of apps for Android, and WIDGETS! I cannot live without them now. Plus, all of the customizations for the OS are crazy (various app replacements, app enhancers, live wallpapers, Launchers, etc.), and get better with rooting to unlock even more possibilities. WebOS is very polished, but Android is Highly customizable. I'll stick with an Android phone, and pick up one of those PalmPads to fill my void.

S/N: I left my Pre 6 months ago to get an Evo, then moved to an Epic 2 weeks ago. Evo already has 2.2, bigger size (4.3" screen), and slightly better cams (spec-wise), but Epic has a very vibrant screen (4" SAMOLED), a slightly better fit in the hand, and the Hummingbird chip inside... BEST on the market, even better than iPhone4.

 

[Jason Black]

I'm 3 days strong with my evo and I love it. I don't miss webos a bit

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

 

[4lth4z44r]

I must agree, leaving the Pre for the Evo was the best decision I could have made. I miss nothing about WebOS.

 

[japclev]

Wife now hates Pre

My wife got my old Pre and now hates it for the same reasons i did. Pre is for babies.

 

[timh83]

wow! Thanks everyone! These are great comments! So from the sounds of things, any newer phone tht runs android will always get the latest updates. So what is it about other phones that would cause them to not be able to run the latest software? I just don't want to grab a device that gets the next few updates and then have an update come out that won't run on my device and then either being stuck with a device thatttt can't upgrade or being stuck with being forced to buy a new device, just to get the latest software update. Also, what are the Pros and Cons berween the Epic and the Evo? What would you guys suggest, and why?

 

[scotbotmosh]

The availability to get updates as soon as possible is pretty much up to the carrier. The Droid2, DroidX, and Evo all get updates pretty quick, which I believe is the same for the Galaxy models as well. Don't forget if you root your phone there are usually rom's and updates that will get you the latest and greatest as well. XDA-Developers.com has a great community for this. Like I said if you stick with the carriers flagship/ premier Android device odd's are they will keep that model updated the quickest.

Evo vs. Epic not sure since I have only had the Evo, but I would imagine the same old physical vs non-physical keyboard issue is still there. I don't mind not having a physical keyboard, I use swype which is faster than a physical keyboard if you ask me. And I like the slimmer feel w/ out the physical keyboard. Evo has a better camera, but I think the Epic may have a better screen. There is probably more to it, but you can sniff out enough pro vs. cons on the web. And at the end of the day go to the store check them both out, see what works for you!

Good luck and we welcome you to our side early!

 

[4cdndctn]

I have answered this many times - search my responses as some are detailed. There is very little you will miss when you jump ship; personally I went to an Evo. After 1 week with an Evo or Epic for example, pick up your Pre, move the slider, and the build quality difference is enough to make you wonder why you stuck with it for so long.
I check the precentral forums every few days as a joke --- the progress they are making with 2.0/2.1 is embarassing for those behind it.
You will miss the UI at first, nothing can tough webOS yet in that department. You get used to the clunkier AndroidOS which has some apps to help make it feel more like webOS. I'm hoping it natively moves to be a bit more like webOS from a UI perspective.

I can't cook an egg on my Evo like I could my Pre ;p

 

[jjeffcoat]

Thinking about making the switch also. Probably will wait until after the holidays are over & see if Palm has anything groundbreaking at CES.

But regardless, I've gone from a total webOS fanboy to a serious doubter just over the last 2 months.

 

[4cdndctn]

Thinking about making the switch also. Probably will wait until after the holidays are over & see if Palm has anything groundbreaking at CES.

But regardless, I've gone from a total webOS fanboy to a serious doubter just over the last 2 months.

I was a fanboy too, I don't regret it. Seriously, unless they release a secret app market with about 100k titles, there is nothing they can do to make it worth sticking with at this time. By that time, the iPhone will be on Verizon and it'll be a crazy fight between 4 OS's, with the iPhone in the lead and webOS even further behind than it is today, which nearly puts it out of the race.

 

[jjeffcoat]

I was a fanboy too, I don't regret it. Seriously, unless they release a secret app market with about 100k titles, there is nothing they can do to make it worth sticking with at this time. By that time, the iPhone will be on Verizon and it'll be a crazy fight between 4 OS's, with the iPhone in the lead and webOS even further behind than it is today, which nearly puts it out of the race.

I really don't need 100k titles. Would be reasonably satisfied with Skyscape, iSilo, Epocrates, and a document editing app.

(Yes webOS currently has Epocrates, but it's still beta and they've recently announced that they are pulling that and abandoning all webOS support).

 

[4cdndctn]

^^^ we don't know what we don't know. For example I had never heard of an app called Google Goggles before I had the Evo and now I use it daily. I HOPE you would find new apps you could not live without, you just don't know they exist yet; I have a list of about 15.

For racing (hobby) I replaced a data acquisition and telemetry system consisting of 3 software components that needed to be manually handled and 2 pieces of hardware with my Evo. I traded about $1500 worth of software and equipment for the Evo + $10 of software --- I never would have thought...

 

[RUSH]

Thinking about making the switch also. Probably will wait until after the holidays are over & see if Palm has anything groundbreaking at CES.

But regardless, I've gone from a total webOS fanboy to a serious doubter just over the last 2 months.

Hey, Jeff buddy... I hope u do make the switch soon.

From the pre to the evo is a transition that needs adjusting too - just like anything else.
Yes, they're things you might miss, but the the evo make it up with missing features that the pre lacks.

 

[zmann]

Its been a month since I switched from my pre to my evo and I could not be happier.for a long time I was lead to believe that android was just a God awful os and that could not be furthest from the truth. Yes there are a few things I miss,card views for an example,but I quickly got use to holding the home button for a few seconds and boom,there is my last 8 apps that I have used right were I left off. So really instead of having all sorts of cards on my screen,just long press and there they are all together on one page.not bad. The evo is absolutely awesome,and compared to my pre,so solid,no moving parts. The apps are amazing. I did not think I would be this happy with device and os,but I am more then happy.

Sent using taptalk.

 

[RUSH]

Its been a month since I switched from my pre to my evolution and I could not be happier.for a long time I was lead to believe that android was just a God awful os and that could not be furthest from the truth. Yes there are a few things I miss,card views for an example,but I quickly got use to holding the home button for a few seconds and boom,there is my last 8 apps that I have used right were I left off. So really instead of having all sorts of cards on my screen,just long press and there they are all together on one page.not bad. The evo is absolutely awesome,and compared to my pre,so solid,no moving parts. The apps are amazing. I did not think I would be this happy with device and os,but I am more then happy.

Sent using taptalk.

Well said. I agree 100%.

 

[jjeffcoat]

Hey, Jeff buddy... I hope u do make the switch soon.

From the pre to the evo is a transition that needs adjusting too - just like anything else.
Yes, they're things you might miss, but the the evo make it up with missing features that the pre lacks.

Leaning more toward the Epic than the Evo.

PS,
Are you "RUSH" from P|C ?

 

[Makinola]

Re: Jump ship from Palm WebOS to Android ????

Since i have made the switch i haven't looked back!!!!! Just better hardware with the nexus s 4g and the APPS like come on the APPS. So yeah i am loving android right now