Is it really worth it to switch from my Palm Pre?

[sjamie]

Is it worth to switch from a Pre? What if I told you you'll probably never see the "Sorry, too many cards" screen again. Or maybe you'll never have to watch the same icon slowly throb waiting for some app to load (the Palm Pre equivalent of the peepee dance). Or probably you'll always have some decent support from a maunfacturer, OS, app developer that really gives a rip about providing support for a product you might be invested in for the next couple of years. Hmmm, lemme think about it... Might need some time on this one... Hard choices.... Well, I suppose it'll be a little worth it! /sarcasm

(apologies if I repeated other info from previous posts, I didn't go thru the entire thread).

Great points! Yes, I am tired of the HPalm "peepee dance". Hilarious!

How do the browsers compare?

 

[sjamie]

Is there anything (realistically) you wish the E3D could do that it cannot. Please, no futuristic crazy remarks!

In other words, is there any "current" feature that it is missing?

 

[theotherlinh]

Is there anything (realistically) you wish the E3D could do that it cannot. Please, no futuristic crazy remarks!

In other words, is there any "current" feature that it is missing?

I will continue to defend palm's "synergy" as much as I hate the name. I just think they did a REALLY good job with that. It was at the sacrifice of some gmail specific goodness android gives you, but a tradeoff I could live with.

Android in general needs the option to swipe to delete things =)

Great camera. I think it's ok, but there are better out there.

Ringer switch (Again, another Palm awesomeness). Hopefully custom roms will switch the function of the 2d/3d and enable it as a software option.

Inductive charging. I fully believe this, or wireless charging, should be on everything, heh. we need a standard. no lame "jackets"

Sensation's body.


Nothing listed is a deal breaker really, except maybe the form factor (personally).

 

[rahrah12]

Synergy & ringer mute switch...

 

[socca1157]

Iono about you, but I'm switching from my Sprint Palm Pre 2.

 

[sjamie]

Synergy & ringer mute switch...

How do you switch between ringer, vibrate, and mute? Just turn the volume all the way down?

 

[kinster02]

How do you switch between ringer, vibrate, and mute? Just turn the volume all the way down?

Hold volume down, put the phone face down to mute when the phone rings or install a widget.

 

[sjamie]

Put the phone face down to mute?

 

[EEEMasta]

what a stupid question.

What a stupid, and worthless, reply. Thanks for contributing, buhbye now.

AAAnyway yeah, people have told me about google music beta, but I really don't want to be dependent on an internet connection to get my music, makes it hard listening to music when going out into the backroads or up in the mountains.

I am glad people brought up the keyboard, I too am a little wary about switching from a physical keyboard. I had an HTC Touch before the Pre, and its touch keyboard was ok, but cant hold a candle to my pre's.

Also, does that putting the phone face down thing actually work? And does it silence everything including vibrate?

 

[alwaysonline#AC]

Pre user switching to Evo3D. Though I'll miss the card system, the touchstone, and the physical keyboard, it is a pretty easy choice for me. Here's why:

1) The Pre was mediocre as far as hardware goes when it came out. Now? An absolute joke. The processor is four times more powerful, and there is roughly four times as much rom. Finally, a smooth, modern experience.

2) Officially speaking, the Pre doesn't go past 1.4.6, which is a legacy OS that is so different from future versions that there is little in the way of backwards compatibility for future apps.

3) As such, the app selection will remain the 6k or so we now have, compared to the 200k on Android. And many developers that do produce WebOS content have either stopped with the 1.4.x updates, or will soon (see: Rovio, CanuckSoft).

4) The things that can be done with an Android device but not a WebOS device are striking. You think Netflix streaming or remote disabling of a lost device is viable on a Pre?

5) The Pre still doesn't have Flash. Or the official APIs needed for something like Shazam.

6) HP closed the feeds for the catalog, beta apps, and web apps. And their own store has a horrid interface, so no falling back on Preware.

If the Pre3 were confirmed for Sprint had a set release date, I could see maybe holding out, as webOS still has loads of potential. But that not being the case, I want to upgrade to the most powerful phone in North America.

 

[TechAd]

LOL...the og EVO was the reason to switch. The web OS was awesome, but needed the power of the evo and the support of android devs.

Will never regret the switch to the og EVO from the palm pre, even though I miss the multi tasking.

Love the EVO 3D!

 

[FunkHouse5]

Hey sjamie. So did you take the EVO 3D/Android plunge?

Well, I am a day 1 Pre Minus loyal as well (Treo 700p just before that). Originally I was all Gung Ho with staying with Palm. Being part of the progression of webOS from the start, and following though its evolution, you know: the webOS 2.0 update; then the 02/09 announcement of now HPalm not supporting the Pre legacy, BUT provide an incentive for legacy owners. Wait...NONE of that's happened. Instead, no HPalm products are coming to Sprint at all, pretty much taking away any consistency there. Funny thing I noticed: once that 02/09 announcement came, the health of my Pre Minus suddenly deteriorated real fast. Coincidence!? Since then, I've affectionately addressed it as my Palm Pre Minus FAIL - just seems to roll off the tongue. Anyway, I digress.

I was honestly waiting to see if Sprint would get the Palm3 and if it would come before the EVO 3D. I was actually ready to try the EVO 4G when it was released, but having waited for so long for something that wasn't going to happen, the EVO 3D was in my sights. I was interested in the fact that at the time I'm ready to upgrade, the EVO 3D was coming up; the 3D, gimmicky to me at this point, wasn't a factor in wanting this phone. For one, I wasn't going to leave Sprint (been with them since 1998), and the more I've read and played with the Android system, now is the time to do the change. Plus, in the 2 years the webOS system has been around, there has been a fractional growth in support and expansion of the system potential, namely in the apps. Android is smart having it open source, and in (I believe) about the same amount of time of existence with webOS, Android is in step with Apple's iOS as far as having a loyal, and expanding following.

Fortunately I was able to take advantage of the First to Buy for the EVO 3D, which I received 06/22. Granted, the EVO 3D is newer in technology to the Pre Minus FAIL, but from the setup, it has been something to get used to with its speed and efficiency. I have the EVO linked to my gmail account, as I did with the Pre Minus FAIL, so no problems with sync (though I still have an issue that there's no 'easy' way to import memos and tasks from webOS).

The first night I had it running on WiFi and it was moving seamlessly through the paces. What I loved with the Android App Store is that you can download them from Google and syncs with your phone. My first day was mainly learning the nuances and customizing. I'll go stock for the first few weeks before I take a shot at rooting (never even did Preware w/the Pre Minus FAIL).

The second day (06/23) I put it through the paces outdoors. I was able to receive some 4G signals, and did notice some faster connection speeds. I must say though the navigation process and how Android works with different programs here totally blew me away. So I was looking for a Sprint corporate store. Did a search on Google maps; found the destination; got directions. After that I clicked on Google Navigation and it seamlessly went into navigation, complete turn by turn with vocals of the street names. What I also found in this was that the map turns in reference to your orientation. I was standing outside and when I moved, the map moved in reference to my line of sight. WOW! The last few months of trying to use Sprint Navigation on the Pre Minus FAIL - type in your destination, doesn't do ANYTHING (one of the reasons why I address it as Pre Minus FAIL)

And just a few hours ago (and I also read briefly of the webOS Homebrewer's Guide to Android), I discovered that if you press and hold the home key, it opens up the recent apps you visited. It's not quite like flipping through the cards, but it does serve as another way of multi tasking.

Hopefully you're in line on 06/24 for the EVO 3D release. Take the jump. As good as webOS has been, it seems to me that it wasn't nurtured to blossom; much how us (former) legacy owners are.

 

[kinster02]

Also, does that putting the phone face down thing actually work? And does it silence everything including vibrate?

Putting the phone face down does two things, if the phone is ringing it mutes it, if your on a call it puts it on speaker phone.

 

[zer0vette#AC]

Ok, I am on the verge of picking up this new EVO 3D but I'm definitely on the fence. I LOVE WebOS but I'm getting tired of the constant lag and MANY glitches. I own a launch day Palm PRE and I'm sure/hoping some of these issues will get worked out with the impeding arrival of the PRE 3 but of course, there's no release date. The Touchpad looks promising especially with the Touch-to-Share integration feature with the PRE 3. The specs of the EVO 3D simply looks amazing. I'm SO torn!

Please provide some "real" reasons to switch or not. Don't just say things like the EVO or PRE rocks!

This is a serious plea for help. Thanks!

Ill just reply to the title of this post.....

I'd switch to a Treo 800 from a Pre if that was my only option. I can't believe people even have Pres still lol. Jump into the android world!

 

[anon(32502)]

I saw the title to this thread and just had to stop in and say LOL! Yeah, definitely. I absolutely loved my Pre, but after one year of mediocre apps and 6 returns due to hardware failures, two cups and a long string looked better.

The transition to Android is not bad, and there will be things you miss from WebOS, but you will not regret the decision to do so. The 3G is a great step up in many areas.

Good luck!

 

[sjamie]

Hey sjamie. So did you take the EVO 3D/Android plunge?

Well, I am a day 1 Pre Minus loyal as well (Treo 700p just before that). Originally I was all Gung Ho with staying with Palm. Being part of the progression of webOS from the start, and following though its evolution, you know: the webOS 2.0 update; then the 02/09 announcement of now HPalm not supporting the Pre legacy, BUT provide an incentive for legacy owners. Wait...NONE of that's happened. Instead, no HPalm products are coming to Sprint at all, pretty much taking away any consistency there. Funny thing I noticed: once that 02/09 announcement came, the health of my Pre Minus suddenly deteriorated real fast. Coincidence!? Since then, I've affectionately addressed it as my Palm Pre Minus FAIL - just seems to roll off the tongue. Anyway, I digress.

I was honestly waiting to see if Sprint would get the Palm3 and if it would come before the EVO 3D. I was actually ready to try the EVO 4G when it was released, but having waited for so long for something that wasn't going to happen, the EVO 3D was in my sights. I was interested in the fact that at the time I'm ready to upgrade, the EVO 3D was coming up; the 3D, gimmicky to me at this point, wasn't a factor in wanting this phone. For one, I wasn't going to leave Sprint (been with them since 1998), and the more I've read and played with the Android system, now is the time to do the change. Plus, in the 2 years the webOS system has been around, there has been a fractional growth in support and expansion of the system potential, namely in the apps. Android is smart having it open source, and in (I believe) about the same amount of time of existence with webOS, Android is in step with Apple's iOS as far as having a loyal, and expanding following.

Fortunately I was able to take advantage of the First to Buy for the EVO 3D, which I received 06/22. Granted, the EVO 3D is newer in technology to the Pre Minus FAIL, but from the setup, it has been something to get used to with its speed and efficiency. I have the EVO linked to my gmail account, as I did with the Pre Minus FAIL, so no problems with sync (though I still have an issue that there's no 'easy' way to import memos and tasks from webOS).

The first night I had it running on WiFi and it was moving seamlessly through the paces. What I loved with the Android App Store is that you can download them from Google and syncs with your phone. My first day was mainly learning the nuances and customizing. I'll go stock for the first few weeks before I take a shot at rooting (never even did Preware w/the Pre Minus FAIL).

The second day (06/23) I put it through the paces outdoors. I was able to receive some 4G signals, and did notice some faster connection speeds. I must say though the navigation process and how Android works with different programs here totally blew me away. So I was looking for a Sprint corporate store. Did a search on Google maps; found the destination; got directions. After that I clicked on Google Navigation and it seamlessly went into navigation, complete turn by turn with vocals of the street names. What I also found in this was that the map turns in reference to your orientation. I was standing outside and when I moved, the map moved in reference to my line of sight. WOW! The last few months of trying to use Sprint Navigation on the Pre Minus FAIL - type in your destination, doesn't do ANYTHING (one of the reasons why I address it as Pre Minus FAIL)

And just a few hours ago (and I also read briefly of the webOS Homebrewer's Guide to Android), I discovered that if you press and hold the home key, it opens up the recent apps you visited. It's not quite like flipping through the cards, but it does serve as another way of multi tasking.

Hopefully you're in line on 06/24 for the EVO 3D release. Take the jump. As good as webOS has been, it seems to me that it wasn't nurtured to blossom; much how us (former) legacy owners are.

Very helpful. Thank you!

 

[sjamie]

well i'm not sure how it would feel on a belt... i keep my front right pocket reserved for my phone and my phone alone. the big size is a plus for a smart phone if you ask me, it's just way easier to use a touch screen when you have more realestate. tho i would never want a screen bigger i think.

sense is just a really well thought out ui, i didn't' fully appreciate it until i had tried android on my wifes LG smart phone. i even switched back to froyo with sense after awhile with cm7, which is basically stock android with some tweaks. i guess i would say it just makes using the phone a better experience... it's hard to pin point why exactly.

My challenge is I keep my wallet in my front left pocket and my car/house keys in my right front pocket. That only leaves my belt for my phone. Growing up in the hood, I've learned never to put my wallet in my back pocket!

Therefore, if I put the phone in a front pocket, where can I put my car/house keys? I don't think putting my keys and my phone in the same pocket would be a smart move even with Gorilla glass.

I know this is an elementary question but I would to find a way to keep the phone in my pocket if it reduces the inevitable buldge I'll have on my hip sporting this mini "netbook" with a belt clip.

 

[antclauson]

DUDE YES IT IS SO WORTH THE SWITCH!!!! I just got mine this morning and coming from the palm pre (which I was off the bandwagon when they said we were getting 2.0 web os then switched on us) it is worth the upgrade plus if you stay with Verizon and want a new phone down the line the new tired data plan is BS especially for us heavy users.

 

[milominderbinde]

Ok, I am on the verge of picking up this new EVO 3D but I'm definitely on the fence. I LOVE WebOS but I'm getting tired of the constant lag and MANY glitches. I own a launch day Palm PRE and I'm sure/hoping some of these issues will get worked out with the impeding arrival of the PRE 3 but of course, there's no release date. The Touchpad looks promising especially with the Touch-to-Share integration feature with the PRE 3. The specs of the EVO 3D simply looks amazing. I'm SO torn!

Please provide some "real" reasons to switch or not. Don't just say things like the EVO or PRE rocks!

This is a serious plea for help. Thanks!

The Palm webOS Homebrewer's Guide to Android can help compare features. The Phone Comparison to compare Pre 3 to EVO 3D specs.

• Multitasking: Long-press Home. For cards try Perfect Task Switcher, Visual Task Switcher, Wave Launcher, or Itching Thumb.

• Applications: There are 200,000 apps for everything. Take a look at that link for some favorites.

• Size: Overall, the EVO 3D is 5.97 in?. The Pre 3 is 6.9 in?. The EVO 3D is smaller in your packet than the Pre 3.

• Display: The Pre 3 matched the EVO 4G display. The EVO 3D is qHD.

• Keyboard: Physical keyboards are designed to make keystrokes. Predictive keyboards like SwiftKey to reduce them.

• microSD: A 32GB card is $70. Want your music, photos, and favorite movies with you? Missing on the Pre 3.

• HDMI: Standard on flagship phones now. Show a presentation, photos, or movie. Missing on the Pre 3.

• DLNA: Output to your PS3, new TV, etc. Also a standard now. Missing on the Pre 3.

• Camera: Pre 3 lacks even basic zoom.

• Dual core: Ice Cream Sandwich is optimized for dual core coming late 2011.

• Synergy: Android was first to sync contacts, calendar, profiles, email, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Twitter in one place. When friends call, their Facebook photo and status pop up along with their name and number.

• Voice Control: Do you want the option for Voice Control or Just Type?

• Folders: PalmOS had folders. webOS stripped them out. Android brought Folders back. With 100+ apps, you will need them.

• Notifications take no room-swipe down from the top. Apps like Executive Assistant let you see and respond to notifications from the lock screen.

• Widgets: A widget is a live app icon on a homescreen. webOS actually does have one widget: the Calendar app icon updates to show the date.

• Live Wallpaper is animated. The Earth rotates, clouds billow, stars move, and fish swim. Practical uses include live GPS and weather maps.

Touch-to-Share is a subset of the features of Near Field Communication. Touch-to-Share transfers a website URL. NFC transfers a URL and adds 50 other key specs.

HP has been very candid about why they are rolling out the Pre 3 and TouchPad now instead of spring, 2010: The Engadget Interview: Jon Rubinstein
"The reality is... we missed a product cycle last year..."

The Pre 3 is supposed to be out within 30 days. You could get the EVO 3D and play with it. In 30 days you will know if you want to keep the EVO 3D or get the Pre 3. Either way you will have had a really fun month.

 

[sjamie]

@milominderbinder - Very, very helpful. Thank you!

All of you have proven the point that moving from the Pre to the E3D is truly a no-brainer.

The only questions I have left in my mind now are:

1. When will the unannounced PRE 3 be released?
2. Will the PRE 3 come to Sprint?
3. Should I wait to compare the PRE 3 to the E3D in person?

Of course, I know that no one can answer those questions yet. If the PRE 3 does not come to Sprint, then I'll probably go with the E3D. Although, there seems to be a lot of buzz about the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Motorola Photon. I have a ton of trepidation towards Samsung based on the support (or lack of) they provided some of there previous phones. (I still have nightmares about my old Samsung Instinct!) HTC seems to be on top of their game. The last Motorola phone I owned was the Nextel i730; therefore, I don't know what to make of the Photon.

I may be moving soon so that will be factored into my decision based on carrier strength at my new location. This summer should prove to be very "interesting" for us all!