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Palm Pre or HTC Hero?
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If ever anything else comes out it will be way to weird.07-28-2009 08:36 PMLike 0 - I have the Pre, switched to it from the iPhone and absolutely LOVE this phone.
...then I find out about the HTC Hero and I've been reading and watching everything I can about that phone.
Sweet Jesus that phone SWEET!
If that phone really does end up being on Sprint I might be out a bunch more money.07-30-2009 05:13 PMLike 0 - You know, I can never seem to be happy with what I have...I'm sure many of us gadeteers are like that. I tried the Pre, and after three days, I was really over it. Pretty, yes. But the sliding mechanism started getting loose already. BlackBerry is boring and corporate. The iPhone is what everyone else has, and I have that currently, and I have to say I love it. Being a Google fan, though, the Google Sync of contacts is clunky and the calendar sync works, but is really limited and I can't control colors. I own a G1 and was going to re-activate it after discovering DoubleTwist, which makes it easy to manage all my media--but with the MyTouch 3G being released next week, I think I'll go get a black one. And I will DEFINITELY get a Hero if it does indeed come to Sprint in October. Term fees...blah!07-31-2009 04:08 PMLike 0
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- I have the Palm Pre and HTC MyTouch now. It's a toss up. I know..the build quality of the Pre is not as good but man...the MyTouch is SLOW. It suffers badly when I'm listening to music and trying to do a simple thing like emailing. If that's any indication of how the HTC Hero is going to perform, then I'm going to have to say Palm Pre.
BTW - I've read the early reviews on Gizmodo and Boy Genius in regards to the Hero and even though they love it, they also have complaints about the speed.08-10-2009 09:53 AMLike 0 - Yeah the Hero can slow down at times. I think a reboot every few days definitely helps, even when using Task Manager to close applications I don't want running.
The music app also definitely needs some attention ... most of my MP3s are ripped at 192kbp/s CBR, but even when I am not doing anything else with the phone (screen is locked) it often stutters at the start of each song, as if it's pre-caching it or something. Actually, it's often better than this when I _am_ doing something with the phone so I wonder if it's a problem with sleep mode rather than the music player itself.
Dave08-10-2009 07:52 PMLike 0 - I have the Pre, switched to it from the iPhone and absolutely LOVE this phone.
...then I find out about the HTC Hero and I've been reading and watching everything I can about that phone.
Sweet Jesus that phone SWEET!
If that phone really does end up being on Sprint I might be out a bunch more money.08-19-2009 05:13 PMLike 0 - I have the Palm Pre and HTC MyTouch now. It's a toss up. I know..the build quality of the Pre is not as good but man...the MyTouch is SLOW. It suffers badly when I'm listening to music and trying to do a simple thing like emailing. If that's any indication of how the HTC Hero is going to perform, then I'm going to have to say Palm Pre.
BTW - I've read the early reviews on Gizmodo and Boy Genius in regards to the Hero and even though they love it, they also have complaints about the speed.09-14-2009 05:05 PMLike 0 - I think the biggest problem with both Android and WebOS is people's approach or expectations. In nearly every case, thread, or article I've read they get compared to the iPhone. I understand that when it comes to touch screen devices, the iPhone is the market leader and some will argue that they are the bar. I find the iPhone too limiting, though. Here's why:
1. iTunes. To download apps or do most anything with the device, you have to create an iTunes account. To restore, update, sync music, video, pics, info, etc. you have to use iTunes. I don't know about everyone else, but I cannot live with those limitations.
2. No multitasking.
3. Intrusive notifications.
4. Limited to AT&T’s network, unless, of course, you go through the hassle of unlocking it.
5. To use your iPhone on another computer, you have to authorize different computers (limited to 5). Some song info also doesn’t always get authorized.
6. Apple is playing bait and switch. I say this because many of the updates over the years (i.e., cut and paste, video recording, MMS) are features that should have come standard since the first iPhone.
I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. Moreover, my point is that despite being the de facto market leader, there are many limitations to the iPhone, many of which the Palm Pre, for instance, addresses: non intrusive notifications, over the air updates, multitasking, and the ability to drag and drop files, just to name a few. Does it have some design flaws and limitations? Yes. No device is perfect and no device will satisfy everyone, and therein lays the problem. Expectation is the mother of disappointment, so if you go in expecting any device, be it the Palm Pre or HTC Hero, to be the iPhone or kill it, you'll end up very disappointment. You have to look at these devices both independently and in comparison, not only in comparison, which it seems like everyone does. You have to judge them equally on their own merit as well as against the competition, not just against the competition. You have to learn to be satisfied by what the device does and doesn't do, not just what is doesn't do. And frankly, if you want an iPhone get an iPhone. Okay, I got that off my chest. On to the Pre and Hero.
Palm Pre: I think WebOS/Palm Pre is amazing, but I do acknowledge its flaws/limitations. Among many things, Palm needs to enable LED notifications, add a virtual keyboard, and enable video recording. As to the physical device, the build quality is suspect. I haven't had any major issues yet, but I see many potential for failure/damage. Lastly, Palm really dropped the ball on the memory. 7GB with no means of expansion is pure weak sauce.
HTC Hero: I like the HTC Hero for many reasons, above all the Sense UI. It is highly customizable, fluid, and user-friendly. I prefer the design of the CDMA version over the GSM one, but it still underwhelms. I also don't get why they didn't add a flash to the camera, because for a 5MP camera is truly doesn't take good pictures. I am also not sure why HTC or perhaps it's a limitation in the Android OS doesn't allow you to download apps to the memory card, only to the limited (and I do mean limited) system memory.09-25-2009 01:33 PMLike 0 - Well said. Completely true that every device will have its failings and its things it does better than something else.
I too think the iPhone is a great device, but its limitations are too much for me, while my Hero is great for me - I can live with the rubbish camera, the occasional music stutter and its sometimes inconsistent notification flashes as everything else is excellent.
The limitation of not being able to install apps to the SD card is a limitation with Android itself. You can get around this by rooting your phone and installing an Apps2SD app, but it is a hack.
Dave09-25-2009 04:22 PMLike 0 -
- I think the pre's browsers better then the sprint heros but you can do youtube.com like a regular browsers. Still trying to learn the typing but if you just keep typing it seems to spell everything correct09-27-2009 11:19 PMLike 0
- Lot of good stuff here, Chord. I actually just joined the forum for this conversation. I'll be faced with this choice in a few months. I'm up for renewal in March so I have some time to think about it, but I'm getting impatient and trying to use information gathering as a way to pass time. I'll also be adding the BB Tour into my list of possible devices as I'm a current BB user.
Palm Pre: I think WebOS/Palm Pre is amazing, but I do acknowledge its flaws/limitations. Among many things, Palm needs to enable LED notifications, add a virtual keyboard, and enable video recording. As to the physical device, the build quality is suspect. I haven't had any major issues yet, but I see many potential for failure/damage. Lastly, Palm really dropped the ball on the memory. 7GB with no means of expansion is pure weak sauce.
My wife has only had her phone for a couple weeks now, but build quality seems to be fine so far. Battery life, on the other hand....
HTC Hero: I like the HTC Hero for many reasons, above all the Sense UI. It is highly customizable, fluid, and user-friendly. I prefer the design of the CDMA version over the GSM one, but it still underwhelms. I also don't get why they didn't add a flash to the camera, because for a 5MP camera is truly doesn't take good pictures. I am also not sure why HTC or perhaps it's a limitation in the Android OS doesn't allow you to download apps to the memory card, only to the limited (and I do mean limited) system memory.
While it should matter, there's a lot of eye candy that the Pre has that Android doesn't seem to have anything similar. The card interface is very nice and being able to swipe left/right to change apps and up to close one ("throwing" if off the screen) is really quite slick. I used to be one of those "eye candy is just wasted processor cycles" type of people, but the more I see it, the more I disagree with myself.09-28-2009 11:25 AMLike 0 - I'm currently using the Pre, but seriously considering the Hero. My issue with the Pre is its very boring in my opinion.10-14-2009 01:36 PMLike 0
- I so agree with you!! I've had the Pre since July and by August I was looking at new phones again! You can't really customize it, no predictive text, no video - I'm sure all these things WILL happen in future updates and I will keep my Pre safely tucked away for when that happens. But until then my Hero is on order and should be here by the end of the week!!10-14-2009 01:52 PMLike 0
- I so agree with you!! I've had the Pre since July and by August I was looking at new phones again! You can't really customize it, no predictive text, no video - I'm sure all these things WILL happen in future updates and I will keep my Pre safely tucked away for when that happens. But until then my Hero is on order and should be here by the end of the week!!10-14-2009 03:08 PMLike 0
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I personally find it easier to navigate the Pre's OS and much easier to keep track of multitasking. I'm still learning Android and the Hero, but I feel like it takes more hunting through menus to locate places or options where the Pre was either one or two taps, or simply type in what you want from a blank screen. If it's on the phone, the Pre will take you there, or at least help you find it.
The Hero has a lot of cool widgets (though some are buggy); the Pre not so much. The Pre's app catalog is growing, and some of the homebrew stuff is excellent, but Android apps are SO plentiful. No Shazam or Shop Savvy type apps available for the Pre so far. No Pre apps that I know of can read or make use of a bar code. That said, one nice Pre advantage is that I can tether my Pre without rooting; if there's a way to do that on a Hero, I have yet to learn of it. The Pre has an excellent free homebrew app for tracking airline flights (even shows you on a map). I've found a whole bunch of Android apps that can track flights in Norway, but only one that tracks US flights, and it costs $4.
I agree that overall the Hero is the more powerful phone. The Pre's flexibility (or lack thereof) can be remedied in updates that so far come at a rate of once to twice a month. IMO, the main two issues holding the Pre back are the lack of apps overall, and the lack of depth thus far in the SDK. If Palm can address those issues, then I think the Pre can be a much more significant player in the smartphone game (just my .02).10-14-2009 05:40 PMLike 0 - I have them both and I think they are both terrific phones. I agree that the Pre is not very tweak-able out of the box, and some of the features left out of a smartphone made absolutely no sense at all, at least to me. The tweaks available at PreCentral.net have vastly improved things, especially since they broke through the all app memory limitations.
I personally find it easier to navigate the Pre's OS and much easier keep track of multitasking. I'm still learning Android and the Hero, but I feel like it takes more hunting through menus to locate places or options where the Pre was either one or two taps, or simply type in what you want from a blank screen. If it's on the phone, the Pre will take you there, or at least help you find it.
The Hero has a lot of cool widgets (though some are buggy); the Pre not so much. The Pre's app catalog is growing, and some of the homebrew stuff is excellent, but Android apps are SO plentiful. No Shazam or Shop Savvy type apps available for the Pre so far. No Pre apps that I know of can read or make use of a bar code. That said, one nice Pre advantage is that I can tether my Pre without rooting; if there's a way to do that on a Hero, I have yet to learn of it. The Pre has an excellent free homebrew app for tracking airline flights (even shows you on a map). I've found a whole bunch of Android apps that can track flights in Norway, but only one that tracks US flights, and it costs $4.
I agree that overall the Hero is the more powerful phone. The Pre's flexibility (or lack thereof) can be remedied in updates that so far come at a rate of once to twice a month. IMO, the main to issues holding the Pre back is the lack of apps overall, and the lack of depth thus far in the SDK. If Palm can address those issues, then I think the Pre can be a much more significant player in the smartphone game (just my .02).10-14-2009 05:45 PMLike 0 - I have them both and I think they are both terrific phones. I agree that the Pre is not very tweak-able out of the box, and some of the features left out of a smartphone made absolutely no sense at all, at least to me. The tweaks available at PreCentral.net have vastly improved things, especially since they broke through the all app memory limitations.
I personally find it easier to navigate the Pre's OS and much easier keep track of multitasking. I'm still learning Android and the Hero, but I feel like it takes more hunting through menus to locate places or options where the Pre was either one or two taps, or simply type in what you want from a blank screen. If it's on the phone, the Pre will take you there, or at least help you find it.
The Hero has a lot of cool widgets (though some are buggy); the Pre not so much. The Pre's app catalog is growing, and some of the homebrew stuff is excellent, but Android apps are SO plentiful. No Shazam or Shop Savvy type apps available for the Pre so far. No Pre apps that I know of can read or make use of a bar code. That said, one nice Pre advantage is that I can tether my Pre without rooting; if there's a way to do that on a Hero, I have yet to learn of it. The Pre has an excellent free homebrew app for tracking airline flights (even shows you on a map). I've found a whole bunch of Android apps that can track flights in Norway, but only one that tracks US flights, and it costs $4.
I agree that overall the Hero is the more powerful phone. The Pre's flexibility (or lack thereof) can be remedied in updates that so far come at a rate of once to twice a month. IMO, the main to issues holding the Pre back is the lack of apps overall, and the lack of depth thus far in the SDK. If Palm can address those issues, then I think the Pre can be a much more significant player in the smartphone game (just my .02).10-14-2009 06:24 PMLike 0
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