Any switchers from Pre to Epic4g see the "new" Pre 2?

[Ficjay]

I will go back when there is a phone that they offer that beats my Epic. I too was concerned that right after I switched Palm would release the "Super Palm" and I would be locked out for a year. In fact, I delayed my switch because of it. Now I'm comfortable with my new device. In fact, I'm very happy with the switch.
I didn't feel like the app store limited me and I still think Web OS is superior. What I was truely wanting was the actual device. Actually, despite the huge number of apps in the Market I had everything I needed from Palm (plus a free way to choose to roam). I rooted my pre just as I rooted my Epic to max out my enjoyment of each device. The Homebrew were everybit as good as the android forum. So the only thing that will keep me from going back is the lack of a decent device. It will need to be the same as my Epic but with a stronger cpu, more memory, faster boot up(way faster) and some of the cool innovations that were rumored to be added in from HP's recent aquisitions. Bring it on Palm! But you can wait until next September at this point;-)

 

[dbpaddler]

For me, while I may like webOS, I prefer having active info on my home screen for viewing at a glance than having to keep apps open and cycle through cards to view that same information. Stacks isn't doing it for me. The lack of removable storage isn't doing it for me. And while I rooted previous android phones, I haven't felt the need to root my Epic. My Pre wasn't really usable unless I homebrewed it. So for those reasons, it'll take more than epic hardware (pun intended) to make it a daily user. A backup phone, maybe, but that's about it. Are they still without document editing and google voice? Those are two other things that are on the deal breaker list. And I'm not interested in a youview workaround.

 

[marsknight]

I actually made the switch today (11/20/10). I've retired my Palm Pre and picked up an Epic 4G. While the extra 10 a month is a bit of a drag, I couldn't wait any longer for the "Super Device" that's been constantly 'just around the corner'. The Epic was released months ago, and I was up for a subsidized upgrade. I'm sure there were bigger fans of the Pre than me, but I was / am probably in the top ten percentile. Even after going through 7 (yes, Seven) devices over the first year of ownership (4 in the first month), I felt it was time to move on. I got tired of waiting, all while my friends on Android enjoyed the benefits of a thriving community.

Looking back on my Pre, I find it a much more user friendly experience. Knowing that Google has recently acquired some of the talent behind the WebOS experience is a bit reassuring about the direction I'm expecting Android to take, but I still can't help but wonder if the grass is about to become a bit more green back on the side of the fence I just left.

I guess time will tell if I made the right decision. The beauty of Sprint is that you aren't stuck with your choices for two years. If Palm makes a strong comeback, I can always jump ship. Either way though, I feel the Epic 4G is a fantastic device, and I hope to keep it in my life for quite a while~

 

[dbpaddler]

another negative in the Palm column. 2.0 breaks the API that allowed the agenda app to be used. So now there's no agenda view in webos. Amazing the little things they can screw up. That's so basic.

 

[montanaxvi]

I had my Pre since launch, just bought an Epic yesterday.

I loved WebOS, and still do love it more than Android, but the small screen, tiny keyboard and hardware issues weren't enough to keep me from wanting a new Pre. I just got sick of waiting, Pre Plus never came to Sprint, now the Pre 2 isn't on Sprint. Add to the fact that the Pre 2 is bascially just like every other high end phone out there internally right now with the same small screen and keyboard and I just didn't want to wait any longer.

If the Pre 2 had something along the lines of a 3.5" or bigger screen I might be interested but not as the current specs are, I'll pass and so far enjoying the Epic.

 

[coolqf]

I love Webos. Their e-mail app is light years ahead of android's. However, I need at least a 4' screen and widgets. If Webos gets those, consider me a convert.

 

[|-KGB-|CaptHowdy]

And while I rooted previous android phones, I haven't felt the need to root my Epic.

i felt the same way. Well i had my epic rooted so i could wifi tether but up until about a week or 2 ago i didnt feel like recovery and roms but my god im glad i did. Yes the epic is beasty BUT after the custom rom with overclock, battery is wayyy better while its wayyy snappier and quick. So its going from good to great.

 

[dualcore1.5ghz]

while webos clearly is better at several things; Android and my epic4g do far more than the pre and pre2 ever will be able to do. glad a made the switch but i miss he usability built into WebOS.

 

[dualcore1.5ghz]

For me, while I may like webOS, I prefer having active info on my home screen for viewing at a glance than having to keep apps open and cycle through cards to view that same information. Stacks isn't doing it for me. The lack of removable storage isn't doing it for me. And while I rooted previous android phones, I haven't felt the need to root my Epic. My Pre wasn't really usable unless I homebrewed it. So for those reasons, it'll take more than epic hardware (pun intended) to make it a daily user. A backup phone, maybe, but that's about it. Are they still without document editing and google voice? Those are two other things that are on the deal breaker list. And I'm not interested in a youview workaround.

voggle for google voice came out almost two weeks ago...

 

[Ficjay]

I was concerned before I got my Epic that the "monstrous" slab would be too bulky to fit in my shirt pocket which is where my phone always resides. The lack of keyboard on Evo and the hope of a super device kept me with my Pre for months beyond when I could have switched. Now I still love Web OS and will go back but only if they come out with cutting edge hardware to match what I loved in the UI. This phone just overpowers what I had and I just can't regret the change. At all!!

 

[BBooDad]

I miss WebOS in so many ways! Starting with a simple WebOS Doctor to restore the phone if I messed it up, and the messaging app, the email app, the calendar app are all light years ahead of Android. At least 4 times in the 21 days I've had the Epic I have accidentally hit some dang thing or another while doing an email and it is.... gone! Try that on a WebOS device - all it does is go back to the cards view.

I do like the medical company apps like Skyscape on Android, and that Epocrates is developing for it more than WebOS. However, that being said, despite the vaunted larger app catalog, the actual medical programs in it are very limited to some pediatric questionnaires (not available on WebOS) and medical calculators (available on WebOS). Of course in the Health section of the Android Market there are a lot of Sex Babes apps that aren't yet in Palm's App Store.

Homebrew and Preware on the Pre are WAY easier than the whole "root" thing. Android requires using backdoors to get into the OS. HP invites WebOS Internals to DevDay!

I do like the camera on the Android, with it's ability to focus, and the cool camera programs (Camera Fun Pro).

After fruitlessly trying to install the USB drivers tonight on my Win7-64 machine so that I could do backup-reinstalls, I am really re-thinking Android and whether I want to stay with it for a year.

 

[bakerja]

The number of available apps alone makes it worth the switch. I think the only folks developing for webos are Palm loyalists. Those really interested in making a living are developing for the masses. It's sad really, webos had such great potential.

I am also looking to purchase a tablet in the next few months and will most likely go with an android product.

 

[bonanzabucks]

Apps make the world of difference. Palm just failed to get attention of some of the big developers. Pre’s poor sales didn’t help much either and certainly didn’t garner any interest. Regardless, I made the switch to the Epic and I’m really loving all the apps available here compared to WebOS.

As for the Pre 2, itself, the internal specs are the same as just about every other high end device that’s out there. I could see the disappointment with the form factor and Palm keeping the same keyboard, though. As for WebOS 2, I’m not sure what else it has that’s so special. What’s so great about “Stacks” and “Just Type”? I want to see other things like visual voicemail, a doc editing program, a virtual keyboard, voice commands, viewing email and landscape, etc. WebOS was an intuitive and great OS, but it really lacked some basic things that every other OS had. I shouldn’t have had to patch the hell out of my device to make it more usable and put in some basic functions. Granted, patching and theming on WebOS was so easy. It’s so much more difficult on Android.

I have more faith in HP than I did in Palm to develop WebOS to its full potential. While I’m happy with Android and my Epic for the moment, I’d still consider switching back to WebOS if they released a killer device.

 

[j_benj#AC]

I switched to the Epic from the Pre about 3 weeks ago and have been very satisfied with it. There are plenty of things I've found with Android that I didn't know I wanted/needed.. lots of nice surprises. I really dig the Epic's hardware, too. Great feel in the hand, super AMOLED is spectacular, keyboard is solid. Oh yeah and Google Navigation is pure joy (LOL@SprintNav).

Funny, though, as of this past weekend I have become the owner a developer Pre2 that I got during my attendance of the webOS developer day in New York. Couple notes on it :

Hardware : The hardware is a bit better overall, the glass screen with the rubberized grip around the edge really helps the design. The slider has a firmness that the Pre- lacked although there is a very tiny tiny tiny bit of what people referred to as "oreo", but you have to actually TRY to make it happen. The keyboard appears to be the same as the Pre Plus, no more orange, and slightly better than the Pre-. No sign of the double-letter typing from the VZW plus, though.

Speed : regardless of what people say, the 1ghz processor in the Pre2 is an improvement over the 1ghz overclocked Pre (not to mention the processor itself is reported to use significantly less power which should result in battery savings). overall the entire experience is noticeably smoother with much less hitching when scrolling. the new app launcher is butter smooth, cards slide cleanly. typically apps launch slightly faster than on my overclocked Pre, and 3D games will minimize/maximize much more smoothly.

Software : webOS2.0 is a nice improvement over 1.4.5. The "stacks" feature is nice (although I'd still like something more for running app management). The new app launcher is very good, a huge improvement over the slow, laggy old one, and you can add/remove/rename pages without having to patch. "Just Type" is what it is.. pretty straightforward.

Adobe Flash : It's there and it works. Don't expect miracles from it as heavy desktop-like sites will not run anywhere near usable speeds. I've been developing Flash apps for many years so over the last few days I've created a couple of test cases and loaded them up on the Pre2. To my pleasant surprise, it was as I expected : if designed with mobile devices in mind, Flash performs well. I haven't experienced any crashes or device slow-downs when running Flash in the browser either.

After playing with Pre2 for a few days I will say that I think it would make a great mid-range smartphone, but as others have said many times here, it can not compete with the flagship devices on the market today. That's not to say it couldn't have a place as a $50 (or less) on-contract device that would completely crush the feature-phone offerings of most carriers.

I don't think all is lost just yet. If HP really does have excellent hardware coming in 2011, and can get a presence on all the carriers, webOS will sell phones. Only time will tell how much of a market-share HP can grab.

 

[Robcy]

I had a Pre from Sept. 09 till Sept. 10. Then got an Epic 4G. I miss my Pre every day. The ease of use, and the beauty of the OS are missed greatly. I changed to the Epic under the assumption that 2.2 was just around the corner, and flash support was high on the priority list. Now my wife has my Pre, and it appears that she will get WebOS 2 with flash support prior to the Epic getting Froyo. Galaxy S hardware with the WebOS would cause me to drop the Epic instantly, and run as fast as I can back to Palm. After a couple of months I have grown to like the Epic. It is a great phone, with incredible hardware. Hopefully Froyo will arrive soon, and that will make the wait for the elusive super Palm tolerable.