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Palm Pre Launch Set: June 6, $199

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The long-awaited Palm Pre will be available on Jpicture-7une 6 for $199 at Sprint retail stores, Best Buy, Radio Shack, select Wal-Mart stores and on Sprint.com. You have to sign up for a two-year contract that includes a data plan.

I was a long-time Palm user, but switched to an iPhone about two years ago. I still have fond memories of my Palm III, Palm V and various Treos, but the Palm operating system was showing its age. The Pre is the most exciting Palm handheld I’ve ever seeen and a something that I’d love to own.

I’m not about to pick one up though because it’d be cost prohibitive and I don’t really need a third 3G device. Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoy my iPhone 3G and can’t wait to see what Apple has in store next month. I don’t think Apple will be waiting on the sidelines come June 9. I paid several hundred dollars to break free of our Sprint contracts to when the iPhone came out and almost everyone in my extended family has either has an iPhone or another smart device on AT&T’s network.

What are your thoughts on the Palm Pre? Are you going to pick one up?

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. 8 Channel DVRs

    05/19/2009 at 11:42 am

    I currently have a black berry pearl 8100 with T-mobile, due to problems I have been facing (on my 3rd broken 8100) I am considering going with another provider. Sprint was my first provider in 1998 and they did not have at the time the coverage that I required so I went with T-mobile, later found out they were cheap but not reliable. Do you think a switch to sprint and to this phone would be wise?

  2. Sumocat

    05/19/2009 at 11:59 am

    Pretty much as I predicted. Launching before the next iPhone. Mail-in rebate leaves open the door for higher pricing later. The launch through Wal-Mart surprises me a bit. The vagueness of “select” locations makes it tough to estimate if they’ll have any distribution problems, but localized shortages is always a safe bet.

    The press release pushes the social aspects of the Pre hard. That’s a smart tactic. It emphasizes the strength of a multi-tasking communication device. Only passing mention of media and no mention of third-party apps. Also good since they can’t compete with Apple in those areas. I think they’re doing everything right in terms of working around the main competition. I’m quite impressed, but no, they haven’t lured me.

  3. GoodThings2Life

    05/19/2009 at 4:25 pm

    I want to hope that the Pre is at least as good as an iPhone and that it will natively and simply handle Exchange server connections as well as an iPhone or Windows Mobile phone. I want it to beat the iPhone senselessly.

    But I just can’t help but have this feeling of hyper-letdown about it. Maybe it’s because of all the hype about it.

  4. Xavier Lanier

    05/19/2009 at 6:11 pm

    I agree that there’s a risk of hyper-letdown. Nobody’s had a hands-on review of this thing yet unfortunately.
    The hardware definitely looks slick, but the thing that really makes the iPhone exciting is the ecosystem that’s grown up around it.

  5. Sumocat

    05/19/2009 at 8:42 pm

    If you’re hoping the Pre will beat the iPhone senselessly, you’re setting yourself up for the letdown. The Pre has definite advantages over the iPhone, but the weaknesses are there too. Palm, I think, is doing an excellent job of controlling the discussion, keeping the focus on its strengths (which unfortunately includes keeping it out of reviewer hands). That will help them reach the right users and minimize disappointment. But there will still be those who get blindsided by its weak points.

  6. FlyingShawn

    05/19/2009 at 9:53 pm

    I was seriously considering it (pending reviews to see if it’s really as good as we’re hoping), but there are two major problems that are holding me back. First (and primarily), Sprint has announced that they aren’t letting anyone with a non-“Everything” plan have the Pre without changing plans, but I can’t afford anything more expensive than my SERO 1250 plan (~$50). Secondly, at least for now, my understanding is that tethering is disabled on the Pre (which is something I rely on heavily with my Mogul because I’m on the road all the time for work). I guess it’s the Touch Pro 2 for me…

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