Hero owner's manual, videos, more.

[drizek]

Originally Posted by doublebullout

Yes. The Pre was frustrating me enough to take such a drastic and fiscally irresponsible step. If I keep the Hero, I'll put the Pre on eBay or craigslist. So far, I don't regret it. The Hero and Android make for a better business-oriented phone than the Pre does in its current form. Plus, HTC's improvements to the regular Android interface are great. The "Scenes" feature lets you build multiple "desktops" with exactly the shortcuts, widgets, and folders you need for different purposes. I wish webOS had something similar.

As long as you were being fiscally irresponsible, why didn't you wait for the Sholes on VZW? Or the Moment on Sprint? Return your Hero, pay the $200 ETF on our Pre contract and get one of those other phones at the subsidized price.

The specs on the Hero are just a grade below the Pre/3GS/Sholes/N900 and I don't even consider it to be an option for me.

[bikini]

Originally Posted by drizek

As long as you were being fiscally irresponsible, why didn't you wait for the Sholes on VZW? Or the Moment on Sprint? Return your Hero, pay the $200 ETF on our Pre contract and get one of those other phones at the subsidized price.

The specs on the Hero are just a grade below the Pre/3GS/Sholes/N900 and I don't even consider it to be an option for me.

"The specs on the Hero are just a grade below the Pre/3GS/Sholes/N900 and I don't even consider it to be an option for me", could you tell what specs are you talking about?

[doublebullout]

Because the cost of the phone, even unsubsidized, is minor compared to the cost of the monthly service over the life of the contract. My plan on Sprint with the Hero/Pre is less than $60 after discounts.

[windzilla]

Originally Posted by bikini

"The specs on the Hero are just a grade below the Pre/3GS/Sholes/N900 and I don't even consider it to be an option for me", could you tell what specs are you talking about?

the processor on the hero is exactly the same as magic, and is the same as the G1, all android devices use the same processor.

Core Values: The silicon behind Android

I am pretty sure the pre and the n900 use the same processor, which is faster than the iphone 3g but slower than the iphone 3gs.

pre however does not currently use gpu to offload things like the user interface, which is like driving standard with one hand behind your back in some respects, its harder to accelerate and turn at the same time.

this article has great info on processor technology, I leave you with the pre/iphone 3gs page

http://www.anandtech.com/gadgets/sho...px?i=3595&p=15

[drizek]

The 3gs/pre/n900 all use hte same processor. The one on the Pre is clocked at 500mhx instead of 600mhz, but I have mine running at 600mhz with no problems.

[bikini]

I'm seriously considering switching to Hero from Pre, but after playing with the Hero at the store and reading tons of review/comments, I think Hero may not be a good choice.

1. Hero still uses the same old processor 3 years ago.
2. Hero only has less then 300M ROM and RAM, I think the limitation of ROM may have problems for future updates.
3. Hero can only alow downlaoded apps to store on the internal memory which is <300M, that means there is a hard limit for the numbers of apps you can have on the phone.
4. Hero doesn't allow you to create different folders(or sub folders) for pictures on the phone which means all your pictures will be in the same folder which is very crowded and hard to browse.
5. Hero's camera's quality is bad tho it's a 5M cam, and no flash.
6. Hero is not a true multi-task phone. Apps can be closed by Hero without notice, switching between apps is not as easy as Pre.
7. It's bulky.
8. Ugly looks for the Sprint version(this is just my personal preference), I like the square looking Hero with the chin.

But good things about Hero:

1. Solid quality, material and feeling.
2. More apps.
3. Video recording and zoom cam.
4. Better battery(last longer than Pre, that's what I heard).
5. Expandable storage via microSD card(but 8G Pre is enough for me)
6. Android could have a brighter future than WebOs.

But the bad things of Hero can prevent me from getting it. But I will see how my replacement Pre performs. If it's still very buggy, I may get the Hero eventually.

[jbelew]

Core Values: The silicon behind Android

a good read if you are looking at these.

+Flash 10.1

[lost_cause]

Originally Posted by bikini

I'm considering to switch to Hero from Pre. Pre is a really nice phone with the excellent webos system. But many small bugs, lag, freezing up just ****ed me off.

Before I make the switch, I want to make sure Hero is as good as what I heard:

1. Hero only has <300M ROM and RAM, how does this handle the future O/S updates and mult-running apps? Just like the Pre, once the Hero is rooted, non-issue.

2. Does Hero have an app limit like Iphone or Pre? LIke how many apps you can get at most, or you can get apps up to ***Mb? Rooted, probably non-issue.

3. I heard Hero doesn't allow to store downloaded apps to the microSD card, which leads to another similar quesiton, with the <300M memory, there will be a small room for applications. Once rooted, non-issue.

4. Can you use Hero as a USB drive to drag and drop files(mp3, video, pictures, documents) to Hero from the computer? When you send an email from Hero, can you attach the files that you copied to the Hero even though Hero can't read the file(say some strange format file)? I know Pre can do this. I think that's the only way actually.

5. Can you create as many pictures folders as you want on Hero when you copying pictures from your computer so you can see pictures in different folders on Hero to better browse? I heard you can't create different photo folders on Hero and all photo are stored in one folder which is very crowded and hard to browse. Same question for mp3 / video folders. Don't know.

6. Is it true that you don't know which app is running at background or which app is closed by Hero? Is there a limit on how many apps you can open at the same time? Is it easy to switch between them, (like pre)? Appkiller

7. Can the battery last more than a day with moderate to heavy use? I heard it's way better than Pre battery. With the battery drain fix, yes.

Thank you very much!

I answered all your questions.

[Mr. Polite]

I purchased my Pre a couple of days ago and sold my G1 running a very fast Hero ROM. I went to a Sprint store today to check out the Hero and have instant buyers remorse. While WebOS is slick and a huge step forward for Palm, it's not nearly as versatile or speedy as Android. This is especially the case in a Hero vs Pre head to head.

First of all the Pre is dainty. I feel like dropping this phone on anything but a pillow will make it shatter; hinges make everything feel that way but the Pre is seems more vulnerable than say the G1. The Hero feels solid, and has a very nice "big slab-o-metal and glass" look to it. The screen is huge and ultra responsive compared to the maybe-you-should-try-pressing-again Pre.

The Hero I played with had half a charge and was not plugged in, but was attached to the security cable. The store manager said they've charged it twice since the demo was installed and people play with it all day. I've charged my Pre four times today.

The dev community for the Pre and WebOS is great, but Android has a following that has produced some monstrously speedy and robust ROMS, not to mention the free tools like WiFi Tether and A2SD (Apps install to your SD card).

Ease of root goes to WebOS, but hardware and software capabilities as of right this moment goes to the Hero and Android.

[Menso]

Originally Posted by Mr. Polite

I purchased my Pre a couple of days ago and sold my G1 running a very fast Hero ROM. I went to a Sprint store today to check out the Hero and have instant buyers remorse.

You said you bought it a few days ago, you have 30 days, what are you waiting for? Take it back and get the Hero.

[Mr. Polite]

Originally Posted by Menso

You said you bought it a few days ago, you have 30 days, what are you waiting for? Take it back and get the Hero.

Oh I am. I just need to confirm that the Sprint Hero has been rooted and can run custom ROMS that allow WiFi Tether. Then this Pre goes back to Amazon.

[Deathwish238]

Originally Posted by gage006

Is there Telenav for it? Does it use the compass? Seems like it could make it update a lot faster when you get off track.

Hows the media player? Is there a podcast downloader app?

I'm considering switching but damn I'd miss Telenav, Music Player Remix and DrPodder.

Yes there is Telenav.

There are several media players. The HTC one isn't bad and gets the job done well and looks nice, but TuneWiki and Meridian are also good options.

Multiple podcast apps, including Google Listen.

Originally Posted by Eric1987

What kind of multi task? Thats why I am really debating. I LOVE the Pres multi tasking capabilities.

Android loves multitasking. Hold the home button for a second and you can switch between your apps.

Originally Posted by macjazzy

Which phone would be easier for a smartphone novice to get comfortable with?

The Pre and Hero would both be easy to learn. They're both great phones that are easy to use.

Originally Posted by NxTech3

Battery life is probably the only thing i like more about the Hero. If you dont use it alot you can get almost two days out of it. If you use it alot close to ten hours. Thats mainly attributed to the fact the Pre can really multi task, requiring more battery usage.

I personally don't see a need in more than 1 day of battery. Most smartphones have crappy battery lives if you use them a lot.

How can the Pre multitask anymore than the Hero?

Originally Posted by techsamaritan

2 questions:
1) Does the Hero have full html emails?
2) Will the sports app (i.e. nfl) update when you're on a different page or will you have reload it?

1. Yes
2. There are a lot of different sports apps including ones just for NFL/football.

Originally Posted by doublebullout

Does the Hero's "Search" function search data on the phone? As we all know, the Pre's "universal" search is anything but universal. Is Android search comparable to PalmOS' search? Does it search calendar events, tasks, and memos/documents?

Android 1.6 will give it a universal search function that's quite nice. The Hero should be getting it very soon. I believe the Hero 1.6 release is codenamed Dragon.

Originally Posted by mckay

will it sync with Microsoft Exchange?

Yes.

Originally Posted by maven1975

The Hero lacks the sensor that puts the display to sleep when on calls? That's a big whoops in my eyes. Palm really needs to boost their SDK. The lack of GPU drivers and acess to the GPU is really lame. However, Androids hardware is on par with iPhone 1.0. That's nit really a good thing either. So, if Palm does push WebOS where it needs to be soon, there will be no comparison. The problem I see is that Palm seems more interested in selling devices at the moment. This is obviously slowing down WebOS enhancements.

Palm has already splintered the WebOS platform with Pixi. This is not a good thing in my eyes as far as a developers standpoint.

Yeah I wish the Hero had the proximity sensor. Although the Cliq does so Android does support it.


You say if Palm pushes WebOS soon, there'll be no comparison. But by year's end Android 2.0 will be out on hardware better than the Pre's. What then?

Originally Posted by maven1975

The Android marketplace is loaded with subpar apps as well. However, Android OS offers better access to the hardware. The only problem here is that the hardware is behind the times. This marketplace is also splintered with multiple devices that may, or may not be able to run a desired app. This is where Apple has it right and why developers will stay loyal to their platform.

Yeah there are some pretty crappy apps on the Android market. What would be cool is if an app can't maintain a certain number of stars, it should have to be taken down.

The marketplace will be slightly splintered, but not by much. Most apps will run on most Android phones. The problem will lie in games for phones with low resolutions(like the Tattoo).

Originally Posted by doublebullout

Well, if the Hero's hardware is behind the times then give me more of it, please. The Hero feels far more substantial in the hand. It doesn't creak or flex at all. The materials feel and look first class. Apps launch faster than on the Pre. Swipes between calendar days are nearly instantaneous. The Hero's speaker is higher quality and much louder. There are notification LEDs that light up without having to hack the OS.

The Pre is a beautiful device, no doubt about it. But the Hero's hardware is not in any way inferior. In many respects, it's superior.

I'ld say it's inferior. The Pre cpu is an Cortex A8 which is far superior to the Hero's ARM11.

Originally Posted by Eric1987

What could the Pre have done to it that would leave the Hero in the dust? I dont understand that part. Google is definitely bigger than Palm.

Google is bigger than palm and Android is Open Source. Some of the things we find in updates could have been written by devs and used by Google.

Originally Posted by doublebullout

The Pre is a great phone with unmet potential. The Hero is a great phone that works better for me out of the box, right now. It's a tough situation for Palm to be in. Fair or not, Palm is running out of time.

And you haven't even touched Android's community. Stock ROMs are slow!

Originally Posted by jfd.lew

Buddy of mine works at Sprint said the Sprint "Moment" is coming out soon. Android + physical keyboard.

Nah, the Moment isn't worth getting. The Motorola Droid is much better.

Originally Posted by jabou

which android site is the big one with the biggest boards? it would be interesting to see what people are complaining about with their new hero's

AndroidCommunity
The XDA Developer's forum is good too

[jsbaugh]

To those thinking about switching from the Pre to the Hero I would advise waiting. I dont have a Pre but I own an Iphone 3GS, 3G and now a Hero. Overall the Hero is a very nice phone with some good features but if you enjoy surfing the net on your phone then stay far away from the Hero. Its laggy and browsing is just a pain in the butt. The text is way to small and even adjusting that does not help unless you zoom way in. Its a very frustrating experience especially if you are use to an iphone that renders very fast. Youtube videos are also very choppy and not clear on the Hero.
Other than that the Hero is a nice phone, but a deal breaker with the bad browsing.

[dj ozone]

When is google gonna allow us to edit google docs on our phones.... i dont get it....When the pre was first released I could edit google docs on the device...it was an incredible feature....I could get some real work done anywhere I was at!!

Then google disabled this capability and restricted us to view only...hmmmm...

Well I tried out google docs on the hero and sadly its disabled also...I can understand it not working on the pre but the hero is Android!!...its a google created OS so it seems to me google apps intergration should be seamless!!!...I had always assumed google docs would work on android phones...

I dont see whats so difficult about editing google docs on a smartphone thats basically a computer??....I know its possible because I did it with my Pre for awhile...Is something shady goin on here

[MaxLOL]

[stockh]

Originally Posted by dj ozone

When is google gonna allow us to edit google docs on our phones.... i dont get it....When the pre was first released I could edit google docs on the device...it was an incredible feature....I could get some real work done anywhere I was at!!

Then google disabled this capability and restricted us to view only...hmmmm...

I'm able to edit the spreadsheet on google docs using the pre, what google docs are you referring to.?

[dj ozone]

Your correct about the ability to edit spreadsheets yes that is available in google docs mobile...

Im talking about documents....like writing letters, essays, memos, etc.... like a microsoft word doc as opposed to an excel spreadsheet...

Its cool to write and edit when the inspiration strikes and have page formating options available... and then everything is right there for me when I get to a real computer...saves tons of time and keeps my options flexible...

[ronnienyc]

I find the Hero's browser to be very, very good. The fact that a pinch out resizes the font size is a real eye saver IMO. The Pre and Blackberry browsers make it far more difficult to make type larger when it's needed.
And with the battery life tweak I'm place I am now at nearly 24 hours since last charge and my phone shows 48% power still available. This is amazing battery life for a large screen smart phone.
The one thing which is still taking time though is getting used to this virtual keyboard.

[rcyphermd]

ronnienyc:

what is the battery tweak you are referring to for the hero? thanks!

[ronnienyc]

There's an issue where the built in sms app drains battery (will be fixed soon) so in the mean time the thing to do is use one of the many sms apps available in the app store and avoid the one that came preloaded. That's it.