Returning to Pre 2

[imfallen_angel]

Let's see... last year, one of the kids wanted to get a smart phone.

Having been a Palm person for over 12 years, I had eventually gone with a Pre, then a Pre2 as I wanted voice dialing (and nicely surprised at the huge difference in speed). Please note that I went with a Pre not because of my love for Palm products, but simply that it was on promotion and needing a new phone (slipped on ice: RIP old phone) the Pre was the best looking and had more options than anything else that my carrier carried.

So, back to the story: I sat for a few days with the kid , looking at every other phone out there and compared...wanting to be completely fair and objective.

1) display (resolution) ... the Pre2 won
2) memory... price wise, at 16GB, the Pre2 won again
3) camera... fairly equal to many at the time
4) keyboard... Again, after both me and the kid having tried the landscape keyboards of others, preferred the portrait keyboard, so again the Pre2 won
5) esthetic... not even a fair fight, the Pre2 is insanely good looking and fits in pockets that other phones can only dream of.
6) apps... being able to see what the catalog holds.. is more than enough for casual users, I simply didn't think having 10000 version of the same apps being a selling point. Sure, more apps would be great as once in a while I wished I could find some things that aren't available for WebOs.
7) removable battery... no contest, the Pre2 has it
8) simplicity of use... WebOs has no competition
9) accessories... the touchstone is a must, as I hate the whole cables thing.
10) multimedia quality
a) audio...the audio via my bluetooth is as good as can be. The biggest issue is the lack of format supported
b) video... very nice, again, the biggest issue is the lack of format supported
11) web browsing... a bit slow overall, but supports just about every web page I look at. This is the one part that a smaller screen is a bit of a pain
12) tethering.. with the Touchpad, it's flawless.

So how does it hold today?...

About the same.. sure newer phones will be faster to open apps, the cameras have evolved, but I've been impressed enough with the Pre2's to use it as a quick and handy camera, as opposed to serious picture taking, which I'll take my DSLR out anyways.

Today's phones are still stuck (for most) at 8 or 16GB (internal), the screen resolution haven't changed really, so overall, everything as per last year still applies, there is yet to be a phone or OS that has managed to make me think otherwise.

The "real" negative:

- they screwed up the map, but alternatives are available
- signal strength, it's antenna isn't the greatest
- lack of apps and support


The fun part,

I have people that notice it ... they all love the form factor, it's size, it's style and when I offer to show more about it, they get the "where can I get one" look... which is sad that I have to inform them of the situation with HP.


HP really dropped the ball....

[plyboult]

Received it in the mail the other day... I forgot how small & sleek it is (along with how somewhat cramped the keyboard is also heh).

Been running into a problem though, whenever I turn the phone on it gets to the screen where I choose which language to have.. it just freezes every single time. Some help?

[GMMan]

Originally Posted by plyboult

Received it in the mail the other day... I forgot how small & sleek it is (along with how somewhat cramped the keyboard is also heh).

Been running into a problem though, whenever I turn the phone on it gets to the screen where I choose which language to have.. it just freezes every single time. Some help?

Was it literally new in box? If not, you probably want to Doctor it first, to get rid of remnants of the previous user and start fresh. If that fails, you can always bypass activation, use it for a while, then try again later.

[plyboult]

Yes it was new in box... I actually picked it up on Ebay for $60 (or so the Auction claimed). .. phone starts up just fine, then freezes every single time I get to the language selection screen

[oscarnyc]

I recently re-activated my Pre2, my other phone being an Android. And I have to say that webOS is remarkably fresh considering nothing has been done to it in over 1yr. The only major lack I see is no threaded messaging option, no turn by turn, and no Google Now/Siri type of option. Of course the hardware (particularly the screen and camera) is terribly old at this point, and the apps are meagre. I can only dream what it would have been like had it had the attention that Android and iOS have received.
Alas, I am past due for an upgrade (Verizon), and with the holiday season deals upon us I'm ready to pull the trigger on a new phone. Since webOS users are the sharpest out there, what do you guys suggest? A clear screen (for reading), good reception and battery life are most important for me in daily use.

[imfallen_angel]

Originally Posted by plyboult

Yes it was new in box... I actually picked it up on Ebay for $60 (or so the Auction claimed). .. phone starts up just fine, then freezes every single time I get to the language selection screen

I suggest the same as the other person.

Re-doctor it to ensure that you are getting a fresh start.

Also... have you put your SIM card in it? it might be looking to connect.

If not, you can always bypass that "search for network" via using WIFI only.

[webosinjun]

New to WebOS and Pre2 is my first smartphone.
It does everything I need it to and I like the small size. Plan to stick with it for at least a year. Have 2 touchstones at home and one at work now...

ply, did you ever get it working? $60 shipped for new/ never used is almost too good to be true.

[plyboult]

How can I re-doctor it when the damn thing freezes every single time on startup? Lol have not been able to get it to work yet (using an Iphone right now)

Palm Pre 2 16GB Black Verizon Smartphone New 805931073563 | eBay

according to this it is "new"... not a scratch on it. Hope I can figure something out, it's on VZW so no sim. Thanks for the replies

[laingman]

Are you saying that when you try to doctor and it reaches the language part on your pc it freezes? If not just do it.

Edit: Get your doctor version here: WebOS Doctor Versions - WebOS Internals and go for it.

[plyboult]

I am saying it just freezes every time I turn the phone on.

[GMMan]

Well, whatever. Doctor it. Doesn't matter if the phone freezes or not. Hold Vol+ while turning the phone on, fire up webOS Doctor, and follow its instructions.

[laingman]

Originally Posted by plyboult

I am saying it just freezes every time I turn the phone on.

Well there seems to be some confusion here. It seems like you believe that the phone has to be working to doctor it. When in fact everyone is trying to advise you to doctor it to get it working.

If that's the case, then what you need to do is: download the appropriate doctor version to your computer or laptop. Charge the phone first then on your computer run the Doctor program and plug the phone to the computer's usb port when it prompts you to do so.

Hopefully when its done your phone will work properly.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[laingman]

Originally Posted by dignitary

If Verizon ever carries the LG Optimus G (the LTE-carrying brother of the Nexus 4), I'd recommend it. I picked one up on Sprint last week and it's got nearly the pixel density of an iPhone 5, 1280x768 resolution, Quad-core 1.5Ghz CPU, 32GB of storage built in, 2GB RAM, and it blazes past every other phone I've compared it against (which would be about 25+, since I work at an agency where we have tons of devices to test on) while only sipping the battery compared to older devices. LG outdid everyone and themselves with this piece of kit.

Until the HTC DNA is released, it's literally the fastest and best Android device you can buy.

And boot-up speed? 20 seconds. I compared it to my Pre-, Pre 2, and my Motorola Photon 4G the other day, and it was like walking back in time from a 1981 DeLorean to a Tesla. Sure, some things about the DeLorean are awesome even to this day, but if I want modern efficiency and performance along with options to make my ride more comfortable, I know I'm going with the Tesla.

The folks saying that the Pre 2 is even in the same league as today's devices clearly not looking very hard (i.e., for more than 10 seconds) at what's available these days. webOS devices have their proverbial gullwing doors and stainless steel finish everyone loves, but like the DeLorean, it's a collector's piece more than a daily driver.

So who is saying pre series phones with their years old hardware can keep up with the latest releases from other companies. Some off us just like webOS a lot better than all the others.

I prefer my pre2 as a daily driver to any of the latest phones out there. Why? Because for what I need to do it serves me just fine. Of course everytime I want to watch a youtube video I wish I had a bigger screen and some LTE or 4G goodness. Or maps. But I don't do those things often enough to give up my pre2.

Just last nite I helped my friend get the sprint tv on his gs3 since it doesn't come preloaded like the s2. And it was enough to get me annoyed with android. I pulled down the shade thing and had to go way down to the button to push it back up. Its just maddening to me, I can't take it. I had no problem giving it back to him and getting back to what I was doing on my pre2. Feels so good in my hand.



-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[laingman]

And by the way, to carry on with the car analogy, using a gs3 is like driving a 2012 benz and having to double clutch to shift gears. Its what does the things I do the most the best, and that would be the pre2 for me.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[plyboult]

So I never ended up using the pre2 and moved to the iPhone 5... I never actually doctored it despite the advice of you guys (and I wish I had).

With the news of LG buying webos, and needing some cash (selling the 5 is an easy $5-600 via eBay) I was pondering moving forward with a legacy device again.

The pre 3 is pretty cheap on eBay these days but I'm a little concerned if it would have issues if I were to use it on Verizon?

Btw the WebOs nation app on iOS is amazing lol.

[allen832008]

I've used 3 verizon pre 3s with no issues. Just doctor to newest version if brand new. Will not work with original OS version.

[plyboult]

Why 3? Lol... That's what I've been reading. The auction says

Tested with latest firmware updated (V 2.2.4)

So I should be set then ?

[plyboult]

Sorry double post

[kataran]

Pre2 can still run with the big boys

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

[laingman]

Originally Posted by kataran

Pre2 can still run with the big boys

-- Sent from my Palm Pre using Forums

And run circles sometimes