[cgk]

Looking at the demo videos, once you connect it, it goes automatically into mass storage mode - so syncing music and the like will be easy - WMP for example will just treat it as another drive to sync content to - or you could use any one of many different sync tools.

PIM - over the air

Apps - well those are downloaded from the app store - backing up the data ???? accessible via the mass storage mode?

As I mentioned on another thread, I expect things like splash id etc to go web subscription - local copy of the data on the device, back-up on their servers.

[Trevante]

Yes but not when you're away from home and not near a computer. That's what's great about memory cards and programs that can backup to, and restore from them.

Depending on how Palm does the storage, it may be possible to cover part of the disadvantages posed by non-removable storage.

For example, if you can hard reset without clearing the storage area (which I believe they should do, it only makes sense), then you can still keep your backups and whatnot on the storage card and restore from it after hard reseting.

The main problem comes if you want to swap devices or copy data between devices, as all your files will be stuck on the phone. Imagine if you have some important documents on your phone and it breaks - your data is pretty much gone. I really wish they woulda gone with a MicroSD on it. It's only a matter of time before 16GB cards are dirt cheap anyways.

[ivhs72]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/08/p...ds-on-gallery/

Yep your right, I even played it like 5 times before I posted this because I couldn't tell but she DRAGS out the U---- in USB and I thought she said Micro SD. Then she points it back out a few seconds later when again made me believe she referenced Micro SD the first time. Thanks for clarification... that'll be a disappointment with no Micro SD slot, (yes I get that there is 8GB onboard, I like to keep backup stuff on my SD card tho...)

I'm concerned about the lack of any expansion card functionality. I had an 8gb iPhone, and it was okay but it still filled up rather quickly. Once you start putting GPS data, maps, documents, apps, it just doesn't seem like enough. Also the ability to back up to an extrernal card is an essential feature.

I'm going out on a limb here (shades of the emporer's new clothes) , but the Pre just doesn't show me enough to warrant changing phones right now. Sure, it is a nice, high tech, state of the art device. But I'm turned off by slider type phones (my kids love them, and heaven know how many times they've had to replace them). I see the Pre as Palm's respoding to the market trend set by Apple, not blazing a trail like they did with the original Palm Pilots. Only time will tell how much of an impact this will have on the market that already flooded with these types of devices.

[meyerweb]

It would have been in the specifications if they were a micro sd slot.
What a "Blunder" Palm can never do anything right the 1st time while it may be deal breaker Palm has stuck it to us again. There was no way I did not think it would have support for a micro sd. And why not give us the 16 g out of the box? I guess two things Palm left out that they will fix in a year and it to give the micro sd support and a dual band phone CDMA and GSM in the same unit!

Apple has sold what, 11 million iPhones w/o an SD slot. Doesn't seem most people agree with you. And the reason there's no GMS support is easy: Sprint undoubtedly demaned a US exclusive for some period of time. Personally, I couldn't care less about the backwards GSM technology.

[davidg4781]

What exactly are you going to have to back up?

Remember, all your calendar, contacts, and email are going to be in the clouds. You won't load that information on there, or sync it to your computer. You'll just put in your Gmail username and password, wait a few minutes, and all your data will be on your new Pre.

I kind of like this. I'm a bit tired of having to find the cable, plug in my BB Curve, and sync it to my MacBook. I do hope that this will be able to either sync with MobileMe or that MarkSpace will come up with an app that will sync my Mac data to Gmail's. I think there's something out there right now, but it's expensive.

[bdhu2001]

Originally posted by davidg4781:

What exactly are you going to have to back up?. . .

Your applications, with their various passwords and all of your phone settings that you've made to personalize the phone for how you do business. I'm sure many of the applications are going to have the regular try, before you buy ability. Thus you'll have to enter a code after you've made your purchase. In addition, many on-line stores require that you pay insurance if you want to be able to always re-download and install your applications. I have mine on an external drive so that I"m not paying an extra 4-5 bucks for every piece of software I buy.

[letsgoflyers81]

Originally posted by davidg4781:


Your applications, with their various passwords and all of your phone settings that you've made to personalize the phone for how you do business. I'm sure many of the applications are going to have the regular try, before you buy ability. Thus you'll have to enter a code after you've made your purchase. In addition, many on-line stores require that you pay insurance if you want to be able to always re-download and install your applications. I have mine on an external drive so that I"m not paying an extra 4-5 bucks for every piece of software I buy.

Exactly. Even removing PIM and e-mail data from the equation, it has taken me hours upon hours to get my smart phones working how I want when I've had to hard reset and didn't have a backup. Between reinstalling applications and reconfiguring them and the device OS for how I like it, it can take a long time. This includes POS and WM for me. Granted if you don't personalize the device much and don't install many third party apps it won't be much of a pain but I've always installed many applications and personalized the hell out of my devices.

[ALooneyGuy]

It would have been in the specifications if they were a micro sd slot.
What a "Blunder" Palm can never do anything right the 1st time while it may be deal breaker Palm has stuck it to us again. There was no way I did not think it would have support for a micro sd. And why not give us the 16 g out of the box? I guess two things Palm left out that they will fix in a year and it to give the micro sd support and a dual band phone CDMA and GSM in the same unit!

I'm right there with ya on this. The lack of a 16GB version or at least memory expansion and what I fear will be a pre-recession high price will likely force me to wait for the Pre2.

[gottria]

If you watched the video from Deiter on the "Hands-On Video of the Palm Pre - with Bonus Q&A with Palm!" towards the end when Deiter asked about a card slot the reps from palm said we have no comment if their will be on or not.

[Dsol]

Apple has sold what, 11 million iPhones w/o an SD slot. Doesn't seem most people agree with you. And the reason there's no GMS support is easy: Sprint undoubtedly demaned a US exclusive for some period of time. Personally, I couldn't care less about the backwards GSM technology.

For starters, Apple sold every single one of those units in the U.S. (and I believe the ROW but not sure) to GSM users.

Secondly, IMO the lack of a Micro SD card is inexcusable. As countless others have noted it is the inability to make system back-up copies using programs like Sprite so you can restore when something goes wrong WITHOUT connecting to a pc.

With an open OS you are going to have teenagers writing programs and no doubt some of those will either intentionally or unintentionally interfere with or even crash your system. It will be a major pain if you can't properly restore everything until you are able to make a connection with your PC.

Clearly Palm has recognized the importance of back-ups in the past as recently as the Pro as they included free back up software on their devices. Why they chose not to give you that option this time by including an SD card slot had to have been cost saving move.

Hopefully, somebody like Sprite will make an OTA back-up solution but that could require an 8 gig download to restore if someone had already filled their device.

IMO, their target market is the iPhone user, or more specifically those desiring an IPhone but don't yet have one and not their own Treo Pro user hence the reason it is not yet available as a GSM model (iPhone is) and available in US on Sprint (whose network is incompatible with the iPhone).

[davidg4781]

For starters, Apple sold every single one of those units in the U.S. (and I believe the ROW but not sure) to GSM users.

Secondly, IMO the lack of a Micro SD card is inexcusable. As countless others have noted it is the inability to make system back-up copies using programs like Sprite so you can restore when something goes wrong WITHOUT connecting to a pc.

With an open OS you are going to have teenagers writing programs and no doubt some of those will either intentionally or unintentionally interfere with or even crash your system. It will be a major pain if you can't properly restore everything until you are able to make a connection with your PC.

Clearly Palm has recognized the importance of back-ups in the past as recently as the Pro as they included free back up software on their devices. Why they chose not to give you that option this time by including an SD card slot had to have been cost saving move.

Hopefully, somebody like Sprite will make an OTA back-up solution but that could require an 8 gig download to restore if someone had already filled their device.

IMO, their target market is the iPhone user, or more specifically those desiring an IPhone but don't yet have one and not their own Treo Pro user hence the reason it is not yet available as a GSM model (iPhone is) and available in US on Sprint (whose network is incompatible with the iPhone).

Where in anything that you have read or seen about this device has it said that you sync with your computer? All the data you're syncing with is in Gmail, Outlook, Facebook, or Exchange. If the device crashes, if you LOSE the device, you just have to buy another one, enter in your account information, and everything will be back where it is.

The only thing you MAY be missing is photos that have been taken with the device or anything downloaded. Maybe there's a solution to that. As far as music and what not, most people keep them on their computers and transfer them to their devices.

Who knows, you may see Palm's OTA backup come back for this. I think I remember another company with a similar solution a few years back before I temporarily left Palm.

[cgk]

The only thing you MAY be missing is photos that have been taken with the device or anything downloaded. Maybe there's a solution to that. As far as music and what not, most people keep them on their computers and transfer them to their devices.

You'd just sync the device while it's in mass storage model - any number of bog-standard desktop sync apps will take care of it for you.

[derrickmd18]

well my thing is this. I know that gmail has online storage for free so why can't people just store tehere important apps and files on there and if it does crash or is stolen or what ever like the treo 800w u can call and lock the phone and get a new one and just log on to gmail and download your files back into the phone or just sync it with the pc at night. I have a 2gb card in my phone and I still have yet to fill it so the pre is fine for me.

[SedahDrol]

About the "USB Mass Storage Supported" meaning. Since it's under the Memory spec they are implying that the Pre indeed can use usb mass storage class devices. We can conclude this because we know WebOS sits on top of a linux kernel and linux has supported usb mass storage class devices for ages now (2001). Typically one says a device supports usb mass storage when it can read it. We typically say a device is a usb mass storage device when it can be used as one. Also when writing a product spec, one does not put a feature under memory that doesn't act as memory for the device.

Can the pre also be seen as a USB mass storage device by your computer, my guess is yes. Though I can't support it with any evidence. It would just make sense. Of course so would simply having a freaking card slot in the first place.


Of course we won't know for sure until Palm clarifies it. If it turns out that the Pre can only be seen as a usb mass storage device then they really need to move that "feature" out of the Memory section in specs or reworded to imply that the 8GB of ram can be accessed by your computer via USB.

[MisterB#WN]

well my thing is this. I know that gmail has online storage for free so why can't people just store tehere important apps and files on there and if it does crash or is stolen or what ever like the treo 800w u can call and lock the phone and get a new one and just log on to gmail and download your files back into the phone or just sync it with the pc at night. I have a 2gb card in my phone and I still have yet to fill it so the pre is fine for me.

Where do you go on Google to find this mass storage feature that you reference? Obviously they have lots of email storage for attachments, but where do you go to save files?

[ZenithNadir]

Where do you go on Google to find this mass storage feature that you reference? Obviously they have lots of email storage for attachments, but where do you go to save files?

Google docs. http://docs.google.com

[MisterB#WN]

Google docs. http://docs.google.com

Yeah, I've actually used that before, but it isn't as good as you probably are thinking. You can't just upload random files from your computer or PDA. They have to be Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF documents. They also have file size limits on each individual file. So, you can't just do a backup of your Pre to Google docs. You can't do exe files, os files, or anything other than the office type documents that I listed above.

[MisterB#WN]

WIRELESS CHARGING is optional but HELL YES!

In the Engadget Video she points out the MICRO SD and USB slot/port.

PRE mess all in my PANTS!

When you say wireless charging, are you referring to that magnetic charging base?

I heard there are researchers that are trying to figure out how to essentially charge cell phones and PDA's through wifi type signals. How cool would that be? As long as your phone is near a wifi hotspot, it is receiving a radio signal that is converted to energy that charges the battery. It was something along those lines. I'm assuming this is NOT what the Pre has, and instead has the magnetic base for charging?

[ZenithNadir]

Yeah, I've actually used that before, but it isn't as good as you probably are thinking.

I wasn't endorsing the service; I was answering the question.

[cgk]

If you want to mass-storage documents and have then available for anywhere - then live mesh would be a better option... except it only runs on WM devices...

Skydrive via the web browser on the device?