[mahootzki]

This is why i think that Palm is doing a great move for releasing it a day before the iPhone event (being if true) even though i would want it before.

I think that Palm has amazing stuff that they didn't show us yet, and they probably had it ready at least a month or 2 ago. But after they saw Apples announcement of iPhone 3.0, and how they added "their" stuff like Copy/Paste and Push by developers, they decided, let Apple do their stuff and think that they are coming out with great "updates" then when all the Brochures are printed, presentations prepared ect. they will steal all the thunder from them when they show their amazing things the Pre/ webOS can do....
That's why they are so quit about what will be included, what kind of apps will there be at launch ect., they didn't wanna announce great things beginning of May, then a month later see Apple announce some or most of them a month later.

God, I have too much faith in Palm maybe I'm crazy, but think I'm right

[spectator52]

i wouldn't be one bit surprised if we actually see an end of may release. why not pull the rug out from apple completely and make everyone happy with an earlier release?!

[MannyZ28]

Actually, I think you're right on the money. They introduced it early on to get the buzz going, but hopefully kept another ace or two up their sleeve.

I sure am excited about this phone, and if June 7th is true....it's less than a month now!

[dwightshrute]

This is why i think that Palm is doing a great move for releasing it a day before the iPhone event (being if true) even though i would want it before.

I think that Palm has amazing stuff that they didn't show us yet, and they probably had it ready at least a month or 2 ago. But after they saw Apples announcement of iPhone 3.0, and how they added "their" stuff like Copy/Paste and Push by developers, they decided, let Apple do their stuff and think that they are coming out with great "updates" then when all the Brochures are printed, presentations prepared ect. they will steal all the thunder from them when they show their amazing things the Pre/ webOS can do....
That's why they are so quit about what will be included, what kind of apps will there be at launch ect., they didn't wanna announce great things beginning of May, then a month later see Apple announce some or most of them a month later.

God, I have too much faith in Palm maybe I'm crazy, but think I'm right

You can be in my foxhole anyday Mahootzki!! I have the same thoughts so we'll keep the faith together!!

[lastdetailwd]

I hear ya Mahootzki! That's exactally what I'm thinking. Let's hope we are all right!

[mahootzki]

Great, so I'm not the only crazy one out there ;-)
Kidding aside, I can't see another reason. I was in contact with a BIG app developer who is developing for webOS, and was trying to get any info possible, the words he used where "we are in double secret lockdown" so they ARE hiding SOMETHING...

[cyndy]

i'm hoping for a super surprise as well. it's way more fun being optimistic than pessimistic.

[jbg7474]

This is why i think that Palm is doing a great move for releasing it a day before the iPhone event (being if true) even though i would want it before.

I think that Palm has amazing stuff that they didn't show us yet, and they probably had it ready at least a month or 2 ago. But after they saw Apples announcement of iPhone 3.0, and how they added "their" stuff like Copy/Paste and Push by developers, they decided, let Apple do their stuff and think that they are coming out with great "updates" then when all the Brochures are printed, presentations prepared ect. they will steal all the thunder from them when they show their amazing things the Pre/ webOS can do....
That's why they are so quit about what will be included, what kind of apps will there be at launch ect., they didn't wanna announce great things beginning of May, then a month later see Apple announce some or most of them a month later.

God, I have too much faith in Palm maybe I'm crazy, but think I'm right

I have to say this hypothesis actually fits the data pretty well. Many of us here have the sense that Palm and Sprint are holding some kind of information back--I hope there is some good stuff in there in addition to the bad. With Rubinstein at the helm, you know that they have to be aware of what Apple is doing, and worried about being squashed since the Pre is the first serious threat to the Pre.

So if you're Ruby, what do you do? You have to get the word out at CES to keep the stock from falling down to nothing (and you might need the cash anyway). But on the other hand, you know that Apple is just waiting to pounce with all their resources to one-up you. So you hold something back, and work like crazy to keep it a secret up until the very last minute.

[jbg7474]

I'll also add that it's a cardinal rule in the intelligence business that the probability of your secret getting out is directly proportional to the number of people who know it. You want to keep a secret, you tell as few people as possible, even excluding people who are trustworthy but don't have a need to know.

You also threaten people who do need to know with immense penalties should they divulge what they know, and ruthlessly prosecute the smallest offenses to the full extent possible.

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Palm has instituted a full-fledged classification system for information to include compartmentalization.

I have no idea what it is that they have gone to such great (and costly) lengths to protect, but I'm sure it's not nothing.

[Eguy]

and if June 7th is true....it's less than a month now!

Still too far

[Twisted-D]

I heard the secret is that the Pre comes preloaded with nude photos of your favourite celebrity. That's why Angelina Jolie had one.

[lightofhonor]

I heard the secret is that the Pre comes preloaded with nude photos of your favourite celebrity. That's why Angelina Jolie had one.

Now that would be some marketing spin but I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen.

But now that we've established there is something secret, anyone have any guesses (or dreams) of what it is? My vote would go for either high-end gaming capabilities or a microSD card slot (which may be behind the battery that mysteriously never comes off on camera...)

But a on-screen keyboard would be nice too

[hparsons]

Great, so I'm not the only crazy one out there ;-)
Kidding aside, I can't see another reason. I was in contact with a BIG app developer who is developing for webOS, and was trying to get any info possible, the words he used where "we are in double secret lockdown" so they ARE hiding SOMETHING...

"Double secret lockdown"? Holy Faber College Batman, this could be big!

[deCorvett]

IF they are doing this, this is a GREAT movement!

[ttcoupe]

My vote would go for either high-end gaming capabilities or a microSD card slot (which may be behind the battery that mysteriously never comes off on camera...)

But a on-screen keyboard would be nice too

I am pretty sure it is not any of these. If there is a big secret, it should be related to their new server farm. So the question is: what new capabilities could these servers provide? I have some guesses, but they are just that, half-educated guesses.

[ttcoupe]

I think that Palm has amazing stuff that they didn't show us yet, and they probably had it ready at least a month or 2 ago.

That is exactly what preDevCamp people called it: "amazing stuff"

http://www.precentral.net/predevcamp-invades-sprint-hq

[deCorvett]

Hey! What about cloud Storage? It has been commented as a cool feature for the Pre on another post, and it looks logical, as the Pre is a strong cloud based device.

Think about it.Have you seen any capture or video of a file manager or selecting a file on the device?

Just dreaming(?)

[Aero]

I'll also add that it's a cardinal rule in the intelligence business that the probability of your secret getting out is directly proportional to the number of people who know it.

There isn't really evidence that Palm is being more secretive than most other releases. There is in fact every evidence that this is among the least secretive launches. The "secrecy" exists as a mistaken perception based on the device simply not being ready in the normal period after an announcement. So Palms need to announce long before they would have normally, the paucity of details on features due to their not being tested in January, a hoax story (and for anyone who had to participate in a firing for corporate security breach the story was an obvious hoax) on firings -- all fit into a feeling of secrecy when something more elementary is going on.

You have to understand Palm had to announce the Pre earlier than normal for known reason, it was out of money. Both Palm and Sprint remain in seriously weakened market capitalization situations and if you understand their capitalization needs, their interest are clearly in making public the capabilities of the Pre sooner rather than later. All the evidence is the Pre has been the least secret of smartphone launches.

And yes a release the day before iPhone is a profound marketing problem. If intentional, it is the biggest blunder imaginable. Message noise has huge costs. If the Pre were to have the secret capabilities of walking your dog and getting you a date with Venus herself, it would still be a blunder. You don't park your five million dollar yacht next to the 5o million dollar yatch.

The likely reason is the obvious -- they have no choice -- and that date is the soonest it will be tested, ready and in sufficient stock.

Don't take this wrong but this is like the threads on the release dates, you are setting yourself up for unneeded disappointment by expecting big new unleaked feature(s). It isn't necessary. The Pre has sufficient features to make a compelling case against the iphone for a relatively small but sufficent piece of the market (say five to ten million webos units by close of 2010)

Palm is obviously in fact releasing information SOONER than usual becasue it is in a situation where it cannot keep a secret. Just look at the obvious: they would never have leaked the EOS one month before Pre of their needs were the opposite of being secretive. the EOS leak, patently intentional, makes perfect sense if you understand their overriding need -- to very publicly assert viability

BTW misdirection and disinformation are used much more for real secrets than attempting to maintain a closed group in the real world. Ten people can't keep a secret and there is nothing planned about the Pre that hundreds if not thousands would know at this point.

[Aero]

That is exactly what preDevCamp people called it: "amazing stuff"
http://www.precentral.net/predevcamp-invades-sprint-hq

You realize this kind of thing is said at hundreds if not thousands of product development seminars? It is probably said at development seminars for a new version of gandma's walking cane.

[Craig S.]

The likely reason is the obvious -- they have no choice -- and that date is the soonest it will be tested, ready and in sufficient stock.

Exactly.

And they probably knew this, knowing a newer, better iPhone would be released near that time, back in January at CES.