[Finally Pre]

Were would all our testing feedback go for the app catalog that Palm will make 20% off of?

[orlando_c]

You think Palm's developers would be here on this board pretending to be super users so that they could learn what we all want then take it to work and use the info to make the next updates.

You think they would have a spokesperson that would inter-act with us here asking us questions, and answering ours, showing all of us how much Palm wants to really support this phone. Imangine the feedback both ways!

But instead Palm is quiet,closed, and uninterested in what we really want. I was expecting better from them with the Pre.

I'm still VERY happy with my Pre, just wish Palm cared more about us.

I think in some ways they have listened to our cries. As a matter of fact most of the changes they have added in the leaked 1.2 update all seem to be directly from the mouths of users. (e.g. Blinking center button on notifications, email search, text-field zoom, download directly from browser, true copy and paste). In my opinion, they speak through their code to us. Cheers!

[edlex]

DIRECTV has a system for beta testers called "cutting edge". Anyone can, voluntarily and at their own risk, download beta versions of new software updates to their dvr's. It would probably be a good idea for Palm to do something similar for those who want to try out the newest versions of webos and provide feedback.

[jhoff80]

Yeah, I'm still not sure it was done on purpose. That being said, as I was making the video that I posted, it hit me how really doing that was sort of advertising for Palm. Whatever, the changes are big news for me.

[Trekker]

You think they would have a spokesperson that would inter-act with us here asking us questions, and answering ours, showing all of us how much Palm wants to really support this phone. Imangine the feedback both ways!

No, they would be getting hammered with the same questions and demands repeated 100's of times. They wouldn't last a week here.

[BBossman1]

For anyone that has ever had an HTC device, the ROM updates always manage to "leak" into the wild weeks or months ahead of the official release. The WinMo boards run rampant with "they coulda/shoulda/woulda" while they disect them, hack them and build new ROM's.

There's always speculation as to how and why they are leaked. It's pretty obvious they are looking for feed back "unofficially".

[Finally Pre]

No, they would be getting hammered with the same questions and demands repeated 100's of times. They wouldn't last a week here.

So you are saying we are smarter then them? LOL. but of course. They know WE are. Now I wounder if the hidden members here (palm developers) who are among us (scary thought), are saying "look - it only took them a few days to figure it out".

Dang! they read the above three line too.

Then again....

[Abyssul]

I agree with another post I read here the other day that says folks here read WAY TOO MUCH into things like this.

I wouldn't agree with that. Palm is not a simple, one way track company. They look for ways to become successful and marketing is one of them. They look deeply into how to spread the word and create hype for their product. If "mistakenly" releasing a beta firmware can bring hope into the Pre community and generate namespace on tech websites, then I'm sure they will take the opportunity.

Palm is not Microsoft for god sakes, It has taken Microsoft 2.5 years so far to get windows 7 out and its just an upgraded XP

I'd hate to ruin your rampage, but I believe that Windows 7 is a closer relative to Vista than XP.

Windows 7 will be Vista, but a lot better

Source

[Aridon]

Palm would be much better off if they had a volunteer beta program for testing, aside from any internal beta they are running. They would also do themselves and the community a huge favor by actually opening up communication and discussing what they are working on.

Unfortunately their silence has been deafening.

[Finally Pre]

Palm would be much better off if they had a volunteer beta program for testing, aside from any internal beta they are running. They would also do themselves and the community a huge favor by actually opening up communication and discussing what they are working on.

Unfortunately their silence has been deafening.

I find it hard to believe the marketing department does not interact with the accountants and coders. WebOS is about as open source as it can get. They have even given us the tools to write with. And they need a beta program? They already do. It is right here. Just look deeper.

Palm inc. options;
Work with beta group closely with closed membership. spend big money on ads
or
leak stuff out, make open source, release development tools, create media hype and save some money on ads (or the same and get more bang for the buck)

I think the government is going with option 1.
and I think Palm can't print money.

[gnove]

Dull time? huh Palm just released the Bell version I dont think this is a down time for palm. There are way too many conspiracy theorists on this board. THE PRE HAS ONLY BEEN OUT FOR 3 MOS. Palm is not Microsoft for god sakes, It has taken Microsoft 2.5 years so far to get windows 7 out and its just an upgraded XP, WebOs is a totally new os and some of you just cant stop *****ing about Palm should have done this or that. Maybe you guys who seem to know better than Palm should get together and buy Palm so you can prove to the rest of us how you're Right. 3 MOS give it time!

This is getting exteremly annoying.

HOW INTHE **** IS WINDOWS 7 JUST AN UPGRADED XP?

Leave the past behindalready windows xp wishes it was windows 7.

Stop comparing windows xp to 7 already PEOPLE!!!

Jesus christ most annoying **** in teh world is when people are so stuck in their ways and fail to see teh diffrences between software code from 8 years ago and today.

there's a major diffrence. Being that your comparing xp to windows 7 it must mean you dont know nothing about software so just trust me when i say THERE IS A HUGE DIFFRENCE UNDER THE HOOD.

AND STOP COMPARIONG THE 2 ALREADY!!!

sorry to be off topic guys. Just really annoying that people talk without knowing half of anything.

[Finally Pre]

sorry to be off topic guys. Just really annoying that people talk without knowing half of anything.

Then send a private PM

Back to topic: Is palm smart?

[2sslow]

This is getting exteremly annoying.

HOW INTHE **** IS WINDOWS 7 JUST AN UPGRADED XP?

Leave the past behindalready windows xp wishes it was windows 7.

Stop comparing windows xp to 7 already PEOPLE!!!

Jesus christ most annoying **** in teh world is when people are so stuck in their ways and fail to see teh diffrences between software code from 8 years ago and today.

there's a major diffrence. Being that your comparing xp to windows 7 it must mean you dont know nothing about software so just trust me when i say THERE IS A HUGE DIFFRENCE UNDER THE HOOD.

AND STOP COMPARIONG THE 2 ALREADY!!!

sorry to be off topic guys. Just really annoying that people talk without knowing half of anything.

You are missing the whole point of my post, It was that palm has done amazing things in the short amount of time and limited resources they have. I was using windows 7 as an analogy, And If you knew anything you would know that win 7 is a revamped xp. Definitely not a reworked vista (worst os next to millenium for microsoft). I was simply stating that you guys need to lay of of palm, They are definitely moving in the right direction.

This is the first time Ive compariong The 2 already.

If your going to SCREAM IT PLEASE SPELL CHECK IT K! And THE is THE not TEH!

[bclancy]

You all know how we have been taking about how palm released 1.2 update and then pulled it. Some say it was a mistake and/or others also say it is a beta. We are so blind! ...

I think it might be a stretch to say that Palm engineered this. Yes, its possible, but if it was purposely done, it was done by a guerrilla marketing faction within Palm and was probably not officially sanctioned.

Yes, this sort of marketing is extremely cost effective. I don't think they'd want to "plan" this sort of thing for a holiday weekend.

Good question. Put on your marketing hat. Palm needs the most media attention for the buck. All you have to do is look at what has happened. They get everyone talking more with no announcement.

And they even have us discussing their marketing strategy for them. All while they sit on the beach drinking cocktails. :-)

EDIT: Let me also add that a substantial reason that "people are talking" (in this case) is because the upcoming release appears to have real "substance" in it. That is, they appear to be fixing the infrastructure issues that really matter plus cleaning up as many "annoyances" as possible, while specifically not throwing in potentially destabilizing stuff (like Video and Flash) until the're sure that the base is solid.

[bclancy]

... Not sure who was involved in the testing of the Pre before release (Palm employees only), but they are obviously not power users.

The reality is that with enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow. I wouldn't rank on the testers. Testing is an art in itself. The people on this forum happen to have what it takes to be great testers.

(EDIT: This "what it takes" is interest in "what has value to them". This is why involving customers in defining acceptability of a release works so well.)

[jbg7474]

This is an interesting discussion. I actually think it's pretty reasonable for Palm to have leaked the update on purpose. I'm certain that they have a beta testing group, but those guys have to be under strict NDA for obvious reasons. So you can't get the word out through them--they need to have a culture of secrecy. An announcement would do, but then there would bepressure for an official date and a hard and fast commitment to specific features.

As it stands, the leak is dramatic, so it gets a lot of interest, plus Palm doesn't mess up their beta tester culture of secrecy, while getting fresh feedback from a different set of folks. And, nost importantly, Palm still didn't have to commit to a release date or set of features. It's pretty much the optimal play if they did it on purpose.

And in case it's not released before the 17th, it sets up the shareholder conference with evidence that more goodness is in work.

[Finally Pre]

ooo I like that one. Nice outside the box look.

[Finally Pre]

And they even have us discussing their marketing strategy for them. All while they sit on the beach drinking cocktails. :-)

I LOVE that one. Did they get some of the AIG bailout money too? LMAO