Pre Thoughts & Questions Before Purchase

**TheRQTekt** · 10/08/2009, 04:00 AM

Hey guys! My first post!

My upgrade date is in January and I'm leaning VERY HEAVILY (more than 80%) on getting the Palm Pre over the Blackberry Tour. I did have a couple of questions about the phone that I need answered though. I've gone searching for a lot of info about the phone to which I've found a bunch of posts about people having certain issues...but none ever say if the issues were resolved so...

Is the battery REALLY as weak as you guys say? (I'm getting a 2800MaH battery anyways)
Is the build quality (the wiggling and wobbling that I've heard so much about) any better on the newer production line of Pre's?
Are the corners really THAT sharp? (Somehow I doubt it)
Am I going to run into any problems with syncing because I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate x64?
Besides battery, build, and possible syncing issues...is there anything else that I need to know as far as pitfalls of the phone?

I am a TOTAL data-centric, information overload person. My first smart phone was the Treo 755p on Sprint. I loved that phone, but it would make me SO ANGRY with the constant resetting issues that it had, and it's lagging navigation. After a while I switched to the Blackberry Curve 8330 on Sprint and fell in love with that phone (My current one) even more.

The Palm Pre, like so many of you, has renewed my interest in Palm and I do really wanna take the dive...but I need to know what to expect, and\or if I have anything to be worried about at all. MOSTLY I WANT TO KNOW FOR SURE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE RESETTING LIKE CRAZY LIKE THE 755P DID.

Hope you guys can help me!

**VeeDubb65** · 10/08/2009, 04:09 AM

Originally Posted by TheRQTekt

Is the battery REALLY as weak as you guys say? (I'm getting a 2800MaH battery anyways)

Of course not. People have complained about the battery life of practically every smart phone ever made. The Pre may be a little worse, but that's to be expected because it is so much more connected than most smart phones. In fact, I'd recommend you wait a week before buying the extended battery. You may find you really don't need it.
Is the build quality (the wiggling and wobbling that I've heard so much about) any better on the newer production line of Pre's?

It's much better, and like battery life, it was never that bad to begin with. There were certainly an unnacceptably large number of Pres with build issues at first, but all this talk about "oreo" is completely blown out of proportion. Almost all sliders have some wiggle. They'd be a nightmare to open and close if they didn't. Plus, you can always inspect your pre before you leave the store.
Are the corners really THAT sharp? (Somehow I doubt it)

Sharp corners? I can only assume that's a joke. Have you seen the Pre? There are no corners.
Am I going to run into any problems with syncing because I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate x64?

Nope. The Pre doesn't sync with your desktop unless you use 3rd party software. Instead the Pre will sync with all of your google contacts, facebook contacts, exchange server and AIM contacts. There is also a project that adds YahooIM and ICQ, and those sync as well.

The same is true of calendars and everything else. If you don't have a google account, it's free, and you can sync virtually anything with google.
Besides battery, build, and possible syncing issues...is there anything else that I need to know as far as pitfalls of the phone?

Yes. It's a 1st gen device. There are lot's of small features that are missing, but the homebrew community has corrected almost all of them. You'll want to get WebOSQuickInstall, and you'll want to install Preware and the Package Manager Service right away so you can have full access to the best the homebrew community has to offer. Beyond that, I don't think there's much to tell.

I am a TOTAL data-centric, information overload person. My first smart phone was the Treo 755p on Sprint. I loved that phone, but it would make me SO ANGRY with the constant resetting issues that it had, and it's lagging navigation. After a while I switched to the Blackberry Curve 8330 on Sprint and fell in love with that phone (My current one) even more.

The Palm Pre, like so many of you, has renewed my interest in Palm and I do really wanna take the dive...but I need to know what to expect, and\or if I have anything to be worried about at all. MOSTLY I WANT TO KNOW FOR SURE THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE RESETTING LIKE CRAZY LIKE THE 755P DID.

Hope you guys can help me!

If you're highly data/web centric, the Pre is probably for you. Just remember that you have 30 days to return it and cancel the contract. Think of it like a free 30 day test drive.

**VeeDubb65** · 10/08/2009, 04:12 AM

I should also point out in advance, the camera is still only. No video.

There are some folks working on a video solution, but it's not there yet.

Of course, why anybody would want to use a cell phone for video is totally beyond me. I've taken a total of 2 vids and about 50 pics with a cell phone in my entire life.

**hocndoc** · 10/08/2009, 04:25 AM

January is waaaay in the future.

My Pre's going back. I just posted long explanation - my Pre Opus - on "General Pre Complaints, but mainly, yes mine resets a couple of times a day, probably due to my using the very slow and clutzy Classic so much during work.

**VeeDubb65** · 10/08/2009, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by hocndoc

January is waaaay in the future.

My Pre's going back. I just posted long explanation - my Pre Opus - on "General Pre Complaints, but mainly, yes mine resets a couple of times a day, probably due to my using the very slow and clutzy Classic so much during work.

His experience is not typical. I've had mine for about 6 weeks, give or take, and other than reboots required by updates or homebrew software installations, I think I've rebooted 5 or 6 times total.

**phlegm** · 10/08/2009, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by hocndoc

January is waaaay in the future.

My Pre's going back. I just posted long explanation - my Pre Opus - on "General Pre Complaints, but mainly, yes mine resets a couple of times a day, probably due to my using the very slow and clutzy Classic so much during work.

Isn't that like returning an i-phone because it won't emulate the Newton interface properly?

I don't think it's fair to evaluate the Pre based on its ability to emulate a non-supported OS. If you are deeply in need of PalmOS support the Pre isn't necessarily for you.

**Mikey47** · 10/08/2009, 08:20 AM

I'll tell you one of the best things I like about the Pre. It is so customizable. As an earlier poster pointed out, it does not have all the functionality that a lot of people think it should and since it is an open platform they are developing tweaks left and right to offset that perceived gap.

You may worry that some of these tweaks are going to break your phone and leave it inoperable. You do not have to worry about that either. I installed a couple of tweaks and through some strange series of events I ended up with no notification sounds for text messages -- no matter what I did. So, instead of having to visit the Sprint store or talk to tech support, I could just reload the entire phone with a tool from Palm called webOS Doctor. Then I reinstalled the homebrew apps and tweaks I wanted and was back up in business within one hour.

That to me is simply amazing -- I don't think you can do that with other smart phones (I certainly could be wrong on that, but I've never heard of it).

The Pre is amazing. I love my homebrewed tweaked phone! My sister also owns a Pre and is afraid to do any of that, but she still loves it!

**ecb1171** · 10/08/2009, 08:31 AM

Originally Posted by hocndoc

January is waaaay in the future.

My Pre's going back. I just posted long explanation - my Pre Opus - on "General Pre Complaints, but mainly, yes mine resets a couple of times a day, probably due to my using the very slow and clutzy Classic so much during work.

Classic is just an app on the Pre and is not indicative of the core webOS functionality. I have had the Pre since launch and have never had to reboot due to the phone freezing. Also, I've never had the Pre reset it's self.

I have my suspicions that the memory management in the Pre is not optimized, so I reboot about once a week in order to avoid slowdown. That being said, rebooting by choice is different than the device reseting it's self !

**hypersnail** · 10/08/2009, 09:04 AM

I just got a Pre, having come from a BlackBerry Curve. Couple things that contribute to the Pre vs. BB conversation:

The Pre battery is a little smaller than I'd like, but with the upgrade you should be fine.

The signal is weaker than my BB was so if you're in areas with weak coverage on any sort of regular basis, that could be an issue.

There's no home or today screen, which may or may be an issue for you.

The Pre is, without a doubt the most fun, versatile device on Sprint at the moment, but it is not the best "phone." If you want a cool toy that happens to be a phone, go with the Pre. If you need a rock solid phone that has data and apps, don't count out the BBs.

**pistos** · 10/08/2009, 09:12 AM

I have had my Pre nearly 3 months now and it has NEVER reset itself because of a system crash. It has been one of the most reliable phones/pdas I have ever had.

I can remember the frustration with a couple of my old Palm pdas that reset themselves constantly. It was like walking on egg shells all the time. Not so with the Pre. Remember, the Pre runs Linux as its core OS, a very stable OS.

**nicksand007** · 10/08/2009, 09:26 AM

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by TheRQTekt

Hey guys! My first post!

My upgrade date is in January and I'm leaning VERY HEAVILY (more than 80%) on getting the Palm Pre over the Blackberry Tour. I did have a couple of questions about the phone that I need answered though. I've gone searching for a lot of info about the phone to which I've found a bunch of posts about people having certain issues...but none ever say if the issues were resolved so...

Hey bro.. Just got my Pre on Saturday. Heres what I think, and keep in mind...I love the phone.

Is the battery REALLY as weak as you guys say? (I'm getting a 2800MaH battery anyways)

**danno1769** · 10/08/2009, 02:42 PM

I have used both, tour is more for business, pre is for fun really. But then again the pre can function well enough as far as calander, contacts, email and all that. At work we have this little friendly war going on here between the tour users and the pre users. Lets just say the Tour users rarely playing with their phones after 2 months of owning it. The pre users like myself are finding new and fun **** to do with our devices daily! Hell When I goto bed I love to just pop open preware, install some themes, patches, apps.. its just way too much fun. The Tour guys think putting a second row of icons on their screen is cool.. hah

Long story short, if you want something you will master and be bored with in 2 months, get the tour. If you want something that will continue to catch your interest, have fun with along with getting work down, snag the pre.

**TheRQTekt** · 10/08/2009, 03:56 PM

Wow guys thanks for your quick reply's. This has definitely been the tilting point I needed to make my decision. In my head I've already bought it. The Blackberry is geared towards business people, but aside from their coveted BIS server connection, I think the Pre is every bit a "Business" phone as well.

Originally Posted by nicksand007

...and I wouldnt recommend a 3rd party battery, since they wont work with the Touchstone.

I'm not too worried about using the Touchstone. I've been using cables all of my life and they've never bothered me. Besides, how many of you are used to talking on your phone WHILE it's being charged? Now in that same fashion...I don't think it'd be too comfortable to do that with the Touchstone lol. Nice device though.

Originally Posted by danno1769

Long story short, if you want something you will master and be bored with in 2 months, get the tour. If you want something that will continue to catch your interest, have fun with along with getting work down, snag the pre.

Very true. I've had the Curve for almost a year and, even with the newer OS's coming out, a Blackberry is a Blackberry by the end of the day. It's a good phone...but lacks a lot of the features which SHINE on the Pre. And, dare I say it, it's EXTREMELY SLOW at times lol.

Well I'm definitely going to be getting the Palm Pre. Now the hardest part is just waiting until January

Side-Bar: Based on USER opinion, what is the best tactical case I can get for the Pre? I am not a clumsy person, but in a year I do tend to drop my phone at least 2-3 times. I need a case that can withstand the impact of a 4ft drop and not bust off or seriously damage my phone

**TheRQTekt** · 10/15/2009, 03:38 PM

Hmm I have an update on my questions...these are more geared towards the 3rd party apps and accessories.

I'm planning on getting an extended battery for the Pre, but I'm hearing a lot about who the 3rd party batteries are turning people's phones off and resetting them...why is this?

What is the difference between WebOS Quick Install & PreWare? Can they both be installed at the same time, or does it have to be one or the other? Which one is better (More full featured)?

**DJeremyC** · 10/15/2009, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by TheRQTekt

Hmm I have an update on my questions...these are more geared towards the 3rd party apps and accessories.

I'm planning on getting an extended battery for the Pre, but I'm hearing a lot about who the 3rd party batteries are turning people's phones off and resetting them...why is this?

What is the difference between WebOS Quick Install & PreWare? Can they both be installed at the same time, or does it have to be one or the other? Which one is better (More full featured)?

Well to be a smart*** first off...i must say you need to dig a bit into the forums a bit more (as all questions/answers are already here on those subjects)...least you have until January to do so.

Serious now. You need both QI and Preware, especially if you want to "Pimp" your Pre. QI is required to install File manager and Preware, and some tweaks. From the newest version QI and Preware do the same thing after you do the previously mentioned. Just Preware can do it OTA where as QI you have to be next to a computer.

good luck on your purchase.

PS: as far as cases, i just got an Invisible Sheild, then I bought a cheap universal body glove case and it works perfectly.

ALSO another side note: every user experience in different - you cant get your answers here...you need to have the phone and judge for yourself...thats why the 30day Sprint policy is nice. I for one have had it since launch day, and I still play with it constantly...most enjoyable phone ever since my Treo 650.

**lordaphelion** · 10/15/2009, 04:39 PM

I've had my Pre for a month now, and I am quite pleased with it. battery life is ok for me...i use the charger at home, and the one in the car

**sbrad425** · 10/15/2009, 06:06 PM

I've had my since day one, I use 3 Exchange Accounts and have more than 5,000 contacts, plus 10 calendars running on it at once. Plus I have the Touchstone at work and I watch it change screens all day long since I have over 300 wallpapers on it, never boring. With 4 kids, they keep me updated all day on texting, does not bother me. I do have to charge it at night since I have the program that turns on Airplane Mode at 10 PM and comes back on at 5AM. I get up an see all my work e-mail first thing in the morning and drive to work. No other phones does these things, my family now has 3 Palm Pres and 2 Blackberries and one old Palm Treo 755p. Everybody wants to upgrade to the Pre. We save so much money now over AT&T iPhone we had before.

**KevMeister** · 10/16/2009, 02:36 AM

Is this deal for real?

https://shop.cellulardeals.com/speci...4ba1fc0aa68445

**VeeDubb65** · 10/16/2009, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by KevMeister

Is this deal for real?

https://shop.cellulardeals.com/speci...4ba1fc0aa68445

I've never dealt with that particular reseller, but there have been a few legitimate $79.99 offers already, so I don't know why it wouldn't be for real.

**TheRQTekt** · 11/20/2009, 08:52 PM

Just got my Palm Pre today. So far I am LOVING it. I'm not concerned with the battery as I have an Amzer 2800mAh (Supposedly better than the Seidio one) on the way.

Everything was a fast and easy to install (Because I followed every direction to the T lol). I'm loving the fast, snappy, snazzy interface and I only expect better things from here on out. Thank you for restoring my faith Palm! I'm back for good...as of now.

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