[motor]

one and half cents worth...
know little about the evo and still little about my pre but a few thoughs -
1. screen size -
doing web surfing with a ipod touch at night in bed is nice since screen is big enough to read the web pages better then pre. Fgiure going from a 3.5 screen to a 4" screen on, say the Epic would be a nice middle (high) ground

2. keyboard -
since epic will have one hoping that will be good to use though have not done a slider that is slideways in layout

3. size matters -
well maybe...3.5, 3.7, 4, 4.3 when is screen size too big for carrying around. my touch is a nice size but hoping 4" will be 'just right'. a bit uncertain how it will be carrying around the slim brick but might be worth looking into come November if the offer turkey day pricing.

mean time, oddly enough, the size of my pre is great as a phone just not great for web surfing I feel since screen is too small for that purpose...to me at least.

[philbw]

I, like many, am really itching for some new WebOS hardware. But also, like many, I've found that some simple overclocking keeps my long in the tooth Sprint Pre chugging right along. I know a lot of people stay away from overclocking (i know I did for a *long* time) but A: even if you do reduce your devices life a little it'll still be around until the next device shows itself. And B: the UberKernel found in Preware is *rock solid* so things going wrong are very slim. One last thing, people mention overclocking to all sorts of speeds but very few mention the fact that you can *switch on the fly with govnah*. Don't want to run at 800 all day long? Then don't, I never do. Crank it up when you're gaming or using heavy apps. Anyway, if you're thinking of coming back to the Pre do a little overclocking and you'll be happy.

[redninja]

Can't patch/rom/jailbreak to get a physical keyboard. Actually had this discussion at dinner last night with 2 close friends and my family (both friends and my mom use iPhone). Told em straight up, even if it wasn't for ATT, the iPhone or any other phone won't get love from me if it doesn't have a physical keyboard.

With that said, the EVO is a big lose. It has nice hardware specs, but I have yet to find a phone that could actually replace my Pre (for how I use it). Even the wife won't give up the physical keyboard and she definitely not the same type of user as I am.

well I was where your at on the keyboard, I didn't think I could live without one, but I don't miss it at all, and with swype, can type faster that a real keyboard anyway.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

well I was where your at on the keyboard, I didn't think I could live without one, but I don't miss it at all, and with swype, can type faster that a real keyboard anyway.

I still stand by that the only people that can type faster with swype are people that don't currently touch type to begin with. There is no way someone who constantly touch types is going to type faster on a non-physical keyboard in what is a non-traditional manor of typing. Also I don't care how good the software is, auto correct is never going to give the same results as being able to type exactly what you want to type.

Last, but most important of all, you can't touch type on a touchscreen. The majority of my typing on my Pre is done while not looking at the phone. Just like all my typing on a traditional keyboard is done while not looking at the keys.

[snotball007]

I'd vote crazy for the hardware and sane for the software.

The only thing the Pre has over the Evo is the physical keyboard and size...and that's variable between people. I, for one, got my first Palm just for the physical keyboard and doubt I'll ever change (and doubt Palm will get rid of it, same with the ringer switch). I'd like a slightly larger screen, maybe 3.7 or 3.5, same viewable as iPhone but more real estate for the gesture area.

It's amazing how far Android has come since 1.5 and the G1. Just imagine where we'll be at in about 2 years with WebOS and hardware.

[Mikey47]

I still stand by that the only people that can type faster with swype are people that don't currently touch type to begin with.

Sorry, but I don't think you can really touch type on your Pre keyboard. Unless you are a leprechaun and your fingers are really, really small.

Touch typing relies on being able to tell which keys your fingers (or thumbs with the Pre's keyboard) are on, since the only protrusion (that is the only word I can think for it) on the Pre's keyboard is on the "F" key (presumably for the number 5) I seriously do not think it can be done. On a normal computer keyboard you have the protrusions on the "F" and "J" keys to be able to tell that your fingers are on the home row.

I could be wrong, but I would love to see someone touch typing on their Pre with a blindfold on.

But I will say it would be possible on a Pre, but very improbable on a touchscreen.

[OldSkoolVWLover]

Funny thing is, I don't use the little nubs on the home row keys to find the home row. Then again I also am not trained to type in a proper manor, I type how I learned how to type so it is about where the keys are and not really about being on the home row.

Really the ability to touch type is based on knowing where the keys are by muscle memory, being at the home row is part of that but more than that it is about knowing spacing and where keys are in relation to each other. I will agree that if you are on the incorrect key to start, basing your spacing off that will make it impossible to type correctly. My problem with a touchscreen is there is zero frame of reference and no tactile feedback, so the only way to ever know where you are or if you registered a keystroke is to look at the screen.

Lastly I have to say maybe I had more practice than others on the Pre keyboard, coming from the Centro where the keyboard was pretty much exactly the same I have had a lot of practice on typing on the small keyboard using the tips of my thumbs.

[DougB541#CB]

I can sorta touch type on the Pre.

But i don't do it regularly as its not reliable. I also have changed my tone on virtual keyboards. A good VK you can BLAZE on if you trust the software.

[drahgon]

I used to have the instinct and absolutly could not text and drive...not that it is safe..but I was so scared to even try because you have to look at the keyboard since it was software based. With the pre you can definately touch type and text while driving...not that it is safe but I can at least do it while looking at the road so I feel more comfortable. Also a good technique when you type is to roll your thumb left and right to hit adjacent letters without ever lifting your thumb.

[DougB541#CB]

I used to have the instinct and absolutly could not text and drive...not that it is safe..but I was so scared to even try because you have to look at the keyboard since it was software based. With the pre you can definately touch type and text while driving...not that it is safe but I can at least do it while looking at the road so I feel more comfortable. Also a good technique when you type is to roll your thumb left and right to hit adjacent letters without ever lifting your thumb.

haha i like even your hesitance in telling the story of being "better" at texting and driving.

I'll tell you what is even safer, Android with their speech to text button. Add it to the list of things i wished HPalm had with WebOS...or at least hint to.

[redninja]

I still stand by that the only people that can type faster with swype are people that don't currently touch type to begin with. There is no way someone who constantly touch types is going to type faster on a non-physical keyboard in what is a non-traditional manor of typing. Also I don't care how good the software is, auto correct is never going to give the same results as being able to type exactly what you want to type.

Last, but most important of all, you can't touch type on a touchscreen. The majority of my typing on my Pre is done while not looking at the phone. Just like all my typing on a traditional keyboard is done while not looking at the keys.

you are clueless then, as was I, but I can type while not focusing on my onscreen keyboard, yes, you can touch type without a physical keyboard,, even without swype I can type alot faster than on my pre...

[redninja]

haha i like even your hesitance in telling the story of being "better" at texting and driving.

I'll tell you what is even safer, Android with their speech to text button. Add it to the list of things i wished HPalm had with WebOS...or at least hint to.

yeah and with vlingo,i can speech to type quite long stuff, or say "text mike,, blah blah blah, and it will launch text and send it, awesome stuff

[OldSkoolVWLover]

you are clueless then, as was I, but I can type while not focusing on my onscreen keyboard, yes, you can touch type without a physical keyboard,, even without swype I can type alot faster than on my pre...

uhmm I'm clueless? Thanks for the personal attack.

And regardless of what you are doing.... it isn't touch typing, there is NO touch. No physical keys and no tactile response means by definition you cannot be touch typing.

I'm not going to even get into the whole leading off with a personal attack, without looking at the screen it is pretty much impossible to truly type faster without some form of auto correct on a touchscreen. It's not complicated to understand why this is true. Now maybe the Pre keyboard was too small or you weren't comfortable with it PERSONALLY, that does not make me clueless it means for some reason or another you had a personal preference or lack of comfort in using the Pre keyboard (you wouldn't be the first or the only person).

Personal choice and physical capability of a design are two different things. So yeah maybe personally you prefer a touchscreen keyboard. A touchscreen keyboard with no auto correct and never looking at the screen will not get consistent speed and accuracy results over a physical keyboard.

[stung]

i always thought "touch typing" meant typing without looking at the keys.

anyways, continue on, you two. i'm entertained. theoretical arguments ftw

[clintwinstead]

HTC is on a roll right now and VERY profitable. HP can't afford HTC. They're big, but they ain't that big.

[Mikey47]

Actually touch typing is based on muscle memory and not the "physicalness" of a keyboard. Touch typing on a physical keyboard is much, much easier because of the tactile feedback obtained by feeling the keys, but it would not be impossible on a virtual keyboard.

[feardunn]

To each his own but not I, especially with Froyo being released to the Evo sometime this weekend. This is faster than the Pre/Pixi receiving 1.4.5 which they are still waiting for, good job sprint HTC.

http://www.androidcentral.com/froyo-...early-tomorrow

Day 1 Pre user >>> Day 2 Evo user. Updated to Froyo late yesterday. I don't miss anything about the Pre. How's Flash 10.1 working? Still waiting? I got tired of waiting and replacing poorly manufactured handsets. I eagerly await the next iteration of WebOS/phone, but doubt anything substantial will come of it. Don't expect a groundswell of commercial programmers coding for WebOS. HP isn't going to recoup Palm's lost share of the increasingly aggressive Smartphone market. They will likely stick to what they do best and integrate WebOS to tablets and the such. It'll never be what it should have been. The Palm Pre should be called Palm D.I.Y.

[DougB541#CB]

Again, i gave the HTC virtual keyboard a whirl and it really is about trusting the software. Sure you can't touch type, but i doubt many do that on phones anyway but even then you could do the text to speech.

But i think i was easily faster, within 5 minutes, on the Evo's keyboard. Even if i have to go back to fix a word, its s simple tap and select. I used to see people on iphones literally pounding away on their keyboards with no hesitations and i was confused cause every time i tried it i was always missing letters....but again, just let the software figure out what you are typing and a good virtual keyboard does most of the work for you.

[Badcard]

The Pre+ rocks...
I love the slide-out keyboard but I have nothing against the option of having a virtual keyboard too because in some cases it's handy.
Most of the time though, a hardware keyboard feels better to me and it gives you the full "real estate" of the screen... not to mention it allows to have more compact devices.

[smith2sc]

I made the switch to an Evo and I actually like it a lot more than I thought; I really was having webOS withdrawal the first couple weeks but I like having multiple homescreens and whatnot.

I was certain that this phone would be a holdover until new palm hardware comes out b/c webOS cant be beat, but now I'll have to at least see the new hardware and check it out in person before I make a decision with as much as the EVO's grown on me.