Re: Adios WebOS

[Steven Pritchard <steve@silug.org>]

On Sun, Jun 19, 2011 at 12:47:32PM -0500, Robert G. (Doc) Savage wrote:
> I missed yesterday's SILUG because I was beating the bushes for solid,
> reliable planning information about the new HP/Palm Pre3. What I learned
> was mostly from what I *didn't* hear, and it's very discouraging.

You should have come to the meeting...  I've been through this lately.
I could have saved you some time.  :-)

> It appears that WebOS will be going the way of OS/2. Sprint claims HP
> hasn't said they'll sell them the Pre3. You won't find the word "Sprint"
> anywhere on HP's web site. Sprint's sole concern seems to be our
> two-year contracts and their guaranteed income. If your original Pre
> fails, they'll replace it from a dwindling supply of refurbs with very
> poor reliability. Their strategy is to silently wait you out, offer no
> upgrades, sell you a cheap Android when your patience with the Pre is
> exhausted, and eventually have them go extinct. If you have a new
> two-year contract with that Android, Sprint is happy.

I don't know if it is as bad as all that...  The Pre3 hasn't officially
been announced on any carrier, although supposedly all of them will be
GSM/CDMA "world phones".

That said, the persistent rumor is that initially (sometime next month)
the Pre3 will come out on AT&T and Verizon, with Sprint *possibly*
coming later (and sending this email to dan@sprint.com might speed that
up).  The rumor is further that Sprint will get an exclusive on a webOS
slab-style keyboard-less phone "in the fall".

> By the way, since HP's new WebOS-based TouchPad is designed to eat,
> sleep, work, and play with a Pre3, don't waste your money on one. Its
> only external access is WiFi, a Bluetooth keyboard, and "bump"
> connectivity with a Pre3. Like the Pre3, HP's web pages for the TouchPad
> don't mention a single carrier. It's very sad, but the TouchPad is an
> instant orphan.

HP definitely made a mistake not trying to get the Pre3 and the TouchPad
out simultaneously, but it's not like you have to have a Pre3 to use the
TouchPad.  In fact, unlike the iPad, you can use a TouchPad without
having to connect it to a PC running iTunes constantly.  (Of course, you
can say the same thing about the various Android tablets, and supposedly
iOS 5 is supposed to make all that better...)

Still, there is supposed to be an AT&T TouchPad in a month or so,
although I personally don't really see the appeal of a 3G tablet.  In
those rare cases where I want an Internet-connected device and I don't
have wifi, I can tether to my phone.  (And so can you, Doc...  Just go
into Preware and search for "freetether".)

> I'm trying to figure out where to go from here. Android sounds tempting,
> but I'm reading that it's the next Windows for malware. An alarming
> percentage of cheap Android apps contain stuff like key loggers. Want to
> check your bank account's web site with an infected Android phone?

There are some reasonably attractive Android devices on (or coming soon
to) Sprint, so I've been looking...  The simple fact is that after using
webOS for a couple of years, Android feels awkward.  I don't *want* to
switch, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least considering it.
Still, now's the wrong time to jump ship...  You should at least wait
until the TouchPad is out, and the Pre3's release date has been
officially announced.

BTW, I feel your pain...  The headphone jack on Pre #4 was failing, and
it was developing the usual crack from the USB door.  I was going to try
to tough it out until I could get a different device...  Then it decided
to crack from the opposite side, badly.  So the replacement device I got
from Sprint showed up with a less than perfect keyboard and a defective
ringer switch.  I'm probably going to end up having to ask for Pre #6...

Steve
-- 
steve@silug.org           | Southern Illinois Linux Users Group
(618)624-4440             | See web site for meeting details.
Steven Pritchard          | http://www.silug.org/

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