Palm did it: better experience than Apple
scobleizer.com
scobleizer.com
And if webOS is basically web-based, that means that all of Palm's apps will be available on the iPhone, but none of the iPhone's apps will be available on the Palm Pre. Not exactly a winning proposition.
Well done for getting the design close to Apple's standards (though they had to poach a team of Apple people to do that, all the way down to the packaging that looks just like Apple's), but being a second fiddle won't win this war...
This is not to say that it won't be successful. This Pre is clearly a slick piece of kit. But it won't be anywhere as successful as the iPhone, and certainly won't do "better" than the iPhone.
BUT, if they can unify Facebook apps with a mobile device, this could be the start of something really huge. If someone (or someones) manages to unify all of the social networks with a mobile device, this would clearly leapfrog Apple's iPhone. We can access Twitter, Facebook, our blog, and location-aware social networks on the iPhone, but this experience is currently somewhat fragmented, and that aspect definitely sucks. If something enabled by the Palm Pre manages to unify all of the above, then this would be a huge game-changing win.
Being based on HTML and JS does not mean that Pre apps will be served up over HTTP. My bet is they get compiled like any app for iPhone or Android.
Bottom line: the article didn't say the Pre will "dethrone" the iPhone. Palm doesn't need it to; they just have to have a viable business. As of today, they do - I for one wouldn't have said that two days ago.
I take everything that Scoble says with a grain of salt; he is overexcited and hyperbolic about everything. However, I think that he is right that this is device is special; It seems to be the first "iPhone-killer" which has actually surpassed Apple in some areas, rather than being an inferior ripoff like the others.
You are counting on webOS being nothing more than a WebKit browser. I am sure that's not the case.
I am also sure the iPhone is not the primary target the Pre is aimed at. There is a host of Windows Mobile, RIM and Symbian slightlycleverphones (it takes more than a qwerty keyboard to be a smartphone) that are pretty much in Palm's crosshairs.
And, sorry to say, you sound like an Apple fanboy ;-) I know. I sound like one very frequently.
Even if it's not, the fact remains that apps written in HTML+CSS+javascript (what's more, HTML+CSS+JS tweaked to run on WebKit) will be trivial to port to the iPhone -- not just because the iPhone has a fantastic webkit browser, but because the apps themselves will be trivial.
The Pre, at best, will be a phone of widgets (I like your "slightly clever phone" moniker). I've made my share of widgets, and I know they can be both fun and useful. But after three months of game development on the iPhone, I would hang myself if I didn't have Cocoa. The Pre is going to see twenty versions of Lights Out, but you'll never see a Cro Mag or a Crayon Physics.
When people go on about the iPhone being a "computer in your pocket" they're talking about Cocoa its OS X underpinnings. Mojo and WebOS, at best, put safari in your pocket, and the iPhone already does that for cheaper.
Maybe you're right, and the Palm doesn't have the iPhone in its crosshairs. But I'm not sure how that helps them.
AIR has a very limited set of extra javascript commands, but it is enough to give the developer the feeling they are definitely delivering a client-side app.
Functionality like what? Will it let you import physics libraries written in C? Give you access to OpenGL in javascript? What about networking stacks? What if I need OpenSSL? At a certain point you end up reinventing an awful lot of wheels even if the hooks are all there.
From what I've seen:
- Graphics: HTML5 canvas. No word yet on if it's got the 3D support that's been planned for that canvas. But 2D access for graphics is pretty certain.
- Other than that, HTML5 local storage for your app data. They even have javascript access to old palm .pdb files.
- Javascript access to the contacts, calendar, phone, etc. APIs
- The app is stored locally, and can run without network access.
- As for networking/ssl... it's a web app written in HTML/AJAX, think about it :-)
Perhaps they'll provide ways to extend out the javascript APIs (e.g. native code modules) later.
I think if the choice was between a third all-new alien SDK and luring developers in with HTML+JS, Palm made the right choice.
I agree that it's neat--in fact, I expected that in the way of an iPhone SDK long before the native one existed (and given the number of ex-Apple employees on the team maybe that's where the idea came from)--but I wouldn't call it a mini-revolution. It's just an SDK built on an existing open source platform.
by the time Pre comes to the market in a few months, apple will have the iphone 2.0 to announce. i'm just really glad, we are finally seeing some competition in this market space. this will drive the service providers to compete for my data plan purchase.
The inductive charger/stand accessory is really nice, along with the act-like-a-phone and automatic speakerphone functions, this could easily get much love from the business world.
For those who haven't seen it, the video with said functions is: http://www.kyte.tv/ch/147499-fast-company-live/308668-mobile...
Granted, the fact that that iPhone already has an awesome product in the market (version 2.0 at that) puts them light years ahead of the product demo Palm has at the trade show.
But just because something is miles ahead of current competition doesn't mean your safe forever. The iPhone has some serious weaknesses, including but not limited to:
* No background processing for third party apps * No cut/copy/paste * Restrictive application distribution
Okay, true, I could only think of three weaknesses (cause seriously, my iPhone is f'ing sweet), but if Palm could match them on the UI, best them on their weaknesses, and make a strong play for the corporate market, they could be on to something.
At a minimum it would be nice for Apple to sweat a bit so they finally get MOVING on the aforementioned weaknesses.
In the end Palm has completely out-done Apple is one very crucial area: workflow. The iPhone has a great UI, but horrible workflow. Anyone can figure out how to do anything on an iPhone, but it's neither simple nor fast.
Palm is clearly not going after "trend" users, but rather the hardcore productivity types who need to get things done efficiently.
But then again, that makes the phone bulkier. I'm very pleased not having a physical keyboard on my phone at all.
The app store issue is moot. There isn't a killer must have app that would keep people on the Apple platform. Facebook is the killer app for the under 35 crowd and it's integrated into the Palm. The iPhone could take note.
It won't be better? I find the iPhone annoying, large and clunky. I'd buy a Pre today if it was out.
pre 3.96” by 2.34” by 0.67”; 4.76 oz. iPhone 4.3″ by 2.4″by 0.33″; 4.05 oz.
At least one of the articles is incorrect.
And you'd be right, if they do it the way original iPhone apps were done - scaled down websites running in a browser.
But not if what they actually have is a rendering engine as part of the OS and a Javascript API for things like location, sound, data, etc.
Then you have a powerful SDK that everyone and their little brother already pretty much knows how to use.
The App store is integrated into iTunes. When I was building white label digital music download shops, iTunes was constantly the thing that haunted our every move.
The seamless iPod -> iTunes integration is a killer feature. While I think it's not an insurmountable barrier I think it's definitely a factor. They don't just have to beat the iPhone they also need to beat parts of iTunes.
(Disclaimer: Some of my friends from college work at Palm now. If you're reading this this, Matt, good job, I think your product kicked ass.)
But competition is good, tho. I'm in favor of Palm kicking ass and taking names.
Umm, how can a social anything be huge if not many people get it? The Zune wasn't just social, it was The Social -- and no one got it.
It's nice to see someone who hasn't decided, "we can make it kinda appear to be an iPhone" in the way that the G1 disappointed with its lack of multi-touch capabilities.
Hopefully Palm will pull it off!
I don't know how it'll play out, but any average web developer will be able to immediately pump out an app without breaking open a iPhone SDK tome.
I don't know if it's possible to advance against the AppStore line of offense, but it's a seriously smart move.
I think their next coup should be to create an "open framework" so that other phone designers can latch on to whatever OS-specific hooks Palm plans on using.
I feel like this is critical. It can't be a closed framework.
More importantly, in regards to this:
"any average web developer will be able to immediately pump out an app without breaking open a iPhone SDK tome."
Any average web developer can pump out a widget for iPhone, afaik, so I would disagree that this is an advantage that the Palm Pre has.
Maybe we need a new word for HTML/JS/CSS apps that have OS-specific hooks. Widget is a horrible word.
I still want a pre, since its a gorgeous UI.
Never forget Palm owned the PDA market after crushing Apple out of it and created the smartphone market with the first Treos. They did a lot of things wrong, but with adequate funding and adequate brains, they can do a lot.
If executed well, it means an army of developers ready to start coding away and tons of libraries and existing apps ready to be plugged in.
If executed the iPhone way, it means mostly crappy mini websites, masquerading as apps, for a while and then a decent native SDK a year later.
Palm hardware has always been "organization pr0n," which only appeals to a small subset.
The iPhone is seen as cool; it is the most desirable phone. People are bending over backwards to afford one (the most iPhone growth over the past 2 quarters has been in low-middle and low class income groups). Apple paved the way with iPods.
I think Palm will have a very hard time selling the Pre to people outside the geeky / careering groups where orgpr0n still appeals.
Even if the user experience is better, the market hasn't been conditioned fr it.