Palm Pre Launch Guide Leaked [pdf] | Hacker News Reader

Palm Pre Launch Guide Leaked [pdf]

manu-j.com

Comparison charts are usually awful but this one is particularly great: http://files.terriblefish.com/public/palm-pre-comparison-cha...

Here is Palm's chance to name 8 things that differentiate the Pre from its competitors and what tops the list? Physical Keyboard... good start. Layered Contacts... what? Exclusive NASCAR Content... really, that makes a list of 8 features? And then it just devolves into pretending AT&T charges $150 for what Palm's charging $99.

On a somewhat unrelated note, where does one find out real information about the Pre? Does it have a 3.5mm headphone jack? A notification LED? A mute switch? Will syncing with a Mac be supported?

There are so many things I hate about my iPhone but there aren't really any alternatives, as I don't want to carry around a BlackBerry/G1/etc AND an iPod, so I'm ever hopeful of promising new phones.

"We Can't Afford to Sell the Pre to the Wrong Customers." @ page 11

Was this really leaked? If so, it goes to show that they really have a focus on their customers. Otherwise, it might just be part of their marketing strategy.

Can't dismiss that possibility that this is a marketing stunt because the original source precentral has official blessings from sprint.

Thought so too, but the "right buyer" requirement doesn't seem like a publicity stunt. They're trying to avoid early exposure of the device to large corporate buyers that:

1) have security procedures for mobile devices.

2) have specific business apps.

3) demand specific mobile features.

4) centrally allocate and distribute devices to employees.

I think Palm lacks the infrastructure to accommodate large organizations at the moment, and is trying to avoid any negative reviews in the trade "CIO literature" until it has its house in order. For now Palm is happy to sell to the "Maverick" corporate employees who is free to plug any FCC approved device to office computer.

Can't dismiss it, but this line nudges me in one direction:

"The term “Setup” is the preferred customer-facing term for First Use."

Yet the comparison charts mentions "Exclusive NASCAR Content" and "Live TV" in the same breath as "Physical Keyboard", which seems totally tone-death for a business-oriented phone.

My understanding is that it is not supposed to be a business phone. It is supposed to be a middle-of-the-road phone, excellent for both your business life (like a black berry) and personal life (like an iphone). So these being in the same breath makes perfect sense.

hmm.. didn't know that pdf links are automatically submitted to scribd.

Original Source: http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?p=1613037#post16...

My blog post based on the launch guide and other resources: http://www.manu-j.com/blog/palm-pre-guide-service-plans-devi...

A more detailed guide and FAQ by gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/5133554/palm-pre-the-definitive-guide-and...

Is this the main launch guide, or just a special edition targeted at selling to business users? The title is "Launch Guide -- Business/Executive BSP"; not sure what that means.

Palm's design philosophy is becoming very similar to Apple's. Now, they are also using Internet marketing campaign similar to theirs.

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