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Simon · Jul 2, 2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot

Users complain about poor Pre hardware | Phones | iPhone Central | Macworld

Doesn't surprise me at all.

I owned and used several Palm Pilots and three different types of Palm Treos. While these devices were very good at some things (especially considering what was available at that time) the hardware became more and more flimsy with time. For me it peaked with my last Treo 680. Although the device wasn't especially light it was way too fragile for a phone or PDA. Cheap plastic. Case cracks, dust creeping in under the display, etc. Yuk.

Now with the iPhone I think we have an excellent benchmark for a sturdy and well built smartphone. It demonstrates nicely that great looking hardware can be very solid too. I can't remember when I last had a phone that held up so well against daily wear and tear. Something like this maybe...

aristotles · Jul 3, 2009, 02:47 AM

The Palm Pre does not have any released official SDK and the upcoming SDK will not be a native SDK. It will use interpreted Javascript which means that you can expect to see no OpenGL games and it is also currently impossible to benchmark the CPU and OpenGL performance of the Pre.

I don't see the Pre as being a threat to the iPhone 3G let alone the 3GS.

ctt1wbw · Jul 3, 2009, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

We need a "I want an iPhone with keyboard" Lounge.

-t

I thought the iPhone had a keyboard? If it didn't, I would not be able to type and text on it.

zerock · Jul 3, 2009, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by ctt1wbw

I thought the iPhone had a keyboard? If it didn't, I would not be able to type and text on it.

maybe they mean. a big ass keyboard like on those macs

turtle777 · Jul 3, 2009, 03:25 PM

Actually, I meant tone of these, and the keys gotta be weighted

-t

moep · Jul 4, 2009, 07:52 PM

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat

Someone needs to make a Palm Pre version of this, really.

turtle777 · Jul 5, 2009, 03:07 PM

LOL

-t

ctt1wbw · Jul 6, 2009, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Actually, I meant tone of these, and the keys gotta be weighted

-t

Would that fit in your pocket?

anthology123 · Jul 6, 2009, 04:38 PM

People seem to forget, but Apple made quite a point when the iPhone 1st Gen made its debut. They pointed out all the reasons why teeny little smartphone keyboards were not the way to go. hardware keyboards on smartphones are "old technology" to Apple. It's moving parts, it limits input to view in one direction only, harder to input in the other direction, if your hardware keyboard is fixed only landscape mode or in portrait mode. The above point is true, too about languages. The iPhone is global, thanks for the ability to change the keyboard layout to anything else in an instant.
Most hardware keyboards for smartphones can't just change its layout on top of it. Hardware keyboards may also make these phones thicker by nature.

Apple knows they are losing money to the companies that make smartphones with hardware keyboards, but the loss is within their expectations of how many iPhones they have sold with a soft keyboard. It's within acceptable losses, otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

glideslope · Jul 7, 2009, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by anthology123

People seem to forget, but Apple made quite a point when the iPhone 1st Gen made its debut. They pointed out all the reasons why teeny little smartphone keyboards were not the way to go. hardware keyboards on smartphones are "old technology" to Apple. It's moving parts, it limits input to view in one direction only, harder to input in the other direction, if your hardware keyboard is fixed only landscape mode or in portrait mode. The above point is true, too about languages. The iPhone is global, thanks for the ability to change the keyboard layout to anything else in an instant.
Most hardware keyboards for smartphones can't just change its layout on top of it. Hardware keyboards may also make these phones thicker by nature.

Apple knows they are losing money to the companies that make smartphones with hardware keyboards, but the loss is within their expectations of how many iPhones they have sold with a soft keyboard. It's within acceptable losses, otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

Excellent point. My youngest child has the new Samsung Alias 2 with the changing key layout. I find it to be very quirky, and quit honestly it frequent;y does not change the key overlay for several seconds depending on flip or text mode. I also find the enamel like appearance of the keys difficult to focus on. Perhaps this is required for the overlay changes?

I have a family of 5. 4 on Verizon because they can't live without the tactile sensation of keys. It's not like they even look at them when typing. Make no mistake we are devoted OSX Evangelists. My teenagers all complain they can't text on an iPhone without looking at the keys, as opposed to the display.

Could be the same for many? No issue for me. I average 20 text per month. Usually consisting of "Relax, I'll be there in a few minutes".

bokehphotographer · Jul 7, 2009, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by glideslope

Excellent point. My youngest child has the new Samsung Alias 2 with the changing key layout. I find it to be very quirky, and quit honestly it frequent;y does not change the key overlay for several seconds depending on flip or text mode. I also find the enamel like appearance of the keys difficult to focus on. Perhaps this is required for the overlay changes?

I have a family of 5. 4 on Verizon because they can't live without the tactile sensation of keys. It's not like they even look at them when typing. Make no mistake we are devoted OSX Evangelists. My teenagers all complain they can't text on an iPhone without looking at the keys, as opposed to the display.

Could be the same for many? No issue for me. I average 20 text per month. Usually consisting of "Relax, I'll be there in a few minutes".

Oddly enough, I don't look at the iPhone keyboard when I text now. It has become second nature, just like when I began typing on a keyboard. At first I looked, after a while got comfortable and stopped looking. As your muscle memory builds for the keystrokes, it becomes much easier. It just takes time, and the auto-correct works really well. Especially now that they changed the "w/" from constantly changing to "a/" - that annoyed the heck out of me! But since the 3.0 update, all is well!

Spheric Harlot · Jul 10, 2009, 06:30 AM

Irony of ironies:

Electronista | Pre owners complain of lack of onscreen keys

::maroma:: · Jul 10, 2009, 12:11 PM

Priceless!

So can it be said that the iPhone is not in trouble because of the Pre? I think its been long enough to make that call. I see no mass defections taking place, nor do I see the press calling the Pre the iPhone killer anymore.

Hooray for on-screen keyboards!