June 4th, 2009

Palm reviewers: The Pre has a puncher's chance

Posted by Larry Dignan @ 3:34 am

Categories: General, Mobile, Palm, Wired & Wireless

Tags: Palm Inc., Engadget, Smart Phones, Keyboards, Web Browsers, Cellular Phones, Handhelds, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Hardware

Palm’s Pre isn’t going to topple the iPhone this weekend, but the device has a puncher’s chance to be a threat in the smartphone market, according to a bevy of reviews. Palm’s Pre makes its debut for the masses on Monday.  

Here’s the roundup—of the bunch I’d rate Engadget’s review best—and the notable takes:

• David Pogue at the New York Times
• Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal
• Joshua Topolsky at Engadget
• Eric Zeman at Phonescoop
• Bonnie Cha at CNET
• PC World

And the eye candy:

Palm Pre screenshots (right)

Hardware bottom right

The key takeaways:

Positives:

• The WebOS;
• The Card navigation metaphor;
• The hardware, which Engadget calls stunning;
• A sweet camera interface;
• A strong browser;
• Integration of all your contacts and messages.

On the fence:

The keyboard: Do you need one?

Negatives:

• Only a dozen apps;
• An app store that’s in beta (at best);
• It’s a bit chunky;
• The Pre is only on Sprint;
• There will be limited supplies.