Engadget reviews the Pre

Quincy Pince-Nez
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June 03, 2009
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Engadget does a great review of the Pre and didn't seem to have the same keyboard gripes as BGR. In fact, they thought it was pretty revolutionary.

There's no question that Palm has built this phone on the foundations laid by numerous devices before it -- most obviously the iPhone -- but the Pre clearly carves out its own path as well. Some of the ideas and concepts at play in webOS are truly revolutionary for the mobile space, breaking down lots of the walls that separate the experience of using a dedicated PC versus using a handheld device. One feeling that we were constantly stuck by while testing the phone was a kind of revelatory, 'Hey, this actually feels how a computer feels.' It was an experience not completely unlike our first encounter with the iPhone -- that little light that goes on that tells you that things can really be different than how they've been before. We also felt that same thing the first time we picked up a Treo, so it's fitting that the Pre should inspire a similar response.

Where the Pre really shined was processor intensive tasks like video, browser rendering and doing background apps. The Pre has a significantly faster ARM Cortex Processor than the current iPhone's ARM 11 based system.

It looks like this might just be the best phone on the market...at least for 2 days.

Comments (19)

Str1f3 (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 7:12pm

Palm is really trying to stick it to Apple. I hope they use it in a bigger lawsuit with multitouch and all the Apple employees over there. I hope their fate is the same as Psystar.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 10:50pm

Do you really feel this way? If nothing else this is the best thing to happen to Apple. Right now RIM isn't challenging Apple with the Storm, and Android isn't a major threat yet (It could start to be with the Ion).

It'll challenge Apple to lower the prices of the iPhone, and put more into the software. In the end it'll be us that wins by having phones with great hardware and software made by either company.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 05, 2009 - 8:19am

If you had invented something and a few years later someone copied and modified your invention and market it the same way you did. Customers then told you that this is the best thing happen to you. Do you really feel happy about that? It is easy to think that Apple is so mean in this case (if they ever sue Palm) unless you are an inventor and had your invention stole before. Otherwise, you won't feel the pain. Apple has that bad experience before from Apple II, Mac OS, iPod (Apple are lucky to protect its click-wheel design) and now iPhone (not so lucky for all the multi-touch design. eg. the elastic rubber band feeling when your page/screen is in the first/last area).

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 7:16pm

What version of iTunes are they using?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 7:35pm

Why did they test the browser over the cell network.
if they wanted to test the browser then they need to have the same connection.
So here using WiFi would be better.
Or they need to have both phones on the same cell network

dhopkins1961 | June 04, 2009 - 7:55am

His test was an overall test of the Pre vs iPhone browers in a real world scenario accessing the web over the phone carriers network.  CPU benchmark tests already show that the Pre's CPU is faster than the current iPhone CPU (dugh), but what really matters is the end users perception of the overall performance in everyday tasks.  In my opinion it was a good test of the overall user expereince (which is what really matters).

 

Semper Fidelis; Proud Father (and son) of a U.S. Marine

 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 05, 2009 - 8:28am

If I am not mistaken, he was using a jailbroken iPhone. This might affect the ram reserved for the browser or even affect the CPU. If he really wants to have a real-world test, he should not use his iPhone. I bet the Wifi test is even closer for both devices and that's why he didn't show that. Otherwise, I am 100% sure he will show that because it makes a bigger headline for how slow iPhone is.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 05, 2009 - 8:29am

If I am not mistaken, he was using a jailbroken iPhone. This might affect the ram reserved for the browser or even affect the CPU. If he really wants to have a real-world test, he should not use his iPhone. I bet the Wifi test is even closer for both devices and that's why he didn't show that. Otherwise, I am 100% sure he will show that because it makes a bigger headline for how slow iPhone is.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 10:00am

My thoughts exactly, Sprint has a faster network than ATT if the commercials are true (lol) so this doesn't really make for a good comparison. Yes the Pre obviously has a faster processor but they should have both been over WiFi so we could see the "Real World" difference, not what might have been a carrier problem.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 8:31pm

Is Apple gonna allow that syncing!?!?!?!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 03, 2009 - 9:07pm

Looking at the video, the iPhone's screen seems much more legible.

The Pre seems to be wasting a lot of screen real estate with the card metaphor. Is there a full-screen mode for the browser?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 12:29am

It is running in fullscreen mode. the two buttons on the bottom are "on top" of the browser. Fast forward to the part where they scroll through the site and you'll see.

Dion (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 5:29am

I think it's rather shitty and cheap of Palm to blatantly rip off Apple's proprietary software (iTunes) to manager media on their device. The management software and ease of iTunes is a major pro for Apple. It's not their fault Palm has nothing remotely close to this; nor will they ever. Apple should update their software to block the Pre from accessing this. Some people say it's a dick move, but if you invested millions and millions of dollars in something, I doubt you would let a competitor use your resourse to further promote their product!

With that being said, I think the Pre will be a good device. I want to see them do good so that Apple is continuously pushed to be innovative and update the iPhone line. However, I still believe, with the new 3.0 software and the hardware updates, the new iPhone will easily trump the Pre.

Long live competition!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 6:11am

Actually Palm doesn't use Itunes to manager media on the device. Palm gives you options. You can use any media manager you want as long as they build an app for the phone. Palm just allows people who prefer itunes to use it to sync media to the Pre. But if you read up on the Pre you will see that you can drag and drop files to wherever you want it on the phone as well and do not need to use ITunes. I was reading a blog about this when they first announced it. What that blog said and I agree with is that in a way Palm is acknowledging Apples rank in the market place by allowing the pre to sync with Itunes. This more solidifies Apples market share then detracts from it.

So lets recap real quick. Apple says "You can only uses Itunes for a media player. We will pimp slap down anyone else who tries to make an app for the Iphone." Pre says "Hey will let you use Itunes to sync things if thats what you want, but for those of you who don't want to use it, here is another way to do it. Oh and by the way apple if you want to make an Itunes version for the webOS, we don't mind. In fact we will let winamp and everyone else make one too."

I think I rather prefer the Pre's approach.

stickyd | June 04, 2009 - 6:35am

 

I know Palm uses their drag and drop system to manage media.  I've owned Treos in the past.  It's a crappy media management system.  Does it work with many different computers and doesn't require an iTunes-like management? No, but it's crappy!  Palm knows they can't touch Apple's media library and ease of use, so they have to write b.s. code to make iTunes recognize their device as an iPod!  Doesn't that seem shady to you?  If it's not that big of a deal, why has Palm and Sprint made a point to advertise it's "syncing abilities with iTunes" in every press release the past two weeks?  It's because they know having acess to it is a major asset!  

 Like I said, the Pre is a decent to good phone, but it definitely isn't an iPhone-killer.  I'm sure Apple is already in the process of working up a lengthy court document for the Pre's patent infringments already.  I'm sure they can just tack on the iTunes portion or just issue a software update to break them. 

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 6:12am

itunes supports a bunch of 3rd party players already and apple hasn't cared:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2172

i don't think it's a big deal although it would be nice if palm was a bit more ambitious with their client software rather than piggybacking on itunes.

-LD (not verified) | June 04, 2009 - 7:52am

The plastic screen makes me curious. I can't believe it will be as scratch-resistant as a glass screen.

Benjamin Dobson | June 04, 2009 - 9:03am

What happens if you press Restore?

Macable (not verified) | June 07, 2009 - 7:41pm

Palm = washed up Apple Execs & stolen technology. Another iPhone wannabe. next please.