Palm Pre Smartphone Takes CES 2009 By Storm

January 14, 2009 by Mary Anne Simpson

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Palm Pre

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Palm prē smartphone arose out of the doldrums and took CES 2009 by storm. Palm appeared to be down for the count among the likes of Apple, Samsung and Research In Motion. Palm lured iPod creator Jon Rubenstein out of his hammock on a white sandy beach in Mexico and the game plan was set. Palm hired, nurtured and created a development lab where the human factor was center-stage. Palm prē is a rock solid 4.8 ounce handset that unleashes man's powers of intuition, thought and the ability to see feelings as represented by the Native American symbol, a triangle with a line beneath. Mobile is Palm's DNA.

Palm Prē combines a new Web OS, human guided intuitive technology and synchronized total access to the individuals range of content located everywhere and anywhere with a flick, tap, swish finger gesture on its 3.1-inch beautiful touch screen display. Palm included a music player, advanced digital camera for entertainment or work. Best of all it created a seamless technology to keep things separate, but not inaccessible for universal searches. Taking a reflective moment paid big dividends for Palm at CES 2009, as it was chosen Best in Show 2009 and awarded the People's Voice Award.

Palm prē is not your Palm Pilot 80s or 90s notes and Rolodex access tool. The Palm prē is the precursor of a new mobile life where the locks have been cut. Any developer with a basic knowledge of CSS, HTML or Java is able to customize, add applications and personalize the prē. Wasting time opening and closing applications, losing your train of thought while working on a task by answering an important message is yesterday. Incoming messages appear at the bottom of any screen you are working on and allow a pass or a quick reply. The screen shot shrinks while you attend to the incoming message, but you never lose your place. In my opinion, Palm listened to real users and simply got rid of the clunky and frustrating dither.

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Palm Pre

Palm recognized that today, most users have multiple e-mail accounts, social networking sites and favorite Web sites. The Palm prē user interface provides easy access with Palm's traditional icons or via the touch screen menu and icons. In order to deliver fast retrieval of personal data or Web-based data Palm engineers installed EvDo Rev.A, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR and stereo support, 802.11b/g and a new super fast processor TI OMAP 3430 delivering laptop performance with a mobile foot print. That's not all, Palm installed 8GB of memory, a GPS and a super fast USB 2.0 mass storage port.

The Palm prē state-of-the-future user interface, software and platform cannot be overstated. Palm refers to it as a "Cards" derived from the concept of a deck of cards. The user is given an entire deck of cards to play with not a confining set of modules. Pick a card and you never have to save it, put it back in its folder or think about it. Your deck of cards are with your forever until you decide to throw a card away or go on to something else. Your access to every feature, application and tool is a finger motion away. Performing a search begins with the first two-letters a user types on the full QWERTY slide-out keyboard. The prē searches your personal data and if no results come up, it automatically switches to a Web Google search. Start a conversation in SMS and complete the conversation via an instant message, switching around at will is at the core of the new prē.

According to Palm Ceo Ed Colligan, the Palm prē will be available during the first half of 2009. Sprint has been chosen as the premier provider for the new Palm prē. Palm also introduced the TouchStone wireless charger for the Palm prē which uses inductive technology. The small device sits on the desk and while charging the phone allows users to simply tap and talk via the built-in speaker and microphone. Palm's achievements with this smarter smartphone emphasize the point that it's the little things that drive people nuts. Monotonous, illogical, time consuming repetitive motions have been addressed by the Palm prē and that is why it was awarded the People's Voice Award.

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