The Pre 2 is actually the third generation of Pre devices, and seemingly the last to bear the Palm name, after HP recently announced new WebOS handsets and tablets under their own brand.

WebOS has been very well received in the past, and for some it is the ideal smartphone operating system. Its novel user interface is extremely easy to use and offers and advance on the sweeping and swiping of other touchscreened smartphones in that you can sweep and swipe in a ‘Gesture area’ below the screen as well as on the screen itself.

Applications are minimised to ‘cards’ which sit in the middle of the screen and can be swept through. New to WebOS 2.0, cards can be arranged into ‘stacks’ either created by you as a result of pulling cards towards each other, or automatically created by WebOS 2.0 as you open apps to work with data stored in other apps.

It might sound convoluted, but it is extremely easy and intuitive to get to grips with.

Possibly our favourite aspect of WebOS 2.0, though, is Just Type. Many handsets have a universal search tool which searches the contents of the handset and Google. But the Palm Pre 2 goes one better. Not only does it do this, it also lets you start typing text for an on-device app, such as writing an email, SMS or memo.

A selection of appropriate apps is offered, and you tap the one you want. Even better, developers have access to this, so apps you add can be drawn into the system.

Also new to WebOS 2.0 is a feature called Synergy which allows you to draw down contacts from Facebook, Google, Exchange, Yahoo! and, unusually, LinkedIn. This too is open to developers, so more draw downs can be added as you see fit.

These features add value to what was always, for us, an attractive OS. It does lose its way a little with the app selection, and the ongoing confusion about the platform’s future is hardly going to encourage developers to flock to it. If you’re an app enthusiast then you should be aware that WebOS is a long way short of the riches of iOS and Android.

And what about the Palm Pre 2 itself?

It has all the key attributes of a modern smartphone: Wi-Fi (with router capability for up to five devices), GPS, 5 megapixel camera with flash, accelerometer. The backplate is ready to use with Palm’s TouchStone wireless charging unit. There’s no slot for expanding on the 16GB of built in storage though.

The Palm Pre 2 is small when its keyboard is hidden away, and not too large when it is drawn down. The keyboard itself is a bit fiddly to use, and anyone with larger hands might find it cramped. But the keys themselves are individually separated and domed to make for the easiest possible access.

There is no Palm marking on the front of the chassis and the black slab of the device looks very impressive because of this. The absence of buttons beneath the screen adds to the monoblock appearance, and there is just a white strip of light which appears beneath the screen when you are sweeping at the handset.

The screen shines out brightly from its black surround, but it is a little below par by modern standards being just 3.1 inches and 320 x 480 pixels. It isn’t, then, ideal for multimedia rich activities like web browsing.

The only element of the design that does not appeal is the curvature of the handset which gives it a slightly banana shaped feel in the hand. This is most accentuated when the keyboard is out. That’s not the problem. What is tricky is that when you put the Palm Pre 2 down on a desk with its keyboard out tapping the screen causes the handset to wobble about and makes accurate tapping very difficult.

Web: www.palm.com
Price: £342 SIM-free

Essential Verdict
Performance: 7/10
Design: 9/10
Features: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Overall score: 8/10

Written by Sandra Vogel. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

Anyone who still longs for their favourite Palm OS apps and is packing an iPhone can now put the two together, so long as you’re willing to jailbreak your iPhone first.

“If you miss Palm OS to the point that you are prepared to jailbreak your iPhone and shell out a full $50, you can now use StyleTap. I like the idea of running Palm OS apps on the iPhone, but also realise that most of the best Palm OS apps have already been ported to the platform and that there are many very good alternatives available.”

Via – PDA-247

Entering a world without wires has a number of benefits and tapping into the power of wireless mobile communication technology will enhance the functionality of any computer. Every full-functional laptop ships with built-in support for Wi-Fi that enables broadband speed access to the internet when connected to a Wi-Fi network or public hotspot.

As long as you remain within range of a network, you have the freedom to work or play from just about anywhere. In fact, if you use a laptop to access the internet, you will probably only do so using Wi-Fi. This is because the majority of laptops do not have a built-in modem. Of course, it is sometimes possible to use a PCMCIA card as a wireless modem, but not all laptops have a PCMCIA slot.

But what if there are no wireless networks in range? What happens then?

This is where tethering can prove invaluable. In short, tethering is the process of using a PDA or smartphone to gain internet access for another device, typically a laptop computer. Tethering works by connecting an internet-enabled BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile or other handset to a laptop that has no internet access.

This can be done using either wireless Bluetooth technology or via a good old fashioned USB cable. In essence, the device without internet access uses the connected device as a modem.

Tethering can be very useful and more than a few mobile professionals still tether a mobile phone to their PDA, usually because their employer refuses to pay for a converged smartphone, but are willing to fund mobile data access. The set-up can then be used to check for email or to browse the internet.

Next: Tether a BlackBerry

Confused about the ever-expanding number of smartphone platforms? Unsure which is the right one for you? Our Five Reasons to Choose series gives you an instant guide to the things you need to know about every mobile OS.

Part three: WebOS

1. Social integration
The number one reason to choose a Palm Pre (or the upcoming Palm Pixi) is that the device integrates with multiple social networks. For example, you can maintain one contact for both Facebook and LinkedIn, or view one message thread for AOL IM and Google Talk chats.

2. Multitasking
Palm Pre offers the best multi-tasking of any smartphone platform. You can run multiple apps, and they are shown in a unique card interface that makes it easy to switch between then. The iPhone does not support multi-tasking (although you can run the music player with open apps), and other platforms use fiddly menus to switch between apps.

3. Unique interface
Palm Pre uses the webOS platform, which emphasizes finger gestures to control apps – similar to the iPhone, but just a hair more intuitive especially when it comes to understanding which apps are open and how to manage memory by closing open apps.

4. Easier charging
The Palm Pre offers the Touchstone charging dock, which charges the Pre when you set it on a cradle without having to make any connections. This makes it easier and faster to charge the device and hold it in place when it sits on your desk.

5. Growing number of apps
With just a few dozen apps at present, it might seem the number of apps for Palm Pre is a detriment rather than a plus. However, Palm has a long history of attracting developers and the list is growing rapidly now that the SDK for Palm Pre is available.

See also:
Five reasons to choose… iPhone
Five reasons to choose… Nokia & Symbian

Series written by John Brandon. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

Got your hands on a new Palm Pre? Then here’s everything you need to know about getting started with the diminutive little smartphone…

1. Know your gestures
For new Palm Pre users, the biggest adjustment usually involves gestures. You can flip through the card interface on the screen itself and tap in an e-mail. Yet, unlike the iPhone, the Pre supports gestures in the area just below the screen. For example, you can drag up with your finger to see the app launcher, or – when an app has launched – drag up to make it smaller. Swipe to the left to go back to a previous screen.

2. Synergize!
The Palm Pre uses a new operating system called webOS that automatically syncs Outlook, Facebook and Gmail contacts into one, and unifies instant messaging (through the AOL and Google Talk services) and SMS text messaging chats into one thread. For contacts, it means each person show sup once with one phone number and address, with multiple e-mails. For messaging, you can view all chats and even see when your IM contact is online.

3. Search universally
When you first use the Palm Pre, you might wonder: how do you search? There is no obvious, dedicated app for finding contacts and apps, or for searching the Web. The trick is: just start typing. As soon as you do, the Pre will automatically search contacts, and allow you to see search results for Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and Twitter.

4. App selection
Palm offers about 60 apps, which is a far cry from the 75,000 on offer from Apple for the iPhone but still a good start considering that the Pre software developer’s kit is not available yet. (It should come out early next year.) When you see new apps, they were created without using an SDK for the Pre, but once it is available, apps will start pouring out.

5. Listen in stereo
Unlike many older smartphones, the Palm Pre supports the A2DP Bluetooth Stereo 2.1 standard for listening to music and movies in stereo over a wireless connection. Of course, you’ll need a headset that also supports stereo playback, such as the BlueAnt X5.

6. Inductive charging
The innovative Touchstone Inductive Charger is worth the extra expense because it means you can charge your Pre by placing it onto a pad without actually connecting any wires. The charger uses an inductive charging method that passes the electric pulse through the charger onto the back of the Pre. Magnets lock the Pre into place, and a special sticky rubber holds it there.

More…

Brighthand has published a full review of MotionApps Classic, the intriguing app that emulates the old Palm OS on the new Palm Pre. Although the Pre has almost nothing in common (technically, at least) with oldschool Palm devices, the company still has plenty of long-time admirers – not to mention plenty who have large Palm OS software collection they are not ready to part with.

As a result, Classic seems like the best of both worlds. On the one hand you get to keep classic Palm apps like HanDBase; on the other you get to use the feature of a modern, internet-aware smartphone.

I think of MotionApps Classic as a transitional aid. It will help long-time Palm OS users switch to the webOS, and help Palm, Inc. get the webOS off the ground.

What it’s not going to do is turn a Palm Pre into a Treo.

Via – Brighthand

O2 has been confirmed as the exclusive carrier of the Palm Pre when it is launched in UK later this year. The device will also be launched simultaneously in Spain, Ireland and Germany.

Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and CEO, commented: “Europe continues to be an important region for Palm, and we’re proud to work with O2 and Movistar to spread the excitement Palm Pre has already ignited in North America. Since we showed Palm Pre at Mobile World Congress in February, there’s been a great deal of anticipation for an announcement about European availability, and that day is here”.

Pricing and availability are still to be confirmed. To register your interest in the Pre head over to http://www.palm.com/uk-pre-notify

One of the most anticipated smartphones of the year has finally shipped – and it’s an amazing device.

Joining the Apple iPhone 3G and the T-Mobile G1 in a pool of phones that offer touchscreen control, easy mobile app downloads, built-in GPS, and cutting edge features, the Palm Pre has only a few minor problems, but its otherwise further proof that a smartphone revolution is in full force.

The device itself is not exactly innovative. The 135 gram phone has a slide-out Qwerty keyboard that feels a little thin, the sharp edge on the phone is mildly dangerous, and the plastic construction makes the phone feel a bit low-end compared to the G1, Samsung Instinct, and Nokia N97.

There’s a slight curve to the device, which makes it easy to place phone calls, but not as easy to type longer messages – since the keys don’t provide the same tactile feedback of a Blackberry.

The Palm Pre outclasses the competition with the webOS, where apps run on small cards that you can re-position horizontally on the screen, flip up to remove, and enlarge easily.

It just works, and the new interface is easier to use than even the iPhone because you always know which app is running. It’s also now possible to use the SMS app, copy text you receive, slide over to your e-mail, and paste the message while running an MP3 player, your contacts list, and the phone dialer at the same time.

The Pre does tend to run a bit slow when you run more than about five apps at once.

Other innovations abound. When you place a call and move the device up to your ear, the Pre disables the touchscreen so you can’t press any errant keys. There’s an accelerometer that senses when you are in portrait or landscape mode. The Pre has built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi, Blueooth with stereo AD2P support, and on-board GPS.

There’s both Google Maps with turn-by-turn directions and Sprint Navigator, which provides voice directions (but not the voice activation found on the G1).

Music playback sounds rich and clear, with 8GB of non-expandable storage. You can watch videos on the 480×320, 3.1-inch screen but not record movies with the built-in 3 megapixel camera. Photo quality is quite good, but there are no extra controls for white balance, digital zoom, or focus other than a simple flash.

Web browsing is quite impressive, matching what you see on the iPhone (and using the same Webkit engine). You can zoom in and out of a site with a pinch and spread of your fingers, and Javascript support means pages rendered accurately.

We also liked the messaging clients – you can view all text messages and IM chats with the same app, and the Pre pulls in contacts from Facebook, Microsoft Exchange, and Gmail and stores them in the same list. It’s a smart approach: you can just start typing a name with the keyboard and the Pre will show you all matching contacts.

The calendar app shows you appointments from Google Calendar and Microsoft Exchange, so it is very useful.

Palm offers only about 18 extra apps for the phone, such as the Pandora radio client and Where, a tool for finding location services that is available on most other smartphones.

There’s a third-part app called Classic that lets you run legacy Palm OS apps, and it worked flawlessly for several older games we tested and a task list manager – without the extra frills of a touch app designed specifically for the Pre. Palm includes a YouTube app, calculator, an MP3 download service from Amazon, a Doc and PDF viewer that supports Office 2007 docs and the latest PDF formats, and a task manager.

Overall, the Palm Pre is an exceptional device that shows serious promise – the card interface is easy to use, the touchscreen is responsive and accurate, and phone calls sounded clear.

The plastic construction is an issue, and app selection is minimal at present, but Palm has rebounded nicely and we expect the Palm Pre to attract a loyal following in the US as we wait for a UK version.

Written by John Brandon.

Yahoo! oneSearch delivers search results to your PDA or smartphone in an accessible format

Summary: A mobile search engine that works! Difficulty: Beginner

There are relatively few functional internet search engines that are truly compatible with PDAs and smartphones. Yahoo! oneSearch is a new service that delivers results to your mobile device in an accessible format that’s easy to read, scroll through, or expand if you need more info.

1 Getting started
Boot up your desktop PC and point your browser to http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch. Under the Try it for Yourself section of the page, check the Change Country hyperlink and select your current location. Enter your mobile phone number (remember to drop the first ‘0’) then click Send to my Phone.

2 Access oneSearch
An SMS message will now be sent to your mobile device. Open it, click the link and your mobile browser will direct you to Yahoo! Mobile Web; you’ll see the new Yahoo! oneSearch service. If you have a problem receiving the hyperlink, try typing http://m.yahoo.com in your browser.

3 Instant answers
Yahoo! oneSearch is compatible with all internet-enabled mobile phones, PDAs and smartphones. The primary function of this new service is to provide you with instant answers to a search query. For example, the service makes it easy to get to a website. Simply type the name of a site you want to visit in the search box and oneSearch returns the website link. Click the link and you’re there.

4 Search results

Results are delivered in a format that’s been adapted to look good on the small screen of a mobile device. Answers are just a tap away, and there’s no need to wade through a long list of links to find what you’re looking for. Need a new camera? Try typing Nikon D80 in the search box and see what we mean. The results are easy to read and scroll through, and you can expand them with a tap of the stylus if you need more info.

Does Yahoo! charge for oneSearch?
No, but remember that your wireless network provider may charge you for using the mobile web. Our advice is
to use Wi-Fi (rather than GPRS) whenever possible.

We’re perhaps as little as three weeks away from the launch of the Palm Pre in the US, and the latest Pre emulator for developers has revealed how polished the UI is now looking. Translucent effects abound in PreThinking’s gallery: if the consistent look and feel is carried through in the way that made the iPhone such a delight then Palm really might be onto a winner. Consider our appetites well and truly whetted.

Via – PreThinking