Palm's app store christened App Catalog, games not a priority
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 10th 2009 4:29PM
posted Jan 10th 2009 4:29PM
Outside Palm's inner circle of trusted partners, the webOS SDK (playfully named "Mojo") won't be released to would-be app developers until we get closer to the Pre's launch, but we know a few key details. First off, as "webOS" implies, apps written for the platform are web-based -- HTML, JavaScript, that sort of stuff -- but unlike Apple's original vision for the iPhone, Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities and interact closely with services exposed by the operating system. For users, that means apps are hopefully going to be rich and powerful, but graphically intensive, heavily interactive things -- think games, mainly -- aren't likely to happen. That's not to say Palm won't eventually offer a binary SDK, but the tools they appear to be offering up front won't get the job done, and we've confirmed in talking to Palm that Pre gaming was never a priority for the company during the development cycle. In a nutshell: Tetris, yes; Tetrisphere, not so much.
[Via Mobile Roar]
That's a slight disappointment, because even if its mainly a productivity device, its nice to have games to kill time available once in a while.
That being said, I did find a few links that helped to allay my concerns:
http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/04/jav...nstein-3d.html
Wolfenstein 3D clone done entirely in Javascript and AJAX.
Also:
Mario Bros clone: http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/05/8-k...-of-mario.html
Super Mario Kart clone: http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/05/jav...ario-kart.html
Sorry, bad links:
http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/04/javascript-wolfenstein-3d.html
http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/05/8-kilobytes-of-mario.html
http://blog.nihilogic.dk/2008/05/javascript-super-mario-kart.html
Web applications suck, plain and simple. Yeah its easy to come out with an OS then rely on web apps but Palm is going to need to release a real development platform for their new OS if they want a shot at BlackBerry, Android and Apple.
Developing a mobile OS isnt simple and while WebOS may look pretty it reminds me a lot of all the empty promises we received from Android.
Other than the fact that WebOS is able to run games, why would you use Pre for gaming? What is it with people asking for battery draining software which they'll use for two days and then uninstall? Why not use a console or your PC/Laptop for gaming and leave it at that level?!
I have to agree, I want a smooth fluid Phone/PDA experience, I don't care about games, I never played any on any of my WM phones, and I wouldn't on this, maybe if they where free, I would download, try, uninstall.
Anyway, I'm sure they will fix it, it isn't like they forgot something.. basic.. *cough*
ya. Why take pictures? I mean I got my camera. Why browse facebook, I can do it on my computer.
Music! what a waste of battery, I got my ipod.
hope you know you sound like an idiot
Its not like anyone would ever use a phone as their primary gaming console. However, haven't you ever been sitting in a waiting room or something and wanted to kill some time for a while?
Saad Rabia sounding like an idiot? ...ya DON'T say...
Nouman, how about if I tell you that taking pictures and surfing the web waste less battery and and are actually useful? How about if you understand that my point is not to remove all games, but stop nagging about not having a lot of them?
hope you know you think like an idiot.
I never thought I would see the day when a Windows Fanboy would essentially say, "Who need games? I'll be using my Pre to actually get things done, wink, wink."
He's using the same argument that Apple Fanboys use when Windows users make fun of OS X for not having as many games. Oh, the irony.
Paul Chapel, only that my PC is connected 24/7 to a power source, and a Pre runs on batteries, so it does matter. Comparing WebOS to Windows or OS X is just stupid.
And talking about fanboys, why don't you go burn yourself?
Who are you trying to convince? Are you saying games are not important on a mobile device? Well, good luck with that...
Albert Francis, yes, that is what I'm saying. It's okay to have a couple of games on a mobile phone, but it isn't as important as some people make it seem. I would love to use my mobile phone as a gaming platform but I'll wait until they create some long lasting batteries with the powerful processing power. Many of my friends who own an iPhone are already bothered by the short battery life per day, and they rarely run a game; they will run it to show me how cool it looks and that's it, of course some games are amazing, but it is not important to have 200 games for me to buy the Pre!
Except for the fact that most people would be happy with Solitare and maybe a Bubble Bobble. Plus, there's always 3rd party people who would jump at the chance to make new games.
Keep in mind that this thing was announced out of the blue, so of course people haven't planned ahead of time to make 3rd party games.
Saad on May 5th, 2008:
"I love my Zune 80, and would love to play some games on it every once in a while"
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/05/zune-xna-games-preview-release-aimed-for-may/
Saad on Jan 10th, 2009
"...why would you use Pre for gaming?"
My God, Paul. I'm actually agreeing with Saad. Gaming and playing some games does not mean the same thing. Taken out of context they do, but gaming implies serious video games, and using the Pre (or the iPhone) as a primary gaming device does seem a bit silly. Games on a cell phone are meant to be quick time wasters. For instance, the Solitare and brick breaker on the iPod. THAT'S what Saad was talking about when he said he wanted games on his Zune.
The WHOLE quote is "I love my Zune 80, and would love to play some games on it every once in a while; for better 3D-accelerated gaming experience I use an Xbox 360."
Asshole.
Paul Chapel, I clearly say for "some, every once in a while" gaming, that is like once a month for me. I didn't say " I would love to use my Zune as a gaming platform". I would be an idiot to say such thing, because I want my Zune's battery for more music and video playing.
Do you still not get my point?
No matter what excuses you guys try to make, gaming is going to make the iPhone more attractive. I don't know how many times I've come here and heard people say they love Windows for games, yada, yada, yada and how they would switch to OS X if only it supported more games. In fact, I've said the same thing on a number of occasions. In fact, I think I said it to someone just yesterday.
Paul Chapel on Jan 9th, 2009
"I really don't care too much about music on Windows 7 at this point, because I've just been using it primarily for games and my MacBook Pro and OS X for everything else, but by all means post a link for the fix if you have it."
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/09/windows-7-beta-goes-public/
I'm not saying you guys don't have to like the Pre, it's a nice phone, but don't be f*cking hypocrites. You know games are important. If I remember correctly, in the first few weeks after the App Store opened, games were consistently the top 10 bestsellers. In fact, if you go on iTunes right now, I guarantee you'll see a bunch of games crowding the bestseller list.
"Dude, are you serious?! iPhone gaming platform? Why? Because Apple said so?!" - Saad Rabia
Sounds like *someone* hasn't actually played any games on the iPhone.
Pocket gaming is the next great gaming frontier. Ever hear of a little device called the Nintendo DS? Do you have any idea how many of those things they've sold?
And no, the iPhone doesn't have a D pad or a bunch of buttons. But if you've played games like Fieldrunners, Rolando, Tap Tap Revenge, etc., you realize that there is a lot of gaming potential for the iPhone hardware. Me, I'm praying for an iPhone version of Starcraft, which, if Fieldrunners is any indication, could be smashingly awesome. Get on that, Blizzard. Please.
I've spent more time gaming on my iPhone in the past 6 months than I've spent gaming on my console or on my desktop computer. I don't think I'm alone.
Game Different.
COMPUTER GAMES are important. Little 3D games that run on the iPhone are not important. They only eat up power. I would rather buy a PSP (I say that because of the 3D graphics) to be a dedicated portable game player. That way, I wouldn't have to sacrifice my usable battery life for my cell phone, and would be able to play games.
THE IPHONE IS NOT A PRIMARY GAME PLAYER. IT IS A CELL PHONE THAT PLAYS 3D GAMES! Plus, some of the racing games really lag.
Paul Chapel, I hope you enjoy playing your games on the iPhone, and I hope the battery doesn't die on you mid-day, and I hope you are happy to troll in every post in this website, but I still don't care about games on my phone. I would care about copy & past, video recording, bluetooth transferes and multi-tasking more than having 50 games on a smartphone, you know, real smartphone stuff.
I don't know if you're aware but we are comparing the Pre to the iPhone. The fact that the iPhone has more and better games is going to be a big factor in whether people are going to buy the Pre over the iPhone or whether people are going to leave the iPhone for the Pre. I guarantee if you give a regular non-geek the specs on both, that the lack of games is going to have a big effect on their decisions.
In fact, I bought my sister a Nano several years ago and the first thing she asked me was, "Where's the games?"
As far as your battery concerns go, Saad, there are several external batteries available for the iPhone. I suggest you take a look.
http://www.mophie.com/products/juice-pack-iphone-3g
(Nice, the Mophie is contained in a sleeve that wraps around your phone)
http://richardsolo.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=264
There are several more. These are just two I could find doing a quick Google Search.
"A non-geek." You mean like a business professional? The kind that have kept blackberries and Palm for years? The kind that couldn't give a crap about games? What's more important? Some chintzy graphics? Or the ability to add a date to your calendar without having to SYNC IT TO YOUR COMPUTER!?
To the average person, I would think that they would care more about the fact that their phone is going to die in the middle of the day with no warning if they play processor intensive games.
You're actually pointing out that because external batteries exist they should be bought to remedy the situation that Apple doesn't have a large enough battery? By that logic, nobody should ever have to worry about batteries in normal cell phones because they are USER REMOVABLE, and one could have several charging and switch them out. It's really the same thing, and they both cost extra money.
Actually, Mike, when I say non-geek, I was thinking the sixteen year old girls that you accuse of being the primary owners of iPhones. Didn't you say that just yesterday?
You provide links to everyone else's comments. Why not mine? Oh that's right. Because I NEVER SAID THAT!
I know several people who didn't know that the iPhone couldn't take video before they bought it. They regret it just for that. They are non-geeks. Same with the calendar. Same with the user-replaceable battery.
10 million people have bought iPhones, so I guess all those people found ways to deal with the lack of a battery. My best friend uses the Mophie. I've never seen him run out of power.
Good for those 10 million, Paul, but the iPhone is still not a gaming platform, and when people find out what they were missing after using the Pre, iPhone will be playing catch-up.
Apple will have a new iPhone out in June. Phil Schiller pretty much confirmed it when talking to David Pogue.
"He noted that Apple marches to certain annual product cycles: the holiday season (Novemberish), the educational buying season (late summer), the iPod product cycle (October), the iLife development cycle (usually March), the iPhone cycle (June)."
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/a-strange-macworld-expo/
PALM made a major mistake releasing info on the phone at CES. Now Apple can make hardware changes and almost certainly make software changes to compete.
Yeah Paul, I bet that Apple will make the new iPhone curvier, with a 3.2 MP Camera and add copy, without paste... Palm must be scared as hell.
Yeah Saad, I bet that Palm will make the new Palm with a multi-core ARM chip, with 10,000 apps and games and sell 1 million phones in the first three days... Apple must be scared as hell.
Congrats! Apple sold a lot of something when there weren't any decent alternatives out there!
Whatever.
It doesn't particularly matter what Apple releases this June. These phones are targeting two separate groups: People who want a physical keyboard and people who don't. I don't think Pre is trying to steal away iPhone customers, I think they're trying to offer an equally great phone for people who want a physical keyboard.
Saad would be all over mobile gaming, except he's a Microsoft fanboy and they don't have sh*t for a mobile OS right now, so he has to make up reasons why no one should enjoy a quality game on their phone.
That's where I think the Pre will fail. The iPod touch and the iPhone can already be considered gaming platforms. Games bring a lot of money for Apple and their developers. The ecosystem is suited for games, given the fact that the gadgets themselves are considered multimedia platforms (notice the emphasis on *fun*...). palm should really consider giving developers a binary SDK for games and such... It's a shame that that powerful Cortex A8 isn't put to better use than spreadsheets and PDF viewing :(
I'm amazed at how well palm pulled the official presentation off... The product is pretty cool. It looks great (minus the little holes where the speaker goes on the back), the OS is truly revolutionary, it goes very well with the whole "cloud"-based computing trend, it doesn't rip-off any competitor (*sigh the iPhone) and most importantly, they are the first company who actually listened to what users complained about. I am truthfully and thoroughly impressed.
"The OS is truly revolutionary"...?? Do you actually understand what "revolutionary" means? This "WebOS" is far from that.. It is hardly even "evolutionary". Tell me, what functionality or features does it have that represent a "revolution" in mobile devices?? Everything I've seen looks just like Android or iPhone OS.
Anyone who says that this phone isn't revolutionary clearly hasn't seen any videos of it in action. It uses a brand new multitasking metaphor that makes so much sense its a wonder nobody has thought of it before. It includes the technology to pull together all of my contact data as well as Facebook data into one contact list which is always updated. It allows you to seamlessly switch from IM to SMS to email when someone signs offline without switching applications. I could go on, but those are the main things.
Dude, are you serious?! iPhone gaming platform? Why? Because Apple said so?!
In all seriousness, the iPhone is nothing but a well designed OS. That doesn't make it a gaming platform, it is just like a well designed newspaper with lots of games in the last page; you can't call it a gaming booklet. Pre offers a great opportunity that you can't see until it is out, the powers of Java, CSS and Ajax are mind blowing, and they don't waste lots of space or battery power. Pre is going to be fun in its own way, using real future technology.
If gaming brings lots of money to the iPhone, well, multi-tasking alone will bring a lot more money to the Pre.
The iPhone is capable of multi-tasking and Apple allows it for their own apps. Apple just doesn't allow it for third party developers. It wouldn't be exactly hard for Apple to change that policy if they wanted to, considering the iPhone and iPod Touch run OS X.
Lol Paul Chapel, the day Apple allows open multi-tasking on their iPhone OS, iPhone will be in deep sh*t. :)
I was just correcting your assertion that the iPhone is somehow incapable of multi-tasking. It is capable, but when it comes right down to it, it's not going to matter in the grand scheme of things. Go ask a person on the street whether they're excited that the Pre has multi-tasking and I guarantee they will give you a blank stare.
Multi-tasking only matters to geeks and geeks don't make gadgets popular. Regular people do.
Yeah Paul, that's why people have dithced their multi-tasking computers and are all now using rocks and paper. If people use multi-tasking on a phone they would love it, because it is what every computer we use these days does, Windows, OS X or Linux.
I will ask people what Thermal Conductivity is, and I will get the same stare, that doesn't make it less important or not used in our lives.
Whatever.
Check and mate. Asshole.
Good one Saab. I hereby banish you, Paul Chapel, from ever posting on Engadget again, because you use absurd logic and take quotes out of context. You also spam windows and other phone's articles with Apple fanboyism.
Away with you.
Whatever.
It would also make sense for Palm not to focus on gaming at this point. We all need to remember, the software isn't finished and SDK 1.0 isn't even publicly available yet. Once Palm polishes up their OS itself, I definitely see Palm expanding their SDK for better gaming and multimedia support. They really gotta keep their priorities straight while their OS is still in development and get the basics solid first before expanding.
"but unlike Apple's original vision for the iPhone, Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities"
What exactly does this mean? like they'll connect javascript to a library for the camera or something?
Everyone ragged incessantly on Apple over this bullshit, but now that Palm is doing it its some great thing?? You guys need to call it what it is... A glorified web browser. You can only do so much with HTML and javascript, particularly on an ARM powered mobile device.
Its really a shame considering that phone has the next-gen PowerVR SGX graphics chipset... It would make an excellent device for graphics intensive apps and games...
Everyone ragged on the iPhone's 'web apps' because they weren't actually applications. You had to log onto the browser, pull up the website, and then it'd show the browser in a window. In addition, these had no awareness of any underlying hardware. There was no way to do notifications, etc. And, when you weren't online, you couldn't actually use any applications.
On the Pre, everything actually shows up as an application. Its not a application inside a browser, it uses the full screen to display. You don't have to open up the web first, you just open up the application. It can fully use the notification system and more. And, these applications are stored on the 8GB so that you can use them in range or not.
The article makes no sense. It says, "Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities", so Palm is going to allow direct access to their hardware for graphically intensive things. But then you say forget about games? Did somebody miss a "NOT" in their sentence, because according to this article, you CAN expect to see games. The entire article is very poorly written. It's one thing to attempt to be clever, but quite another when you're attempts make your writing incomprehensible.
Meaning developers will be able to take advantage of gestures, orientation, and so on, but you can't write a high-performance application using web standards.
As long as it plays movies and music, I don't care whether it can game.
Agreed. Without dedicated buttons I'd quickly destroy the screen and keyboard by gaming.
True, good links mate! I'm very excited about WebOS. I think that this is the sort of OS that can be used in portable devices as well. Think netbook. Having said that, the games that are coming out for the iphone/ipod touch platform already rival the psp/ds offerings. If you don't believe me check out Hero of Sparta or Silent Hill for the IPhone. Metal Gear and Final Fantasy are going to be released soon. The apple platform is quickly becoming the all in one portable platform. Now is the moment to gather support to cover all bases, but I'm afraid that Palm still has their usual just-business mindset that made their previous units the boring bricks that we were used to seeing in previous models. Cool device though, but I'll still switch to AT&T and get an IPhone. Don't get me wrong, I love Palm and still use my trusty 700wx, but it seems to me that Apple is trying to go after the whole cake.
A simple Google search will show that many games can be written with various web programming tools. Nothing fancy is needed here, Engadget.
Did you read all the way through the piece?
As a matter of fact, yes I did. But I really don't see where high performance games would be THAT important to the success of a phone platform....
The idea of an App Store is TERRIBLE. I can't fathom why people are in love with the iPhaud's App Store, other then it's connection to Apple. Think about it folks, these stores are CORPERATE CONTROLLED! That means you have no control over what you have access too. They can reject applications at their leisure. They can even turn off Applications after you buy them for whatever reason they like. They OWN all your software, you're just renting it. You're paying THE MAN for contunied access to YOUR OWN games and programs. You'd have to be INSANE to desire that!
You don't need to "Jailbreak" a Windows Mobile, Symbian, or old Palm device in order to run video game emulators or hacking tools. They are Open OS, man, with no restrictions. Run whatever you like!
Don't be all eager to put your hands in the Hand-Cuffs of the System. Support FREEDOM. Down with the App Stores!
Have fun hiding under your bed with your tinfoil hat.
Well, Paul, maybe I spoke in too many syllables for you. Let me see if I can boil this down into something you can understand. If the corporation decides who can and can't make stuff for your gadget, then you loose alot of choices in software. And if they have the ability to remove software whenever they like, then alot of your favorite programs will just disappear, like APPLE has already done on the iPhone more then a few times. Do you understand yet, PAUL?? App Stores are BAD.
SEGA AND EA are fully supporting Iphone/ipod touch platform. Check this link
http://www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk/20080717708/-iphone-as-powerful-as-dreamcast-says-sega-boss.html
Your point being?
As long as I can access Engadget through the day who cares.
the harsh realities start to set in.,phone not out yet, they already crippling developers. sounds weak.,so much for open source.,by the time this launches in june at $350 with a 2 year contract with a mandatory everything data plan/voice at $99 per month for 1 line.,this phone will be very old news n so much negative publicity it wouldve done it in by then.not to mention will be deeper into recession/depression who gonna pay $350 for 1 cell.,exactly.,future looks grim already.,
Never thought I would say this. But Palm actually has produced something I want to buy. True multitasking and web amalgamation and integration with a nice design, seamless UI and QWERTY kb. The iPhone is great and all but now it is about to see some true competition. Wow...I still get over that I want something that Palm produced.
I'd like some fun casual games on my phone, but it's good to see that they are not pretending that the Pre is a "console".
Games are one thing, but I still can't get over how other types of rich applications will be handled. How will something like The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP) be written for WebOS? How about something like a VNC client? Games are the most obvious example of potentially intensive apps, but there are plenty of legit non-gaming apps that would seem to be difficult on this platform as well - the iPhone of course has its own limitations especially in regards to what Apple will officially let someone publish, but thinking of WebOS compared to Android, it seems like Android would have a major advantage.
Not having games sound a lot like when the Macintosh first came out. Mac Write and MacPaint was all it had. Look at where it is now.
Not having games is not a big deal. I want a phone, not a portable game console - hmmm, I already have that on my iPod's anyway.
Go Palm Pre... I just want to get it before my brother does!
any phone that has a great user interface and true multitasking abilities will be 10x as better than the iphone - enter Palm Pre and Nokia N97
Just because webOS SDK is based on HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc, doesn't mean that the SDK wouldn't be able to create rich multimedia content, that just speculation. Before making any kind of comments like this, you should wait until the SDK is out, and after trying it out you can make all the affirmations that you want.
After all the effort and work that Palm put creating this phone and OS, I truly believe that with the SDK we will able to create all kind of applications, including rich multimedia contents. Let's wait until the SDK is out, and we'll talk about this again.
I don't see this as an issue. If Apple wants to market the iPhone as a gaming platform, let them. I don't know many people who buy phones to play games, nor do I know many people who even take that as a consideration in their phone purchase. Apparently Palm doesn't want the Pre to be looked at as a gaming platform. I've had several smartphones, and over the years the only games I installed are blackjack and bejeweled. If I want to play games, I pull out my DS or PSP. I'm sure there will be games for the Pre. The games that are all flashy and 3-D, maybe/maybe not. And in the grand scheme of things, I'm fine with that, because this is my address book, my calendar, my COMMUNICATION device. Does Apple want to compete with Google and Microsoft or do they want to compete with Nintendo and Sony? The problem with a device that tries to be everything is that it generally doesn't do any of those things very well. Not that I'm knocking the iPhone; it's a pretty sweet piece of kit. It never appealed to me, but then they aren't aiming it at me. Palm is aiming the Pre at me, and it's a direct hit!
Mark my words, by the end of this year the PSP will be dead and the DS will be neck/neck with the IPhone/IPod touch platform. Smartphones are computers and for over $500/unit, they better do everything and do it well darn it! Check out this game for IPhone.
" it's good to see that they are not pretending that the Pre is a "console".....
I don't get it. What does that mean? So while they are pretending to look like they are pushing the idea of a gaming platform, Apple is selling tons of game downloads at $7/copy? I think these devices can be an all in one device. Again, just because it doesn't have a joystick, it does not mean that is not fit for games. That would be like saying, "the iphone doesn't have a keyboard, therefore it is not good for texting". I like a device that can do everything and do it well, if I wanted an all business device, I would go with Blackberry. I really like the Pre and WebOS. However if they are all ready setting to what this platform can do, then I don't think its going to gather that much developer support. Especially if another IPhone refresh is around the corner.
P.S. MaxSmoke: Big Brother is right behind you.
Sorry forgot to copy and paste link
check out this link!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_0Oz7KOso&feature=related
"Mike10010100 @ Jan 10th 2009 6:05PM
COMPUTER GAMES are important. Little 3D games that run on the iPhone are not important. They only eat up power. I would rather buy a PSP (I say that because of the 3D graphics) to be a dedicated portable game player. That way, I wouldn't have to sacrifice my usable battery life for my cell phone, and would be able to play games.
THE IPHONE IS NOT A PRIMARY GAME PLAYER. IT IS A CELL PHONE THAT PLAYS 3D GAMES! Plus, some of the racing games really lag." "
Yeah whatever, games are hardly coming out for your beloved PSP. Oh I'm sorry, I meant, games are coming out for the PSP as frequent as UMD movies. Games on the IPhone are only gonna get better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFavTmIGplo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_0Oz7KOso&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAYfieW9liU&feature=related
If only one game came out for the PSP that was of the same quality as Crisis Core per year, I would still choose the PSP over an iPhone. Until the iPhone can provide that sort of engrossing and emotional gameplay experience, I'm not interested.
The comments above me, right here, are the reason why Palm has been so reluctant to release an entirely new system. THEY DON'T MAKE PHONES SPECIFICALLY FOR THE MASS MARKET. Palm's core user base is the business sector, always has been, always will be. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THAT. Games are an irrelevance when you are travelling to a meeting and need to check your schedule, make last minute changes to a presentation, or have a conversation with someone about your opinion on a particular discussion topic. Sure, a lot of teenagers will look at this phone, say "wow, that's pretty cool" and consider buying it. Some will, some won't. Palm couldn't give a toss.
I agree, but that would put them squarely against "all business" Blackberry. Heck, even the president-elect is doing a free campaign for Blackberry. I think it would a better idea if Palm tries to take small bites from Apple, RIM, and others.
Don't forget, Blackberry only became popular because Palm themselves let their products stagnate. I agree that it would be better for Palm to try to capture as many consumers from different demographics as possible, but I'm not sure if their boardroom are ready to give up chasing primarily the core business user.
It'll definitely be possible.
Under conservative estimations, the CPU in the Pre is 1.5-2x FASTER than the one in the iPhone.
The GPU is the flagship class from IMGTech instead of the weaker MBX used in again, the iPhone.
These guys need to focus on the core base first before branching out to something like games.
Seriously, bias much? The Apple App Store doesn't mention games in its title either.
The WebOS really begs the question, is the Folio around the corner?? With so many netbooks that are essentially the same, maybe Palm can step in and offer an alternative with WebOS.
I love Palm, but if they think that they can step in and take the market share away from Palm and Apple, they are dead wrong. The Pre/WebOS needs to do more thank just business apps. They need killer apps to justify giving up ur Blackberry Bold. Otherwise its just another smartphone.
Anybody know if this new Palm will have legacy support of old Palm programs? Although I finally broke down and got a 2G iPhone after getting tired of waiting on the nuviphone, I still have hundreds of older but useful palm programs. Also, wonder if the new Palm will have some decent turn by turn software?
Decent navigation software? You mean like Garmin Mobile or TomTom that have been available on the Palm forever? Or maybe you mean like Telenav, also available for Palm for a long time.
As for Palm apps, I don't know how many times it needs to be said that NO, there is no backwards compatibility. Maybe if you get lucky, Styletap will make a webOS version, but I wouldn't hold your breath.
Let me get this right, Palm was on the financial skids even with Treos(physical keyboard and touch screen) and now they have copied the iphone and have paid(probably) a bunch of tech sites to run the old tired ass Apple against the Apple knockoff blitz comparison game.
LOL!!!
Apple has 27 billion in the bank and no debt and Palm is about to sink like a lead ship but they are suppose to rebound and whup Apple ass b/c they copied them. OOOOOHHKAAAY!
See, the iphone copy cat game is crowded as hell. And that is where Palm will be playing. In that ghetto ass, Apple copy cat field. And the copy cats will be spending their time trying to out do the other copy cats until you have this gross out shit mass of Apple wannabes. Funny as hell!!!!
I've said this before, but if you think the Pre is just another iPhone clone then clearly you haven't seem the interface in action. The Pre does everything the iPhone does better, and more.
I won't deny I've got a game or two on my iPhone. I play them basically when I really desperately need something to occupy my mind, and there's no wireless service. However, for any real gaming, my DS is superior in every fashion. If I switched to pre, simple games like Tetris would suffice just fine.
Your DS will NEVER DO THIS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8_0Oz7KOso
There are a bunch of games for the DS that do that, and do it better...
I am an iPhone fan boy, I am also a Palm fan boy, and I think that Palm doesn't stand a chance without a Garnet compatibility layer. Omitting backward compatibility will hurt sales especially us palm diehards, I can live without 90% of my apps but the other 10% I can't.
I am very impressed by the execution that the iPhone embodies. I like the fact that it has a proper OS, I do hate the big brother mentality of not including cut/paste and mms, yet including an app store killswitch takes the cake. I was hoping styletap would release for the iPhone and if it did, i'd own one and my 755p would be trash.
as for games on a Pre, not having any would be a terrible thing because productivity apps can only go so far.
"but unlike Apple's original vision for the iPhone, Palm's going to include libraries that allow devs to tap in to the Pre's hardware capabilities and interact closely with services exposed by the operating system. "
This statement is plain B$.