Palm Pre cameo on Dutch carrier Hi's website much ado about nothing, says spokesman

Alright, move along folks, nothing to see here. Remember that Palm Pre support page that showed up on Dutch provider Hi's website? Seems like that'd indicative a possible future collaboration, but according to a spokesman for KPN (of which Hi is a part), it's all a misunderstanding. While not meant for public viewing at this time, the page in question was apparently intended to explain what settings you'd need for using a Hi SIM card, whether you got the device from them or via another provider. Still seems fishy, if you ask us. Of course, he added the company is very interested in the Pre (as if we thought otherwise), but that nothing's been announced at this time anywhere in Europe. Let's just hope that rumored UK announcement pans out this week, and maybe the rest of the continent will follow suit.

[Thanks, Wesley]

[hank94jp @ Jul 5th 2009 2:07PM]

There are two kinds of people I can't stand. Those who are intolerant of others culture... and the Dutch.

[Nick @ Jul 5th 2009 2:29PM]

And the reason you can't stand the Dutch is..?

By the way, there's a huge discrepancy in your comment, unless you meant it as a joke (in that case: I don't get it).

[Dorian @ Jul 5th 2009 2:39PM]

Its a line from austin powers. I'm dutch and im seriously not offended, its actually quite funny.

[Mic2000 @ Jul 5th 2009 2:41PM]

There is one kind of people i can't stand. Those who can't live without making fun of others to think they feel better

[The Walrus @ Jul 5th 2009 2:41PM]

I have seen all of the Austin Powers movie's and can confirm that the OP is in fact a joke

[derX @ Jul 5th 2009 2:44PM]

Thanks, Walrus. Now that we have the expert witness' testimony, can we all move on with life?

[Napsterking @ Jul 5th 2009 2:48PM]

What? Take the fahza away! Dutch hater! And now, it is time to say goodbye. Dr. Evil's orders. Which, for you, is bad news bears,

[Barney @ Jul 5th 2009 3:19PM]

i like the iPhone too,
apple makes cool products to surf the internets

[naz @ Jul 5th 2009 4:59PM]

haha lol great quote

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 7:38PM]

Well, it's not easy to stand the dutch in fact.

[the4thheat @ Jul 6th 2009 9:07AM]

Even if you didn't realize it was a line from Austin Powers it's pretty obviously a joke since the first part of the sentence and the second are rather obviously incongruous. I've seen all the movies but didn't remember this line.

[Nick @ Jul 5th 2009 2:38PM]

Although said otherwise, I think Hi did want to show off the Pre. Let me translate the side text (as I'm Dutch):

"For now, there are only a few known specifications for this device. Click here to view a summary of its most important functions and features."

Why would they state this if they only wanted to explain what settings you'd need for using a Hi SIM card?

[Nick @ Jul 5th 2009 2:47PM]

Moreover, it also states this:

"Would you like to get noticed when this device will be available on contract in our webshop? Send an email to (..) with the name of this device as its subject."

Enough to convince me that this implied that the Pre would be available with Hi on contract..

[Wwhat @ Jul 5th 2009 7:41PM]

Why would there be any issue with any carrier using a pre? they aren't apple, they don't mind people using their phone do they?
I don't quite get why engadget is suggesting it's some magical thing, I'm sure that in a few months every damn phone company in the netherlands can sell you a pre.

[Nick @ Jul 5th 2009 8:49PM]

I'm not saying that it's wrong for the Pre to be used by one carrier. It's just that Hi apparently denies that they have "announced" the Pre, while the information text says otherwise. It's kind of a contradiction, ya know? And just out of curiosity, why is it not easy to stand the Dutch?

[Wwhat @ Jul 6th 2009 9:38PM]

Why? Because they are small town people, and are in a small little country with small little leaders and too many forget they are a small little meaningless country.
That's my view.

[Nick @ Jul 7th 2009 10:30AM]

Your logic really tells that you're American. Let me make this clear, Holland is NOT a meaningless country. Of course we're small but does that mean that we're per definition meaningless? Absolutely not. Holland is, for example, the 9th country in the world if you look at trade profits. We make around $50 million every year just by trading alone which means that Holland does indeed play its part in the international trade business. Rotterdam has one of the largest ports in the world and is essential to Europe's in-land companies. America's spot on the trade profits list? Dead last. You guys have a huge trade DEFICIT that goes up to $800.000.000.000 ($800 billion) which is the largest deficit in the world.

In my opinion we behave accordingly to this country's size and influence. We help other countries financially (such as the European Union) and I believe we have a fair saying in what is going on in Europe but we do NOT exaggerate. America on the other hand finds it useful to spend $690 billion to the army to involve themselves in countries in which they shouldn't. As a result their overall deficit each year is around $400 billion which sums up their total debt so far: over 10 TRILLION dollars ($10.000.000.000.000) with a financial hole of over 50 trillion dollars. Now, let's assume that Holland is a small little "meaningless" country. At least we aren't stupid enough to stand at the brink of a financial meltdown and ignorant enough to have debts so huge that the next 20 generations will have to deal with it.

I advise you to watch this, it might change your view of your country: http://blip.tv/file/1417453/

[Wwhat @ Jul 7th 2009 12:46PM]

Haha, $50 million by trading? Erm, that's less than bill gates spends on toothpicks..
I had no idea the netherlands was THAT small, hell an average dutch city spends $50 million a year just cleaning up the wrecks of the cars the moroccan descendant migrants burned down for fun.
I think you might mean billion, to illustrate:
"according to NRC Handelsblad (2008), the country's horticultural sector generates about 5.5 billion euros in annual income"

But still, it's just is a small country, and pretty meaningless, and look at the prime minster, can you find a bigger meaningless dork? If so I congratulate you with your resourcefulness :)

[Wwhat @ Jul 7th 2009 1:19PM]

Oh and when you say the US army involves itself where it shouldn't, I like to point out the dutch government supported both the iraq thing and has troops (and F16&apache) in afghanistan.
You can't diss when you are on-board eh.

[Nick @ Jul 7th 2009 1:22PM]

Yes, I did mean $50 billion, excuse me. (And even if it was $50 million, we would still make $800.050.000.000 more than the US does, not so bad after all eh?).

But I'm just curious, did you even read my comment? I absolutely cannot understand why you find the Netherlands meaningless. Your arguments, now those are meaningless, they just don't make any sense in any universe at all. Just because the prime minister is a dork? Who cares that he doesn't look like the average male model? At least he doesn't lead Holland in a humongous debt and let it go as if nothing happened. Thanks to him our country does well, even in this economic time. He does his job well and I believe that that's the whole point of a prime minister. Yes, we are small but as I said before, we do play a fair international role. Go read my previous comment again very slowly and you might understand what I said.

As of the Moroccans, that is just so stereotype. Apart from that, you actually proved my point. Why would people like the Moroccans give up their whole life by leaving everything what they have, migrate to Holland if it is just a meaningless little country? If Holland would be meaningless then they would not even have thought about Holland in the first place, now would they? We offer jobs and hospitality for these people, and they do NOT cause so much trouble which is, like I said, very stereotype.

By the way, I find it very interesting how you Americans, even when confronted, stay ignorant about your own country's fiscal problems. You apparently cannot think of any arguments to counter it, so what do you do? Yes, you ignore it.

[Nick @ Jul 7th 2009 1:29PM]

About the army thing, you're right about that but like I said, we do not exaggerate. America mostly likes to involve in anything that is going on in the world. That US rocket shield in Poland, for example, what is the real necessity for that? Wake up, the cold war is over. The Netherlands on the other hand only goes to areas that are in dire need for peace, like Afghanistan. We did NOT participate in the actual assault on Iraq. We went there AFTER the assault to assist the people of Iraq (to give them food, health care, and military protection for example).

[Buis @ Jul 5th 2009 3:23PM]

I'm really happy. Hi sucks ass big time through a straw. By the way, they also list other phones they don't carry on those pages, as was mentioned in the comments on your previous post on this topic. So just skip it already and tell me when I can have my ruggedized GSM pre!

[Ethan @ Jul 5th 2009 4:10PM]

Grindr is on the iPhone actually.

[Willy Whiteshoes @ Jul 5th 2009 7:49PM]

so's yo mama

[Asod @ Jul 9th 2009 6:21AM]

"...and look at the prime minster, can you find a bigger meaningless dork? If so I congratulate you with your resourcefulness :) "

George Bush. And now that's out of the way, I expect some kind of... what did you say? Ah yes, I expect a congratulation. Now.