Palm Pre WebOS 1.3.1 update available now
By Richard Lawler 
posted November 14th 2009 12:49AM
posted November 14th 2009 12:49AM
Update: Downloaded, applied and rebooted. iTunes still isn't spotting our Pre as a device to sync with, and at least for the moment there's no great speed increases to speak of, but we have noticed a few more key tweaks that owners are sure to like -- setting a specific ringtone for text messages is exactly what we've been looking for.
- Yahoo! now appears as a Calendar/Contacts/instant messaging synchronization account.
- You can forward a text or multimedia message by tapping the message > Forward.
- A new option is available for restarting the phone: press and hold power > Power > Restart. The prior restart method (Device Info > Reset Options > Restart) is still available.
- Widescreen videos (including YouTube) now display in widescreen mode on the phone by default, instead of being cropped.
- If you tap to play a YouTube video embedded on a web page, the YouTube application launches and the video plays in the app.
- You can select a unique ringtone for new message alerts: Open Messaging > application menu > Preferences & Accounts > Sound > Ringtone.
- While listening to a song with album art displayed, you can tap the screen below the art to display a playback slider. Dragging the slider jumps forward or backward in the song.
Okay so my "update installed" card keeps popping up regardless of me pressing "done" or throwing the card away...anyone else having this issue?
for the life of me I don't understand why anyone would be a pre
too small screen
tiny crappy keyboard
sharp uncomforable edges when open
stupid landscape slider layout
why?
cant imagine why anyone would buy it
but that's just me...
Because some people dont want a laptop hanging on our hips. I tried a slab of metal on my belt and It kept hitting stuff. Falling off on the the floor of the Bus. Digging under the seat of some fat lady. I'll keep my small Pre.
I was actually hesitant about the pre due to the screen size. After consideration though, the fact the the screen is smaller means I can easily put it in my pocket and manipulate it with one hand. The iphone is just too big to do that well.
I was also concerned about the keyboard but it is VERY easy to use. Surprisingly so.
As for the sharp edges. That's just stupid and reveals you to be incredibly trite.
-K
Yeah, the small screen is a feature /s
The iphone is too big to put in your pocket and use with 1 hand? I don't think you're being honest there. Keep drinking the koolaid - you ain't got much left
mmm... kool-aid. sounds really good right now.
OHhhhhhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaah
Is anyone else on sprint not seeing the update? I keep getting a "your phone is up to date" message when I open the software update app. Still shows 1.2.1 in device info.
damn i want to try the pre but i only can order it online..while i got my iphone last year i could at least try it first .. now every dude has apples fruit and the pre would be a perfect thing to replace it but no idea how the quality feeling is....
I can see another minor update in a short time. The way ur phone locks now comepletely lock out to that clue screen where you enter the PW. You no longer get ur screen saver with the pad lock asking you to "drag up to unlock". Which now mean no more being able to see notifications when locked :/ and you longer can control ur music player when locked. I also ran into an issue where I deleted a whole conversation I had with my wife. But when I texted her later, hrs later. All the previous mgs were there again. And it doesn't stop there, I deleted it again and this time everytime I went back to msgling, its would say the was no conversation. But when I would get a msg from my wife the same thing. All the msg from previos converstions were there.. Has anyone ran into these similar issues?
i've had same issues where i would delete a conversation and then it would re-appear or not delete at all. i've even had a few conversations completely disappear and it would not show up in the list of conversations. what would happen is i would send someone a message, and then it would not show up in the list, then they would send me a message and i would be able to see the conversation again then i would back out of the conversation and it would disappear. Then I realized if I search for the name of the person I was having the conversation with it would reappear as I searched for it. But that is just inconvenient sometimes. They should really fix those messaging issues.
wow I used to loved my iphone now I got the pre because of att and they both really good phones and they both have their flaws I miss some things of the iphone but if I live my pre I would miss some things of it so what I mean is that no phone is perfect just buy what fits you and what you can afford
There are some good updates in 1.3.1. The phone is faster and having more basic features is great. Before anyone jumps on "my phone does that already," Palm is creating something. A phone that will do it all and be functional. A difrent animal. Not your cookie cutter phones. Im not saying the iPhone is no good or that Android will fail. They have their fans. What I like is a company that is willing to update ther OS when needed. iPhone has that capability. Good luck with your Moto Droid though. Your dealing with three difrent companies, Verison, Moto, and Google. Im sure support for these devices will match Palm and Apple?????? I've been messed over enough by Samsung and Moto not suporting their devices. Palm is a refreshing company. Keep the updates coming.
Battery life is significantly better.
Lets do it this way, I'm a Pre owner and i'm mostly satisfied with it, but there are a lot of nice devices.
The Palm Pre is the best OS in a concept matter when of thinking of ease of use and fluidness. What it needs is to be on better hardware than the underclocked processor running at 500Mhz and 8GB of space. There are still some missing features that hopefully are coming: Video Camera/Editing, digital camera zoom, on screen keyboard (you can get it if you root your Pre), dynamic application space (too many >2 MB applications) limit how many apps you can have, Web page keyword search, improved cut/copy/paste shortcut (Center Button + C sometimes deletes the text and just writes a "c" if you don't time it right), unable to download MP3 ringtones (built in player just streams the music instead of downloading), text message signatures, being able to look at a landscape picture without the phone rotating the picture, voice activated commands, Adobe Flash Player (which is supposedly coming), a spotlight (i also carry a Blackberry and man that Video Cam spot light comes in handy it's so bright!), and probably others that i cant think of right now. I also want to second the notion that if you're browsing the web you can receive phone calls.
I'm not 100% aware of the shortcomings of the new VZ Droid or the iPhone 3G S, but one phone that people should search on is the HTC HD 2, 4.3 Inch Screen, 1Ghz Processor, 512MB ram, 5MP Camera, and running Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC Sense OS running on top (similar to Touch Pro 2 I think). It's not available in the U.S., but I heard it runs on CDMA as well as GSM.
Overall, all the top phones and OSs each have their missing features, not one has the full advantage over the other, but I will say that I've become addicted to the hardware keyboard as opposed to onscreen.
Probably the coolest features (not all are webOS specific) about the Pre and webOS is the gesture pad fluidity, Contact profile linking (Palm Profile/Google/Facebook/LinkedIn/AIM), universal search just by flipping the phone up and start typing, complete multitasking without losing your spot, changing music tracks play/pause/skip without unlocking the phone, Text/MMS/and Instant Message conversations all appear in one stream for a contact (goes with profile linking), All-in-one calendars, and others maybe not noteworthy of mentioning.
I'm not opposed to trying out new devices, but I just need to get my hands on them :)
Any questions?
***GMAIL WAS FIXED***
POP 3 access to GMail has been fixed. Previously anytime it checked for new mail, it would delete (without sending to the trash folder) any email that was in the inbox.
Not mentioned anywhwere even from Palm but you can now send contacts via bluetooth! Great to finally get them into my car for the hands free.
hey there everyone, i've read all your posts and yes, it's a nice phone with almost all that we ask for on a 21st century phone, but as a new phone has it's issues. have mine for 2 weeks now and I am a bit disappointed by the fact that the software is limited to a max of apps that we can install, missing features, such as, a button to turn on/off data connection(since I turn it off to save batery), can't send pictures through bluetooth, as foreigner in the UK, I use MSN to contact my friends and family back in my Country and cant install it(cose there is no version for palm pre), uploaded some mp3's to the phone and they dont come up on the player, they only show when I go to ringtones. well, the list goes on, overall is a good phone, with software issues, just waiting for an update or I will go back to the store with it as it doesnt fit my needs as I expected.. Here's my opinion, Thank You.