Palm and Sprint issue statement acknowledging Profile backup issue
By Darren Murph 
posted November 25th 2009 10:18AM
posted November 25th 2009 10:18AM
Between this mess and the T-Mobile fiasco, we're pretty certain we're being forced to stay on the manual backup bandwagon for the foreseeable future."We are seeing a small number of customers who have experienced issues transferring their Palm Profile information to another Palm webOS device. Palm and Sprint are working closely together to support these customers to successfully transfer their information to the new device."
[Thanks, Mike]
Wow - if it's bad enough for Palm to actually acknowledge it, it's bad!
I've been shying away from "The Cloud" because I simply don't trust these companies to guard my data exclusively. Either because of negligence, cost-cutting, or both, they keep shooting themselves in the foot. Unfortunately, when they do that there are innocent bystanders.
I've have over a dozen years worth of data on my device, and I haven't lost a bit because I regularly sync my data to my PC, and back up the PC (including an off-site backup).
Now, if someone combines the cloud with my desktop(s), so that I have a multi-node distributed cache, then I'll start to get interested. I want a) a copy on my desk for safe-keeping, b) a copy on my portable device that are usable when it's disconnected from the infrastructure, and c) multiple copies in the distributed service for access anywhere.
I'm calling this "The Fog", as it's a little bit more down to earth.
@Spiny Norman "The Fog" I like it :)
I am with you. I don't trust the cloud either for the same reasons as you.
@Spiny Norman
Something like .Mac (or numbers of free services, as someone will point out)?
Copies are kept locally on my computers, when syncing (and overwriting ton of local data, as would happen if there was a problem), message pops up warning me if I want to change more than x% of local data ...
I have no problem with cloud backup, but I would not feel comfortable if cloud was the only place for my data...
@Spiny Norman
LMAO, "The Fog," I LOVE it. Please get that trademarked ASAP, and become a patent troll. I'll let sue anyone you want because you bring valid points.
@Spiny Norman
The Fog. You know, that's a pretty good idea.
I hope it happens...
;-),
Whoops.
I have full faith in cloud storage and cloud computing, but companies like Palm and Microsoft keep making people lose trust. Bunch of amateurs, I say.
Well are they losing the data or are they just incapable of pushing it to a new device?
@glamajamma In my personal experience, the data is currently unknown, problem is with the OS version numbers and how when you get a new phone (in my case a replacement Pre) and you spend too much time reading engadget, you have the latest OS version, and the replacement phone does not... well bam! The data can't be pushed backward and even when you update to the newer OS you're still stuck because you threw a wrench in it
thats a great idea.
@spiny norman
thats a great idea.
With regard to the last sentence of the article, can the Pre even be backed up manually? I thought there was no way to do that.
@John H
http://www.precentral.net/how-back-your-palm-profile-information
@John H
I back up my Palm Pre to one of my Unix computers which is running rsyncd. The setup is not difficult if you are a Unix user already. My "rsyncd.conf" on the Unix side only contains:
pid file = /var/run/rsyncd.pid
uid = root
gid = wheel
use chroot = yes
hosts allow = 10.0.0.188 10.0.0.199
hosts deny = *
[palm_pre]
read only = no
path = /usr/green/palm_pre
Naturally, I also have a firewall rule allowing rsyncd only on my internal network. On the Palm Pre, I have a small shell script, "backup.sh", that I run from the Terminal application installed via Preware:
#!/bin/sh
rsync -HrlptgoDPvvS --force --delete --del --stats --exclude=/sys --exclude=/proc --exclude=/dev / rsync:/root@10.0.0.1/palm_pre/
I will refrain from putting a walkthrough of enabling developer mode and installing homebrew applications like Preware and/or Terminal.
@John H
You can manually back much of your data, most importantly your contact,s via WebOS Quick Install.
Based on what I've read about it and the verbiage of the Palm/Sprint statement, it sounds like they're just having trouble pushing data to new devices. If that's the case, I suppose it's some comfort that the data isn't lost, but in some ways that makes it even more frustrating to know that the data is out there but not available to you.
Totally off topic but does anyone why my user photo (avatar I suppose) doesn't show up? I only get this generic, default gameboy-gizmo pic. Any info on why our pics don't show up? Thanks.
@Scape3d I would, just for the fun of it, try to re-upload the photo.
@pavlindrom
I have try to upload it again several times. Nothing. Is there an image size requirement or something?
@Scape3d I don't know that. I'm just a user who had an image displaying for a few months... sorry for the inability to help, while looking like I could.
John and glama, the problem is that THEY HAVE DELETED THE DATA. This is not merely an inability to push data to new phones. What has happened is that the user's profiles get over written with a new, blank profile. And the older profile is not properly backed up - and it's gone for good!
man get rid of this palm profile crap....its for ppl too lazy to learn or backup their own info....get a real PDA/smartphone.....what happen to backing up your data on your own....and this profile only does contacts, no calendar, no notes, no nothing.....get rid of you it....PREmature!!!!!!!!!!!!
@c4inam2n WTF are you talking about, it backs up calendar and notes....please don't comment in you don't know WTF your talking about.
@cool5 what does that prove? Unless you physically use the phone for any period you are just BSing it.
my Pre has been one of the most trouble free phones I have EVER had. And i have dealt with a lot fo phones.
Android doesn't have the polish though i have thoroughly played with his android phone (G1) and consider it pretty top notch, it still has a little growing to do.
Bring back HotSync!!!
This conversation seems to have gone in the Microsoft sucks, Palm sucks, Android sucks, Apple sucks direction of most Engadget discussions. Bottom line... they all suck, but the biggest sucker of all is the Cloud. The Cloud really sucks... Business users of phones, computers etc spend countless hours (including my entire day today and I'm a salesperson not an IT guy) backing up data, as many times on as many drives in as many places as possible. Data, not the coolest slickest GoogMacinPrePhone is the most valuable thing out there. Worth a lot more than the carrier subsidized ten dollar phone that will be obsolete tomorrow. Remember the Motorola StarTAC? Great phone, still have my contact list from it, but you don't still see me using it! So quit bitching about who lost what Sidekick data, backup your phone as many ways as possible and try to tell companies the Cloud is not the answer because then someone else owns my data... Looking especially at you Google
Wow, this new site layout sucks. Old one please!
Nice to see it being acknowledged and that the companies are trying to do something to get everything back in order.
The purpose of a Cloud is to one day rain. How can people complain about getting wet is beyond me.
this is exactly why palm pre (webos) and other devices that hold important data (android) need an offline backup service OPTION along with whatever convenient crap they come up with next
give us choices dang it and stop following apple's communistic ways of doing business...there are reasons why not everyone has an islab.
@jxc
wow, that would be a really intelligent communist reference were it not for the fact that Apple's... er... the most successful company with the most successful mobile platform, far and away, in this market.
So, you're advice, to the fledgling Palm + Sprint combo is to not be like Apple, who's printing money? Brilliant. You know if it wasn't for the iPhone, no Palm Pre would exist? You can bet Palm is going to copy Apple at every single turn. Whether they're allowed to do that, legally, is another matter.
I know I know, it was meant to be another childish reference to Apple's supposed "my way or the highway" App store policies, but you're really grasping at straws there.
And by the way, you might think 'not everyone has an iDevice' but the truth is, every smartphone released since mid-2007 for all intents and purposes either is an iDevice or tries to be one. The iPhone killers and their ilk? Wake up. It's Steve Jobs' world. You're just living in it.
@(Unverified) first of all nokia and symbian are number in market share....with palm the iphone wouldnt exist so there you go
everyone copies the best and the iphone has currently the best UI according to the majority of people's opinion but in my opinion they need a physical keyboard and go to an affordable network like sprint that gives you good service for the money or go to the best for the money (Verizon)....ATT charges alot for service that is below sprint.
my childish reference has nothing to do with the app store...steve jobs has always thought like a communist....in the 80's one of there first computers barely had keys on the keyboard, no arrows......they refuse to put 2 buttons on the computer mouses even though it obviously needs it.....i could go on all here
please remove steve jobs balls from your forehead and you may live in steve jobs world but i do not....i do agree that unfortunatly even palm has copied the bad things from the iphone (no access to file system on the phone, mediocre copy and paste=no copy and paste for 2 years, etc....)...also steve jobs world on the ipod and the rental ipod but the rest of the business (computers) jobs world has a population of 10 people...excuse me...10%
I'm thankful they backed up anything at all. I installed too many tweaks and busted the operating system. I had to do a total restore and remove everything...it was kind of my fault anyway hahaha