Archive for January, 2009
Palm, Inc. recently released its newest handset, the Pre, which is a gorgeous touchscreen phone that rivals the iPhone and the Android platforms. With the positive buzz the unit is currently generating in the web space, this could be the next big hit for Palm and can possibly be the real “iPhone killer”.
A blog on Yahoo! has praises for the Pre and a main reason for this is Palm’s new platform dubbed as the WebOS. The Yahoo! blog has these nice things to say about the handset:
Running Palm’s gorgeous (if belated) new platform, dubbed WebOS, the touchscreen Pre could well be Palm’s savior, and perhaps its biggest hit.
So, as for the Pre itself: It’s got a big, 3.1-inch 480 by 320 touch display (yes, with multitouch and an accelerometer), weighs in at 4.8 ounces, and comes with a curved, slide-out keypad. Yes, it does Wi-Fi and 3G (EV-DO Rev. A, to be exact), as well as GPS (with turn-by-turn directions courtesy of TeleNav), stereo Bluetooth, 8GB of internal storage, a 3MP camera, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a removable battery.
But the key to the Pre is its OS, and WebOS—previously code-named “Nova”—is one of the hottest mobile platforms I’ve seen yet, rivaling both Android and Apple’s iPhone OS.
But Palm’s done a few key things differently here, starting with the “gesture” area at the bottom or side of the screen (if you’re, say, surfing the Web in landscape mode).
More importantly, though, is WebOS’s way of letting you handle and sort all your open applications like a deck of cards. If you’re composing an e-mail, for example, you can flick up, call open a new application, and then return to your e-mail at any point. All open applications appear as windows (similar to the windows in the iPhone’s Web browser), and you can flick back and forth, reorder them, and discard them at will.
WebOS also introduces a concept dubbed “Synergy,” which all applications can continuously get info from the Web. The best example: WebOS’s unified contact list, which seamlessly displays all your contacts and grab their e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and IM handles from Facebook, Gmail, Exchange, you name it.
And then there’s the WebOS “Dashboard”: a flexible space at the bottom of the screen for calling, messaging, and appointment alerts. As you’re working in other applications, you might see the first line of a text message or IM, or the Dashboard might open a bit bigger for a calendar alert, complete with “dismiss” and “snooze” options. When alerts appear, you’re free to keep working in your open application, or you can go ahead and open the alert—and if you want to answer an IM, you can swipe to that “card” in WebOS, and then return to your previous application card. Great stuff.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention “Touchstone,” a little hockey puck of an accessory with a killer feature—wireless charging. Just place the Pre on top of the Touchstone device to power it up. Awesome.
Expect more internet buzz as soon as the Pre gets officially released in the market.
The HP Mini 1000 is Hewlett Packard’s second weapon in the netbook wars. The HP Mini-Note 2133 was arguably the best looking netbook in the market, with its nice aluminum case and high resolution screen. What kept it from becoming a hit was its slow VIA C7-M processor and its expensive price. Luckily, HP listened to the critics and came up with a hit in its second try in the netbook space.
The unit I bought (officially labeled HP Mini 1001TU) has a 10.2 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display, 1GB of RAM and a 60GB HDD. It has an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, Bluetooth, WiFi, webcam, 3-cell battery and runs on Windows XP Home SP3.
Overall, the HP Mini 1000 is one of the nicest looking netbooks I’ve seen thanks to its slim design and the attractive pattern on its glossy lid. The HP Mini 1000 is one of the thinnest and lightest netbooks around, weighing just 2.25 pounds and measuring just 1 inch thick.
For me the only serious drawbacks to this excellent product are its hard drive, which is the 4200 RPM kind and therefore slower compared to the standard hard drives which spin at 5400 RPM, and the limited USB ports (just 2 for all models), when most other netbooks have three. There’s a proprietary HP jack which means you’ll need to purchase a separate VGA adapter if you want to plug in a monitor.
If you can get past the thought that the HP Mini 1000 only comes with a 4200 RPM hard disk and has limited number of connection options, then this notebook is currently the best choice in the market. With its excellent design, large keyboard and competent hardware, the HP Mini 1000 is surely a winner.
