| With the recent release of the Palm Pre and the | | | | interface, and a virtual, on-screen keyboard would |
| BlackBerry Storm 2, we are gearing up for a battle | | | | have worked really well. The mobile app store has |
| of the new smartphones. You are now spoilt for | | | | been criticised, because is sparsely populated, with |
| choice, so in this article, we take a look at the | | | | around 100 apps to choose from. But give it a break, |
| pro’s and con’s of the two latest hi-tech | | | | it a new phone and OS, so you can’t really |
| mobiles to hit the market place. | | | | expect too many apps straight away. |
| With the Pre, Palm could be back on track. Sale of | | | | Right, so BlackBerry needs to make amends for the |
| this handset in the US has been pretty good, | | | | mistakes that were made about a year ago when |
| although some have said they did not meet industry | | | | they released the original BlackBerry Storm. The |
| expectations. Many technology analysts have also put | | | | Storm was another phone that got tagged as the |
| the tag of iPhone killer on to the Palm Pre. I’m | | | | new “iPhone Killer” contender pre-release. |
| not going to read into that too much, because we | | | | Users just couldn’t get to grips with the |
| have has a few iPhone Killers in the last year that | | | | SurePress touch-screen interface, which forced users |
| have failed. | | | | to “click” the entire screen to confirm an |
| Its biggest selling point is its operating system, | | | | action. |
| webOS, which was built by Palm from scratch, | | | | Things are looking better second time round with the |
| especially for this device. It aims to make it much | | | | Storm 2. It has Wi-Fi, (something that was |
| easier for users to draw together social networking | | | | annoyingly left of the first Storm handset), improved |
| sites, disparate contacts, email accounts and other | | | | battery life, and a more sophisticated and |
| tools on one single platform, with what they call Palm | | | | easy-to-use interface. The “popple dome” |
| Synergy. With Palm Synergy all communication takes | | | | has been replaced with SurePress technology. This is |
| place through one point of contact. For example, if | | | | based on an electronic system that provides the user |
| you open your address book, you won’t just | | | | with tactile feedback when the touch-screen is |
| find a phone number and email address, you will also | | | | pressed. The new system responds equally to gentle |
| have access to there IM handle and will tell you if | | | | pressure applied anywhere on the surface of the |
| they are online to chat through say Facebook. The | | | | screen. Typing on the Storm 2’s virtual |
| Pre is definitely an excellent handset, but there are a | | | | keyboards is easier, more comfortable and more |
| few issues to deal with. | | | | accurate. |
| No the downside the keys are very small and are | | | | As you would expect from a BlackBerry Phone, it |
| place to close to one another and the whole keypad | | | | offers the sort of seamless push-email experience |
| sits too near to the device. The Palm Pre is definitely | | | | that people who use a mobile for work crave. The |
| aimed towards those who are after a BlackBerry | | | | BlackBerry remains the best mobile email device on |
| type of user experience, but I don’t think it has | | | | the market and Blackberry seem to have managed |
| managed to do this. It’s a real shame, because | | | | to put together a touch-screen interface with those |
| the touch-screen device boasts a delightful user | | | | all-important productivity capabilities. |