An article at PCWorld.com is a call to Microsoft to waste no time in buying Palm and lay to rest the aging Windows Mobile platform. We remember it was just a few years ago that ridicule and scorn was heaped upon Palm for their long-in-the-tooth “FrankenGarnet” OS (Palm OS 5) and Windows Mobile was sitting atop the smartphone world. But oh, how times have changed – the smartphone world is ruled mainly by Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s BlackBerry, and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile is a wallflower at the dance.

David Coursey’s article at PCWorld proposes that both Microsoft and Palm can benefit from a buyout by Microsoft and that the Pre could more fully compete against the iPhone with more resources and capital behind it. The question is, would a Palm buyout (or even partial buyout) really be a good thing for the rest of us? We think that Palm is getting along well on their own, and even though there have been a few mistakes along the way (some Pre quality issues and a strange commercial campaign, to name a couple), Palm’s stock has shot upward and the Pre is considered a respectable success. With a bit of fine-tuning and some additional webOS devices on other carriers, Palm is poised to make a run and the bloat of Microsoft will just sap away much-needed momentum. What do you think?

Source: pcworld.com

The Palm Pre ad campaign has certainly made some waves, where some think they convey Pre’s powerful Synergy concept well while others think they are just plain weird. The creative mind behind this commercial campaign is Gary Koepke of Modernista. Mr. Koepke explained the commercials in this way:

It’s a very different look and feel for this sector. There’s nobody involved in an iPhone ad, and ‘Your life is on BlackBerry’ — isn’t that great? Instead of having a life? We wanted a middle ground between those two places — what about the people who want a really great smartphone?

There are moments when this philosophy shines through, but for the most part, the message may be getting lost in the fog of strangeness. Nevertheless, the commercials are memorable, and soon Palm will reload the airwaves with new commercials that hopefully will connect better with the consuming masses. Did this series of commercials connect with you in any way, or is it time for Palm to try again?

Source: Palm WebOS.org

For a while there, Sprint discontinued online sales of the Palm Pre and customers needed to hit their local Sprint stores to buy it. Now, the convenience of online shopping has returned with the Pre being sold through Amazon.com for $199 with contract. Surf on over to Amazon and pick up a new Pre on Sprint’s network and enjoy some free shipping too. If you don’t want to wait on a few days for shipping, you can always buy it the old-fashioned way at a Sprint store.

Source: PreThinking

Canadians have cause to rejoice and may soon be Synergizing with a shiny new Palm Pre in their hands on the Bell network. Get ready to flick some cards on the webOS interface! In-store advertising reads that the Palm Pre is “coming soon” and Bell customers can “order yours today”, which sounds like pre-orders will be accepted. Although there is no date certain by which the Pre will be stocked on the shelves and rolling out the door, the increase in advertising by Bell points to an imminent launch on their network. When Canada gets the Pre, we will be sure to shout it from the … uh… blogosphere.

Source: IntoMobile

While we wait and wait for more apps to become available in the App Catalog for the Palm Pre, we can at least whet our appetite with news of new apps that will eventually be available to us for download. Later this year, VOXOFON will have a VoIP app available to Pre users. This app will facilitate placing low-cost international calls from the Pre, even without a Wi-Fi connection. Also, there are no contracts, subscriptions or recurring fees to worry about. Now we just need the App Catalog to deliver.

Source: everythingpre

We reported a few weeks ago that more apps were coming soon to the App Catalog, and finally this is coming to pass – two new apps are now available, OpenTable and Fliq Bookmarks. OpenTable helps you find a restaurant nearest you, with functionality like adding to your Calendar and getting directions. Fliq Bookmarks is an expansion of the Missing Sync app and allows you to sync Safari bookmarks from your Mac computer.

Yes, the addition of two apps is nothing to write home about, but it’s like waiting in a really long line that hasn’t moved much, then suddenly lurches forward several steps and inspires hope that someday you’ll get to the front. Keep an eye on the App Catalog – Palm promises that this is just the beginning.

Source: PreThinking

A new Palm Pre commercial has hit the airwaves, yet another installment in the campaign featuring actress Tamara Hope. The new commercial, “My Phone Can Read My Mind”, is a brief spot emphasizing the Pre’s Synergy capabilities – aggregating calendar and contacts in a way that it’s like the phone can read minds. Although a little strange – especially when Ms. Hope seems to be talking to herself and says at first the Pre “kinda freaked me out” and knows that she’s “crazy” – the ad campaign is effective due to it’s memorability. Take a look and decide for yourself.

Source: everythingpre

Even in the midst of troubling economic times and thousands of layoffs already conducted with thousands more on the way, Verizon Wireless is reporting a silver lining – CFO John Killian is sticking to his guns in telling analysts that Verizon will carry the Pre “early next year.” How early is “early next year?” Hard to say, but early next year would seem to indicate sometime in the first quarter. Another silver lining? Perhaps by the time Verizon has the Pre, all the wrinkles will be ironed out. Hey Palm, what about a webOS phone for AT&T please?

Source: All Things Digital

There were numerous reports on the Intertubes that Best Buy listed the Pre at a mere $99, and allegedly there are some lucky folks that picked up a Pre at that price before Best Buy corrected their mistake. Best Buy marketing manager John Bernier quickly issued a statement via Twitter to correct the blunder and that the mistake would be corrected shortly, but the $100 dollar question is whether or not there are still some lucky souls that can get a $99 Pre before the correction is made? Let us know if you are one of the lucky few!

Source: engadget

Options – they are nice to have. Up until now, the only ways to charge your Pre was either with the supplied USB cable or the rather expensive Touchstone charging station. Over at the Palm Infocenter store, you can pick up an inexpensive charging cradle ($24.95), from Mobi Products, that charges via your computer’s USB port or A/C power adapter and even has space to charge an extra battery. If you decide to pick one up, let us know what you think, either in comments or in the forum.

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