Palm: Keep the Emoticons, Give Me Apps
Perhaps most of us will never be privaleged enough to know Apple’s real strategy to keep the Palm Pre at bay. But Apple has seemingly forced Palm into preparing frequent updates to the Pre’s operating system just to keep the devices syncing with iTunes. The result is Palm failing to deliver what users really want; applications. Meanwhile, in the past month or so, the number of new iPhone applications has kept pace with the birth rate in China. iPhone application download statistics are beginning to look like a McDonald’s sign; Billions and Billions served. In the same period of time Palm has given three webOS updates and only one new application. Oh yeah, they just added emoticons…whoopee. Hey Palm, thanks for the smiley face OS but what I really want is new apps.
Dissonance, or buyer’s remorse, is that feeling that sets in shortly after making a significant purchase.
Pre sales had been brisk following the much hyped launch but have cooled dramatically according to some estimates. The reason that iPhone users are so fond of their phones is that every time they download a new application they get to fall in love with their phone all over again. Perhaps Apple figured out that a steady stream of new applications keeps the love alive and help users overlook that AT&T iPhone plans are among the most expensive in the industry.
Over the weekend my phone indicated there was an update to webOS version 1.1.0 which I dutifully installed. This is the first update in which I could see real noticeable differences. Finally all my mobile prayers had been answered. Now when I insert colon + capital P into a text message, my intended recipient knows that I was sticking my tongue out at them. I no longer have to waste words telling someone that I am unhappy; colon + left parenthesis can do the dirty work for me. Oh Palm, you really understand me.
You understand me so well that you know how much I love to play Connect Four, the only game available for my phone. Now whenever I’m waiting for a meeting or otherwise ‘in disposed’ I can be reminded that I still suck at Connect Four just as much as I did when I was eight. You also understand me so well that you know how much I love to pay for my Audible subscription but still can’t listen to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell through my Pre. Thanks though for NFL Mobile Live, the only new application since I got my Pre. I really do want to build my fantasy football team to satisfy my Bejeweled-jones. You really do understand me.
The webOS update does add some valuable functionality to essential functions such as email and syncing contacts with Facebook and Google. But seriously Palm, instead of wasting time and resources to give me cute smileys how about fostering the developer community instead.
Apple has had a long history of managing a vibrant developer community for all of their products. This practice has perhaps been most effective for the iPhone. However Palm seems to have missed this lesson. Recently, perhaps to stimulate webOS development, Palm changed the developer application process and has made the Mojo webOS Development Kit available to anyone with an email address.
webOS hackers appear to be more active than the rest of the developer community. The process of ‘side-loading’ homebrew applications to a Pre takes advantage of a loophole in the structure of the operating system. Applications such as Pimp My Pre and Tip Calculator demonstrate that developers are finding ways to extend their Pre and make it more useful much like the iPhone development community. But these homebrew applications are unauthorized third-party efforts that can tend to be buggy and Palm can close the side-load loophole in any webOS update. The lesson here for Palm is that “you have built it, help them code.”
The one very bright spot in the new webOS update is that Pre Media Sync works once again with iTunes. I was amazed and overjoyed when I first plugged my Pre into my PC and it launched iTunes. I thought it was a mistake at first and I even tweeted about it. Apple, in a very childish and shortsighted move, released an iTunes version 8.2.1 to block synching with non-Apple media players, i.e. Palm Pre. Ha Ha Apple, I just ignored the update because I knew it would end my ability to sync with iTunes.
Palm fired back and re-enabled iTunes Media Sync in the latest webOS update. My plea to Apple is to live and let live. I have three, yes three iPods in addition to my Palm Pre. I use my Pre for music while in the gym in case I get a work call I need to take. I use a Nano with the Nike + Sport Kit while jogging, an 80Gb iPod Classic during the balance of my waking hours and a Shuffle when none of the above are the right device. I actually buy music from the iTunes store! By allowing me to continue synching my Pre with iTunes you are not failing to motivate me toward an iPhone but rather helping a loyal customer continue a pleasurable experience with your products. C’mon Apple, I’m a Memphian. We gave Steve his new liver, ignoring my Pre’s ability to sync with iTunes pales by comparison.
Palm, I’m really pleased so far with the Pre. You have done a great job with the phone but a lousy job at making me love it every day. I’m sad (colon + left parenthesis) that I can’t have applications that would make me happy (colon + right parenthesis). It would be cool as big sunglasses (8 + right parenthesis) and I would have a big smile on my face (colon + capital D) if you could step up the efforts to stimulate the developer community (colon + capital P). In fact, I would be a perfect little angel (lower case o + colon + hyphen + right parenthesis) if you’d hook a brother up. And by the way, you really do understand me because you know how much I hate emoticons.
Kiss, kiss (colon + asterisk, colon + asterisk).
