Well I have a Palm Pre and have been using it for about a month and a half now and really like it but has it gotten enough main stream success to keep things going for Palm?
When the Pre was launched it got a decent amount of hype for a non Apple phone but I am not so sure that its problems can be overlooked given the competition that is out there. The biggest issues that I see are -
1) Build quality - I can overlook some issues with a first generation device but this one has more than its share already. The "Oreo" effect seems to be an issue that most people seem to have to some extent. I have also seen a screen break when the button is pushed too hard (layer under the screen that handles the touch).
2)Apps - I know the iPhone did not have apps for a year but that was then and this is now. The iPhone has gotten people to just expect these things and launching with an anemic app catalog is one of the big complaints I hear around the net. The lack of even homebrew IM apps is something that puzzles me. Hopefully the launch of the paid for apps will bring out the big boys but it can not come to soon for many.
3)Competition - There is of course the iPhone but you can not expect to compete with that right out of the gate. I see the biggest issue for Palm is that they may not have made the best use of their headstart over the big Android onslaught that is coming this holiday season. With the App catalog already full of good apps Android is launching on just about every carrier out there. This will make is hard for Palm with only a single carrier to drum up strong developer support.
In the end I hope Palm can pull it off. They have a very good OS in WebOS and I think the challenge in the marketplace will be good for all consumers. For now I am still torn between keeping my Pre and picking up an HTC Hero when that launches.
