I am an Orange UK customer and I have still five month left on my contract until then I can only dream of owning one.

source:
pay as you go mobile phones

For the non-technical, Palm WebOS is effectively a web browser like Firefox or Internet Explorer. Applications such as the phone dialler, the calendar, the clock, etc, are built using HTML/CSS and Javascript. Which is *exactly* the same technology used to create this web page. But, and it's a biggy, Palm in their wisdom *removed* important functionality from the program model, which is preventing programmers from creating cool apps.

These frustrated developers thought they could port Android and i-Phone apps over to WebOS and thus, populate the Palm Store. *buzzer* Wrong answer. We can develop 'listing' apps very well in WebOS, and a few text based games, but that is about it. With missing code features and no access to the graphics engine, there is no chance of creating 'killer' 2D and 3D games. Even retro classic Space Invaders is a virtual no-go.

Despite Palm's 'generous' offers to host open source apps for free, or pay ~70% of net, developers and development houses are suspending development with WebOS. “Mojo SDK is an overall letdown”, “API's are unfinished”, “It's just not do-able,” are some complaints. Investing time, effort, money and people in other platforms like i-Phone and Android is a better bet: Especially with speculative apps where the market decides the number of downloads.

There seems a cultural issue too where the consumer can 'pimp' their Pre by downloading a 'code patch' from a third party website (like PreCentral or WebOS-Internals). But not every Palm consumer is a freeking Linux geek! I should also add that WebOS apps are *so* open source, that any geek can edit the downloaded *.ipk file… and make changes. Palm did not consider code protection as important, but almost all developers do: especially those developing secure or commercially confidential applications.

There is a glimmer of hope that in Q2 2010, Palm will launch WebOS with support for Adobe Flash. Which will open the flood gates for apps. Go for it Palm!!! This is a *maybe*. In the meantime, the imminent release of WebOS version 1.3 may go some way to addressing developers frustrations. But really, we need WebOS 2.0

So if the shelves in the Palm Store are a little empty, the reason is that WebOS is not the most popular kid on the developer's block right now. But that said, the i-Phone had real issues in uptake when it began; which were solved by opening up its 'Coca' code and aggressively growing the App Store. Sadly Palm didn't learn from Apple's early mistake and seem destined to repeat it. Speculation is the Pre is not shifting in the volumes that Palm expected. Palm's share price was also downgraded this week. Are these connected?

Meanwhile, in an O2 store in Central London… I was playing with a Pre and asked the sales-teen about the quantity of apps. He replied, “there's thousands of them.” The actual figure is just over 300. My advice: if before Christmas you want a nice phone with a real keyboard buy a Pre. If you want to play lots of nice apps on Christmas Day, get another phone.

Andi3 is an Indi3 developer

http://www.palm.com/us/products/phones/pre/

On the other hand, the Palm Pre is the only phone in the last couple of years that has tempted me in any way at all. If they bring out an onscreen keyboard version, I would definitely give it a try.

That said, I'm still tempted to buy a Pre or Pixi (despite it's lack of WiFi), as I like webOS that much!

Now, make it a side-slider, throw in an autofocus camera and memory card slot, and that's a different matter. webOS is definitely exciting, and I hope Palm have enough success with the Pre/Pixi to bring out some second-wave hardware.