Palm Pre Launch Lacks Wow Factor and Customers

The Palm Pre mobile smartphone went on sale today for the first time across the nation at Sprint Stores, Best Buy, and RadioShack. The one thing missing from the launch? Campers. The Palm Pre launch lacked people camping and waiting early in lines to be one of the first to snag a Palm Pre, even after the company announced shortages.

With the lack of early birds, it looks like the launch is off to a not as expected start. With Apple's first generation iPhone there were huge lines and camping in front of Apple stores and even so with the iPhone 3G. We've seen no sign of such for the Palm Pre launch. Maybe it's because the Palm Pre doesn't bring anything new and extraordinary to the table over the iPhone or perhaps its the lack of advertising on Palm and Sprint's part?

The Palm Pre is not nearly as solid and polished as the iPhone, with some of the edges being sharp and 'unfinished'.

However, all of the cons a side the Palm Pre shines where the Apple iPhone doesn't. For example the Pre has the ability to run multiple applications at one time while the iPhone currently cannot.

In addition to running multiple apps on the Pre, they also run a "window" mode and you can maximize them so it takes up the whole screen - and then switch back if you desire. It's a lot like running a maximized application in Windows but then hitting F11 and it going full screen.

This makes it a great multi-tasking phone. You have the ability to having the Internet browser running, listening to Internet Radio, download an app from the Palm App store and reading your email all at the same time.

Sure, neither of the iPhone nor the Palm Pre are perfect but I wouldn't trade in my iPhone for the Pre, especially with WWDC right around the corner.

The Palm Pre is available at $199 after a $100 mail-in rebate.