"$199.99 after $100 mail-rebate and 2-year contract"
I really hope this Palm Pre does well. I would have higher hopes for it if it didn't have carrier lock-in. We'll see if this Sprint-only deal lasts long or if it goes carrier neutral soon.
I do too, mainly because I want to see more JS/HTML based mobile device development, possibly some standard APIs in the near future.
I've been spoiled by the web and I don't like having to deal with multiple languages, platforms and dev environments just to be able to reach a decent portion of my potential audience.
The difficulty is that the Pre is a CDMA 1x-EVDO handset, which is really only compatible on a few networks (Verizon, Sprint, and a few other regional carriers). Unless Palm has a super-secret GSM one waiting in the wings, it could take some time for the Pre to filter over to other networks.
It won't last long. Palm has done this over and over. They launch on one carrier first because they get paid a lot to do it, then 6 months later start rolling out to everyone else.
The videos I've seen of it make it look pretty second-rate. It probably compares well against other smart phones but it doesn't seem like a "real" competitor to the iphone. A JS/HTML SDK might be nice but it's not as deep and powerful as the iPhone's.
I really hope this Palm Pre does well. I would have higher hopes for it if it didn't have carrier lock-in. We'll see if this Sprint-only deal lasts long or if it goes carrier neutral soon.