The Palm Pre.  (Not to be confused with the Palm Treo Pro.)

It has almost everything I want, and more:

• Large 3.1 inch touchscreen – 320×480 resolution HVGA display
• Slide-out physical QWERTY keyboard (and if you complain about old Sidekick-like sliding keyboards, wait till you SEE this!)
• GPS
• WiFi
• EVDO via the Sprint network
• Integrated IM, SMS, and email
• 3 megapixel camera with flash
• Three sensors: ambient light, accelerometer, and proximity
• 8gig storage (but no SD card slot)
• Wireless charging dock (yes, I said wireless)
• … and it feels like a smooth pebble in your hand …

I’ve looked at the iPhone and found it wanting for several reasons.   I’ve been waiting with bated breath for an Android smartphone running on the Verizon or Sprint network that looks and acts better than Tmobile’s new “brick.”  

But the Palm Pre might win my heart quicker than a beautiful Android phone.  Since the Sprint Palm Pre is coming out the first half of 2009, and since rumors have it that a Sprint Android phone will come out around the same time, it may be a true race to see which one I pick.

There are some things I really like about my trusty (but becoming ancient) Palm Treo 755p that I hope will carry over into the Palm Pre.  Let’s call it a Deaf Geek Wishlist:

• Chatteremail was hands down the best email program I’ve ever used.  It was ultimately bought by Palm.  Will it be used as the default email program in the new Pre?  I hope so.
• I loved the Palm’s LED notification that lights up (or blinks, depending on how you set it) if you’ve got new email.  Will the Pre have this too?
• Via Chatteremail, I could set the Palm Treo 755p to vibrate up to 9 times for a new email.  I could even set it to vibrate 5 times for email from my partner and 3 times for anybody else’s.  The iPhone and the Android G1 only vibrates one time for new email etc.  Will the Pre be able to vibrate multiple times (ok, I know this isn’t sounding right, but stay with me please), and can this be customizable?
• I must have an IMAP connection that works in the background while the smartphone’s screen is off.  Yes, like Chatteremail (again, that program!) does.  Emails must be fetched from my IMAP account (like Gmail) nearly as quickly as they arrive — and not 5 or 10 or 15 minutes later via polling.  And this must be done without having to set up or sign up for an Exchange server.  If this cannot be done on the Pre, then the deal’s off and I’m running off with an Android phone.
• Will the Pre have videocamera capability?  I hope so.  I like recording quick video messages and sending them to my love and our children.  I just wish there was a videocamera on front of the Pre as well so I can have a videophone conversation.  Ah well, can’t have everything!

Some quick specs — it’ll have built-in GPS (including navigation), run on Windows Mobile (not Palm OS – damn), have wi-fi (yay!), have 256mb RAM memory, 2.0 megapixel camera, 320×320 touch screen that’s flush with the rest of the body (easier to keep clean!), have a slimmer body (I think it went through the South Beach diet), 3G data connectivity (fast data speeds), microUSB connector (no more hunting for the right connector!), and more.

I’m disappointed that it’s running on Windows Mobile instead of Palm OS — I run plenty of programs that are Palm OS-only, like Chatter, Bonsai, Bubbles, and a few others. Plus, I’m not certain how I can set up push email on Palm devices running on Windows Mobile, like I have on Palm OS devices.

(Thanks, Treonaunts!)

EDIT 8/22: Here’s the official Palm announcement, and a followup Palm blog post being bemused at all the attention and adoration it’s getting.

(Image thanks to Palmaddict which already blogged about this little gem along with several recommendations for better app-switching programs)

The biggest change is that for Palm Centro smartphones, it supports “My Location,” a close approximation of where you are. While it’s not exact, it’s good when searching for nearby stores. However, as my poor hapless partner reports, it’s confusing to see My Location when following driving directions — he constantly thinks it’s exactly where he is, and consequently gets lost. Turn it off when following directions, honey!

There are a few more smaller changes, notably combining “Location” and “Search” into one option. When using the keypad to scroll the screen, the scrolling is done smoothly instead of jerkly – a nice touch and easier for tracking the moving screen. When a location is found, a small green arrow “drops” onto it — nice animation. And when opening a location, you can then see links for “Directions to here,” “Directions from here,” and “Search nearby.”

Just don’t forget to periodically reset Google Maps, or else your map cache will grow too large.

Very nice touches, Google! One of my favorite Palm programs has gotten even better.

(What, you’re reading this because you thought the title meant something more risque than this? Please! This is a somewhat family-friendly blog!)

I’d repeatedly press the HotSync button, and disconnect and then reconnect my Palm with the Sync cable up to ten or even twenty times before it would finally start the HotSync process. Very, very frustrating. I knew it was because of dirt and gunk accumulated in the connector at the bottom of the Palm unit, but still …

Then while trying to clean my Palm’s connectors with Purell, I discovered something.

Every time I want to sync my Palm, all I need to do is to rub a dab of Purell a bit vigorously along the connectors. It will sync after each time I do this. Without fail.

But then when I take my Palm and use it for more than a few minutes and try to sync it again without a dab of Purell, it won’t work. And then I have to rub Purell again along the Palm connectors so I can sync it.

So now every time I want to sync my Palm, I just rub Purell along it first. Works every time.

Who knew that a bit of Purell on the base of one’s Palm works just like a lubricant?

(Ok, I couldn’t resist. Family time again.)

(Click on the photo for a larger version)

Here’s what you’d get with the Palm Centro, running on the Palm OS:

• Palm OS 5.4.9
• 1.3 megapixel camera / video
• 64mb storage
• Removable battery
• 320×320 screen
• EvDO network (near broadband-speed Internet)
• Bluetooth compatible
• Comes with IM, text-messaging, phone, and email (although the built-in Versamail email program does not use push technology — so just download Chatter Email and follow my instructions to get push email)
• Comes with the typical PDA tools of contacts, calendar, tasks, memos, and sync
• MP3 player built in
• Full keyboard (actually a rubber sheet!)
• MicroSD expansion slot (in side of unit)
• Available in two colors: ruby red and onyx black
• Smallest and lightest Palm smartphone ever

At this point, I’m not sure why this is a “cheap” Palm compared to the Palm Treo line (which can be as low as $199 but can be as high as $450). The case is lighter and made of durable firm plastic, and these units will have an IM client built in — at least only for those units being sold by Sprint. The Centro actually seems to be a mini version of the Palm Treo 755p, so time will tell why this is a more inexpensive alternative. I should note that Sprint has an exclusive contract to sell the Centro for 90 days, and that other carriers may be carrying the Centro starting in January. Hopefully my favorite, Verizon, will sell this very soon …

(I should note that a Treocentral blog post explains that this smartphone would be terrific for entry-level users, but nto necessarily for power users. Interesting.)

So … Just what am I doing on my Palm Treo 650?

Ah, here’s a quick list of what I might be doing on the Treo at any given moment:

• Checking out my Mobile Facebook page (including reading and writing on people’s walls, checking on who just joined as a new friend, and reading new Facebook emails;
• Reading and sending emails via Chatter (see my blog post about setting up push email using Chatter)
• Reading e-books that I purchased via eReader (believe me, it becomes easy after a while to read books on the Palm, and it’s difficult to go back to the printed page!);
• Catching up with everyone’s blogs as well as news headlines using Google Reader’s mobile page;
• Making sure there’s no traffic on my way home via Google Maps Mobile;
• Checking out my Proud Geek blog stats via WordPress’s admittedly bare-bones mobile page;
• Playing either Bubblet or WordPop!;
• Maintaining my to-do list and generally managing info via either Vitalist’s mobile page or Bonsai;
• Checking the weather via Accuweather’s mobile page;
• Writing documents and spreadsheets via Docs to Go;
• Browsing the Internet using Googlizer (via Google’s mobile page) to optimize webpages for smartphones;

If you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, Mr. Proud Geek makes it sound like his Palm Treo 650 is just like a laptop!” then you’re exactly right. Exactly right.

That’s me, Mr. Proud Geek, in the photo below. I’m at the Miami Seaquarium, holding my younger daughter and using my Treo while dolphins frolic and splash us all. (In the photo, I’m actually emailing fellow Treo fanatic Chris.  Click on the photo for a larger version.)

Good news: my younger daughter finally quit her pacifier a few days ago. Hooray!

The Palm Treo 500v is the slimmest Treo ever, and it comes with a nice upgrade of features, including:

• Delivery of MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail emails as they arrive — a very nice touch, considering that it was difficult in the past to get push email on Windows-based Palm Treos without an Exchange server
• 2.0 megapixel camera for sharp pictures and videos
• 150mb of memory — plenty for all of your music and videos that you’d play with the built-in Windows Media Player Mobile.

(EDIT: Some downsides. The screen is non-touch — the first time ever for a Palm Treo. Makes it more akin to a Blackberry, eh? Also, the keyboard’s smaller than other Treos, so if you’re stubby-fingered, well …)

You want one? If you’re living in North America, you’re outta luck for a while — the Palm Treo 500v is only available in several countries in Europe for the time being.

Do I want one? No, because I want a Treo that runs on Palm OS. But I could be swayed if the software is right …

If you’re wondering — yes, the “500v” is a lower number than some of the latest Palm Treos out there (680, 700, 755). This apparently reflects the fact that this would be more inexpensive, and may be available for just $99 with a good voice plan.

Three months ago, I blogged about the Foleo and said at the end, “Sorry, Palm. You gotta work harder. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong — I’ve been a faithful Palm user for nearly ten years.”

I’m thrilled to see that Palm has decided not to go ahead with the Foleo and, instead, focus on its smartphones. From a portion of its blog post announcing its decision:

In the course of the past several months, it has become clear that the right path for Palm is to offer a single, consistent user experience around this new platform design and a single focus for our platform development efforts. To that end, and after careful deliberation, I have decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion product in its current configuration and focus all of our energies on delivering our next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market. We will, of course, continue to develop products in partnership with Microsoft on the Windows Mobile platform, but from our internal platform development perspective, we will focus on only one.

Hooray! Good step back, Palm. Now, it’s up to you to capitalize on your step back by taking two steps forward in the right direction — a superduper smartphone that’ll give the iPhone and the upcoming Google Phone a run for their money.