Palm Pre First Impressions

I played with a Palm Pre for a bit yesterday. Here are my first impressions...

The Pre is smaller than I expected, especially when closed. The screen seems small having used an iPhone although it is clear enough and quite responsive. It feels heavier than I expected for the size and it is decidedly thicker than an iPhone though.

The keys on the keyboard are tiny! I found though that I could type on them but the on screen keyboard on the iPhone is bigger. I don't think the Pre is that well built for such an expensive phone, it feels very cheap plastic.

I didn't find the UI as easy as the iPhone to work but once I got used to it and the card concept it was good enough and the multi tasking beats the iPhone.

Then there is the storage, 8Gb and no way to add more. This just isn't enough and if you are going to sell a device without removable storage then you need to have more than this.

Web browsing and Google maps were good, seemed the same as the iPhone but the smaller screen showed.

Would I swap it for my iPhone? No way! But if you like the form factor and can cope with the keyboard and storage then this is worth a look. I hope to get my hands on an Android handset (HTC Hero) soon and then do a comparative review of current smartphones.