Palm Pre: The Sequel - Design
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In terms of appearance, the Palm Pre from Sprint is very unassuming, yet has a sleek and attractive design. The Pre comes in a nice, black finish and has rounded edges. Very few buttons are present on its exterior, keeping true to the saying that “less is more.” The exterior of the phone is attractive and especially good for those who do not like a lot of buttons or clutter.
The Pre is made of plastic yet solidly built. Physically, the Pre weighs in at 4.76 ounces and measures 3.9 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.6 inches thick when closed. People who dislike clunky phones will be pleased by the Palm Pre, as it fits nicely into the palm of your hand or pocket.
The only button present on the front of the phone is in the center, just beneath the screen. It is used to activate the multitasking Deck of Card view. The back of the Pre houses the phone’s speaker, camera, flash, and battery. The top of the device houses the power button, silent ringer, and 3.5 millimeter headphone jack.
The saying that “good things come in small packages” could definitely be applied to the touch screen display of the Palm Pre. The display measures 3.1 inches diagonally and is smaller than some of its competitors, such as the iPhone. The quality of this smaller display is superb to say the least, though. The 24-bit color display has a 320x480 resolution that successfully produces stunning images and clarity. Browsing the web and viewing images is a joy with the Pre thanks to its sharp display. As you switch your point of view from portrait to landscape the built-in accelerometer on the Pre will automatically adjust the screen’s orientation as well.
The touch screen itself functions well and is responsive to the touch. Palm has made the Pre’s screen multi-touch to match the competing iPhone. You can perform tasks such as zooming in or out by joining or separating fingers, or tapping the screen twice. Another example of the use of the multi-touch screen is to swipe your finger to delete items. Unfortunately, the touch screen of the Pre will not vibrate or give other feedback when you touch it, but it will illuminate what you have touched. The keys used for dialing on the touch screen are large and easy on the eyes. You also have the option to access your call history or voice mail from the dialing screen.
Unlike the iPhone, the Palm Pre comes equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard that is accessed when you slide open the device. Those who like using the familiar physical keyboard as opposed to an onscreen touch keyboard will appreciate the Pre. Unfortunately, the QWERTY keyboard on the Palm Pre seems to have been designed only with small-fingered people in mind. The keys have very limited spacing and this could frustrate users with large fingers. Also, the QWERTY keyboard is the only one available on the Pre, as it lacks an onscreen touch keyboard for typing. You can only enter items into forms and other things on the web using the full QWERTY keyboard.
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