Tag: Palm Pre Plus

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Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus

Palm Pre Plus, Verizon Wireless, Palm, Palm Pre, Karie Herring, mommy blogger, thefivefish.com

Palm Pre Plus, Verizon Wireless, Palm, Palm Pre, Karie Herring, mommy blogger, thefivefish.comFor the last several weeks I have shared the options, features, and capabilities of the Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Wireless and how much I have enjoyed the multi-functional use of the phone. I began to compare the phone to the ever popular iPhone as my husband is looking to upgrade and we wanted to be able to compare side-by-side the iPhone to the Palm Pre Plus. We did the comparison because of the options, pros and cons each of the phones carries and as a consumer, you always want to have educated decisions based on available information.

Service

Our comparison started first and foremost with service. I am with Verizon and he is with AT&T. Need I say more. All joking aside, we did compare service coverage and while AT&T boasts a “nationwide network,” we felt their coverage is spotty at best. The Chad can be outside in his office and have a terrible signal and reception, whereas I can be in the latrine, by the pool, in the car, and never lose service with Verizon. Service was also compared when we made  a road trip to California. On Interstate 10, 85, and 8 I had complete service, except for a brief moment when we passed the Federal prison. Whereas his service was cutting in and out as he was making business calls from the road, resulting in dropped calls, returned calls, or resorting to text only. The final result is that Verizon Wireless has a superior coverage area and the drop rate is nil.

Calling Plans

Side-by-side the calling plans between AT&T and Verizon are comparable. Each offering a 10 person calling plan (the 10 most dialed people in your network or out of network), data plans, unlimited calling plans, minutes and unlimited text, so on and so forth. Pricing is obviously comparable and variable based on the level of service (minutes desired), phone, etcetera, but again comparable. The calling plans will differ based on the phone options and here is where: AT&T offers mobile WiFi for laptops (only) with a WiFi data connect card, Verizon Wireless offers mobile WiFi with a data connect card, but Verizon Wireless offers the “Mobile Hot-spot” function with the Palm Pre Plus (for the same fee as a data connect card) thus eliminating the need for the card for WiFi anywhere, in theory you just need the phone. While the iPhone does offer a “router” of sorts for WiFi connectivity on the phone to your computer, the phone itself is NOT mobile WiFi, where the Palm Pre Plus is a true WiFi hotspot anywhere.

Capabilities, Functions, Creature Features

Now this is where the Palm Pre Plus is dead even, if not surpassed by the iPhone. CurrentlyPalm Pre Plus, Verizon WirelessPalm offers a 16GB phone where Apple offers a  8GB, 16GB, and 32 GB. The amount of applications available is hundreds of THOUSANDS for Apple, where Palm has only a few thousand. While still offering a vast amount, the iPhone is far superior. The touch screen for each phone is also fairly comparable, however, whereas the iPhone offers the landscape touch keyboard, the Palm offers a true slide out Qwerty keyboard to handle true style typing, where the touch keyboard may be cumbersome and annoying on the iPhone. Multi-tasking is another upgrade for the iPhone that is comparable to the Palm Pre Plus. The 3G networks are offering so many options with the ability to handle a call, read an email from said caller, toggle between the two tasks and open another if need be, a true smartphone. However, while the iPhone and Palm Pre Plus are neck and neck in options, the brass tax is the operating systems.

A vast majority of smartphone users have been accustomed to Microsoft based operating systems due to their personal computer operating systems, which are largely Microsoft based. When deciding on a phone, one might consider that differences encountered with the iPhone and Apple based operating system as opposed to the Palm Pre Plus and the ever user friendly Microsoft based operating system.

Music. Music is another factor as the iPhone also doubles as an iPod to play music. Have no fear…the Palm Pre Plus is designed and programmed to sync with iTunes so you can download your favorite music, videos, pictures and more. Windows Media Player is also installed on the Palm Pre Plus for those who prefer the Windows based player.

Conclusion

My personal feeling is I LOVE, yes I LOVE my Palm Pre Plus. I have been with Verizon Wireless for over five years,  I have yet to drop a call due to lack of service area, I have yet to have a problem with customer service (I have had faulty phones, I walk into the store, I am helped in less than 30 minutes, problem resolved, no money out of my pocket, no hassles), and my calling plan price is fixed. I am not worried about hidden fees, extra charges, or hiccups. If I were faced with the option to choose a new plan with AT&T and or choose Verizon, my choice is clear, as was my choice in phone. I could not be happier with the ease of use, the multi-tasking abilities, fun, the clarity of the screen, video, and pictures of the Palm Pre Plus. The Palm Pre Plus from Verizon Wireless is definitely mom (and Dad if you ask my husband) approved!

To see how easy the Palm Pre Plus is to use you can check out my quick YouTube video on how easy the Palm Pre Plus is to navigate.

Thank you Verizon Wireless for the opportunity to review your newest phone.

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The Phone is Secondary Palm Pre Plus

Palm Pre Plus, Verizon Wireless, Palm, Palm Pre, Karie Herring, mommy blogger, thefivefish.com

Palm Pre Plus, Verizon Wireless, Palm, Palm Pre, Karie Herring, mommy blogger, thefivefish.comLet the title speak for itself. The Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus is a phone. Hard to believe considering all the capabilities, functions, and amazing wonders this handheld device has to offer.

Talking about the phone with my husband he mentioned how speaking on the phone is truly a secondary operation of the Palm Pre Plus. I have to agree with him. Most of my conversations are done via email, Twitter, Google Talk, text, and Facebook. I can keep up with my family, send quick messages about plans we are making and Google Talk my husband from the car that I need help with the groceries.

Speaking on the phone is difficult. Not the act of speaking itself, but the microphone acts as a megaphone for the person on the other end of the line. One feature that Palm was very superb in creating is a microphone that is very sensitive and responsive. My child can cry from down the hall and when I am on the phone with an automated attendant listening to my options from the prompts, that when my toddler yelps I am directed to some department and line I did NOT choose.

While some phones report complaints of a poor microphone, the Palm Pre Plus is FAR from complaints in poor reception. I bet a spider could fart and the phone could catch it. I kid, I kid. Noise reduction could be an upgrade option for the second generation Palm Pre. However, I firmly believe that verbal conversations are almost null and void on the phone because of the multi-functional, communicative options. An easy to use option exists for a touch screen dial-pad making dialing, phone calls, and connecting simple. But something is truly insatiable about connecting on so many levels through various facets.

As I mentioned I can instant message my husband at any time on Google Talk or text, I can message my sister on text or on Facebook, and I can quickly and swiftly respond to a recent email about my Whrrl posting. With all the options to stay in touch electronically, and considering that many of our schedules are pressed for time, who really has time to talk on the phone anyway?

*I received the phone from Verizon Wireless as part of their campaign to promote the Palm Pre Plus. In no way was my opinion of the phone swayed in exchange for this review. My opinion is honest and mine alone, free of influence.
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Palm Pre Plus Review

Palm Pre Plus, Palm Pre Plus Review, Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, verizon

Maybe you have seen all the UBER (yes, I said UBER) promotions for the Palm Pre Plus? I hadPalm Pre Plus, Palm Pre Plus Review, Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, verizon actually only heard of the Palm Pre before I actually received¹ my phone. Completely unaware of all the capabilities, functionality, fun, and the sheer ease of use with the Palm Pre Plus.

First and foremost the Palm Pre Plus is a smart phone. For those of you who are really unsure of what a “smart phone” may be (because really I had no idea until I bought a smart phone); a smart phone is a mobile phone with PC like operating capabilities. In a nut shell your phone is a pocket laptop.

Now as  a smart phone, or pocket PC owner, the first thing to be done other than allowing the battery to completely die and begin charging, is to check for updates.  While I should have known to update my phone and the OS installed on the phone, I made the “assumption” that the phone was current and up to date. I mean why roll out a BRAND NEW phone that you have to install updates to right? (*cough Microsoft) I found my phone needed an update thanks to Twitter. A quick conversation using my #verizonpalmpreplus hash-tag and VOILA! An angel of my friends swoops in to tell me to update my operating system to receive the newest capabilities.

Secondly your phone will have a set amount of storage, memory, etc. Be sure to check your total gig (if any) of storage to determine if your phone will have the capability to handle document storage, pictures, videos, the multiple functions you carry out on your phone. The Palm Pre Plus is a 16GB phone even with the installation of the operating system. The amount of storage allows me to take plenty of pictures, save documents (including PDF’s), and archive my email in the event I want ALL of my email saved to my phone.

Third, be sure that your phone is compatible with your PC or the PC you will be using to back up your information. Since many of us are on the go, we conduct a great deal of business, personal, and miscellaneous transactions on our phones. I personally have all my emails synced on my phone, my calendars, not to mention pictures and fun videos of my kids. Most phones do come with an installation disc for your PC while others simply require that drivers be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. In the case of the Palm Pre Plus, I downloaded drivers and saved my photos, ring-tones, and videos in the unfortunate event my phone becomes inoperable. In addition to backing up your vital information, you can update and sync all your calendars together with Outlook, Google, Facebook and more!

Palm Pre Plus, Verizon WirelessWith your smart phone being a PC in your pocket, you want your phone to multi-task. I found with my Blackberry this was nearly IMPOSSIBLE! One. Thing. At. A. Time. Which is fine if I was not on the go, dealing with the kids, making dinner and trying to Tweet. Basically, this scenario was never fine!

The Palm Pre Plus allows for the multitasking like a PC. For example, I was talking with my mother the other day on the phone. We were discussing the Celtic Woman concert I am taking her to for Mother’s Day. While speaking with her I was able to minimize the touch screen dial pad on the phone, open my calendar and tell her exactly what time and the day the concert was held. Whereas if I were on my Blackberry I would have had to tell her I would call her back with the details.

The Palm Pre Plus from Verizon is very simple to use. No thick books or manuals to walk you through the functions. Much like a PC with a user friendly layout, operating system, and superior HELP capabilities the Palm Pre Plus is a great choice for any mom or adult on the go who needs multitasking capabilities.

¹ I received a Palm Pre Plus on behalf of Verizon Wireless as part of their campaign to promote the Palm Pre Plus. In no way was my opinion or view of the phone swayed by this factor, my opinion is purely informational as an opinion from a consumer and should be considered as such.
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Palm Pre Apps

Palm Pre Plus Apps
Taking a day long excursion most parents or some responsible adults will plot out the plan of action for meals, budgeting how much to spend on meals, and whether or not to to eat before reaching a destination to avoid eating out and incurring the expense of dining at a restaurant.
Our trip to Legoland was basically the scenario where we would eat before we reached the park to avoid the expense and high cost of eating at a theme park, however our planning failed with finding a place to eat. As you may know, theme parks are rather expensive for dining options. Our family was looking for the typical fast food chain type restaurant to grab a quick bite before venturing into the land of Lego’s.
We drove for miles on Cannon Road in Carlsbad, searching aimlessly for some signs of life that suggested “Eat Unhealthily Here.” Finally when The Chad said, “I’m turning here and we will just have to hope for someplace to eat.” I had a beautiful epiphany. As if a higher power spoke to me and said, “Karie, you bafoon, pick up your Palm Pre Plus.” Because right at that moment I realized and said out loud, “Oh crap, I have an app for that!”
Palm Pre Plus Apps
An App for That
Yes. While on our six hour tour out to San Diego I browsed the app catalog that is installed on my Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus. I found a ‘Send my Location’ app which is a GPS locator for where ever in the world I may be, coordinating my longitude and latitude and or physical address depending on which I prefer and the app shows me on a map here I am located.
The second app I found was ‘Fandango’ because I cannot tell you how many times I have had date night with the hubs and we originally plan just dinner for date night and later decide, “Hey let’s get a movie!” So yes, there is an app for that too. You can search movie times as well as purchase your tickets with the app and walk right in to see your movie.
Finally, the best and most important app that I downloaded was the ‘Good Food’ app which tells you the name of all the “Good Food” restaurants in your GPS coordinated location.
Can I tell you this app totally saved us!
The kids were starving, we were getting cranky and ready to take them for the time of their lives at Legoland when ‘Good Food’ told us of a great little cafe style restaurant outside of Legoland that had EXCEPTIONAL food and over the top fabulous service. Truly the staff was wonderful at Bobby’s Hideaway Cafe and I am ever so thankful for the app on the Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus that directed us to the gem in the middle of strawberry country. Big thanks to the staff at Bobby’s who were awesome and I highly recommend their Beefeater with coleslaw, the slaw is made with fresh cabbage, thinly sliced apples, and cranberries. Needless
to say the Palm Pre Plus app called ‘Good Food’ really meant GOOD FOOD!
The apps on the Palm Pre Plus are easy to download and easy to remove as well all within a touch. Download happens within an instant as well as the install making the app ready to use and available on the navigation menu. So if you are wondering if there is an app for that, if you search you are likely to find that there is an app or you can create your own.
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Palm Pre Mobile HotSpot

Palm Pre

Palm Pre

Upon receiving the Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus I knew the phone had lots of features. No let me restate that, LOTS of features, seemingly unlimited capabilities in a phone. I knew of the online web surfing option, a Facebook app, and other data features I had seen with my Blackberry Curve. However, one feature that I was told about by the Verizon staff was that the Palm Pre Plus has a feature called the Mobile Hotspot. Okay, do tell, as I am not as tech savvy as my husband, I need a bit more explaining. Basically the phone turns into a wireless hub, port, connection, a wifi hotspot for up to five users or computers. You can also make this a secure or open connection just as you would with a wireless connection in your home.

EEGADS!
IT DOES?
SWEET!
Or so I thought.
Our trip to San Diego was a perfect opportunity to test out the Palm Pre Plus Mobile Hotspot. After we got out of town and the kids were entertained or fast asleep I decided to pull out my laptop to get some blog posts done. I grabbed my Palm Pre Plus and began to look through my navigation menu. The only option available was a Wifi icon. This was not the mobile hotspot option. So I began to Google on the phone to find the name of the app. Only after spending roughly two hours and nearly draining my battery I found a decent article that stated how the mobile hotspot works on the Palm Pre Plus. Here is what Verizon DID NOT tell me:
  1. You must pay a $35 activation fee for the 3G (or is it now 4G?) service capability to make the phone a mobile hotspot for the Wifi capability. This fee then notifies your account of the available hotspot app. However this option is FREE only with the Palm Pre phone, the activation fee applies to all other phones.
  2. You must then search through the THOUSANDS of apps in the app catalog for the Palm Mobile Hotpost specific app. Or as I did….update your operating system….AFTER you spent countless wasted hours searching needlessly.
  3. Only after paying the activation fee, searching endlessly for the app, you must yet again pay another fee. Yes, I did say you have to pay another fee, another $40 per month for what Verizon calls the Mifi. (Minus the former Mifi card that came with the service since your phone is now the air card per se.) However, again, what Verizon does not disclose is that this fee is waived for all Palm Pre Plus owners since this is a feature ONLY to this phone.
I was HIGHLY annoyed and frustrated at the lack of communication in part from Verizon regarding the Palm Pre mobile hotspot capability. Fantastic my phone can dial space but if I don’t pay the tolls and fees to talk to aliens then the option is fairly moot correct? More or less my annoyance was due to the fact that I was TOLD that I already had the mobile hotspot on my phone which meant I “assumed” I could use my phone for Wifi on the road and I could
post wonderful blog fodder.
All in all I am extremely happy with the phone, however, I am a bit disappointed that the Verizon Wireless staff failed to mention the fine print of fees and activation IN ORDER to make the phone a mobile hotspot at the time that I had activated the phone. Plus the mobile hotspot does have a data limit of 5MB for your usage, unless you have the unlimited data plan, so be sure to check with your provider to see what your data limit may be. In the event you are looking to game or do anything other than maybe check your email you will more than likely go OVER your data usage thus resulting in additional fees and charges and waiting until your next billing cycle to renew your data limit. But again, totally happy and satisfied with Verizon Wireless and the Palm Pre Plus, just disappointed with the communication at the store level.
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My Newest Love Affair

The new touch phones over the last year have been ALL the craze! The iPhone seemed to set the standard for touch technology but really…..I thought the iPhone as a bit of an over-glorified touch screen Blackberry. I had a Blackberry actually. I say HAD but I still have the phone…because this baby….yes THIS IS my new baby.

Yes ladies and gentlemen.
That beautiful piece of technology is my newest love affair. The Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus.

Now this phone is what my mother would tell me is “Fancy Schmancy” and she actually, did, say this, the day I got it. While I was on an adrenaline high to play with it I was a bit taken back. I felt uncomfortable, awkward at best using the device. I mean this is truly like a laptop in your purse or pocket or in your hand. I thought later as I as fumbling with it and figuring out all the fun features that the Palm Pre Plus is like my fabulous pair of Ralph Lauren pumps. I just needed to break in the feel, the gait, get used to the contour and after just a single wear, I look like I was born to wear this phone…err shoes.

What is truly fabulous about this phone thus far though is all the multi-tasking. You can have an app open and then minimize it on the phone itself and if you want…make a call. Tweet. (Of COURSE that was the first app I installed sillies) Best of all the organization, which is what we mom’s need, a bit more structure and organization to our chaotic life with kids.

But I am still figuring out all the features. Which can I tell you there are features GALORE. If you want to be organized this is the phone for you. I won’t say too much because I am still learning for myself so stay tuned as I share my journey with you all the features, fun, and capabilities of the Palm Pre Plus on behalf of Verizon Wireless.

*I was provided the Palm Pre Plus to review including one month of service and service upgrade to fully review all the features, capabilities, options, pros and cons of the phone. I already had service with Verizon Wireless in order to be eligible for this promotion.