Yeah I’ve seen the HTC EVO. But I’m sticking with webOS.
The most common question I’ve received over the past couple months on Twitter has been: “What do you think about the HTC EVO?” The second most common question I get is: ”Are you gonna switch from your Palm Pre?”
After careful consideration, my answer, in a word, is no.
Don’t get me wrong… the EVO certainly has excellent qualities and Lord knows I’m looking at them quite enviously from my battered year-old Sprint Palm Pre (6/6/09). I mean how can a gadget geek like myself ignore it? Gorgeous hardware. Snapdragon processor. 4G capability. 4.3″ screen. HDMI output. HTC Sense UI. Android Marketplace (actually that last one’s sorta “meh”).
Yes, sexy hardware is very compelling and will be enough for many, many people to make the switch. But none of those qualities have me jumping ship, and here’s why…
1) The EVO is still an Android device.
Calm down, Android fans, calm down. I don’t mean that in a disparaging way. If you like Android, then you will likely love the Evo. But for me, after owning an HTC Hero running Android 1.5 for a few weeks, I feel webOS is the superior operating system, and not by just a little bit, even after newer versions of Android have released. Heck, just recently Phil Nickinson from Androidcentral posted a side-by-side comparison of the EVO and the Pre and he raved often about how webOS bested Android on several fronts. This brings me to my point: if you already don’t like Android, high-end hardware ain’t gonna change Android’s pitfalls. It ain’t gonna change the user interface, it ain’t gonna ease your fears about privacy concerns with Google, it ain’t gonna change your being left in the dust with updates as soon as the newest Android device comes out (just ask your friends toting HTC Heroes and Droids). Think of it this way: if you don’t like Windows 7 you’re likely not going to switch to it from a Mac just because it’s installed on a kick-ass computer. In Engadget’s latest podcast they essentially say the same thing. Summed up: I’d rather interact with webOS on inferior hardware (ahem, for now) than Android on hardware that will only be new for a few months until something else comes along.
2) I’m married to webOS.
Notice in the title I did not say “I’m sticking with my Pre.” Far from it — I’m actually quite over this form factor, aging processor, and build quality — What I said was I’m sticking with webOS. Not only do I still think it’s the best OS to date, I’m also married to its ecosystem. All my contacts and calendars are beautifully “synergized” exactly how I want them, I’ve bought more webOS apps than I care to admit to my wife, I’ve drunk the homebrew and love it, and I’m way too deeply entrenched in the webOS community, which is the best one I’ve ever had the pleasure of being part of, including Apple back in the day. Summed up: I’m married to webOS because I love her. Her parts may be getting older but she still makes me smile. I ain’t switching to some dingbat just because she’s fast and sexy.
3) Kick-ass webOS hardware is coming.
People have mused and speculated on what the new webOS device will look like. Though Palm has remained tight-lipped about this, some reputable sources have heard whispers of a faster, larger, sleeker webOS device, possibly with 4G connectivity coming out in late summer/early fall. Rumors are only rumors, granted… but two things are certain: one, new hardware is coming… and much sooner than my yearly upgrade renewal date, were I to have chosen an EVO. Two, I’m pretty sure Palm has learned the importance of sleek, quality hardware in this ever-accelerating smartphone race.
4) The future of webOS is bright and I want in.
Heard of a company called Hewlett-Packard? Yeah, they announced their intentions to buy Palm not long ago, and they have indicated they plan to “double down” on webOS. Certainly not small-talk when you’re the largest technology company in the world. We’re talking smartphones, tablets, printers — pretty much any form factor within HP’s sphere — interacting with one another through the same operating system: webOS. If things go as many people envision, these could be very, very exciting times indeed. Personally, I don’t want to buy an HP webOS device such as a tablet (oh yes… you can bet I’ll be first in line in my town when it launches, possibly this year), only to have a phone that can’t interact with it because it has a different operating system.
In closing, I realize webOS is currently partnered to aging hardware. I realize the next few months will be difficult on a tech-lover like myself as shiny new devices like the EVO and 4G iPhone are released while Palm seemingly lies dormant. But my gut’s telling me to sticking it out. I love webOS too much and its future is more exciting than anything else.
(In the spirit of the NBA Playoffs I figured I'd bust this image back out.)
