Taking the stage as the grand finale at the “D: All Things Digital” conference today, Palm’s executive chairman Jon Rubinstein and Elevation Partners’ managing director and co-founder Roger McNamee celebrated the excitement surrounding webOS by sharing a few new details about the hotly awaited platform.
In an onstage conversation with Walt Mossberg, personal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal who co-produces D with veteran technology reporter Kara Swisher, Jon and Roger shared details about Palm media sync, a webOS feature that synchronizes seamlessly with iTunes to easily transfer DRM-free music, photos, and videos to your Palm Pre. Media sync complements other methods for getting media onto Pre, including USB file transfer and WiFi downloads from the Amazon MP3 store.
The addition of Twitter search to the universal search capability of webOS was also unveiled at D. With universal search, a Pre user simply starts typing and webOS offers up matches from your contacts or applications or-- if there are no matches-- from your choice of search results from Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and Twitter.
D attendees also got a preview of some of the applications that will appear in the beta version of the App Catalog that will be available when the Pre launches on June 6. The App Catalog will include webOS applications such as Fandango, which takes advantage of Palm Synergy and location-based services to find and provide directions to nearby movie theaters and automatically transfers ticket purchases onto your calendar.
On the lighter side, Jon and Roger also shared a short video poking fun at all the hype surrounding webOS and Pre.
Jon Zilber
Will we be able to add our own search engines to Universal Search?
Posted by: Stefan Constantinescu | May 28, 2009 at 02:01 PM
yay now i can get rid of my damn ipod that can't stay charged
Posted by: james | May 28, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Theres a good write up of the events at D7 over at http://palmgoon.com/palm-all-things-digital-refresh-to-update/
Posted by: Nick Keetch | May 28, 2009 at 05:24 PM
very pretty phone ...Palm Pre....Bye bye Iphone here come the real ruler
Posted by: Dennis | May 28, 2009 at 07:50 PM
Will the Palm Pre work with an external keyboard? I know old Palms were able to do such, so why not the pre? That's one thing the I-phone can't do?
Posted by: Alan | May 28, 2009 at 08:58 PM
Will Palm or Apple officially address how iTunes syncing works? Is it 'officially supported' or is it a Palm work around?
Posted by: Paul | May 29, 2009 at 12:50 AM
Will palm support other languages than english, such as Swedish?
Posted by: Martin | May 29, 2009 at 01:42 AM
Hillarious!
But please: don't forget to bring this cute thingy to Europe in time...
Posted by: kulf | May 29, 2009 at 02:32 AM
Is Palm Pre going to AT&T, eventually?
Posted by: Josefa | May 29, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Will protective skin like invisiArmor be available at launch?
Posted by: Pgreen | May 29, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I STARTED WITH A PALM AND I WILL FINISH WITH PALM
Posted by: SERGIO | May 29, 2009 at 02:51 PM
Can the Palm Pre take videos?
Posted by: Mrs.Marie | May 29, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Will this be available for sale via your sprint website on june 6th?
Posted by: roman | May 29, 2009 at 09:10 PM
will this phone be compatible with the etrade mobile pro application?
Posted by: Al | May 30, 2009 at 06:02 PM
Will the Pre be compatible with BMW Bluetooth. I do not want to switch to ATT with the iPhone but my new phone needs to work with the BMW Bluetooth. I cannot get a straight answer from BMW, Sprint or Palm? Does anyone know the answer???
Posted by: K McKenny | May 31, 2009 at 08:15 PM
What about word Excel apps old palms had Doc to go or will the old doc etc work on the palm pre???
Posted by: Marvin55 | May 31, 2009 at 08:32 PM
IM DEFENTLY GOING TO GET THIS PHONE ON THE 6TH.....I TOOK OFF FROM WORK & EVEYTHING JUST SO I CAN GO BUY IT & PLAY AROUND WITH IT SO I LEARN MY WAY AROUND.....THIS PHONE IS ABOUT 2 BECOME MY NEW LIFE LINE...
Posted by: Sierra | May 31, 2009 at 09:28 PM
This is such a cute phone ;D
Posted by: Dianna | June 01, 2009 at 09:20 AM
Im doing extra chores around the house to get this phone!
Posted by: C-bird | June 01, 2009 at 03:41 PM
The phone is really cute and im getting it!!
Posted by: alley | June 01, 2009 at 08:33 PM
ooo - dying for this phone! (have had palms for years - currently got a 755) but unfortunately not willing to change to a cruddy provider for it - sure hope it expands to Verizon soon!
Posted by: Eve | June 02, 2009 at 11:13 AM
When do you release Pre in Japan?? I've really waited the successor of Palm PDA for so many years!!
Pre is the one what I've imagined and would like to get.
I really want a real PDA that I can use in my business equiped fast WWAN and WiFi network capability instead of music player.
Posted by: Goro | June 03, 2009 at 08:06 AM
This phone is awsome and im getting it!!! :)
Posted by: AQ | June 03, 2009 at 10:25 AM
omg this phone is great! i want one now!!!
Posted by: pikachu | June 04, 2009 at 12:44 AM
how much will it be?
Posted by: morgane | June 04, 2009 at 01:41 AM