The exhaustive amount of feedback on blogs, Twitter and Palm’s own Facebook page saw a huge outcry from the webOS community in response to word that legacy devices (those prior to the Pre 2), would not receive an update to webOS 2.x. The Palm blog last night responded to the criticism.
“…ultimately it became clear that we would need to choose between supporting the past with over-the-air updates and ensuring that our upcoming devices would live up to your hopes and expectations for them. It was a difficult and, frankly, painful decision for us, and we realize it was a frustrating outcome for many of you.”
It’s still not clear as to when Palm (branding moves aside, this was a move by Palm) made this tough decision, but clearly the timing was not very well thought out. Yesterday should have been a day of positive vibes for the company, but was tarnished by the news. HP doesn’t have a solution yet to appease the community, but they are working something to ease the pain.
“We’re working on something that we hope will help make things right for you. We’ll be sharing the specifics with you when they’re ready.”
Our hope was that webOS 2.0 would help fix the sluggishness that’s present on current generation Palm webOS devices. It’s not clear if “making things right” will mean a webOS 2.0 doctor that allows us to update or perhaps some sort of voucher to purchase a future product at a reduced price. HP doesn’t have the answer yet, so anything on our end is just pure speculation. If I had to guess, a coupon for AppCatalog purchases might make sense. It would continue to stream cash to developers and customers having more apps would be less likely to flee the platform.
How about you? What are you expecting from HP that will “make things right”?
via Palm’s blog
An App Catalog voucher alone would be an even worse insult to me. Give me an update or a discount on hardware. Frankly, there’s very little on the App Cat that I want that I haven’t already bought.
I’d hope for a graduated discount towards the purchase of a new device.
Sprint Palm Pre users: $250 off the price of a Pre3/Veer (they’ve been waiting the longest)
Pre Plus users: $150 off a Pre3/Veer
Pre 2 early adopters: $25 in App Catalog purchases (they chose to buy the 2 in light of the 3)
Now, HOW you get that discount/rebate would be an issue. Make it available through each carrier as a limited time rebate until the end of 2011? That way, they can see the active device on-account and apply the upgrade discount immediately.
Agreed @Joseph:
But in my opinion, Pre 2 users should not get a voucher AS LONG AS the Pre 2 is supported by WebOS 2.0. They don’t miss anything. And I think Pre 2 is fast enough to handle WebOS 2.0 elegantly.
There is no guarantee that it will be available on Sprint. That’s the problem HP faces. They cannot offer $ off devices, since it’s not likely all carriers will have the Pre 3.
Whoever was working PR for them on this failed. If they had announced a week or two weeks before the event that they had changed their minds about legacy support for older devices, all of this would have blown over without the big outcry. Instead, the the typical WebOS fan was left with
– We have awesome new phones and tablets coming!
– We can’t tell you how much they’ll cost.
– We can’t tell you exactly when they’ll be available. (Soon – we’ve never heard that one before.)
– We can’t tell you what carriers will support them. (Oh, and we’re going to let it leak that Sprint probably won’t.)
– We aren’t keeping the Palm name after all (Even though it truly means a lot to a great number of lifelong fans and supporters.)
– Oh… and we’re completely abandoning the user base we already have. Pretty much everyone who owns a WebOS device already will have to buy a new phone in order to continue receiving software updates.
It is their prerogative to not support older devices, and most of the time I think backwards compatibility hinders forward progress. From the comments of some WebOS2.0 testers the upgrade was working smoothly on 1.0 devices. So even if their is no future support for it, if it does actually work why not give us the opportunity to upgrade? Include a giant red flashing warning sign if you must, but at least throw us something to hold us over.
So they chose not to, not a huge deal. Where they really failed was the timing. If they had made an announcement a week or two before the event saying
– We don’t know when, where, or how much on the new devices
– We won’t support older devices
Then those points would be ancient history by now and all the buzz would be about the new devices… which was the point of that event afterall.
While I somewhat agree, why should HP be required to give Pre/Pre Plus owners anything at all? It’s new hardware, so what? It’s not like WebOS 1.4.5 doesn’t work…
Well, no surprises then. I never believed for a minute that my Pre would get any more updates (or Flash) once they’d released the Pre 2. Sorry, I supported Palm, but when my contract is up I’m off to an Android device. WebOS is dead.
“If I had to guess, a coupon for AppCatalog purchases might make sense. It would continue to stream cash to developers and customers having more apps would be less likely to flee the platform.”
That would be the LAST THING I’D WANT. A voucher for apps that will moving to WebOS 2.0 infrastructure? Now I can buy a WebOS 1.4.5 version app that will be dead ended. Yeah that’s the most logical solution. Next Idea
As a WebOS user from day one in the UK and having loved everything about it, regularly show iPhone users what they can’t do, I feel totally let down by HP. Have been waiting for WebOS 2.x for what seems like ages only to be told now its not coming. Contract is up in a month, sadly I think it will be bye WebOS and hello Apple. Given the treatment by HP will never be back (plenty more will feel like this). Looks like WebOS will have to find a whole new fan base if it can.
Well, thank bob my contract is up around the time these things come out. So that gives me time to see what’s what and make a “Should I stay, should I go?” decision. Hopefully we should know more by then. Well if it’s not on Sprint then obviously I’ll have no choice to jump ship to Android. Unlimited everything is too good to give up. Unless I see something in the new Pre³ that really, really, reeeeaally makes me want to jump to Verizon. As of everything I’ve seen so far I can’t say that I would. AT&T isn’t even an option. Hellz no!!! Sooo… Looks like it’s more wait and see and if by “making things right” they mean working a little harder and finding a way for me to have 2.0 on my original Pre then maybe they’ll still be able to hold on to some of their loyal customers until the summer.
I have been waiting to he new 2.0 update to my palm
Pre plus. And I was very disappointed to find out that the old device would not be supported. What we don’t count! I could have gone with the iPhone or htc but I kept my palm in hopes of the updates.. I believe that they should give us vouchers to upgrade to one of the new devices at a very discounted rate. We have been loyal customers and fans of palm. I like palm and I hope they do compensate the exsisting palm users.
I am really disappointed with this but I would feel better if HP would give or heavily discount a pre2 to me off contract so that I can purchase a pre3 when it becomes available next year. Hell, i’ve waited this long…
They are manipulators!!! If you say your going to do something you should do it…I’m done with palm!
What’s the point of supplying a software update for hardware that lasts six months? While my Treo 650 lasted five years, I am on my fourth Pre in less than two years. IOW, in six months, the population of Palm Pre 1.0 phones will be quickly approaching zero.
If they want us to buy their new devices, rather than opt for any number of other smart phones I would suggest they do something since they practically abandoned the platform for a year (when they released the Pre+ and Pixi+).
It’s just a shame that they strung us along for as long as they did.
way to keep you promise looks like I’m switching to the evo when my contract is up in april
Part of the promise of 2.0 was Flash.
I don’t recall them promising to make it (2.0) work on every WebOS phone. Besides that, it would appear that Flash support isn’t coming, either. Guess they’re not doing so hot on promises.
I’m furious. I’ve been a Palm loyalist and proud WebOS supporter, and to see HP completely disregard loyality…well, it’s a huge slap in the face.
It makes perfect sense that Pre -/+ and all Pixies are left at final build of 1.4.5. It IS time to make new hardware and keep on moving. Just like some Android phones stop with updates at 2.1. (HTC Hero, Samsung Moment, etc…) From a business standpoint, it only makes sense. Stop being so limited and close minded people
Although I do semi agree that a discount of something to show appreciation should be administered, however it is not required by HP. Everyone has the choice to move on to different device and then come back when the new hardware is out.
I’m on my sixth Pre Plus (Verizon) with 10 months to go on my 2-year contract. The OS is good (not great) but the build was crappy. I loved my Treo 650 (it took 2 of them to get one useable phone) and my Centro was even better…THAT was a reliable phone!! I should have stuck with it, but I wanted a bigger screen. I’ve been a loyal Palm user since about 1989. I don’t think they owe me, but still…with all the problems, HP could throw us a bone and offer a loyalty discount, since our carriers will screw us over.
I’m on my sixth Pre Plus (Verizon) with 10 months to go on my 2-year contract. The OS is good (not great) but the build was crappy. I loved my Treo 650 (it took 2 of them to get one useable phone) and my Centro was even better…THAT was a reliable phone!! I should have stuck with it, but I wanted a bigger screen. I’ve been a loyal Palm user since about 1989. I don’t think they owe me, but still…with all the problems, HP could throw us a bone and offer a loyalty discount, since our carriers will screw us over.
The apps I have on my Treo should have worked on the Pre. Yet Motion Classic is part of Palm now and is disfunctional. What’s the point to have a Pre that doesn’t support Flash, WMV and the like?
I’m a big fan of Pimlico Datebook Plus and he has a Beta version for Android.
Palm is dead.
goodbye palm pre plus, hello android devide
Well I agree about the discount on new devices, but also how about honoring the original upgrade policy for Pre users. After March 31st there are no more 12mth upgrades, why not waive that for original Pre owners desperately in need of a new WebOS device (which was actually promised in early 2011). I was eligible to upgrade in Dec and even if Sprint gets the Veer and Pre3 this summer, because of the March 31st change I’d still have another 6 months to upgrade. I love WebOS and dislike Android, if I have to I’ll be opting for VZW’s IPhone. (This 1st gen Pre won’t last too much longer).
Got the Pre Plus because it was inexpensive and good plan accompanied it. Knew it was going to be updated with new device — no surprise. Disappointed in the lack of apps, but thought with the new OS that would improve. The carrot that HP kept in front of us made that seem like a real possibility for several months. Now that HP has shown it’s true colors and abandoned Pre owners, they have lost the loyalty that I had toward Palm products. This actually means no more apps for Plus owners — why would I want an App coupon??????
I would not buy another Palm Pre even with a large discount. How long before it is abandoned also???
IPhone — you have a new customer as soon as I can get out of Pre Plus contract.
I’d hate 2 go to an Android device..like everyone else..c’mon Palm can do something better than free apps
what about palm pixi plus’ from verizon?? What does that mean for me?
Saaahhh-wweeeettt! Less then six months into owning a palm pre plus and it has already become obsolete, and without any support. Good job Palm, HP, or whom ever is listening (I’m sure nobody is due to their complete lack of care for their customers). HHHmmmm, let’s see whats “trending” now: Palm Pilot-dead, Palm Pre-dead. Yeah let me Jump onto the next dead-end device.
it was promised that the 2.0 ota update would roll out to the existing customers owning devices at the initial announcement and hands on of the palm pre2 and web os 2.0 and they would not owe anything had they not made the promise. I was told by a VZW rep that RIM currently offers blackberry users on the verizon network the opportunity to upgrade to any blackberry device for $50 regardless of their last upgrade. Something comparable is definitely beyond the reach of a company with the resources hp has. I think a likely scenario will come with the launch of the veer, pre3,and touchpad will come a “special” offer to legacy device owners to purchase a quickly outdated palm pre2 at a discounted price possibly free with upgreade, or something of the sort.
“NOT beyond the reach” sorry
Well, after much wait and debate; i decided to go ahead and upgrade from the Palm Pre. I chose the HTC EVO 4G. It does everything that the Pre would not, BT headset voice dial, BT file transfer, has flash 10.1… to name a few. Love the EVO and won’t look back! Good-bye, HP… too little too late!!!
Well that’s it, I’m done with their bulls%^&%t. In the one year since I bought my Palm Pre Plus I have gotten nothing but headaches and empty promises while waiting for upgrades to a phone that lacks features my 4-year old “dumbphone” had out of the box. Next phone I get will have nothing whatsoever to do with Palm, HP, or whatever they want to call it on that particular day. I’m guessing this won’t be too much of a problem because I’ll bet this time next year the nightmare that is HP/Palm mobile devices will be nothing but a bad memory. Abandon what little user base you have so you can compete with what amounts to an unknown and crippled product in a HIGHLY competitive market? Brilliant strategy guys, absolutely brilliant.
I got the solution. GET AN iphone OR HTC EVO.
I, like many, am moving to Droid on my next upgrade. I love WebOS, but it’s is like Blackberry. I don’t see progress. Plus, I want better free apps.
Four months later: Still nothing right.
Guess what: That was just a lie.
well it could all was be worse you could get no love a t all like the tungsten t3 (aka my tank) and im still loyal to the old palm os but i do love my pre- . plz dont leave whats left of palm. palm left us webos witch is all thats left of palm its up to you to crack down on hp and show them what standards what we expect from them cuz hp builds computers not handheld’s thay just need to be whipped in to shape