Sprint Insider: Palm Pre first use experience, remote wipe and more

An anonymous writer calming to be working at Sprint Customer Care shares some known and new information about the Pre.

The highlights:

• They already have a release date for the Pre
• Confirming the TouchStone product line
• "The Pre will not have a Phone as Modem plan option."
• "The device will require either a Simply Everything/Simply Everything Data Plan or a Business Essentials Data Plan. Even if you are an existing customer, you must switch to one of the approved plans."
• During the initial setup, the Pre creates a "Palm Profile" for you, which will allow you to get software updates, ability to download apps, backup data and remote wipe. 
• Apps for the webOS will be available through the "App Catalog"
• You can have up to 8 e-mail accounts at a time on the Pre.
• Data Transfer Assistant, a program that lets new Pre users export data from their computer to the Pre
• You won't be able to select text on a webpage... what?
• The Pre does not support Sprint Music, PictureMail and Digital Lounge.
• Ways to speed up the Pre if it slows down (That would be the image above).
• The Pre will be Pre-loaded with the Movie trailer for "Up" and a song, Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here Re-Mix'

There you have it, a short rundown of most of the new tidbits from the insider.

Thanks anonymous tipster!

Comments

[Hans]

"Shared with the world"? Source?

[Tivon]

# No tethering for the Pre
# The device will require either a Simply Everything/Simply Everything Data Plan or a Business Essentials Data Plan. Even if you are an existing customer, you must switch to one of the approved plans.
# You won't be able to select text on a webpage...

These features are HUGE disappointments, I currently use a palm treo, and Tethering is almost mandatory for someone who travels so much and spends time in the airport where you don't have wireless access.

What is the purpose of a Simply Everything Plan if you can't utilize it properly? I'm extremely disappointed in sprint & palm if these features are true. I may still look into switching from Sprint in all honesty, and I've been a Nextel Subscriber since 2000.

[gregg]

Is anybody else getting tired of seeing devices come out with useful features - - only to have those features disabled when the carrier sells the phone? Why would I spend $70/month on my cell plan - and then spend another $50/month to get data on my laptop when I travel. We know that the Pre is capable of sharing the data connection with the laptop without forcing me to carry another device. They're just being greedy. Sprint may be making this decision in order to avoid overloading their network. They may end up with an unused network as customers switch to more sensible carriers.

[Matt]

Alright... I'm a heavy user, like us all. But I can't justify spending that amount of money on the MRC, since I pay $30 for SERO right now, with my Touch. That really sucks, and I'm really disappointed. I don't care about the lack of tethering, or the other restrictions; but I literally can't justify 1) paying full price for the pheon (which I would have to do), and 2) paying 300% more for the plan. It's literally unjustifiable that the MRC would be this much...

I'm gonna go cry myself to sleep.

[Mike]

Matt,

Don't cry yet. I just finished chatting with a rep on the Sprint website. Jessica said that while you'll be required to have a data plan, you won't need to switch to the everything plan. For a long time customer like myself (and you too) I save hundreds a year. That something to smile about.

[Josh]

i don't know if this is a stupid question but when the person says

The Pre does not support Sprint Music, PictureMall and Digital Lounge

is that supposed to say pictureMAIL? and if not...what is PictureMall?

[Matt]

@josh: that's great news! thanks!

[Brent]

it doesn't support picture mail? now why on earth wouldn't they include support for such a simple and highly used feature? i'm assuming it will treat picture mail as my centro does... an incoming text message with a link to the sprint picture mail web site.

that is totally lame. epic fail.

[Matt]

@brent: check out this cool thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email (yes, I'm that asshole)

[Vik]

Picture Mail is a Sprint feature that makes MMS more complicated. This phone has MMS like any Verizon or AT&T phone.

[Kiba]

# "The device will require either a Simply Everything/Simply Everything Data Plan or a Business Essentials Data Plan. Even if you are an existing customer, you must switch to one of the approved plans."

WHAT. I love the Pre, but I think i love my $30 SERO plan more... if this turns out to be true when the Palm Pre releases, it'll be the deal breaker for me =[