That didn't take long. Not a single day after the broke the news that you can install homebrew apps without rooting your Pre and then posted the first homebrew app that you could install via email, a couple of homebrew apps have trickled out.
The first is a Tip Calculator from Jamie Zawinski that looks to work pretty well according to a couple of PreCentral.net readers. The second could be more promising but also appears to be quite buggy, an improved ringtone/notification sound manager from Pimp My Pre. Reading through the relevant forum thread here at PreCentral.net we see a few bugs and users noting that they can't delete/uninstall the app, though updates are promised.
We still are waiting to see if Palm is going to update webOS to close this particular loophole as it's pretty big and, truth be told, a little dangerous. Sure, you still need to tap that link on the email to install homebrew apps, but there's not much in the way to confirmation dialogs when you do (i.e. none at all). When it comes to homebrew, the mantra is "Buyer Beware."
That said, even if Palm does close the loophole, the folks at Pre Dev Wiki who discovered this method in the first place are confident that would-be homebrew aficionados will be able to find some way to keep their new apps loaded -- though Palm's mandatory webOS update policy might put a crimp on that. Let's just say we're happy that Palm has officially said they're going to allow apps to be sideloaded without need for the App Catalog and we look forward to finding out how that will work, hopefully around the time the official SDK is released later this summer.
In any case, the Pre Dev Wiki has some more detailed instructions on the homebrew-without-rooting method that might be worth checking out.
Thanks to everybody who tipped us on these!
Comments
This is pretty exciting stuff, anyone install this tip calculator yet? I would be interested to know how it works out.
The tip calculator works fine and can even be uninstalled.
So easy to nstall , works great !!! very exciting stuff !!! This website and related i simply fantastic !!!! All are to be commended for a job well done !!!!
we need to get a site or a place to put all of these homebrew apps.. does anyone have any plans for that?
Can there be a moderated thread made with confirmed working Palm Pre Apps and links that are all updated in the first post by the OP? There is a ton of information and cool stuff on these forums, but they are so busy it takes a long time to sift through everything, especially when quite a few threads are 3+ pages.
installed it for better or for worse, - works very well, does exactly what you expect. Works in webOS just like any other card and even keeps the style of webOS as above.
Actually a pretty useful app
Can this tip calculator app be deleted if I don't want to keep it? I want to try it, but don't want to get stuck with an application that can't be removed afterward.
Any app can be deleted/removed by holding down the 'orange' key and tapping on the app icon. But this app works great, no need to delete it.
There's also a homebrew app that you can use to change notification sounds. However its recommended not to download it until it is updated.
http://www.prethinking.com/home/2009/6/23/first-usable-homebrew-app-inst...
via
PreThinking
PreCentral, it is now up to you to create a homebrew app page which has the link we cna email ourselves and possible place for review / confirmation section that users can say if the app is valid and working, or buggy and possibly bad to download.
We need it! :-) Doin' great work so far, keep it up!
Yeah be careful with pimpmyre. It won't delete.
Now someone make a yahoo app homebrew plz..the current web yahoo messenger really sucks
It works great! Awesome stuff!
Nice, now lets see a notification app for the button light :D
wow cant wait till more homebrew!!!!!
Jamie, you're awesome .. Thanks!
Tip Calc is great!
Now is we could get a Homebrew app store...
Unrelated thought:
The Clock App doesn't have alternate timezones displayed within the app. Go to www.worldtimezone.com, the webpage displays current times of the world's other timezones. Add the page to the launcher and put it beside the Clock App.
Great app.. Thank you...
The Tip Calculator is a fine start and a simple little app that I first missed from my Treo 755p when I went to grab the Pre to figure out how to split a bill.
If the app could be revised to allow the end-user to assign their own value for tax (i.e. 8.625%) it would be perfect.
Fine work and thanks for sharing!
Rob
where's the decimal button??
Very Nice App.
Both this and the "Pimp my Pre" app work flawlessly. Is there going to be a section in the forums just for listing and discussing homebrewed apps? If there isn't one planned there should be one. Maybe a sub-category in the app development section?
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