Since PreCentral.Net member Lethal first found the leaked Palm Pre webOS 1.2, the PreCentral forums have been abuzz with activity. Several dozen users immediately went to work and have uncovered over 70 key improvements. So far users have found support for the Paid App Catalog, real Cut and Paste, speed improvements, and possibly LED notification.
PreCentral first broke the bad news that webOS 1.2 would be delayed last week but the good news is that Palm Pre users have found improvement on almost every front!
Here's an overview of just a few of the things we're expecting in webOS 1.2, which should hit this week or (if things go badly) next.
Paid App Catalog
Many more great apps were just added to the Palm App Catalog this past Thursday but still no joy for paid apps. Until now, the Palm App Catalog has been in beta testing with under 100 apps. Many developers have told us that they were holding off until they could be paid for their work. Well our wait will soon be over!
We have already seen a number of the 240 Homebrew Apps make it into the beta version of the catalog and hear many more will be coming now.
Improved Copy and Paste
The Pre has had the ability to copy and paste text that you were typing but users wanted to be able to copy images and text that they found on websites. Look at this!
You can now select and copy text:
Plus you can now select and copy images as well:
Image Options
webOS 1.2 will also bring requested options for Internet images. When you find an image you like, Press and hold the Orange button and tap on an image to copy or share it!
Improved Browsing
A number of the most requested upgradesare expected in the Web Browser. Bookmarks and History are automatically backed-up and restored even after full resets now. You will be able to download files in the browser including PDF's! You can now also copy and share links by pressing the Orange key and tapping on a link.
Also, the entire browsing experience is improved with new features like auto zoom when you click on a form field:
Email Upgrades
Along with webOS 1.2 will come a number of significant improvements in the Email application including:
- Enhanced Copy - Gesture-C copies any text or images selected.
- Play audio - WAV's now play directly from email
- Save PNG Images - Hold the Orange button then tap an image to save or share it.
- Filter - Email Search Filter, though it only searches subject and sender right now
- Search - Find-as-you-type search support in Email
Phone Upgrades
Pre users will be happy to see a number of good improvements in their phone features. First, the the Pre phone app is significantly faster! Plus while on a phone call, alerts used to be so loud in the headset that the caller on the other end could over hear them. You will be happy to hear that alerts while on a call are now at a reasonable level.
Other nice improvements in phone features include the ability to turn on or off Data Usage, the display of the caller's name and number, and a better layout with buttons moved apart so that you are less likely to accidentally hang up on a call.
Notification Upgrades(?)
Other nice upgrades are coming to the Pre's Notification system. First notification of new text messages will also display the contact picture. The second major find is that LED Notification code is now included in 1.2. Unfortunately, we don't know yet whether Palm will have this code ready for 1.2 (it was commented out in the 1.2 leak), but we do know they've gotten started.
LED Notification was a standard feature in Palm Treo's going back to the Treo 600 in 2004. The LED was included in the Pre but this feature was not enabled in the initial release. Here is how LED Notification setup will look if Palm removes the enables it:
But wait, there's more!
Improvements are also expected in a variety of other areas including Bluetooth compatibility plus contact, calendar, and task enhancements, and more. Oh yeah, and we're fairly sure that iTunes Sync will come back.
For details on expected improvements in webOS 1.2.X, check out the features found summary. For fun, join other users in the Anticipation thread as they anxiously await webOS 1.2.X.
Craig Lincoln, aka Milominderbinder, is a moderator on the PreCentral forums.
PS - Thank you to everyone who helped find these improvements including: as4life, awrnsmn, Beknatok, bobvr, bpdamas, cwgtex, d2globalinc, dhMassacre, Ehsan, Elysian893, emoney_33, go4craig, hellion850, jack87, Jason Robitaille, jhoff80, kmehr, Leathal, michaelw9, onlinespending, pogeypetey, qitupx, Rennat, rwhitby, SMKOUT333, theoottesen, tozfeekum, wkalam2
Comments
Great stuff Palm! webOS is amazing!
Just picked up my Pre an hour ago. I like it so far. Coming from an iPhone and I have to say that these frequent upgrades and Palm’s attentiveness to the developer community are some reasons I switched.
Any word re "empty trash" from email? What about a REAL calendar view when entering/changing appointments, and FASTER scrolling from day-to-day in Calendar?
Nope and nope. It could happen, but we haven't seen any indications that it will happen.
Well, Calendar may benefit from some overall speed improvements, but don't expect anything drastic.
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203951
Also, the testers are saying that scrolling speeds are improved throughout 1.2.
- Craig
I should probably post this in the forums elsewhere, but I would love to see Call-Alarms and be able to store phone numbers with Wait's and Pauses. Nevertheless, it is great to see that Palm is working hard on WebOS 1.2. The one week delay is more than worth it. We need to cut Palm a 'little' slack considering their resources and what they want to accomplish.
You already can put in waits and pauses into phone numbers.
See the Palm Pre Tips and Tricks for this and 320 other tips:
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=186420
- Craig
Doh!
Really great, but I hope more changes are coming since the push back of the update.
I hope it comes this week!!!
I love this phone!. I would be very happy if:
1. The camera had a zoom.
1. Full sync with Outlook Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Tasks.
Any sign of these coming?
Many people have mentioned that digital zoom wouldn't be worth it on that phone. I kinda would like some kind of digital zoom myself because when I take a picture of an object that is somewhat far from me it's hard to tell if it actually came out and I have to check the photo in the photo app. Also the photo app needs some kind of cropping or photo editing features.
No word on any of this though.
I WILL LIKE TO SEE VIDEO FOR GODS SAKE IT NEED TO BE DONE LIKE NOW.
.
Here are a list of syncing and backup options and tips:
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=193319
- Craig
Syncing came for free with Treos.
Syncing comes for free on the Pre, too. It's just a matter of what you're syncing to.
A "really great" sync would be well, really great. All I want/need is a basic sync: Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Notes two way sync with Outlook. None of the options available, regardless of price, will do this. I'm still scratching my head wondering what Palm was thinking. This feature should be standard; it is what Palm made it's name on way back when, and it seems as if Palm has abandoned its loyal customers who expect this from a Palm device.
.
Not sure what you mean by a digital zoom "not being worth it." To me the camera is almost not worth it without a zoom. Every photo I take, unless I almost almost on top of the image I am attempting to snap, comes out very distant. Sure I can zoom in after I snap the photo, but if I want to email the photo to someone on the spot it just does not work very well. If I could re-save the photo at the new size that would be ok but that isn't even an option. Am I missing something? I do not want to come across as a whiner...just trying to understand the rational that a zoom "would not be worth it."
1. Digital Zoom is "useless" on a "good" camera, worse on a camera phone CMOS sensor.
2. Only "notes" don't sync, but does anyone actually USE notes in Outlook? And even if you were taking "notes" in a class or meeting, you can email them from the Pre so...why? :)
We need a beter web browser.....because most web site that I go to say that I need to get adobe flash....
Flash is a component that is not yet available for most mobile browsers. That's not Palm's fault. Adobe is working on Flash for Mobile, and should debut within a month.
Yeah and just for further info, adobe has been demoing flash lite 4 and Flash 10 mobile in the past few weeks at various conferences. With Adobe Max 2009 next week in la I hope to hear more concrete news on flash mobile in general, but probably not webos specific.
Any word on being able to have as many apps as you like without having to delete three to download one? It gets on my nerves not being able to keep this app or that app because the isn't any room!
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?p=1923961
Check there for a reply. A lot of really smart people has literally gone through the code line-by-line.
- Craig
Thanks Craig! I'll keep checking for an update
Any word on being able to have as many apps as you like without having to delete three to download one? It gets on my nerves not being able to keep this app or that app because the isn't any room!
Any word on being able to have as many apps as you like without having to delete three to download one? It gets on my nerves not being able to keep this app or that app because the isn't any room!
Why is my post showing up three times, sorry guys, not my doing(at least not on purpose)?
We could already save images from an email..I do it all the time..
- Craig
Can't wait.
Though I am still awaiting video recording.
http://www.precentral.net/video-recording-pre-seeing-believing
- Craig
What about having a REAL ringer and prolonged vibration for text notifications? I know there's a homebrewed way of choosing your text ringer, but it's kind of ridiculous that this isn't standard.
My Notifications let's me chose my text alert tone today:
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/my-notification
Why wait?
- Craig
You left out my #1 requested mail improvement: Setting e-mail checking to 'manual' really will be manual, not whenever it feels like checking it, which was all the time.
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?p=1869546
It includes:
• Manual Sync Fixed - When setting email sync time to manual the device will no longer automatically sync the email accounts.
- Craig
What's up with drop down menus in the browser with 1.2.1 ? Does anybody see improvement with that?
Camera zoom isnlt really needed because the picks are such great quality thet you can just manually zoom, but with that said there should be a pic edit on the phone. Some things I would like (and know can be done) is video camera, voice recording, add/delete pages, and more control over the ringer and messaging sounds. Any word of any of those coming?
Add/delete pages are already in the tweaks section of the quick install. Their pretty convenient
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203951
My Notifications let's you chose text alert tones today:
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/my-notification
Those aren't coming. For us they are already here.
Video recording is almost here:
http://www.precentral.net/video-recording-pre-seeing-believing
- Craig
That is the truth. The initial quality of the picture is so good, than when you put it on your computer and edit it you don't loose a lot of the quality.
If you want to text a photo to someone, editing on a computer doesn't come into play. Yes, having a digital zoom is the same as zooming in on a photo. But we can't zoom in on a photo with the Pre so a digital zoom is the closest one can get. I wish there was software like on the iPhone commercial that shows the college girl cropping a photo and sending it to her parents.
Great to hear!
Video recording please!!! With sound!
I am seriously going to go Chuck Norris on palm if they don't release 1.2.1 soon!
But we all know Chuck's Pre had all of this installed when he received it. He wouldn't have it any other way.
funny...i see a article about webos having 70+ improvements for 1.2.1, snd when i read the comments, seems like most people still arent happy. i mean, what are some of you guys expecting? 300 improvents in one update? geez...
I'm still waiting for text forwarding. is it included in this update coming?
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203951
- Craig
Fix the Memos, please!! I have a ton of memos, many of which are password protected: get that done!!
I'm still not seeing things that are standard on regular phones and I have a "SMART PHONE"?????.......
1. forward text messages
2. Voice commands (so important when driving being able to say...."Call Home"
3. knowing that I have received a message with a blinking light
4. seperate sounds for email and text messages (the home brew one really sucks being you have to listen the normal sound and then what you've picked and if your talking on the phone and it goes off, what a pain and you still don't know if it's a text message or an email)
5. Being able to turn the text message notification off without having to listen to the WHOLE thing.
6. better camera quality
7. Better battery life.
I really like my palm pre for the ability to do more then one thing at one time, but if I'd known all of these things weren't standard on the phone before I bought it (at the regular over priced price) I would have kept my blackberry curve, that phone REALLY ROCKS!!!!
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203951
2. The Voice Command API is not in place yet.
3. LED Notifications is in 1.2. See above.
4. My Notifications let's you chose text alert tones today:
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/my-notification
5. My Notifications lets you set a short text message notification.
6. Software will not change the camera quality.
7. The battery life tips are here:
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=191265
- Craig
Why should the Homebrew community have to tweak everything for Palm?
Some will wait to see what will be given to them.
Others will have long since already gotten it themsleves.
- Craig
Because they're doers. And Palm is strapped for manpower (and still adding features at a breakneck pace). Anyway, be glad that ANYONE can tweak ANYTHING for Palm and Palm welcomes it *coughAPPLEcough*
You get better camera quality on regular phones? Ummm...I don't think so.
i'm just hoping they include something awesome that nobody knows about until it's downloaded.
I like to sum up my Pre Experience as such...
I have yet to give up my iPod Touch for music and most apps.
I cant make a video on a smart phone?
Anyone who has picked it up to play with it has been left less than impressed.
I have yet to recommend the Pre to anyone who has inquired.
Stop with the iTunes sync stunt. It is irresponsible to sell this as compatible with iTunes when 50% of the time it isnt, and likely in the future it wont be at all.
The list of updates is nice and I am sure it will enhance the device's current abilities and give subtle new features, but I just hope Palm can get the numbers it will take to see this device to v2.1.
I see the Pre's potential, but this thing is not ready for prime time.
Does anyone know how the update is delivered, or rather, will I be prompted to download it or what?
Also, must I remove/disable all the tweaks/themes etc that I enabled with WebOS Quick Install BEFORE I update?
Thanks guys
Thanks for the info Craig. Much appreciated.
Video recording is a must!!!
I 2nd that!
I just want to know when we are going to get it...
AM/fm? how about audio streaming formats. Have they tried to play rtsp/mms streams(windows media) those of us who like real radio are left out in the cold. The formats the the pre supports is not used by most stations.
Used to be able listen to any fm station with Kinoma, but now kinoma says they cant make an app for webos, and kinoma does not work with classic.
It is possible play these stations with Orb, but that requires havin to leave pc on to use as a server and orbs we interface is painful on the pre although they say they are working on an app for the pre.
"AM/fm? how about audio streaming formats. Have they tried to play rtsp/mms streams(windows media) those of us who like real radio are left out in the cold. The formats the the pre supports is not used by most stations."
Not sure exactly what's available but the Shoutcast app in homebrew gives you free access to 1000's of radio stations.
I don't really care about video recording or what not. I just want yahoo contacts, hopefully it can be hacked in until Palm releases the 1.2 update.
how do u get your pre to sync to the quick install
I want to see 3 main things:
1) battery life improvement
2) WebOS speed improvement overall
3) better API to spur better apps/encourage developers
I've given up on using it as my media player on the go to replace my ipod. Battery life just doesn't cut it. Not to mention I can't sync it w/ Last.FM (hence option 3).
And yeah, stop w/ the lame itunes sync and just do it like BB and make a conduit through valid means instead of this stupid USB fight w/ apple.
video recording and better notification options along with adobe flash and I'll be a happy pre user. I hope the pre is still the top sprint phone when the hero is available or I might be making a switch.
http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps/my-notification
Video recording is almost here:
http://www.precentral.net/video-recording-pre-seeing-believing
Adobe announced in June that they would make Flash work on the Pre by October. We have not seen an update from Adobe since then.
-Craig
I was happy about the 1.2 update till I cracked the display screen at work, bummer, well now I am on my 3rd pre.Rest in peace..
Excited about the update! I think Palm is being very responsive and that the update release schedule thus far has been impressive.
I do realize that a lack of typical "out-of-the-box" functionality has been troubling for certain consumers. I don't mean to minimize those concerns, but please hang with what is an otherwise excellent platform until we (or Palm) address these issues.
I repeatedly read comments about missing "required" features, complaints about HomeBrew patches vs official fixes from Palm, etc, and want to make a few points:
In many cases HomeBrew patches (such as Virtual Keyboard) enable functionality that already exists in the kernel, but has, for whatever reason, been essentially commented out by Palm. Should a virtual keyboard have been coded for launch? A video recorder? Sure, on both accounts. Or at least maybe. But I'd much rather Palm gets their developer-friendly OS out in to "the wild" AND allows developers to patch as needed.
Let's not lose sight of the fact that these and many other patches are even possible in the first place. HomeBrew apps and patches do not require "jailbroken" Pre's - unlike, for example, an iPhone, where kernel access is technically possible, but highly discouraged by Apple.
In fact, Palm allows and encourages developer access to software layers and system calls. This is something to be celebrated, not bemoaned. Palm has hit a long-term home-run with WebOS and the Pre. I hope that consumers hang with it to fruition.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it really IS a great OS. And, as a lapsed web developer, I'm having much more fun than I have any right to be playing around with the developer tools and SDK.
Disclaimer: for what it's worth, I was (and still am) "a Mac guy" (one of my most cherished possessions is a beloved - and still functioning - 2000 Pismo); also a wintel guru and Linux devotee.
And I'm loving WebOS. And my Pre.
Apologies for the overly long comment.
Best, bez.
PS... "knock on wood" (July 31st, 2009 build date): I've not experienced any build issues. My Pre runs a little hot, slight oreo (1mm when extended, 3mm closed), and no dead pixels.
Nothing I can't live with.
+1 Love your comment. That's exactly how I feel about it. Well said!
OK, when will I be able to perform the basic task of emptying the trash? I am getting very tired of deleting my emails twice.
And why do my e-mails disappear from my inbox when I fire up outlook on my laptop? Just because they are downloaded from the server doesn't mean that I don't want a copy on my Pre too.
Why can't I set the phone to NOT auto answer if I slide the phone open when it is ringing.
And last but not least, why is my only option when the phone rings while closed to answer it? What if I just want to ignore it and send it right to voice mail so that I can go back to listening to music?
These are all basic functions that should have been present day one and its outrageous that they won't appear on 1.2 (especially bulk emptying of trash.)
bankerdanny,
You can ignore a call by just pressing the power button. Also if you have your emails from an IMAP server such as google and set google to archive email when it is downloaded it will be removed from your Pre. If you have POP3 you can set Outlook to save email on the server and it should download to the Pre. But this depeneds on the server. Some support this some do not.
The power button just stops the buzzing/ringing. If you were listening to music it will remained paused until the call is finally sent to VM.
My primary e-mail is POP. I didn't have this issue with my Treo or my Blackberry, so I'm not sure why it a problem for my Pre. It appears that when the Pre synch's with the POP server if the e-mail has disappeared from the server (like when outlook pulls it to my laptop) it deletes it from the Pre, this makes no sense. Once it makes it to my Pre it should be up to me to delete.
"The power button just stops the buzzing/ringing. If you were listening to music it will remained paused until the call is finally sent to VM."
Actually, ONE tap on the power button will "silence" the ringer (as will the volume rocker). TWO taps on power routes the call to VM (locked status). Unlocked and closed, you get "Answer" & "Ignore" keys.
HTH :)
I Hope The Fix The Bug On The Sprint Navigation .
75% Of The Time It Would Not Find Your Current Location.
I Hope The 1.2 Update Fixes That Bug.
Sprint Navigation
Sprint Navigation
This is due to a "caching" issue on the phone. I've noticed after several uses of the Nav, it gets hosed up. A reboot fixes the issue. I've noticed similar behavior on Stand alone Garmins after extended use as well. In most cases stand-alone or in vehicle, your GPS is being power cycled regularly so no issue. Rebooting your pre before using Nav will ensure smooth operations (and better overall performance too)
Reboot:
Press "Orange+Sym+P"
Device Info > Reset Options > Restart
Yea, navigation seems to have bugs for me too. The google maps app is more reliable, but it isn't turn by turn.
since I have installed the webosinstall for homebrewed. what do I need to do prior to getting this upgrade?
Remove ALL tweaks. Homebrewed apps can stay.
I think it's funny that so many people want a video camera, but I've had many phones that do video, and none do it well. My BB Curve can take video, but you can't make out what it's recording anyway. I love my Pre. And I'm looking forward to updates to see it get better and better, but I've loved it since day one. If it doesn't have the features you so desperately need, buy a different phone.
How about this, what if the useless "home" button in the gesture area brought the phone out of sleep mode. It would save the housing from extra wear-and-tear, also, it would just be convenient because your thumb would be right there to slide-to-unlock. Just a thought for all you "tweakers" out there!
Any news or word if Bell will be getting the OS upgrade as well or is this just a Sprint thing?
I do love the Pre! Yes there are a few things that I would like to have added, but overall, I think that it is a great phone.
Does anyone know how to download a "movie" to the pre?
Things I would like to see, some of which have already been stated:
forwarding text - I realize this is on the precentral site now, but how nice would it be if it was included and not to have to be set up as a tweak -
voice recording A MUST
voice dialing A MUST
being able to save a sound via a text message - A MUST
I miss my voice dialing/recording a lot. Hopefully it will be included at some point.
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203144
Message forwarding is a tweak in the webOS Quick Install:
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=203951
The Homebrewers are getting video recording to work!
http://www.precentral.net/video-recording-pre-seeing-believing
- Craig
Classic will have hotsync after this update. They are waiting for this update to go out in order to roll out their update with hotsync. I think this needs greater press out there. Although hotsync in a pain in the rear side, at least some extra programs will be available until the app store fills out.
http://forums.precentral.net/showthread.php?t=201573
• Classic - MotionApps has stated the HotSync will be enabled with webOS 1.2.
- Craig
Can we be honest about copy & paste from the browser? It still sucks. You can only select entire paragraphs, most of the time that means you could retype the text faster than you could edit out the parts you don't want.
i want 1.)yahoo,2.)video recording with sound....is that too much to ask for??? lol! i understand that patience is a virtue though....so i'll wait....the pre is just a baby so far and u have to crawl before you can walk....seems like alot of people want it to run the 100 meter dash,not only be born running it...but also win it and set a world record while doing it,lol. just be patient people...it's a great phone...they're still tweaking the software.
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