By I’m all for calling people out when the deserve it – not discluding me. I called myself out for Phandroid’s Live Blog Failure and more recently, our Official Cupcake hitting US article was admittedly premature since it was for Dev Phones only, although a consumer upgrade announcement came soon after. I won’t point fingers at others I’ve called out in the past but today I’m calling out Suzanne Choney from MSNBC.
Here is the first paragraph from her article titled, “Palm Pre prepares to battle ‘iBerry’ juggernaut“:
For the first time in nearly two years, the iPhone faces a showdown with what could be a true iPhone challenger. It’s not a BlackBerry. It’s not an Android phone. It’s a Palm and it’s called the Pre.
For the first time in nearly two years? While acknowledging the existence of Android? That’s just nonsense. I tried to “X” out the tab in my browser… but it bothered me too much – and now here we stand/sit. The iPhone has one manufacturer. WebOS has one manufacturer. Android has…. forget it… I’m preaching to the choir.
Ahmen to that. I bet she was really excited for the Blackberry: Storm too. Stupid cooze
I’ve never face palmed so hard. I left a mark.
It’s no different when the Dodge Magnum was released and all the car publishers were saying, “For the FIRST time you can have both utility and powerful fun in a station wagon” as if forgetting about a number of European cars that we’ve had on our side of the pond for years. I have a third generation “four-ringed” S wagon that’s a few years older than any Magnum and will put even the Hemi to shame… Maybe it was the first DOMESTIC wagon just as Palm is the first Pre-Existing mobile OS maker? Android doesn’t count because it doesn’t have enough history, perhaps? ;-)
Honestly, don’t let it bother you. Tech articles from people older than the age of 50 have inherent, completely-out-of-touch, biased, and somewhat obnoxious flaws. It’s worse when they THINK they know what they’re talking about. Sorry for being “age-ist”, but old people have no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to new tech. Ever. Don’t worry about it! lol
I have hopes for Android, I want to see the platorm do well, but so far no existing handset is anythig really special. Will we see a design from a manufacturer that is stunningly beautiful and has tight integration with Android? Because that is the advantage from having the software and hardware developed from the same source.
And more manufacturers does not mean anything, it does not automatically make for a better platform or devices. Case in point: Windows Mobile.
Come on Rob, I expect more.
@Adam – I would agree with you for the most part… but I guess that is the definition of a stereotype. Walt Mossberg from WSJ definitely is on top of his game and I would call him “older”. This lady? Not so much…
Age often has something to do with it – but I won’t speculate as to whether that comes into play hear. I called her out, that is enough of me being mean for a month or so. I want good karma after all and articles like these don’t help. But sometimes I can’t help myself. I should probably be venting on the forums rather than the blog though… something I’ll keep in mind for the future.
ED is high. And has no clue what he’s talking about. I agree with you 100%.
We all know the truth, am I right? That’s why she doesn’t get a second thought from me.
@Ed – More manufacturers means a lot. I didn’t think I had to explain this to you but I guess now I have to. More manufacturers means MORE people working their butts off to make THE BEST devices. There will be more variety so people who like different things will have different things. There will be more collective creativity because production isn’t limited to what your own, singular entity can come up with.
You are right… WindowsMobile does have a ton of manufacturers but the problem isn’t with the hardware – the OPERATING SYSTEM is what sucks. There is a reason that people are clamoring for the WinMo powered HTC Touch HD, HTC Touch Pro and other Windows Mobile devices to run Android instead… the HARDWARE rocks but the SOFTWARE doesn’t.
Come on, Ed… get a grip!
Tim- On life Tim, on life.
Rob- And when we get the best hardware and something for everyone to get excited about, it will be a happy day and analysts like Choney will have nothing to stand on.
She got you rilled up about mentioning the new Palm hardware and seemingly shunning Android, but what has been that exciting for America lately on that front? Nothing in the near future.
I have a grip friend, and I like all the options right now, tight integration from one company and a variety of hardware due for a platform I see has a lot of potential.
She looks like that guy from The Cure.
She really does.
@Ed – I think maybe you should re-read her quote a few times. The T-Mobile G1 was considered an iPhone challenger before it launched. When it launched. And after it launched. Her quote suggests the exact opposite.
Not to mention there are an army of people who think the G1 beats the iPhone hands down and I’d like to introduce you to one of them. Hi… my name is Rob Jackson and I’ve been an Android addict for 1.5 years.
THAT DUMB FUCKING UGLY CUNT NEEDS TO SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT SHIT THAT SHE DOESNT KNOW.ANDROID IS THE BEST PHONE ITS BETTER THAN THE IPHONE OR ANY OTHER GAY PHONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR A LONG TIME.
*SHAKES HEAD*
Ignorance amazes me. When Android is huge and everywhere on netbooks and any phone compatible, I hope this quote gets shoved back in her face.
Don’t worry about that shit, she likely either got a FREE phone for saying that, or she will get one. Thats the way it works. Believe me, I’m in the business of “pushing” products and when a well known person says something is good.. it’s because they got a free one to do so.
Yeah, the problem with Android is that it gets no respect, we have a tough battle ahead to turn that perception around. I love my G1, and now with cupcake its even better, I just with the hardware were better right out of the gate. I think thats the problem, that and the complaint about a lack of apps (which is partly true, we need more or at least higher quality ones in some areas). Leo Laporte is constantly ragging on Android only because his first experience is with the G1. I think if he gets a better phone with 1.5 he’d change his tune. So people hear this from the ‘experts’ and dismiss it as such without trying it themselves.
Amazing the ignorance on here and the bigotry and age ism too.Damn you guys fit the bill on HATE for anyone that doesnt agree with your point of view? Anyone else you want to offend? Call a name? Android is not the end all be all.Hey douches,it is what you like only.You guys are the same kind of simpe minded zealots that fill the ranks of APPLE Zombies. Seriously you should start your own cult or something. IF i like or love a phone I at least realize noone else has to like it for it to be good to me and I do not scream or curse anyone else out just because they think a blackberry or motorola or symbian phone is their cup of tea.IF i were to bitch about their choice and feel myself superior to them I would be just as big of bigots as you guys are. That is so sad, I would say that maybe most of you guys are just not old enough to have a clue and just haven’t learned to be tolerant of others.LOL what makes me laugh is more then likely you feel you are good little non judgemental open minded loving everyone liberals,that is typical though and you guys are anything but all those adjectives and good little liberals never really are any of those things.They just think they are but then they attack anyone that doesnt agree with their in reality narrowminded intolerant bigotted windbags.
All I have to say is laggy ass Storm, Girly ass Iphone with its stupid Itunes rip off and expensive ass 100 dollar minimum plan and no keyboard, and the multi tasking PRE oh wait G1 in fact Android does multi task and it has a keyboard, and it isnt laggy.
Hmmm I wonder whose the clear winner here. Dont worry when that POS SPRINT(worst service ever)Palm PRE comes out it will fall down the list just like everything else. Shit the only reason Blackberry even makes money is because of their stupid curve’s and pearls’s that shity ass PRE will be too expensive and will try to compete with Android.
I mean who the hell is gonna pay 300 for a damn phone that isn’t gonna compete with its rival and that is most likely gonna cost 120 bucks more than the G1?
HAHA I CANT GET OVER HER HAIR LOL
Funny thing. Rob and I honestly thought that the appsdesktop article would be the one to start the religious war. That was just a flop, this is where the money is at.
Yet another reason I won’t be watching PMSnbc…idiots
Its ok, the Pre will need all the help it can get… I mean, its being released only to Sprint… I don’t remimber where i saw the article but they did a survey and found that less than 3% of customers would change over to Sprint, where at&t and verizon had a 25-30% mark. If I can find it again I’ll post the link.
No biggie… Cupcake is coming, we know it’s coming and that date was a moving target up until now (hopefully)! Can’t accept an apology on a best guess, rustling in the bushes alarm sort of thing. So keep up the good work and continue to report our favorite type of news… Android news!:)
I don’t own an Android device (yet), and I have been following the Palm Pre fairly closely since I’m a long-time Palm user. The new webOS and Pre do have a lot of potential and really do look “pretty”. It will have lots of bells and whistles an lot of “cool” functions, but it is still a locked down proprietary OS and the service contract to own and use the device is going to be pricey.
So a few months back I decided that while I was following the Palm webOS/Pre process to see where it all would end up, I also got serious about looking at other options. And I have to say that the iPhone is one sweet device, with a whole lot really nice apps available right now as replacements for my Palm collection. Unfortunately, it would probably only “suffice” as a PIM system, but I could live with that if I can get all the other stuff I need. But there is one fatal flaw with the whole iPhone system: it’s locked down tighter than a drum. I hate that.
Enter the possibility that an Android phone might just be what I’m looking for. I really like that it’s an open system. I really like that it’s being created with the backing of a company with some seriously deep pockets. I really like the whole “model” behind the development of this system. And I really like that there are plenty of partners together in this thing.
But I’ve got to agree with at least some of what Ed said on this topic. Where’s the killer Android device? And even more importantly to me, where are the killer third-party apps?
I can see the huge “potential” of Android. And I am excited by every step forward that is made, but I really want to see a lot more.
OTOH, if Ms. Choney can’t see the potential of Android to disrupt the status quo (eventually), she’s not seeing too well. How can one think that the Palm Pre has a greater chance of challenging the iPhone than Andoid?
I wish no ill upon Palm; I’ve spent too many good years organizing my life with their PDA’s. But if I was to bet on just which of those two systems has the greatest potential to challenge the iPhone, I gotta go with Android.
One final note. I’m a happy Ubuntu user. But it does seem that there are some parallels between Android and other open systems. Why is it that OSS just doesn’t get the respect it deserves? The whole GNU/Linux/Ubuntu OS is simply amazing!
Hey, I just want you guys to know that the Rich who posted the biggot shit up there is not the same Rich as me. I’ll change my name to phonebricker.