Apple's iPhone vs. Palm's Pre
Contender: Palm Pre
Palm says its new Pre is the first phone built to simulate the Web itself
Pros:
• Cool interface
Apps look like cards, and you can run a dozen at a time
• Handles data better
Cleveryly mashes up Facebook, Gmail and Exchange contacts and calenders
• Keyboard and touch
Just start typing on the slider keyboard to find anything
Cons:
• Still needs work
As with any new cutting-edge gadget, expect bugs for some months to come
• Few apps
A little more than a dozen programs are available at launch
• No good games
It will be years before the Pre can compete as a game console
Champion: Apple iPhone
Apple's iPhone, linked to an App Store with 50,000 programs, was the game changer in the race to build a better smart phone
Pros:
• Looks great
You can't find a smarter-looking smart phone
• Works great
It's as smart on the inside as on the outside. Stable too
• Keeeps growing
There's an app for just about anything you can imagine
Cons:
• E-mail is a mess
A fix is in the works, but so far you can't search messages
• Needs a keyboard
Some people are error-prone on touchscreens
• No multitasking
You can launch only one app at a time, which is frustrating