Since January the next party’s refusal to Consumer Electronics Show, Palm triggered at pre-boom unlike any other phone released since the Apple iPhone arrived in June 2007 (which includes the impressive phones such as Research In Motion of BlackBerry Bold, and HTC G1 Android phone.) of the two phones will ever compare - and not just because of their consumer-oriented style and emphasis on gesture based user interfaces, but because of the very real hostility between the proud team that worked on the Apple iPhone historic breakthrough, and ex-Apple-managers and engineers trying to restore the Palm.

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Despite the fact that the iPhone has set the standard for future smartphones, Palm in WebOS provides two important improvements that the iPhone can not match: true multitasking between applications, as well as thin notification system that does not interrupt your train of thought. He does this at the opening of its own brand on multitouch user interface, which Apple introduced in the mass with the iPhone and find ways to slide out hardware keyboard pleasure CrackBerry addicts.

There are several reasons why one should not expect that the pre-turning smartphone world upside down just yet. Business users are still fond of BlackBerrys, and RIM is actively court the consumer. Apple has a killer brand, great audio and video player technology, and more than 35,000 applications through easy-to-use Application Store, which was growing with each passing hour.

All the same, Palm has taken several steps forward, that developers and users should be taken seriously. While we do not know how much it will cost, it is impossible to predict how many other smartphone users will see the value of these improvements, but they (and competition) will notice. In Pre-expected arrival of some in the next few weeks, while all Palm said that it will be released in the first half of 2009.

Let us examine the subject of the first multitasking, which was one of the main criticisms of the iPhone in almost everything, since it was released.

For several major applications, such as phone and IPod player, an iPhone user will have to completely withdraw from one application to use another. For example, you can return to the home page and select another iPhone application during his stay connected to the phone, but can not move back and forth between two applications, but first allows you to run applications in the background, which makes it difficult to use applications such as instant messaging and streaming radio.

Apple said that these restrictions are necessary to prevent the battery from dropping off a cliff and to ensure the stability of the application. This may be part of the reason why Palm has chosen a development model.

WebOS applications will be created with standard Web development tools such as CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and are working on versions with an engine Webkit. This does not mean that they are “web applications that require connectivity to the Internet at work. It is, however, mean that they are (generally) easier and less resources than the iPhone applications that are developed using the Objective-C programming language.

This may limit the effectiveness of WebOS applications. Do not expect the complex gaming community, for example, stand at the Pre. But the Palm approach means that it will be very easy for those who have developed a web-based applications to obtain and work on preliminary design, which could contribute to an increase in the number of applications in the early days if the device is a smartphone world like what they see .

Other mobile operating systems - in particular, Android and Windows Mobile - allows multitasking, but Palm has developed a convenient way to switch between the cards, “something vaguely akin to a combination of Windows’ Alt-Tab to switch and Mac OS ‘Expose, or to switch between the tabs on the web browser. New applications can be run using the “Launcher” software button on the bottom of the home screen, and users move between different applications flicking your finger left or right.

It remains to be seen as many open applications WebOS, he would take it that they are pre-crash. (Palm product manager at CTIA 2009 refused to speculate, but said that it would be very difficult over the phone.) But the Palm implementation of this multi-spot, as its method for delivery of notices.

Notifications are the lifeblood of the mobile computer: if I’m carrying always-on, constantly connected computer, I would like to know immediately when something happened. With the release of iPhone OS 3.0, Apple plans to expand its notification service third-party applications, whereas now it only works for basic applications such as incoming phone calls, text messages and calendar.

But Apple uses the system notification pop-up window that interrupts you in the middle of a job pause in the application, and forces you to make a choice (by type) before proceeding. Palm notification bar is much less obtrusive.

When pre-users to receive emails or text messages, warning that will pop up on the bottom of the screen as a horizontal bar. But the warning will not interrupt the application and, if the user simply chooses to ignore this signal, it will be more likely to retreat to the bottom of the screen to get access at a later date when the task is completed. This warning will always be at the bottom of the screen, pre-regardless of what applications or view you selected, as well as some brief information such as sender or line.

Approach enables Apple to dismiss a warning and continue what you are doing, but you always remember that you have received notification of the application, such as ESPN Alerts application is shown on the iPhone 3.0 event. A number indicating how many alerts you receive will appear on the icon of the application - just as you can see how many e-mail messages waiting for you - but if you are in a different sector of the home screen, you will not necessarily see a warning for a given application.

Some may dismiss these differences as a user. However, multitasking, and notification is one of the most important reasons to own a mobile computer, and few companies have been able to find something that progress in the game in this direction, since the iPhone OS made its debut. Palm has.