JK on the run has their must have apps for the Palm phone:

1. PhotoDialer. Smartphones should be first and foremost good phones — that should be the primary function, right? PhotoDialer is an app that leverages the good phone capability of the Palm phones by providing a screen with the owner’s most-called contacts presented in a nice grid. $1.99.

2. Pandora. Pandora is one of those audio services that you can’t live without once you find it. The unique technology that can serve a playlist of music similar to the music you like is very good. Free.

3. Twee. It seems everyone is playing on Twitter and a good phone client makes the experience the best. Twee is a webOS client that has all of the features you want presented in a pleasant interface. Twee comes in two versions. Twee Free is nearly full-featured but lacks support for lists and a few other functions of the paid version. $2.99.

4. Klondike Solitaire. The Windows OS got most of us playing Solitaire, and a good mobile version can help pass the time away when there is nothing else to do. Klondike Solitaire is a complete implementation of the game we all know, and plays very nicely with touch on the Palm phones. $1.99.

5. gDial Pro. Google Voice is a wonderful service that only comes into its own when used on a phone with a good client app. The gDial Pro is definitely a good client, one of the best on any smartphone platform. Free.

Add new tag · Google Voice · Mobile phone · Palm · Palm App Catalog · Pandora · Smartphone · Twitter · WebOS

Wired has a comparison between the Palm Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus, here is the highlight:

Pixi Plus:
WIRED So small it’ll fit nearly any pocket. New Wi-Fi and hotspot features add bite. Comes with Touchstone-ready and rugged skins. Pinch-zoomers rejoice: It sports multitouch.

TIRED So small it’ll cramp nearly any thumb. Mobile hotspot feature eats up waaaay too much juice. 2-megapixel camera is no longer acceptable. Switching skins is harder than peeling grapes.

Pre Plus:
WIRED Small, but thoughtful design tweaks make the Pre even prettier. With Verizon, the Pre Plus finally gets the network (and audience) it deserves. Big boosts in RAM and storage makes elegant webOS shine even more. Still an insane multitasking machine.

TIRED Anemic battery life — especially when partaking in app orgies. Touchstone base not included with purchase. Touchscreen still not as responsive as other smartphones. Cramped keys and sub-par predictive text make typing a chore. Where are the apps? Palm’s App Catalog is still puny compared to Apple and Google’s.

Add new tag · Apple · Google · Palm · Palm App Catalog · PalmPre · Smartphone · WebOS · Wi-Fi

Palm got another shot in the arm after an analyst said he thinks Palm can ship 600,000 webOS-based devices through Verizon Wireless in the current quarter. He also said it is possible that Palm will eclipse Research in Motion’s BlackBerry platform and Google’s Android OS in developer support by the end of this year.

The analyst, Jonathan Goldberg of Deutsche Bank, raised his price target on Palm’s stock, which was recently trading up 5.4 percent to $11.11 per share. Calling webOS a “scarce resource,” Goldberg said in a research note that Palm’s App Catalog already has 1,300 apps, more than in app stores by Nokia and Microsoft. “We think Palm has created a valuable asset in its webOS. If they can grow their installed base of users and keep the carrier momentum going, this value should become more apparent,” he said.

Read more: fiercewireless

Add new tag · android · Google · Microsoft · Palm · Palm App Catalog · Research in Motion · Verizon Wireless · WebOS

MobileCrunch has a review of the Palm Pixi, here are the highlights:

What we like:

The build quality is outstanding. It’s one of very few candybar phones I enjoy holding.
Generally, webOS as an operating system is the pinnacle example of user experience. It is (usually) functional and gorgeous without sacrifice, and we’ve got hope Palm can de-suck the Pixi by fixing the lag issues.
The keyboard blows the Pre’s out of the water
Multi-touch in the browser
Sprint Navigation is included in the price of data, and it’s pretty solid. It’s essentially the same powered-by-Telenav navigation app you’ll find on other phones.
The design of the webOS IM/messaging system is fantastic

What we don’t:

No Wifi
Lag. Lots and lots of lag, throughout the entire OS. Hopefully they can fix this with an update, because it’s incredibly distracting.
The new Facebook application is lacking, as is the Youtube client.
The App Catalog is far too limited
The battery cover is way too difficult to pull off, and the cover over the microUSB data/charging port makes me want to smash.
No video recording

Who should buy it: Anyone coming from an LG Envy, Samsung Alias, or other such messaging-oriented feature phone who wants a bit more functionality without diving into a more expensive and more complex smartphone. Sprint’s got some of the cheapest pricing when it comes to plans – this $99 smartphone is $500-$1100 cheaper than a $99 smartphone on AT&T or Verizon in the 24-month long run. If I had a early/mid-teenage sibling or kid, I could give them this without feeling like I was giving them junk that they’ll hate in 6 months.

Who shouldn’t buy it: Anyone looking for a fully capable smartphone. I love this operating system to pieces, but the lag, the lack of applications, and the absence of WiFi keeps me from ever recommending this phone to anyone who needs it for much more than texting, casual browsing, and growing into a full-fledged smartphone.

AppCatalog · Facebook · Handhelds · Operating system · Palm App Catalog · Palm OS · Smartphone · WebOS