Palm Pre FAQ Update Thread

.plaid · 06-09-2009, 11:23 PM

A big thanks to chris for running this site, and giving us something to do these last several months. It's only fair that we should lighten his load a bit. I suggest we use this thread to compile some more Frequently Asked Questions and their answers so that chris can simply move this stuff over to our existing (slightly anemic) FAQ.

Please use this thread to ask only those questions for which you already have an answer! Some questions are already answered over at the FAQ but may need fleshing out now that the phone has been released. Feel free to include those (with answer) here.

Does the Prē support tethering (aka using the phone to access the internet on a computer)?
Not in build 1.0.2, officially. There are some groups looking at the underlying webOS code to figure out how to do this, and there is at least one fairly complicated solution (not for the average user), but there is no app just yet. Stay posted; a lot of folks are clamoring for this.

Is the Prē 4G-capable?
The spec sheet states that it's a 3G device. It's doubtful that Palm snuck a 4G radio in there without anyone finding out, especially when you consider it was taken apart by two different websites - iFixit & Rapid Repair - within 24 hours of its release.

How can I watch videos on the Prē?
There are solutions for this, and for the moment the process seems to depend on your operating system, but basically files that are compatible with iPods are compatible with the Prē.

For Windows folks, video files need to be in the .mp4 or .m4v format, and encoded with the FFmpeg codec. For Mac users the .mp4 with the H.264 codec seems to work.

How do I make a video iPod-compatible?
Browse the following threads for some great tips:
http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/d...ake-20014.html
http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...eos-18806.html
http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...vid-18245.html

What about recording video?
Not at this time. Palm has said it will be available in the future, but it's not in build 1.0.2.

Oh, well, how about Flash-based videos online then?
Palm is working with Adobe to provide support for Flash on the Pre. It's not in build 1.0.2, but the companies do expect to bring Flash support to webOS devices, possibly by the end of 2009.

How can I create music playlists on or for the Prē?
Creating playlists on the phone itself isn't possible currently. It is possible to create playlists from songs that are already on the phone, however. See this thread to learn more: http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...ist-19773.html

What about streaming?
You bet; just follow the same links you normally would on your desktop or laptop and, if it can be streamed, it will. See http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...und-19993.html

Where can I see a User's Manual?
Here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/15851822/SG-Pre-UserGuide or http://www.palm.com/us/support/handb...nt_p100eww.pdf

Are there any keyboard shortcuts?
You bet! Browse this thread for some useful shortcuts: http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...uts-19299.html

My screen looks a little...odd. It has discoloration/blotches/etc. Is that normal?
No, but it's not unheard of either. See the following threads: http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...een-19249.html & http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/p...sue-19884.html. The solution most folks are leaning towards is exchanging the phone within their first 30 days and hoping they get a phone from a different production run.

My Prē is really hot (to the touch)! Is that normal?
For the time being, the Prē will run a bit warmer than other phones; it's reported to be better with update 1.0.2 than it used to be.

The microUSB cover on my phone is flimsy and I'm worried it's going to snap off, but I need to charge my phone. Save me everythingpre!
Help has arrived. If you slide open the phone you can easily get a grip on the cover from "underneath" without applying too much pressure. See here or here for comments about this.

My Pre shuts down when I open or shut the keyboard; am I doing something wrong?
Not at all, in fact this is a known issue. It seems that, for some units, the battery housing is slightly larger than the battery and the jolt at the end of motion (opening or closing) causes the battery contacts to come momentarily undone - thus reset. Wedging the battery in place can help prevent it from happening again. The reset can also play temporary havoc with other components (keyboard, camera, etc.) because the OS is struggling to right itself from a crash. If you experience a glitch after restarting, shut the phone down and restart a few times to see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn't contact your retail store.

You keep mentioning "build number"; how do I know which version I have?
One way is to bring up the Launcher, then go to Device Info. Look at the Version field. If you want to make sure you have the newest version available, just bring up the Launcher and tap Updates; if an update is available you'll find out in short order.

I'm not sure how to use <application>. What should I do?
1. Check the Help section for your application. With the application active and maximized (not in card view) tap the app name in the upper left corner, then select Help.
2. If that doesn't answer your question, use the Search box of this forum to see if your question has been asked before. If the answer(s) provided weren't helpful, feel free to rephrase the question or ask it again in that same thread.
3. If you can't find your question, feel free to create a new thread.

How do I re-arrange the icons on my Quick Launch bar?
1. Bring up the Launcher by tapping its icon on the Quick Launch,
2. Press and hold the old icon until it has a halo,

3. Drag the old icon up into the Launcher,
4. Press and hold the new icon until it has a halo around it,
5. Drag the new icon to the Quick Launch.

What do those icons up top mean?
From the Pre User Guide, pp 97-98:

The battery is being charged.
The battery is fully charged.
The battery is low.
Airplane mode is turned on.
Wi-Fi is turned on. Waves denote signal strength.

.plaid · 06-10-2009, 03:36 AM

...continued from the last post....

The phone is searching for a Wi-Fi network.
The phone is on. Bars denote signal strength.
A 1x data connection is active.
An EvDO data connection is active.
The phone is searching for a Sprint network.
No Sprint network is available.
Bluetooth® wireless technology is turned on.
A Bluetooth connection is in progress.
A Bluetooth connection has been made.
Your phone is performing a search on the characters you entered. If you are in Card view or the Launcher, your phone conducts a universal search (see “Search to Find Info and Make Calls” on page 71). If you are in an application such as Contacts or Memos, your phone searches for items within the app that match the search term you entered.
Voice and data roaming is turned on.
TTY is turned on.

When I delete an e-mail on the Prē it also gets deleted from my mail account. I want to keep the e-mail, I just want it off my phone!
Easy...just change the Trash folder. From a Lifehacker article via this thread:

Tech blogger Lisa Brewster points out that by opening your Pre's Mail application, heading to Preferences and Accounts, and then choosing your Gmail account, you can set your Trash folder to [Gmail]/All Mail, which, in effect, makes deleting an email an archive action instead.

Once you change your Trash folder you'll need to log in from your computer to delete e-mails from your account.

How do I get multiple colors in my calendar?
In build 1.0.2 the only available calendars are from Exchange (MS Outlook), Google, and your Palm Profile. It's possible that a future update will integrate Facebook & Yahoo calendars.

Each of these three existing calendars, by default, shows data in different colors. Luckily, it's possible to have several Google calendars and they may each have a distinctive color. From your desktop/laptop simply sign in to your Google Calendar and create a new calendar.

I want to delete some of my Facebook contact entries. What can I do?
Unfortunately Synergy only allows for all-or-nothing with Facebook contacts right now. When you consider that the FB birthdays don't autopopulate in your calendar it's pretty clear that FB Synergy isn't as robust as folks would like. Nothing has been announced as of this edit date but most folks expect these issues will be addressed in a future update. (as ever, thank you for being an early adopter!)

How can I forward this (funny/quixotic/enlightening/creepy/well-crafted) text message I just received?
Sorry, as of build 1.0.4 text messages can't be forwarded. Clamor on, though, Palm just might change that in an update.

I can set annual events on my desktop/laptop computer but I can't find this on the phone. What am I missing?
After you create an event on the phone, be it timed or an all-day event, tap the Repeat section and then choose Custom. From there, tap Daily and select the last item in the list:

I have a ton of contacts; is there any way to organize them? Can I use the GMail Groups feature on the Palm Prē?
Not right now, sorry. Hopefully this is something that will be implemented in the near future, but right now they're all just listed alphabetically.

How do I get my Hotmail on the Palm Prē?
For most folks setting up a Hotmail account is as simple as tapping Add An Account under Preferences & Accounts, then typing in a username & password. Not everyone has the same success, however, so if this doesn't work for you make sure your WiFi is turned off and try again. If that doesn't work try the notes provided here.

Please note that a lot of users are experiencing a significant battery drain with a Hotmail account. It seems the most effective (albeit not the most elegant) solution is to forward all of your Hotmail e-mails to a GMail account, which syncs nicely with the Prē.

Gah! My battery life is horrible! If only there were some list of tips I could reference to lengthen the time between charges...!
Since you asked so nicely:

When within range of an accessible hotspot, turn on your WiFi radio. It will ~~assist~~ override the EvDO radio ~~in pulling data from the cloud~~ and is more efficient.
When not in range of an accessible hotspot, turn off your WiFi radio. No use running another component needlessly.
When not in use, turn off your Bluetooth radio. See above.
When not in use, turn off your Location Services (GPS, etc.). See above.
When feasible, turn on Airplane mode. This turns off all radios, but still allows access to calendar, stored media, etc.
It may be worthwhile to delete the Hotmail account on your phone. This is purely subjective, and everythingpre wouldn't tell you how to use your phone, but a vast number of users see increased battery life after this maneuver.
When exiting the AIM instant messenger program, be sure to sign off before throwing the card away. See this thread for more information.
Close "carded" apps.
Dim the brightness of your screen. Every second that the screen is on draws power from your battery & less bright = less power.
Decrease the "Turn off after" time for your screen. See above; off is the ultimate less bright.
If you have very weak cellular signal, consider asking Sprint for an AirRave device. Constantly looking for a signal wears the battery quickly. See this thread for a discussion about this.
Charge your phone often.
Keep the battery out of direct sunlight. Temperatures greater then 50°C (120°F) can shorten Li-Ion battery life.

Also, don't expect the battery to charge while using its services while plugged in. Even when connected to a power sources (wall, car charger, etc.) using the phone will continue to drain the battery. It's hoped (but not confirmed) that a fix is available through software.

.plaid · 06-10-2009, 03:36 AM

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.plaid · 06-10-2009, 07:26 PM

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jklitten · 06-10-2009, 09:19 PM

Well done.

artap99 · 06-11-2009, 06:18 PM

For people looking to open the tab to access the USB input, I have found that if you extend the keyboard, it easily pops out.

Rad2 · 06-13-2009, 04:20 AM

I need to practice and to become proficient in keyboarding with the Pre keyboard. Is there a place where I can get the basic instruction on how to use and which keys to click for typing, copy/paste, spell-check, grammar and deleting, etc? Tia

.plaid · 06-13-2009, 06:49 PM

There is a link to the stickied keyboard shortcut thread in the first post; if you have a specific question feel free to ask of course.

artap99 · 06-13-2009, 07:59 PM

I have found that a lot of people think that they have a bad LCD screen or some sort of burn in, when in actuality they are just confused by the bottom of the App Store screen. It looks like a pinched screen. To see if it really is that way, they can load a picture onto their phone that is a light, solid color and view it full screen. Or, they can take a screenshot of the darkened App Store screen and then view it in their picture folder and move it around.

docjj · 06-13-2009, 11:19 PM

Hi. I am having a wierd problem with editing contacts. I previously was using Palm Tungsten T3 for all contact information (I am a holdout). I followed the instructions to migrate info to the pre by updating Palm Desktop to 6.2 or whatever the newest version. Then I used the palm data transfer app and usb cable to transfer data to the pre. Then I had the pre sync with my gmail account. Now I cannot seem to edit a lot of the contact data on the pre and have it stay edited after pressing done. The data reverts back to the pre-edited version. This is driving me crazy. The gmail contacts editing is very basic and does not display a lot of the information that transferred to the pre from the T3. HELPPP! Also, how does one highlight text for drag and drop and cut/paste?

Thanks!