It does so much more than most phones, but it's just not quite ready for everybody

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There is no denying that the Palm Pre is an important device for both Palm and the industry. It is considered by many to have been Palm's hail Mary pass - its last chance at survival. It is a bit early to see if it worked or not, but initial indications suggest that it has. As for the industry, the Pre and its webOS prove that Apple is not the only company that can put out an intuitive user interface that is polished, easy to use, and all around fun. With webOS, Palm has thrown down the gauntlet, and it is time for the rest of the industry to react.
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Palm's App Catalog is also very young and sparsly populated. Apple has shown that app stores not only can work, but that users want them. Palm has to rally its previously faithful developer community if it wishes to fully capitalize on the success of the Pre.

But as for the Pre itself, there are some real issues as well as some potential issues. From a hardware design perspective, the keyboard displeases a lot of people, even if we find it acceptable. The slider does not work very well, and the power button and charger port are poorly placed. The fact that our Pre's camera is no longer usable points to some problems, and we have real concerns for the device's long term durability based on the plastics used in its shell. The battery life of the device is also going to disappoint many people.

So how does it all add up? It all depends on the type of user you are. If you use your phone for light browsing, messaging, and music tasks and are OK with the daily recharge, chances are good that you will thoroughly enjoy the Pre. But heavy users, especially those that spend a lot of time talking, will find that the Palm Pre's battery falls way short of the mark, enough so that it will probably not be a practical choice for them.

In the end, we give the Palm Pre a "Recommended" rating, even if our heart yearns to award it a higher mark. It does so much more than most phones, but it's just not quite ready for everybody. It does show that Palm has what it takes to survive in this industry, though, and that alone is enough to make us smile.