The Cheapskate

In the market for a Palm Pre? Wal-Mart Stores is offering the smartphone through Sprint for $79 with a two-year contract.

As noted in CNET's review, the Palm Pre features a vibrant display with multitouch functionality as well as a solid Web browser and good multimedia integration. The Pre offered good call quality and wireless options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Palm has developed a solid OS that not only rivals the competition but also sets a new standard in the way smartphones handle tasks and manage information.

The Palm Pre took home both the Best in Show and the People's Voice awards at CES 2009, becoming the first cell phone/smartphone to win the Best in Show since CNET started presenting the Best of CES awards in 2006.

iPhones are great, but they're not for everybody. If you're looking for the next best thing from a carrier other than AT&T, I recommend the Palm Pre. Though Palm recently cut the price to $149.99, Wirefly has the Pre for just $99.99 shipped.

That's for new Sprint customers and with a two-year service agreement, of course. (If you're already a Sprint customer, you can get the Pre for $139.99 with a two-year contract extension.)

I'm not going to run down the Pre's features and all that; you can watch CNET's video review or head over to the actual review.

I will, however, give you my take on the phone, as I've been living with one for a couple months--and writing a book about it. (Don't ask me why the cover photo doesn't look like a Pre. I'm trying to get that fixed.)

I like the Pre a lot. It's much more compact and pocket-friendly than the iPhone, and the way it autosyncs data with Google, Facebook, and the like is just fantastic.

Palm has been slow to get its app store up and running, but there's already a solid selection of apps and an even larger library of homebrew titles.

The WebOS interface is terrific, and I love being able to quickly switch between multiple running apps (the iPhone still can't multitask).

On the downside, battery life bites, podcast handling is terrible, and iTunes syncing is broken again. (With any luck, Palm will fix those last two problems with the next OS update.)

At $99.99, the 8GB Pre is price-competitive with the 8GB iPhone 3G. You'll have to pay $69.99 monthly for voice and data, but that includes unlimited data (i.e. no extra charge for text messaging) and Sprint's new Any Mobile, Anytime deal (unlimited calling to and from any mobile phone).

Over the long haul, you'll spend a bit less on the Pre than you would on an iPhone (especially if you're a heavy texter).

Well? Who's in? I think anyone in the market for an iPhone alternative should give the Pre a serious look--and I say that not as someone who's shamelessly self-promoting his book (now available for preorder!), but as someone who uses both phones. The Pre is a terrific little device, and $99.99 is a terrific price.

(Credit: Palm)

I'm all tingly: Cell phone store Wirefly is offering the Palm Centro smartphone for free with a two-year Sprint service plan. Normally, the Centro runs $99.99 after a mail-in rebate; this deal requires no rebate and even includes free shipping. Hence the tingling.

I won't go into major detail about the Centro, as I've already written a fairly exhaustive review. What I'll add is that after several months of ownership, I'm very happy with it. It does flake out at times, to the point where I have to yank the battery to reset the phone, but mostly it works like a champ. I have zero trouble using the keyboard, cramped though it may be, and I love being able to run all the Palm software I've enjoyed over the years. (Anyone for Text Twist?)

The Wirefly deal is for the black model only (rats), and of course it requires a two-year service agreement with Sprint. You can choose from any number of plans, starting at $29.99 monthly. Seriously, this is a fantastic deal, folks. If you've never owned a smartphone before, here's your chance to get a great one without spending a penny on the hardware.

Update: Looks like Amazon has this deal, too, and it's even better: You can get the black or red Centro from Sprint or the white model from AT&T.

(Credit: eReader)

I love e-books. For years I've read them on whatever PDA or smartphone I happened to be carrying at the time. (Currently it's a Palm Centro.)

Sure, the screens are small, but you get used to that pretty quickly. For me, nothing beats the convenience of having a good book in your pocket (or clipped to your belt) everywhere you go.

eReader, one of the oldest e-booksellers, was recently acquired by another e-book veteran, Fictionwise. To celebrate, the company just dropped the prices on over 8,000 titles: Every book over $10 has been discounted up to 20 percent.

That's great news, as I think part of the resistance to e-books in general has been their pricing. Surely a book that has zero printing, distribution, and shipping costs should sell for less than its dead-tree counterpart, no?

Anyway, the required eReader software is available for Palm, Windows Mobile, and Symbian devices, as well as for Windows and Mac PCs. While you're at it, sign up for the free eReader newsletter to get an additional 10 percent off each purchase.

P.S. I don't care what Steve Jobs thinks about the masses: I read, and I would love to be able to read books on my iPhone or iPod touch. Betcha lots of other folks would, too.

(Credit: iGo)

Smartphone keyboards are fine for composing short e-mails and maybe tweaking the occasional Word document. But if you want to get any serious work done on your device, fuhgeddaboudit. Your thumbs don't deserve that kind of punishment. Instead, reach for the iGo Stowaway Ultra-Slim Bluetooth Keyboard, which serves up a full-size set of QWERTY keys and then folds up slim enough to slip into your pocket.

The Stowaway normally lists for $149.99 (ouch!), but Amazon has it on sale for just $29.99--which qualifies it for the store's free Super Saver Shipping. Just make sure you check device compatibility before ordering; although the keyboard works with a broad range of BlackBerry, Palm, and Windows Mobile devices, some customers have complained of compatibility issues (check the user reviews on the Amazon product page).

I've been a big fan of Stowaway keyboards since they first came out for Palm PDAs almost 10 years ago. They're amazingly compact, comfy to type on, and guaranteed to boost your mobile productivity. [via Business Hacks]

As much as I love my new Palm Centro smartphone, it's not terribly smart when it comes to voice dialing.

(Credit: VoiceIt Technologies)

OK, it can't do it at all. Same goes for its Treo brethren. (All together now: Weak!)

At least there's third-party software to fill in the gap. VoiceIt Technologies' VoiceDialIt provides fairly seamless voice dialing for the Centro and Treo. And from now until December 31, you can snag it for $15.95 (normally $24.95).

The software employs a simple, attractive interface for adding voice-dial contacts, either manually or from your address book. I installed it on my Centro and, in about three minutes, was voice-dialing my way to hands-free happiness. (I did, however, have to refer to the manual to figure out how to enable the trigger button. Fortunately, the manual is excellent.)

VoiceDialIt is compatible with the Centro and all Palm OS Treo models, from the 600 to the 755p. There's also a Windows Mobile version, though it's not on sale.

(Credit: Handmark)

Online software store Handmark carries a broad range of titles for BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Mobile, and other smartphones. What? Huh? You can add software to your phone?!

It always surprises me how few people know this, or don't bother to venture beyond the preinstalled software. Well, now's your chance to score some games, apps, utilities, and more at a discount. From now through Wednesday, Handmark is offering 25 percent off all software purchases. Just enter the promo code "SITE25" when you check out.

(Credit: Palm)

Remember when the introduction of a new Palm PDA generated the same hype and hubbub as new iPods do today? Alas, those days are over, which may explain why Palm looks to be clearing out the inventory--maybe for good. From now until November 26, you can get a Palm TX for $199 (a $100 savings) or a Tungsten E2 for $149 (a $50 break).

You also get some freebies out of the deal: a hard case with the E2 and a wireless keyboard with the TX. The latter model (pictured) is without question the best PDA Palm ever produced, offering a slim design, a huge screen, built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the super-easy Palm OS. Shipping is free with both models.

Shameless plug alert. If you do decide to take the PDA plunge, I know a great book that can really help you get the most out of it: How to Do Everything with Your Palm Powered Device, 6th Edition. Aw, but don't take my word for it; see what this reader said, and this one.