POSTED BY

Joel Johnson

AT 12:06 PM
Friday June 5, 2009

Phones and Wireless

palm • palm pre • pre • unboxing • video

Video: Palm Pre Unboxing (I know!)

If I ever needed a reminder of my place on the totem pole, Palm was happy to provide one. I just got my Pre review unit in the mail today. If you recall, all the big sites reviews went up Wednesday.

It's a peculiar and humbling arrangement. On the one hand, it's nice to get a review unit. On the other hand, it leaves me with little to do or say that hasn't already been done or said.

So excuse me while I flail about a bit, trying to discover if there's anything I have to offer to the world of Pre. Until I discover what that might be, I'm failing over to the most braindead of enthusiast blogger tricks: pulling shit out of a box on video. Surprisingly, there doesn't actually seem to be an unboxing video of the Pre yet.

(Thank you to everyone on Twitter who are also offering up ideas. I like the idea of trying to use it in real life, especially while drunk. Which reminds me, Cruzan did send me a bottle of single-barrel rum to review, and it is Friday...)

Also, this video quality is horrible! I don't know why. I probably have the ISO bumped up way too high. This is the sort of professionalism that gets you review units a week after everyone else.

0

10 Comments

fortybillion

#1 – 1:37 PM June 5, 2009

Drink the rum. The Cruzan single-barrel is exceptional.

Agies

#2 – 1:47 PM June 5, 2009

Low enough on the gadget blog totem pole to get a preview Pre a week later than everyone else, but high enough on some other one to get sent free alcohol. That my friend is a difficult position to lament.

Clay

#3 – 2:45 PM June 5, 2009

Ok, here's something I haven't read in any of the reviews:

Is it possible to receive a file attachment through the e-mail client, save it in a common area, and then retrieve it over USB mass storage from a computer? That would be pretty much the next best thing to tethering.

gramiq

#4 – 4:01 PM June 5, 2009

Query, because I don't know how these things work:

Do you actually sign up for review units? Or do they just get sent to you out of the blue?

And again, just because I'm curious, not because I think there's anything underhanded or nefarious going on, does Boing Boing (Gadgets) have a policy on reviews, review units, other swag, etc? Is it informal? Written? Seat of the pants? Sniff test?

I'll second the vote to drink the rum, although I do so green with jealousy. As to the Pre, I'm meh. Maybe you could see if it blends? Has that been done?

Random_Tangent

#5 – 4:13 PM June 5, 2009

Do you need an assistant for the Rum review? I'm very talented.

Halloween Jack

#6 – 5:06 PM June 5, 2009

You opened the Leatherman one-handed, so points for style there.

hunter

#7 – 5:23 PM June 5, 2009

yes, but WILL IT BLEND??

huntron

#8 – 5:25 PM June 5, 2009

yes, but WILL IT BLEND?

Rob Beschizza

#9 – 9:08 AM June 6, 2009

How reviews work:

1a. We ask for one.
1b. They ask to send us one.
2. It arrives and is reviewed.
3. It is returned.

3 is the interesting part. Some companies enforce it, with signed agreements: Palm, for example, wants its Pres back within 7 days.

Others do the opposite to try and manipulate you: never outright bribery, but often passive aggressive things like sending send heavy gear unsolicited without a return shipping label.


Brandon West

#10 – 7:10 PM June 6, 2009

When I was working at a radio station, all the promo material always had "property of such and such label" on it and they claimed it had to be returned whenever they asked. Of course, a gift confers no rights even if I did ask for the CDs, so that is not enforceable. The used CD shop didn't seem to mind the stamps and warnings :P

Leave a comment