Mark Budgell, the CTO at HP has just tweeted a photo of him holding a “blacked-out” phone and a tablet device.  We think this could be the future Palm Pre 2 and perhaps WebOS tablet.

via gizmodo

I’m not allowed to talk about future roadmaps, especially because we’re in the process of being acquired by HP, so I can’t say. But yes we have a road map. We are working on future devices. And [a] new version of the OS. So I think, you’re going to find the next year very exciting.

Just my advice is to make a whopping, large 4.3-inch screen coupled with some 1080P HDMI outputs, that’d be something I would be looking for from Palm.

via precentral

Well, there’s no one better to talk about whether that will be successful or not because I have been a true, loyal Palm Pre user since it came out.  Plus, I have even bought a Nexus One, and using it diligently, performing the similar hacks done on my Palm Pre.

So, here’s the first dibs on why WebOS Tablet I think will be wildy successful:

First of all, after using Palm Pre and the Nexus One together for couple months, I’ve realized one thing about the Palm Pre.  It’s multi-tasking is flawless in comparison to Android, especially when it comes to managing your apps using the card interface.

On the other hand, for my Nexus One, applications don’t close automatically at the swipe of your fingers, they must be closed like Windows.  You actually have to install a 3rd-party app called “Task Killer”, which allows you to kill off any apps that’s running in the background.

For that reason, Palm Pre’s WebOS is a really great mobile operating system, probably the most underrated mobile OS today.

On top of that, WebOS’s native linux possess a lot of room for running full linux applications as X-server and OpenOffice. That’s on a mobile phone, I can hardly imagine what it can do with a larger tablet device and better hardware.

Why did Palm fail to capture the masses with the Pre and Pre Plus?

First, Palm didn’t put the WebOS on the right hardware.  With a small screen (than like iPhone/Nexus One) and a physical keyboard that was all too-cramped, it drove a lot of people away.

I know, I am one of the people who bought the Palm Pre because it had a physical keyboard but that’s the killing point.  With a multi-touch screen, you don’t need a physical keyboard, especially at the sacrifice of a larger LCD screen.

Had Palm Pre been loaded onto a larger LCD with slimmer profile and no physical keyboard, it might have even proved to be more popular, perhaps not having to resort to selling their company to HP.

My real hope is that HP will do this with Palm, load the WebOS onto a larger smartphone with a larger LCD screen.

After using my bigger Nexus One for awhile, I found that even though my Sprint Palm Pre had faster/more reliable network, I used my Nexus One more because the large screen size it offered and more usable in terms of browsing sites I goto everyday.

Also, Palm Pre’s GMail app is a bit flawed as you cannot “search” any of e-mail, which is the highlight of using GMail.   For example, if I wanted to find that e-mail I received 3 months ago that held my access code to the tradeshow I am trying to enter, I can’t with the Palm Pre or I have to “star” my e-mails.  It doesn’t make sense why Palm didn’t make a quick fix for that, search is major functionality of GMail.

As for number of apps on the Palm Pre, I don’t think that’s the selling point but that Palm failed to sell enough devices to make it worthy for app developers to make apps.

And also, with WebOS’s ability to run full linux software, number of free linux apps that could be put on WebOS might make it wildly appealing to the masses who no longer have to “wait” for developers to make apps rather, just install it themselves using linux shell.

In all, I think HP is making a smart decision to go ahead with WebOS.  It’s simply a great mobile operating system that needs a larger device like HP Hurricane.  I will probably be one of the first to buy it and of course, show you how to hack it like the Palm Pre.

Yup, Palm Pre will be updating the next OS update with Flash Player, meaning you can watch flash content!

Flash player is going to be available on the Palm Pre and Pre Plus on your next software update (probably) according to an Adobe rep at Web 2.0 Expo show that was held today.   This is going to be good as I will have two smartphones that will be capable of playing flash content. (including my Nexus One)

For those of you who’ve had MyTether’s Wifi tethering for awhile now, you probably noticed that your Palm Pre or Palm Pre Plus has been upgraded to WebOS 1.4.

Well, I have heard that some people are having trouble using their MyTether application and I did too.

Simply, download the latest install file (you have to be a donor) and install it.  I’ve confirmed both WiFi and USB works flawlessly after upgrading to MyTether version 2.1.0+.

*Note: There’s also a Mac install file now too for Mac users!  (And Ubuntu/Linux too!)

Don’t forget to put your MyTether in development mode first before installing!

If you have old versions of MyTether, the exe file will simply write over that so no need to uninstall anything!

Btw, I got a Nexus One when it came out, I just got USB and WiFi tethering working on that too, see my new Nexus One Hacks blog at NexusOneHacks.net for that if you have a Nexus One.

Palm Pre has been on the rise, selling over 800K Pres so far, watch out Apple.  (With Apple being anal about Google’s GoogleVoice, I don’t think Apple will last long by making enemies with other big guns and consumers.  Even TechCrunch’s author Michael Arrington “quits” iPhone while Jason Calacanis explains why Apple-quiting trend is happenin’.)

For those of you who are considering a new phone, seriously re-think the Pre, it’s a great choice for those of you who need fast network and hackability.

Here’s a quick network speed test I did on the Sprint Palm Pre and AT&T’s iPhone 3G.

As noted in PCWorld, Sprint’s Palm Pre won over the AT&T iPhone 3G by a wide margin.

Btw, I cleared the cache on both phones before doing the test.

I think most business travelers in the U.S. know Sprint is by far faster network than AT&T with better overall coverage.  Even Verizon is way faster/reliable than AT&T.

(Download This YouTube Video using FREE FLVDirect software)

The root cause of this is mostly because AT&T is based on GSM, which is horrible in the U.S. (I heard it’s much better in Europe) while Sprint and Verizon is based on CDMA. (same network used in South Korea, probably country with fastest cellular internet with their WiMax and 4G already invented/used since 2+ years ago.)

I will have a test on Palm Pre versus iPhone 3GS too soon but I doubt the results any different as the 3GS is still on the same network.  No matter how much faster the 3GS can render webpages with its hardware upgrades, the bottleneck lies in its AT&T network, which I have tested countless times here in SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Texas.

If you want fast network speed, get the Palm Pre.  If you want slow network speed, get the iPhone.  It’s a simple solution to complex problems.

P.S. Sprint is “already” starting roll out 4G (WiMax) network in metropolitan cities.  When this is over, there will be no comparison of who’s faster.  AT&T has NO PLANS to roll out any 4G networks but they have plans to charge customers more for data usage.  BOO…

It has definitely been a “viral” experience in the last week or so as our Palm Pre Hacks post on WiFi Router has got a lot of attention from A-list bloggers.  (Thank you all bloggers!  Your link love is highly appreciated!)

I will be actually going to Fort Worth, Texas soon to test out the Sprint EDVO coverage there and will let you know how it performs with 2 people constantly abusing the Sprint network.

I really think this feature will help Sprint, even if people start using it more and more.  The WiFi Router function is something that cannot be easily done on the iPhone and it does give the Palm Pre clear advantage with its Linux-based system.

I really hope Sprint starts embracing the hackers instead of just trying to make money.  That will bring their image up for us hackers/tinkerers and alike over Apple’s proprietary technology and whatnot.

Anyways, more hacks coming soon but if you get bored, don’t forget to stop by my tech blog to check up on the latest gadgets, hacks, and more.

P.S. I have already been hacking my Palm Pre into some madness, it’s way much more fun than an iPhone for sheezy.  If you don’t have the Palm Pre now, get it before you regret and fall off the early-adaptor wagon.

GO LINUX AND SUPPORT OPEN SOURCE!!!