Review: Dazzling Palm Software Beats the iPhone

The Pre also has the now-standard array of smart phone features: Wi-Fi, Global Positioning System and an online store for applications. The Web browser is very fast, given a fast data connection. You can zoom in and out on Web pages by pinching and spreading with two fingers, just as on the iPhone. The Pre has 8 gigabytes of built-in storage, same as the cheaper iPhone model.

Uniquely for a non-Apple device, the Pre pretends it's an iPod when you connect it to a Macintosh or Windows PC with iTunes, so you can easily transfer your music library and photos to it. It won't play movies or TV shows bought from the iTunes Store, nor will it play songs that were purchased with usage restrictions.

So should you get a Pre? Despite the fantastic software, this isn't a slam dunk decision.

We don't know how software developers will take to the Pre. There are a lot of different smart phone systems clamoring for their attention, and webOS may not be able to replicate the success of the iPhone App Store when it comes to providing a wide range of useful applications. There are only about 20 apps available at launch. (With the help of one of these applications, the Pre can run tens of thousands of programs written for the older Palm operating system, but these are mostly dated.)

We also don't know what else Palm has up its sleeve. Sprint Nextel Corp. doesn't have the same lock on the Pre as AT&T Inc. does on the iPhone, so we may see the Pre with other carriers early next year.

Palm has also said it plans to put webOS on a range of devices. We don't know when the next model will arrive, or what it will look like. Verizon Wireless' chief executive has said it will carry another Palm model "within six months."

Lastly, Apple is expected to fire back by announcing an upgraded iPhone model, perhaps as soon as Monday. It won't be able to do everything the Pre can do, but it might have other novel features.

Whether you get a Pre or not, its brilliant software will leave its mark on the phones you buy in the future, just like the iPhone did after its debut.