Betting on the Store

摘要

It is impossible to talk about the Palm Pre smartphone without referencing the device that is both its inspiration and its archrival: the Apple iPhone. Yet comparisons irritate both companies. The view from Apple is that the iPhone occupies a lofty tier that admits no pretenders. This haughtiness, though, may be tinged with the sting of betrayal: The Pre'sauteur is Jon Rubinstein, who was a top Apple executive beforernbecoming Palm's CEO. His defection has made him the Fredo Corleone of Cupertino. And from Palm's point of view, judging the Pre only in light of the iPhone is an insult to Palm's former glory. "There's a lot of Palm DN A in there," Rubinstein says.