Zhephree

With all the talk of the iPhone 4GS, and with the recent webOS hardware halt, I figured it was time to speak up.

I always had basic cellphones — make a call, send a text. I eventually got into hacking my Brew-enabled phone and getting some decent apps on it. I even wrote an app that would mark incompatible apps as compatible so I could run pretty much anything on my crappy LG flip phone. 

Eventually, I got an HTC Mogul running Windows Mobile 6. I enjoyed it as it was my first smartphone. I wasn’t a fan of the stylus, but it worked. I hacked some stuff onto it to make it better, eventually cooking up some ROMs, getting WinMo 6.5 on it, and messing with the UI. I ran Android on it for about a day because it couldn’t make phone calls when in Android, and, well, it had to boot into WinMo fully first, then I had to run Android manually.

Then, I heard about the Palm Pre. I was curious, as I was already thinking about an Android device (never been a big fan of iOS), so another option seemed interesting. The UI for webOS was intriguing and different. The thing that drew me to it though was the ability to develop apps using the HTML and JavaScript I already knew. I liked the idea of making my own apps, so, when the time came, I snagged it from Sprint.

You all know my webOS history after that — putting together the foursquare app, making neato! and growlr, and eventually incredible!. At the request of Palm, I spoke at the Developer Days in NYC last year. I was one of the first people to touch a TouchPad in my bare hands and start developing for it. I’ve seen new webOS and foursquare features weeks and sometimes months before pretty much anyone else. I was the very first person to get access to Untappd’s API. I’ve done some cool things, made some cool internet friends, made some cash, but, most importantly, learned a lot about code, design, and even business and marketing.

This post is by no means as farewell to webOS development. Let me make that clear because that last paragraph sounded like it could’ve gone that way. As I’ve said before: as long as webOS devices exist, I’ll continue to develop for webOS.

At my core, I’m a gadget geek. I love buying new electronic toys. I buy things I need and things I probably don’t need. I’ve been into electronics for as long as I can remember. I’ve built things myself with parts from RadioShack and DigiKey. I’ve written software to accomplish things I needed it to. I can respect well-made electronics, regardless of the manufacturer.

As such, I can say I completely think the iPhone 4S is an amazing device. It’s beautiful and it packs some technologically impressive features. I’m not a fan of iOS, but iOS 5 is the nicest that OS has looked. Who knows, by iOS7, I might actually want an iPhone.

Windows Phone 7 looks really nice. It looks new and different and brings some much-needed elegance to the mobile UI world. I can definitely respect it.

Some of these Android devices out there, like the Droid Bionic, are crazy power-horses. Dual-core processors, HDMI out, Gigs of RAM and space — you can’t help but be impressed.

I completely believe that one can be a huge fan of a specific device or OS, but respect other devices and OSes just the same. I’m an Apple guy — I’ve used a Mac for about 10 years. Started with a G3 iBook. I’ve had about 6 different iPods, including my current 160GB Classic. But, I’ve never wanted an iPhone. There is no need to be pigeonholed into a specific group. If you heard me go on and on about my Macbook Pro and my iPod, you’d call me an Apple Fanboy. But then you’d hear me go on and on about webOS and call me a webOS fanboy. What does it matter?

I like technology. I can be a huge fan of Apple, a huge fan of webOS, and still use an Android or Windows Phone device. I was never a big fan of Sony or the Playstation. I’m a Nintendo guy through and through. Have been for over 20 years. In our house, Rhea and I have two Wiis, 3 or 4 DSes (from Lite - 3DS), a Toploader NES, a SNES, an original grey GameBoy, and countless games. But we’ve also got an original Xbox, an Xbox 360, a regular PS2, a slim PS2, a PSP, and a PS3. Sure, we bought them separate from each other and over the course of many years, but the point remains — we like video games, even though we’re some of the biggest Nintendo fans you’ll ever meet (you should see Rhea (zeldamac)’s Hyrulian shield tattoo and the replica Master Sword hanging on our wall.)

Does owning all of those Sony and Microsoft game systems make us any less of Nintendo fans? I submit that it does not. We’re video game fans first. If a game is good and interesting, we’ll buy it (finances providing, of course).

The same goes for electronics and mobile phones. I’m a huge Apple fan and a huge webOS fan. If someone wants to explore Android or Windows Phone, they should be able to do it without catching flack from their respective communities.

Will I move on from webOS as my daily device? Sure, eventually. I’ve got a Pre3 on its way to me (probably on my doorstep right now) and I’m excited to play with it and see how great it is. It might be my next daily phone (I’m leaving Sprint — contract’s up and Rhea’s already on Verizon. Cheaper to do a family plan), but it may also be a development phone. I didn’t touch my Pre2 as more than a Dev Unit until about a month ago. I’ve got my eye on some non-webOS devices on Verizon’s network and I’m super impressed and I’m curious about playing with a new toy.

My overall point is that some people will leave webOS phones, sometimes people vocal in our community, but all of us will forever remain webOS fans. Like I’ve said many times over — it’s just a phone.

To be honest, I enjoy developing for the TouchPad more than for phones. Partly because of Enyo (ok, a lot because of Enyo), but also because of the larger screen size and how that opens the door for new types of apps and that weren’t possible on 3” screens. This new world of developing is exciting to me and is the reason incredible! got released so quickly (in terms of start-release). I’m itching to get a new app out the door one day, as well as some updates to incredible! that are coming super soon.

You can bet I’ll continue pushing apps out on webOS for the TouchPad no matter what my phone decision may be. Oh, and I’ve been thinking about the phone/Mojo version of incredible!. It will never be as complete as the TouchPad version, but I’m considering cleaning up what I have and either releasing it separately super cheap, or including it in the TouchPad package. Depends on how good I can make it. This won’t be any time soon, but, I want you to know, it’s on the way, probably. And I’ve got an update to neato! and an update to foursquare in the works, so, don’t think my time with webOS phone apps is anywhere near over.

I’m here for the long haul, no matter what.