Luke’s Notebook

So I did it!  I finally took the plunge.

On Friday afternoon, I ordered a Palm Pre.  It was released just over three months ago, and since that time I have had a handful of chances to fiddle around with different Pres.  I should receive mine via UPS on Tuesday.

Now, to be honest, I ordered it based on a few reasons:  One, I got a very good deal, and I won’t have to deal with the regular mail-in rebate.  But what really intrigued me was the fact that I’ll have a 30-day window in which to try it out, and if I don’t like it, I can return it to Sprint for a full refund.

That’s the key.  If not for that offer, I don’t think I would have bought the Pre.  I wouldn’t want to take that gamble, without getting a chance to really test the Pre out.

Now, before I go any further, I want to stress that I do not want to have to return the Pre!  I want to like it, and  I really hope that I do.  If I do have to ship it back to Sprint, it will be a bummer.

Right from the start, I know that the Pre is going to be a significant upgrade from my BlackBerry Curve in many ways:

• Larger, higher-resolution screen.
• Touch screen.
• Accelerometer.
• Wifi.
• Attractive operating system/interface.
• Better camera.
• Much better web browser.
• Future Flash support.
• Revision A.  In simple terms:  Every form of Internet access on the Pre will be faster than on the BlackBerry, thanks to the Revision A hardware.  Lower latency and lower ping times mean a faster response, whether it’s web browsing, using a program, or streaming video.  It should be a substantial upgrade across the board.
• Multitasking.  The way the Pre (well, webOS) handles multitasking is really impressive.  You can easily flip from one app to another.  The BlackBerry can technically multitask, but it isn’t nearly as elegant as the Pre’s approach.

Now… unfortunately, there are a handful of concerns which make me not entirely sure if I’m going to keep the Pre.  Granted, these concerns are unverified, as I haven’t had a chance to put a Pre through its paces, and observe just how it would work  for me as an everyday phone.

With that disclaimer, here are the concerns:

• Battery life.  There have been widespread reports of very poor battery life.  This could obviously be a deal-breaker.
• The slide-out keyboard.  On my BlackBerry, the keyboard is ever-present.  Will it be a hassle to have to slide it out all the time?  One encouraging thing here is that there is also an on-screen keyboard available for the Pre, which may work nicely for those times where I need to just tap out a few words.
• WebOS.  WebOS is Palm’s brand-new operating system that was introduced with the Pre.  Due to its newness on the scene, obviously it is not very mature.  This means potential bugs, missing features, and the like.  While the operating system may have a lot of potential, is it complete and full-featured enough to use full-time?
• One-handed use.  Again, another unknown.  How will the Pre work in those times where I’m trying to multitask?  Will it require both hands?  Maybe it won’t.  I just don’t know.
• Can it possibly trump the BlackBerry’s implementation of messaging, address books, and calendars?  This is a huge question mark.  I love how easy the BlackBerry is, what a great messaging device it is.  Granted, it’s not the sleekest device out there, but what it does it does tremendously well.  Is it even possible for the Pre to compete?
• Alerts.  I currently have five e-mail accounts set up on my BlackBerry.  I have separate notification sounds and behaviors for all five of those.  I also have different alerts for text messages, for alarms, for calendar events, Facebook notifications, and BlackBerry Messenger messages.  If the Pre can’t let me differentiate the notification sounds/vibrations for different events, would that get too irritating?

Most of the cons of the Pre are unsubstantiated as of now.  There are definite concerns, but I think the only way to know for sure is to use it.  Since Sprint offers this 30-day return window — and actually encourage me to buy it and try it out — then it’s a really nice opportunity.  I don’t have to make a commitment yet.

I really do hope I like the Pre.  It’s a very attractive phone.  I like a lot of things about it.  Right now, prior to having the phone, I would set the odds at 50/50.  I really don’t know how the Pre will do.

The trial should begin on Tuesday, when the phone is supposed to arrive.  I’m really excited, because after months of closely following the Pre in the news, I will finally get a chance to give it a fair shot.

It was nearly a year ago that I had the HTC Mogul/BlackBerry Curve shootout, where the BlackBerry pulled off an improbable victory over the heavily-favored Mogul.  Back then, when I initially bought my BlackBerry, I was nearly sure that I would turn around and sell it as soon as I could.  But, the BlackBerry really grew on me, and I said goodbye to the Mogul.

So based on recent history, I know that my initial hunch could be dead wrong.  That is exactly why I am very excited to have a month-long trial period with the Pre.  Like I said, I really hope it works well.  I don’t plan to nitpick, so  if it can do a reasonably good job of things, I will likely keep it.  If it is a bit of a disappointment, then I will simply send it on back to Sprint, and reunite with my BlackBerry.

I still have a hard time believing that I’m able to even think about using these state-of-the-art phones.  It is incredible how technology has progressed, and I just know I’m so fortunate to be a part of this large family cell phone plan, which enables me to have a phone with Internet access.

What’s fun is that, really, this all is pretty inconsequential.  Whether I use a Pre, a BlackBerry, or a phone to be named later (HTC Hero?) doesn’t really count for much. I just have always loved technology.  It’s a big hobby of mine, and it’s a fun outlet.

So… BlackBerry or Pre?  We shall know soon. We shall know soon…

August 31 was a very special day for me because it is the 10-year anniversary of when I officially — or formally — gave my life to Jesus, and invited Him to take over.

I remember how I was at a youth group on August 31, 1999.  The leader, Kirk, brought up the question of how can you know if you’re saved, if you’re going to Heaven.  He then basically said that, if there would be any doubt in anyone’s mind, it was a good time to make it official — right then and there.

I grew up, obviously, in a Christian home, and always tried to be a good person.  That day was a defining moment if only to seal the deal, to put it into writing.

Speaking of writing, the group leader also suggested that anyone who has made this commitment should go home and write it down in your Bible.  That way, he explained, we will always have a reminder.  Even though it’s not a legal document per se, it’s something we can look at in times of weakness and remind ourselves, “No, I belong to God.   This paperwork proves it.”

That night, I went home and wrote on a blank page in my Bible, “On August 31, 1999, I gave my life to Jesus!”

I have a different Bible now, but I still have that page in my desk drawer.  It just serves as a great reminder to me that the transaction was completed, that I “legally” belong to God.

10 years is a long time, almost half of my life at this point.  Since then, the 14-year-old Luke has grown up, matured, solidified, and wised up.

What amazes me in looking back on this past decade is that I’m still a work in progress.  You would hope that after 10 years of training and experience, I would have arrived by now.

Seeing the standard of absolute perfection that is set for me, and then seeing how far I fall short on a daily basis, I can get discouraged realizing that I’m still not perfect, even after all this time.

But I have recently had a new take on this.  God has been incredibly patient with me. He has loved me and cared for me this entire time, even while I was still a little more rough around the edges or had farther to climb.

It really is amazing.  God didn’t spend my first five years shaming me and pointing out everything that I need to improve upon.  I think God, in His mercy, doesn’t always hit us with all of our shortcomings at once.  If He did, then how discouraging would that be!

The standard never changes.  Sin is never okay.  But… somehow, God is able to just constantly condition you, slowly revealing different areas you might want to work out.

A good example is, once again, physical fitness.  Back in my heavier days — in fact, a good eight or 10 years ago — I was close to 250 pounds, and definitely not in the best condition.

If somebody were to have told me that I absolutely NEED to lose 50 or 60 pounds and gain a lot of muscle — and I need to do it right now — then I just would have been really disheartened.

But a good personal trainer will just say, “Okay.  Let’s just lift these weights a while.  Okay.  Now, let’s just run on the treadmill a while.”

Legally speaking, a trainer could just say, “Well, all I can tell you is that you need to lose 60 pounds, you need to build a lot of muscle, and you need to be able to run a mile in under six minutes.”  That would have been true, but it probably would have been so far out of sight that I would have just thrown in the towel.

See, God has every right to point out all of my flabby areas and to demand immediate action.  He really does.  But what just makes me love Him so much is that He does things so mercifully.  He knows that I’m on board, and that I’m committed.  And instead of just completely shaking my world and showing me a list of thousands of things I need to work on, He just says, “Okay, let’s just do this a while.”

If sin was not that big of a deal in the first place, then this wouldn’t really be too terribly significant.  But when I realize how serious sin is, it just highlights how incredible God’s mercy is, and how patient He has been — and still is — with me.