Free Stuff! Verizon Service and Palm Pre Plus Giveaway

My Life List

Update: The Giveaway is closed, thank you all so much for reading and commenting. The winner announcement is over here.

Hello. Would you like a free Palm Pre Plus, and $300 worth of Verizon Wireless service? Yeah you would. Let’s discuss that further.

As you know, I’ve been partnering with Verizon this month to knock a few things off my Mighty List, and as part of the campaign, I’ve been using a Palm Pre Plus.

The idea was to see if the phone would be useful to me, and to find out whether Verizon would be better than my iPhone service provider. Of course, my iPhone service doesn’t work at my desk and garbles half my phone calls, so I’m a little angry about that. Angry in a “hurl my phone against the wall” kinda way. But I can be demanding when I’m paying through the nose for something that doesn’t work. We’ll discuss that more later.

For now, let’s talk about that giveaway. Verizon is offering a $600 Palm Pre Plus for free. It looks like this:

The winner will also get $300 of free service from Verizon, which looks like this:

Well, technically cellular service is invisible. It’s more something you sense in your soul when you don’t feel like hucking your phone out the window during a conference call. So in that way, Verizon is sort of like inner peace, but with less yoga involved.

I’m not required to review the Palm, and frankly I didn’t plan to, but a few of you said you were pondering new phone purchases and asked me what I thought. So here’s the stuff I liked:

Making calls. Primarily, I enjoy using my Palm as a telephone that will call people when I dial their numbers — people with whom I can have complete conversations until we mutually decide it is time to hang up. I carried both my iPhone and Palm with me while friends got used to my new number, and I can’t tell you how many times I called friends on the iPhone so they’d recognize my number, and then had to immediately call back on the Palm so they could hear what I was saying.

Dropping it in soup. So. Right after I activated my Palm, I kind of dropped it in soup. I was freaking out, thinking I’d have to admit I’m a terrible phone parent and ask for another phone. But then I just dried it off with my napkin and it kept on working. I did have to scrape some dried soup out of the charger port with a safety pin, but otherwise it didn’t even cough. Nice.

Taking photos. The phone takes killer photos, you guys. Here’s what a snapshot looks like straight out of the phone with no Photoshop intervention:

See what I mean? (Bryan took that, by the way. Thanks, B!)

Also, it has a flash! On the phone! Which means you can use it just like a regular point and shoot without having to lug around another gadget.

Making videos. You can record video on your phone. Do you hear me? We are living in the future, y’all:

Typing. I know not everyone agrees, but I like the tactile feedback of buttons when I’m typing. Some people find the buttons too small, but I didn’t have that problem. In fact, I actually used my phone to send email for the first time in my life because the email is so well integrated and it’s so easy to type.

Applying lipstick. Yeah. The phone has a compact on the back:


(Photo from the Palm Info Center, which has a detailed review if you’re looking for one.)

When I first saw it, I was irritated. Like, “Oh, I’m a girl! I want a girl phone that helps with my lipgloss.” Then I used that stupid mirror three times before I even activated the phone. My makeup has been flawless for the last month. Curse you, user testers and your uncanny insight into my demographically predictable needs!

Downsides? Because I use the camera and video constantly, I run the battery down pretty fast, which can be frustrating. So you might want some sort of battery backup if you’re not religious about charging your phone every night. Also, I tend to be an early adopter of mobile applications, and betas aren’t always available on the Palm. I realize that may not be a problem for… most of the world, but there it is.

All in all, this is a good phone on a great service. I actually think it’s a smart choice for bloggers because the camera and video are superior and it’s much easier to type, so you can do mobile updates easily.

The Giveaway

If you’d like a Palm Pre Plus for yourself, not to mention a lot of free service from Verizon Wireless, please leave a comment below promising that you will not use your new phone to text while driving, and that you will not drop it in soup within 24 hours of receipt.

Now for the fine print: You must be 18 or over to enter and live in the U.S. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Comments will be open until Wednesday morning March 31, 2009 at 11 a.m. PST. I’ll choose winners randomly using Random.org, and will announce later that day. Good luck! My fingers are crossed for you.

Published

1,047 thoughts on “Free Stuff! Verizon Service and Palm Pre Plus Giveaway”

  4. I promise to never do the things you said.
    I am also 5 months pregnant and need a better phone for picture taking. I have verizon and heart the service. I aslo promise not to drop the phone in my ramen… speaking of pregnant and ramen….

    mmmm 🙂

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  6. have never texted (esp not while driving! ergh!) & have never dropped a phone in the soup but realize there’s potentially a first time for everything so i promise not to do either. 🙂

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  7. I like new things. I am prone to dropping things and eating soup, but I will keep the two separate. Also I am terrified of texting while driving as it is insanely dangerous and scary.

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  9. Great review! Everyone laughs at my antiquated phone, so please pick me. (I promise I’m not coordinated enough to text while driving, and I will try to be coordinated enough not to drop it in soup.)

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  10. I am but a poor girl, living off of my grandfather’s love and sense of obligation while I undergo horribly painful/terrifying medical tests on a state-funded health care plan. I’m on my third possible diagnosis in eight months and take enough medication to down Elvis, so I spend most of my time at home in bed, unable to drive (requirement one).

    Additionally, I will avoid soup completely for the first week just to be on the safe side (requirement two).

    Pick me, me, me!

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  11. No texting and driving I swear! As for the soup… it’s getting hot out anyway so I’ll just switch to salad. What’s a little goat cheese between me and my phone?

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  12. I have been having similar problems with calling on my iPhone. While I love the features, the service is not always reliable.

    Pick me, please.

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  14. I love that Verizon is all “don’t be texty mc textersteins”! LET’S ALL AGREE WE ARE COOLER THAN THAT, PEOPLE.

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  15. I will not text while driving, I can’t multitask anyway. I also will not drop it in soup within 24 hours of having it. I’m not sure if I can promise after the initial 24 hours though…I’m kinda a clutz.

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  16. I have Verizon and love them! But I’m in less love with my current smartphone (the second replacement for my original smartphone) and would love a new one. I love having a smartphone for when I’m on field trips with my students (I’m a teacher) just in case. Please pick me!

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  17. I love you, Maggie and I would love a new phone…in celebration of my previously “in jeopardy” job status that has just moments ago been saved! Thanks!

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  18. Hi Maggie! I would love a new Palm Pre. Why? Because I already have verizon service, so I am already connected, and I test drove one the other day at the store and LOVED it! Also, I’ve never won a contest and winning one would rock my face off. : )

    Also, it really bugs me when people text and drive, and I generally don’t eat soup a lot.

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  21. I promise to not text while driving, unless I happen to be in a runaway Prius, in which case I will text 911 for help because calling 911 is so 1999… Also… does the Palm Pre come in pink?

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  23. I don’t have a car, so no texting while driving is easy to promise. I also promise to set my phone down far, far away from my bowl of pho.

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  25. I never text while driving. I totally understand my limitations. Also, the only thing I ever “drop” into my soup is one of my boobs. When I eat at my desk I’m often reaching for the phone, my soda or some other thing placed just a little too far away, so my rack occasionally dipped into whatever is in front of me. Twice it has been soup.

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  26. Waaaaant! I played with one of these in the store and it was oh-so-awesome, but didn’t fit the budget. Free fits the budget.

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  28. I hereby solemnly swear not to text while driving (unless I’m not the first person at the red light and then I may pick it up and read some).

    I have <3ed Verizon since it bought out Qwest and I was forced to switch a few years ago. Their customer service has actually been really amazing.

    New phone for me? Yes, please.

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  29. I am so ready for a groovier phone. I do solemnly swear that I will never text while driving nor drop the phone in the soup, and I WILL update my blog mobile-ly, due to the excellence of its accoutrements, etc. etc.

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  30. I promise I will not text while driving!!! And will not drop into soup, I can’t vouch for anything else though!!

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  31. Aloha Maggie,

    I promise not to text & drive. I hope to not drop it in the soup but if it takes such great pics of Hank, I may have to take some food pics with it…
    As a wedding planner, I only use verizon here on Maui since I have to have quality service and the iphone svc is terrible here as well.
    Mahalo,
    Lisa

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  33. ZOMG I need a new phone like whoa! Seriously, I can’t take any calls on my crap phone because the battery dies IMMEDIATELY so I wait for the call to end and then text the caller the above info and we engage in a lengthy text convo. Am waiting until 10 April when I get new phone for free or when I win one off the interwebs.

    Bonus- don’t have a license, so no way I can text and drive. Also, in between soup and gazpacho season, so the phone is safe… for now.

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  35. Me Likey ALOT!! No text & drive…cross my fingers and toes…

    I hope it’s me that gets picked! Cool!

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  38. I can promise to not use it while driving, but the soup thing? Ya just never know!
    While I’m excited about the phone, my budget is wildly excited about the $300 of service!

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  39. Such a cute little whippersnapper… would’ve named my daughter Hank. If she was a he, of course.

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  42. Oh boy! I loooove Verizon- it is amazing in Idaho- coverage in the remotest places and so clear. This phone looks so, so cool and is so beyond my non-profit job personal budget. I adore taking phots on the go and never carry a camera so I document my life with my phone…

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  43. Oh, lordy, would I like that phone. Will not text while operating a moving vehicle, or ingesting hearty liquids.
    Thanks!

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  44. I promise to not use my new phone to text while driving, and that I will not drop it in soup within 24 hours of receipt! I always buy the free (cheap) phone when my contract is up-I’d love a smart phone! 🙂
    Kelly

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  45. Oh you know you want to give me that phone.
    “Why is that?” you inquire; Because I too am a Margaret, and a redhead, and it is common knowledge that red-headed Margarets are destined to take over the world (a new phone would be very handy in this regard).

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  46. I can’t text while driving anyway, because all my texts have to be grammatically correct, and that’s just too much effort. Since it’s summer, I won’t be eating soup for a while, so I’m feeling pretty confident here. Amongst all these 700 other comers.

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  48. This phone would help me record the adventure of fulfilling one of my Mighty Life List Items….I’m going to graduate school!!! I’ve wanted to do this for so long and I’M DOING IT!!! I found out today I’ve been accepted! Woooo!!

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  49. Oh, how I would love a new phone! I promise no texting while driving, but I can’t promise about not dropping it in liquids. Or, just dropping it in general.

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  50. Oh I’m a fervent anti-cell phone use in car type person who wags her finger at guilty passersby, so no promises necessary along that front. I will promise to keep it away from my minestrone, though!

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