I've had my Palm Pre for about a month now, and I'm ready to expand my horizons. The official App Catalog is still pretty sparse and I have tried everything that interested me. I knew that developers were working on unofficial apps for the Pre, so when I found this article announcing a new GUI app installer named WebOSQuickInstall, I decided to take the plunge and start "sideloading" or installing apps not listed on the official App Catalog. I downloaded a couple of interesting homebrew apps, fileCoaster which lets you download and install homebrew apps (and other files) wirelessly, and dkGoogleVoice which lets you choose contacts from your device or dial a number and call or text them using your Google Voice number. I will review those apps in a later post.
Using
WebOSQuickInstall is pretty simple. First, you download the file (it's a Java file which means it should run on any Java-enabled computer). Then, enable the Pre's Developer Mode. Then, plug your Pre with its data cable into your computer's USB port. Choose "Just Charge." Then, double click the WebOSQuickInstall file to launch it. On the first run, it will install some necessary files - about 128 MB so grab your favorite beverage while it downloads. Once the files setup, (you may need to wake up your Pre at this point) the GUI Installer window will appear. You can drag and drop your homebrew apps here, then install them into your Pre.
There is also a Device Manager that shows you what apps you have installed:
There's also a File Receive option that I couldn't get to work, but I may not have had the right file path:
WebOSQuickInstall is free to download and use. It's a beta product under continuing development - more features are promised to appear soon. I used it to successfully sideload the two apps I mentioned:
