Adam Cooperman of Boston, who works for a health insurance company, said he wanted to get access to Palm's Software Developer Kit (SDK) to try to market a simple personal productivity application. "If it sells, great, but if not, then I have it for myself," he said.

Cooperman was one of the first to buy a Pre, and had to switch his wireless carrier to Sprint from T-Mobile USA. Minutes after he purchased the smartphone, the screen went blank. He quickly returned it for another, and said it was "probably something minor." Sprint officials said they knew of no similar widespread problems with the new Palm Pre hardware.

Jennifer Stoner, a private tutor from Newton, Mass., said she was hoping the Pre would not pose battery problems for her, since she had read early reviews saying it would work for five hours on a charge. "I need eight hours, as I'm driving around," she said. She uses a solar-powered charger that she stores in her car to keep her cell phone powered up.

Stoner was undecided about buying , a hockey puck-shaped charging dock offered by Palm that requires no cables and sells for $70. "I'm undecided on the Touchstone, even though it's adorable," she said, laughing.

Stoner, like several others at the Framingham store, is a longtime Palm user. Her current Treo smartphone is four years old and needs to be replaced. "I hope the Pre helps Palm, since Palm has always had the greatest apps," she said. A Pre will also impress her students, she said, giving her the ability to quickly browse for facts and information.