It's been a long, somewhat baffling wait, but Palm Pre owners finally have an honest-to-goodness paid application. Sure, the Pre App Catalog is still pretty damn anemic, but at least this is a step in the right direction (albeit a step Palm should have taken months ago). This new paid app is an Air Hockey game (Thanks, Boy Genius!), and it costs $1.99.

Okay, so it's not the single most exciting piece of news in smartphone history. This app will shortly be followed by many more, assuming Palm doesn't fall down on the job again. Anyone think the App Catalog has a chance of stepping up and being real competition to the App Store?

No, probably not. But at least it now has a shot at becoming a profitable outlet for developers, which is a win for Pre owners no matter how you slice it. Congrats, guys!