We just got our grubby little paws on that new
Palm Foleo. We'll give you one guess about what we think. Ok, ok, look, it's an interesting device and an interesting concept, and we're long-time Palm fans. We like the scroll wheel, the keyboard and screen were very nice, and the browser works excellently (and with Flash! see the gallery). It's wonderful that it works so well with your phone and all of that business, but we just can't get behind this one. We need a better Treo, or we need a Foleo or like device that replaces your Treo -- we don't want both. No ifs, ands, or buts. We already have a laptop, and when you consider the fact that this thing is about the size and weight of a Dell X1 (ok, maybe a little larger), the user just doesn't have a whole lot of reason to take one of these home. Ah whatever, Palm never listens to us anyway. Enjoy the gallery!
posted May 30th 2007 3:07PM
...or by a samsung Q1-Ultra for $700 and have a real PC.
I totally agree with you Ryan.
I ask myself if the folks at Palm spent 5 minutes interviewing executives about what they really want and need.
Now I'm certain that Palm is doomed. Good news Apple.
allow me to be the first to say - meh.
i second the meh.
Didn't MSFT introduce a similar class of devices about a decade ago? Weren't they a spectacular failure? What makes Palm think a second go around will work?
Oh I agree. I want an all in one device, not two. But, what sets this apart is the $500 minus $100 MIR.
I'll be keeping my laptop though, thanks.
i'm so frustrated.
Looks like a palm tombstone to me.
Should have called it: "The Palm Shark Jumper"
Love it, looks like it really runs linux :)))
The device and it's price begs to be hacked really quick :))
I see...headphones, SD slot, ???, USB and charging...
what is the thing between SD slot and USB port there ?
This was a creative idea, however the technology is antiquated. I can get a full featured Core 2 laptop at 2.5lbs - why would I get something that only does a fraction of what a laptop can do at the same weight. If they can get it down to about 1 lb, they'd probably have a major winner - at this weight though it is only going to be popular with people who are ignorant of newer laptop technology and only buy dell laptops.
WTF?
It doesn't replace my laptop
It doesn't replace my Treo
It does the samething as my Treo on a bigger screen.
My god, this is a LifeDrive w/out the microdrive and has a Keyboard!
"It doesn't replace my laptop
It doesn't replace my Treo
It does the samething as my Treo on a bigger screen."
When you take your laptop somewhere do you take the Treo as well, or do you leave it behind? How heavy is your laptop? The idea is that the Foleo and the Treo together will replace your laptop.
this says it all:
"Palm Founder Sells Shares"
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070530/palm_insider_transactions.html?.v=1
Bah, it's only 15,000 shares. Maybe he just needed to sell those to buy a couple of Foleos for his immediate family or something.
also- if you read the article, it says it was a pre-arranged trading plan filed with the SEC
eh the teen and 20s thing is right, im 15 and wouldn't get that. its to big for bring around and to small if i were getting a laptop
Holy crap, that's huge! I half expected it to have vacuum tubes rather than microships given its dimensions and limited functionality. I agree with the preivous comment - its their Tombstone (and speaking of fave geek food I've seen smaller personal pizzas than the Foleo). mf
I think if they priced it at $300, there may be a market for it, but $500....meh
most pointless gadget of 2007-8?
This thing isn’t much smaller than my PowerBook 2400…
I don’t disagree that there is a need for complementary or multiple displays, but couldn’t it be smaller? Thinner? The Psion NetBook seems to be the same product.
Hawkins admitted during the presentation that Flash playback was poor as the processor is underpowered - quote "It's a bit jerky, we're quite disappointed by that - we discovered this late in the process". Holy cr@p they had 5 years to come up with this garbage and they discovered it had poor performance late in the process??
Palm fanboys (I've only ever owned a TT) have now christened this the Fooleo. It's doomed, and will surely take Palm with it, which is probably a good thing if they think that bilge like the Fooleo is what the world needds. In a smaller form factor matching the Nokia N800, Palm might have been on to something but they've blow it big time with this nonsense.
RIP Palm. Never mind eh.
Wrong. The Foleo does Flash very well as they visited a Flash-based website during the demonstration. Video, a la YouTube, is what he said didn't work well.
This is nothing new, except for Bluetooth-
Radio Shack TRS80 Model 100. http://oldcomputers.net/trs100.html
AlphaSmart Dana: http://www.alphasmart.com/products/
From what these photos show, this is going to be better than a Alphasmart Dana. I've used one for years, and it is a great portable typing solution, but beyond that, it has severe limitations, including screen size. This thing is the perfect balance between the alphasmart and the notbook, and it has a color screen!
Wow. Looks like Palm is going the route of the UMPC and trying to create a device for a market that doesn't exist. Good idea, I'm sure what will work out well for you.
Neither here nor there.
I don't understand why people keep thinking there is a big market for UMPCs or ultra-huge-smartphones.
I'd much rather have a dock for my smartphone/Treo that has a keyboard, mouse, and full size monitor so I can do the "work that requires a full size keyboard, display, and mouse"... but using the UI and apps that reside on my smartphone/Treo. You wouldn't need to carry the dock around with you, just have one at work, at home, maybe a laptop-like version to take on business trips, etc. but most of the on-the-go usage would be accomplished with your smartphone's touchscreen/thumbboard, leaving the work/play needing heavy input for when you're somewhere with a dock.
Until we have devices and UI with direct neural input/output, we'll still need a keyboard/mouse/monitor for some things, but that doesn't mean you need a smartphone, UMPC, laptop, and desktop to meet all your needs. As smartphones become more powerful and feature-filled, their only limitation is input/output, so a keyboard/mouse/monitor dock could easily accomplish this.
@kballs
Sweet Jesus, yes. Is anything like that under develpment now?
I say it's official... Palm has completly lost it. This is without a doubt the most silly thing I have ever seen, given the current (or soon to be released) offerings from Apple, RIM, and even Motorola. What a dissappoinment to seel Palm pound yet another nail in its coffin.
Who is in charge of their R&D, first off there is absolutely no market for this; You dont revolutionize a market by subtracting what has NOW become standard in most mobile computers.
The idea behind smartphones is exactly as implies 'SMART PHONE', being able to access necessary material be it business or pleasure in a palm (PUN heavily intended)sized device.
This should have been a phone, with the capability to connect with laptops and TV's i.e Nokia N95 & HTC X7500.
There is no market at all; lack of features to consider a laptop competition, too big for a person who just wants to browse through a WAP page.
Why did they simply create a tablet-style computer with a pen interface? There'd be a bigger market for such a device than the Fooleo.
This should have been a ultra-basic, ultra-portable with advanced smartphone syncing.
Like:
- Flash storage (1-8GB?)
- 256MB RAM
- Smartphone as remote control.
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR
- 802.11b/g/n
- For basic office functions, e-mail, internet, minor music playback and photo organizing
Like a more advanced OLPC XO, since even that is more advanced than this Fooleo...
This is...Amazing...Wow...If Palm was working on this for five years, I don't know what to say. I would have much rather have seen Palm working with some laptop manufacturers to create their own version of the SideShow...A Treo-like SideShow would have been very nice. A smartphone you can just dock into your laptop.
This...This is just pointless...Why does it take so long to make something like this???
Exactly what I was thinking, a dock to allow your phone be inserted into your notebook, a little like the new HP laptop with dockable remote control.
That would be kinda awesome as you could use the 2nd screen as a sideshow screen and charge the phone at the same time.
This third line business should be a real life drive ... like the UMPC h9 from the society PORIENT. !!!!
Bye Bye Palm.
I agree with the consensus that this device is a disaster. However, I do think it will have an "iPhone-like" effect on the rest of the industry in the sense that it will cause other vendors to think about what people really want from a mobile computing device and hopefully develop some innovative devices that people would really use.
Palm made a huge mistake by positioning the Foleo as a "Smartphone Companion" because nobody wants a "companion" for their Smartphone. The last thing anyone wants is to have to lug around another device, particularly one that requires a Bluetooth connection to a secondary device to get on the Internet, when outside of WiFi range. Instead of positioning this as a Smartphone Companion, they should have positioned it as a notebook replacement.
I walk to Starbucks every day in the middle of the afternoon to get some coffee and a snack. I would love to be able to bring my notebook (14" HP DV2000) and work from Starbucks, but I never do. WHY??? Several reasons:
1. The damn thing is HEAVY. The notebook itself weighs five pounds. Then add the bulky transformer and the case and you're up around eight pounds. This may not sound like much, but it's definitely enough to make me think twice about lugging it over to Starbucks.
2. It's a hassle. I would have to shut down at least to standby mode, unplug it, pack it in the case along with the transformer, zip the case closed then repeat this packing/unpacking procedure two more times when I get to Starbucks and then when I get home later on. Could I leave the case and the transformer at home and run it on battery? Not really, particularly if you plan to be online. When I'm using WiFi or my Sprint Broadband card, I'm lucky if I can get 45 minutes of battery life.
3. It's fragile. I use my notebook as a desktop replacement. If I were to drop it along the way, I'd be totally screwed.
4. I'm afraid of it getting stolen while I'm standing in line ordering my Iced Venti Soy, no Classic, Cafe con Leche. Yeah, I know, I could wait until after I get my drink before sitting down and unpacking the whole thing, but what happens if I want another drink later on? Then I have to unplug the notebook and carry it with me while trying to juggle a coffee and a snack in my other hand.
I suspect that many other people have similar problems and concerns, which make it uncomfortable, inconvenient and risky to carry around a notebook. Yes, I know you can spend like three grand for a little Vaio that weighs in at 1.5 lbs but those things are even more fragile and you still have to deal with the transformer, the case, the boot-up procedure, etc... Or you could go with an OQO Model 2, but is it really practical to do any serious work on that little screen with that little keyboard? I think not.
So what kind of device would satisfy MY needs?
1. It would have to be very light. The problem with notebooks isn't so much their size, it's their weight. Let's face it...no one is going to put an OQO (with its 5" screen) in their pocket anyway. Even at that size, it would be too big and bulky. So does it really matter if you're carrying an OQO or a larger device with a full size screen and keyboard that weighs about the same? It might even be less awkward to carry the larger device, provided it was the same weight. I haven't seen any info on the Foleo's weight, but I imagine that you could make a device with no hard drive, a full-size keyboard and a 10" screen that would weigh in around 1 lb.
2. You'd have to get rid of the packing/unpacking/boot-up/shutdown hassle. That means instant on/off like the Foleo, but it also means NO TRANSFORMER and NO CASE. You want a device that you can carry as a single piece without having to lug around other stuff with it. I'm not sure how feasible it would be to create an AC powered device without a transformer, but I'll leave that to the engineers to figure out. I envision a retractable power cord that pulls out from the device and snaps back inside when you're done. The device could also have a fold-out handle that would allow you to carry it easily, without a case.
3. Since we have no hard drive and hence no moving parts, this device would automatically be more durable than any conventional notebook. However, the manufacturer could go a step further and design it to be able to withstand 3-foot drops without damage. Perhaps they could use a soft rubber material for the case or something. Maybe a spill-proof keyboard as well. Again, leave that to engineers.
4. Built in locking device that would allow you to attach it to a table or something so it couldn't be easily stolen if you step away from it for a moment. Like the power cord, this would retract into the device when you're not using it. Perhaps they could also include one of the GPS-based tracking devices that are now available as a third-party add-on for notebooks.
In terms of the actual specs of the device, I agree with Palm that 90% of your work involves web browsing, email and document management. Do you really need more than that in a portable device? Maybe, maybe not...I guess it depends on the user. However, the only real limitation in the device I've described would be in it's memory. Since we have no hard drive, the storage would be somewhat limited. Nevertheless, given current technology, I'm sure you could make something that would run Vista or XP with enough memory left over to store a few gigs worth of files. Or you could have a Linux version. Of course it would have built-in WiFi, but like the OQO, it should also have optional built-in mobile broadband. No piggy-backing off my cell phone's Internet connection please!
The day some manufacturer comes out with a device like this for around $995, I'll be standing in line with my credit card ready.
@Brad
Agree with everything you said except the OQO reference. You obviously do not own one. You can easily fit the device in your suit breast pocket or, perhaps less comfortably, your pants pocket. The OQO2 XP Best runs Photoshop CS just fine with multitasking. It is not blazingly fast but it probably comparable to a Pentium M. Additionally, you can dock the device and output the video signal via HDMI (no HDCP though) to a much larger display.
Aaron,
I didn't mean to trash the OQO by any means. You're right, I don't own one, but I will probably buy one in the near future. I think it's a great concept, but it's still not the same experience as having a full size keyboard and display.
In terms of portability, for those of us who don't wear a suit, the OQO is probably not something you want to stick in your pants pocket and walk around with all day. I used to own a Treo, which I found too bulky to put in my pocket and I imagine the OQO would be even bulkier. However, I could definitely envision picking up the OQO and walking over to Starbucks with it. Therefore, my point is not that the OQO is bad, only that a one pound notebook with a full-size display might be just as portable (and perhaps more useful) for people like me, who don't wear a suit.
You could have a look at Nokia N95, if it is marketed in the US.
If you can live with a small screen, try Alphasmart Dana: http://www.alphasmart.com/products/dana-w_In.html
gahhhhhhhhh......because I own a non-intel mac, palm is the only real way to go and I really do like my treo 650, but in the two years since I have had it they have come up with nothing new, for goodness sake the screen and processor are exactly the same, I want brighter/larger screens, more processor power, more memory (whats with the 60MB bullsh*t), wifi, ect. Whats the big deal? Everybody's doing it ;)
I know what you mean here. Looked at TapSmart KeyLink to get full-sized keyboard and monitor for my Treo 680. Oh, but only for Windows, but not Windows using iEmulator on my PowerMac running Tiger. So I need a whole other computer to have keyboard and monitor on my Palm. Am about to go back to my RadioShack Model 100. Whichc does have a plug in monitor and drive box.
Here's an idea. Instead of adding a third device to our smartphone and laptop, add software to our laptop that connects our smartphone the way this waste of space does. Ok so it wont have the "instant" power on, but isn't that what standby is on laptops, but every other enhancement this device proclaims to have is already present in laptops! I can't wait to see people on the street tricked into buying this already obsolete crap!
Are you kidding me? Why did the put the name "palm" on this thing? It should say "lap"!
OK. I have been a huge fan of Palm since their pre-Pilot days. They have come up with innovative and revolutionary products.
This is NOT one of them.
Someone did this a couple of years ago in a smaller form factor...a small clamshell device just for connecting your PDA to the internet and doing basic tasks. This is a step backwards, if anything!
Very disappointing. This makes me triply glad I bought an OQO 02. And yes, Brad Konia, it is possible to do serious work on the OQO. Dragon NS 9 works like a charm on this little beaut.
Palm has taken yet another wrong turn...seems like palm is dead in the water now...
I have a better idea. No, make that *2* better ideas.
1. Have something like the Foleo , but 1/3 of the size so it really is pocketable. Foldable 2 piece keyboard? Too passe, try foldable 2 piece SCREEN. That would be innovatively droolworthy.
2. Just make another Treo but have a screen the size of a lifedrive, with a spring loaded screen that pops up revealing the keyboard. Still 1 handed operation, still great keyboard, but now full vga resolution!. And you could STILL add a branded bluetooth travel keyboard with trackstick as a peripheral. Still 2 items but infinitely smaller.....
I'm available as a freelance designer if Palm is interested....
My first thought when I saw this was that it was a joke.
My second thought was that, at $600 before a rebate (which many people won't get), those people scoffing at the price of an iPhone are going to have a conniption. I mean, the iPhone is an all-in-one product. The Foleo still needs a phone for its connectivity!
Does it float? At least some of the shits I make float.
a slightly freshed-up Psion MC400 from 1990 ...
See it yourself
http://www.frogplate.net/html/10002.html
http://www.guidebookgallery.org/ads/magazines/symbian/mc400brochure
and compare the design, even the lid is a copy
Why is everyone slating this machine?
Why do we have to have a choice of Windows laptops only?
It's linux, it's instant on, has much better synchronisation with my smartphone/pda.I for one am sold on it.
Even if it wasn't successful. I'd be looking to port linux apps on to it, and i'm a software developer. I'm sure we'll see a version of openoffice maybe.
First thing that springs to mind will be that most of my palm apps might run on it, emulated or otherwise.
The second thing is that it could be a great remote access terminal while on-call.
I think the possiblities are limitless. It is probably going to be a great push for the linux alternative to ms windows.
Palm might be showing us how a laptop can be, even if a bit underpowered.
I think competion for MS bloat has got to be good.
Also, at the end of the day, most people only care about having office and internet access while on the move. Along with a bit of music and multi-media. They aren't really interested in other apps.
cb_Guy, I like your take on the Foleo.
I travel alot and I'm so sick of wasting time whenever I want to work with my laptop and lugging the thing around. Sure there are plenty of small and light laptops but unfortunately my company provides me with a very heavy Dell. As with many people, I have no choice in what laptop I have to use. This appears to be a viable and convenient solution as I can leave my mlaptop behind for te time I am away.
I will still keep my laptop but when travelling, the Foleo looks like it may make life easier. I like the instant on as I could probably have half my work done in the same time it takes to start up Windows.
I think the success of this will depend on what the developers come up with. Creative applications could really make this product.
IT Jack
Right you are, Compuguy, the Dana is a big Palm device---and as you say, a great portable typing solution. But at least it runs Palm Software, and this Linux Foleo gadget won't, so if you want your Palm Address Book, etc., you will have to have your "SmartPhone" along for the ride.
The Foley is not much smaller or lighter than my old iBook I carry around when I need something bigger than my phone, or want to type remotely, etc. It won't fit in a pocket, so being a guy I would still have to carry a bag. Once I've got the bag, why not slide in a real computer?
I really like the idea of a useful small subnotebook. I've really liked the old Palm Software which always runs (or resets without trouble). I just don't think this gadget is going to be much more useful in real life than your Dana --
This is the stupidest thing I have ever seen. Someone please shoot Palm and put them out of their misery. Wishing I had a Blackberry Curve instead of my Treo 650.
Does it run Microsoft BOB?
Or buy a used MacBook for not too much more $...
This is like Fred Flintstones car. The same as walking but with 3 tons of wood and rock to push around.
It's a laptop replacement for the mobile, but low-tech worker. Of course, it's going to have less performance than a full-fledged laptop or a UMPC but all it really needs to do is word processing, email, web surfing and perhaps some multimedia. For that, it needs to cost substantially less than a UMPC and weigh much less than a laptop. Heck, make it work with an iPOD and watch it take a bite out of the thin-and-light segment.
However, I suspect the price and weight still need to come down a bit if this thing will overcome the negative reaction.
Why would anyone spend $500 on this? You mind as well get a REAL laptop computer to view your email & sync with your TREO. They had some laptops advertised this weekend for $399.
I just watched the web cast on this device and I have a strong feeling that this is going to be the last straw for Palm. I am fond, believe it or not, of my LifeDrive and of the Palm OS. It needs an update and better support, but it works for me.
This device has no real place. It can't do any real work and despite what they are saying, I don't see a lot of development happening for a $100 device priced at $600. If they had made a device that could be carried instead of a smart phone and had it's own WWAN included and functional software to be used for communications and business then I think they would have something that would save the company, but this is not it.
I am sorry to say that I will not be buying this and I am now even thinking of switching to a Windows Mobile device because I think that I will soon be unable to get support for any Palm device.
Has anyone mentioned whether this is running the same outdated software as previous Treos?
Does it? I thought it was supposed to run Linux. Thats what I can understand by reading some of the comments.
I got one of these about 10 years ago: The IBM z50. It flopped back then for IBM and it will flop again today for Palm.
Hey!
I just saw a Palm executive at Starbucks in Sunn yvale playing around with one, so here is a summary of our discussion:
- The initial model has a paltry 512MB of internal memory (Via CompactFlash card, but not easy to reach at all) So I guess one could arguably go with a 4 or 8 GB CF card but one needs to get in the guts to do that
- The computer has an external slot for a memory stick (weird), one USB port and a propietary plug to connect to an overhead projector
- Speakers are almost non-existent, so don't expect multimedia
- Screen was nice looking, but didn't look to bright
- Had wi fi and bluetooth, and I think the connection is done via bluetooth
- Nice email client, could handle several accounts at a time (work, yahoo, etc...)
A few thoughts and questions:
- I asked about multimedia or ability to move music/video/pics from the phone and sadly, no way to do it, with cell phones pushing multimedia capabilities this is definitely a downer
- The executive mentioned that the Foleo would work with ANY windows with Pocket PC (or WM6 professional) not only with Palm's devices, so that is good to mention. He was working off the Windows palm model
- Battery life was 5 hours, with both wifi-bluetooth on
- It seems much more geared to be a windows client type of hardware. I asked about the USB port (2.0) and the guy said it could be connected to a portable hard drive (Windows Format)
Hmmm, if the device was $200+ it would make sense, but at $500 is too much. I could see a few road warriors willing to do this cellphone-Foleo combo but certainly this is NOT what will save Palm. It shows to be a 5 year-old concept.
re ciscoguerrero:
memory stick? as in sony menory stick? that does not look right when looking at the gallery. looks much more like CF or some multiformat port to me.
as for the multimedia thing, i think i would go with either a phone or a dedicated device given that the last thing wanted is for this one to die at the moment its really needed because i was watching some movie or something.
i see both the announcement text and you talk about a 5 hour stamina with wifi on. but what about wifi off? how long can it last then?
Alas, this new device from Palm just shows that they are dead. Thanks for the memories, Palm/Palm One/whatever you are called next year.
This is a Polio for Palm, this will remain imprinted in the mind of their consumers. You can't subract things that a laptop can do then introduce some small capabilities and categorized as a new business in the market of mobile computing.
Look at the smartphone, the idea behind this devices is that it allows you to do things that you can do with your desktop without staying in your desk. This Foleo thing is something out of the concept of rationality if we take for consideration the product that HTC has launched like the shift and the Ameo.
It is hard to imagine that Palm has developed this new product for almost 2 years and they can come out with a very dissaspointing product. They need some wisdom from Sony on how to design a mobile computer. I wished sony does not leave the handheld industry.
Not to be the one who joins in bringing the iPhone into every thread, but for the price of this thing you could get an iPhone that can replace this thing, and your smartphone, and your iPod for that matter. And now we just have heard the iPhone is going to be opening up to third parties! Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the iPhone looking like a better deal everyday.
How does this have anything to do with the iPhone. I don't understand why everything is compared to this unrelated product.
The iphone does not have a usable screen for web browsing, nor really email in my opinion.. The iphone will allow you to work with office documents? even my Treo 650 which is far more flexible than the proprietory iPhone is not optimal for office nor web nor extensive email use IMO...
did Palm do any marketing research?
this is pointless
What I love about my Treo650 is the amount of user-created software for it. The Core Media Player, Little John's Multiemulator. I could care less about mobile e-mail. I'm one of the people that the lifedrive was aimed at. I want a Treo Lifedrive. I don't want this crap. The people who would buy this, like myself, already use laptops, and this would feel like a total downgrade. I could see a company supplying these to employees, but not much else.
But this does run Linux, which I like to hear.
Bump up the processor, bump up the storage, lower the price and encourage 3rd party programs. That's your solution to keeping this thing alive in a market that actually exists.
'memory stick? as in sony memory stick? that does not look right when looking at the gallery. looks much more like CF or some multiformat port'
I know! that why it said it was weird, but the card port was definitely too small for a full CF card, perhaps a mini-SD? but the guy said memory stick. (keep in mind his model seemed an earlier prototype , it certainly didn't look brand new and the casing was not as dark as the one shown today)
The only thing nice was the booting up, seamless and fast. No waiting. Plus having a USB to access an external HD is better. Hey, my HTC phone handles 4GB, live apps and manages media content, so why not the Foleo?
Also, Dan brings a good point, third party apps developed for Palm won't work in the Foleo, since there isn't a live link between the phone/Foleo and their programs.
The saddest thing is perhaps this thing had to have its own OS and Hardware, so instead of updating the dying palm hardware or helping Access with a Palm/Linux new OS, instead they spent 5 years at this. Geez.
Hmmm... I could buy a cheap laptop (on sale) for 300 bucks, or get this thing... what a hard decision...
Bye Palm, the creator of an icon, but ultimately got 2 lame for us uber geeks... :)
I'm sure someone could use this... heh, bring the price down and make OLPC's for starving african children!!
Seriously... how many people actually use their cellphones to do office stuff? There are the "mobile professional" but they use are carrying laptops with them. Will, this Foleo replace a laptop? Several deficiencies: lack of a hard drive, lack of any multimedia capabilities(watching videos in airports and plane)...
Looks like the bastard child of the Newton and the Sony X505. Did you forget how the Newton died, Palm? Did you not learn from Copland and Pink?
Hello! Btw, Folly-o already exists as the Sony VAIO TZ which outclasses you in battery (std battery lasts 12 hours), CPU speed, can install ANY OS, supports SSD for instant on, expansion possibilities, ports, ram, HD, screen brightness, etc etc..
You're only ahead on price (but not really compared to OLPC and Intel's stuff), but if we wanted an underpowered, underspec'ed, behind the times device, then we've already bought your other stuff.
When the Sony NR/NX already showed you the way, the Toshiba G900 and the other current HTC stuff shows you where things are at, it's been nice knowing you.
Defined as 3rd category/generation product, it seems more like a Sandwich-generation idea. Not a Treo, Not a Laptop, Just something between. Its portability is in doubt. At such a Sandwich-layer debut price, its market share can by no means optimistic.
It seems that nobody is getting this. Can anyone guess where Palm made their money with original Palm PDA's? - in business market, and that's where this is heading. Allowing mobile computing to large group of employees is a big costly problem to corporations. Original palm got past that and this will too... People dont seem to understad how restricted corporate computers are, those are not like we use them, those are more like foleo's stricted and limited usage., those just cost more, consume more power, and need much more from the IT depatment to keep those in control. This is more like Mobile thin client. Boy's do your homework, before you think you know it all - this is not for you!
I completely disagree. This thing is utterly pointless. If it were $199 or something your argument works. But it ain't and it doesn't. You can get a real laptop for the price of this thing. End of story.
Wow... now I have a really tough choice to make.
Should I laugh, or cry?
Dearest Palm,
WRT to the new Foleo, I have one comment...
Where is the promised 700p update?
> You can get a real laptop for the price of this thing. End of story.
Actually Sean, that's not the end of the story. Ever heard of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)?
The real question is this:
For the $500 bucks burning in my pocket.
iPhone or Foleo?
Yes! That's exactly what I've been waiting for someone to make. I would make it but I'm a coward.
In truth one company has pretty much done something close to it: OQO. The PC is nearly PDA-sized and it comes with a docking station for a full size KB/mouse/monitor and other ports.
And this is why i abandoned my plans as a palm programmer and moved all my mobile development time to Symbian.
This is a joke, palm's CEO's couldn't have been drinking there own wine, so much that they can't see that this is stupid.
No Celluar data connection without the phone!
The size of a laptop!
Running a brand new os!
As a developer i can't see why any other developer (commercial or indie) would want to waste time on this. Bring out a sucessor to the Palm T|X, with a celluar radio, and go back to making sensible devices.
That is what has kept them going, they don't do crazy things, they think things out, make logical choices, this is just retarded.
This is actually a good device for something I am working on. It is proabbly not for everyone but I have been looking for UMPC's for some doctors who want access to their office stuff from the hospital. My hesitation is that they wanted a UMPC that was a phone too. The dang screens are too small on a pda, and the UMPC's don't have a phone.
This thing would help bridge that gap if it would allow a RDP connection over a VPN AND have WIFI for those hotspots. Worth $600/$500? Tough call, especially without WIFI. The docs would probably not like to have more than one device but there is going to be some tradeoff somewhere and this one seems the least counterproductive. It is not like they would ALWAYS have to carry the foleo around.
Good concept (if it had WIFI)
Steep price
The market is for people who don't carry laptops around
Attention iPhone pimps-
The iPhone is a glorified MP3 player/phone, get over yourselves.
Report back when the iPhone grows up and becomes a smartphone.
I'd call it a consumer-targeted smartphone.
It does:
- Run a small version of OSX (equal to WM)
- Have full web browsing
- Push e-mail
I'm quite happy with my Averatec 2200 Series, mini laptop. 80Gig hard drive, 1 gig of Ram, Dvd burner, firewire port, and most importantly it can run any software I have on my desktop at home: e.g. Cubase.
I have a T|X which works great with the laptop... no need for a 'special' one. But am actually thinking of just selling the T|X, keeping my laptop and running the Palm software on that.
Oh well..
I'm very excited about this product. I think it will let me leverage a data plan I have already subscribed, and the concept of instant-on technology is incredibly powerful. I'm not sure that the folks talking about cheap or even powerful laptops have the same sensitivity to that issue.
I'd much rather not wait for a machine to come out of hibernation or standby. I don't expect to wait ten seconds for dial tone, so why should I wait a minute or two to access the key applications I need to do my job? It's all about access!
it has a track point!! how the &*#@ can you complain about something that has a track point?!!!
ASUS is building a cheap laptop with 7" screen and flash memory as a drive starting at 200 $ (here in EU, will cost 200 €). Give only one reason to buy this thing and not to wait for ASUS offer...
Wow! I'm REAL surprised no one mentioned the HP Jornada 820, circa 1997. The Fooleo looks almost just like it, and has...surprise, surprise...all of the limitations the Jornada 820 had! The Jornada came oh so close to being a hit, but HP went just - THAT - much too light with it and it failed. It had features this Fooleo can only dream about: built-in modem, PCMCIA slot, a battery that would last TEN hours, touchpad, IR, video out, decent speakers, blah blah blah. The amazing thing is all Palm had to do is hold an old Jornada in their hand and just imagine a little how to make it, well...better, and they would have hit a home run. The Jornada 820 and the Fooleo are business machines, for doctors, people dealing with spreadsheets, etc. etc. The 820 was well received for this purpose, and I sold a slew of 'em. I understand an e-group tried to port the whole shebang to linnux and sidestep the Windows CE 2.x and keep the 820's a viable concept since there was nothing on the market (at the time) to replace it. It's just unbelievable that Palm could forget/ignore history so badly...SWING, and a miss...strike two.
Back in the day of my first portable, Tandy/RS Model 100, I had a box that added 5.25 floppy and full-sized monitor. The keyboard on the M100 was of course large enough. Buy a Foleo? NOT! Just let me plug my Treo into a extender that gives me a full-sized keyboard and a monitor; i.e. hardware version of TapSmart KeyLink. Some sort of writable drive would be nice, but with SD already, it would not be necessary.
I don't think they made a bad decision from a hardware point of view, but the marketing of it and the software look to be a big problem.
People who think of their mobile/cell as a 'smart phone' will want a full powered laptop! There are a lot of people who would use one of these, but they are mums, small business people, workerbees, and every age of student - not nerds or execs. If it could syncronise everything on the phone (photos, music) with online services, had a sexier user interface, and marketed the use of the phones gprs for 'everywhere internet' they could've had a hit.
Palm please save youself - release a press statement saying you are listening to the feedback. Take it back in for a few months, rejig the software and re-market it differently.
This is a revolutionary product that is (1) too far ahead of it's time (2) horribly positioned.
1: Far ahead of it's time. This is the long-heralded web computer. No Windows, under $500- a third the price of a laptop. In a world where all software resides on the web, you only need a lightweight device with a screen, keyboard, decent RAM and a browser. This is it. Alas, we'll only realise this five years from now, when this type of device is mainstream and we wonder why we ever spent THOUSANDS on a laptop thick client.
2: Horribly positioned. What is this stupid 'smartphone companion' nonsense? Who wants that? They should simply have branded and positioned this as a web PC. Then it would have seemed like a revolutionary product. This nonsense about being an adjunct to your smartphone is just silly.
What excites me is, Palm has inadvertently shown that it can be done: in a world of web-based software, all laptops will be under $500, and the only software required will be a browser. The future is here. Palm is just too dumb to see that they've created it.
Alright, Palm jumped on the concept of having one integrated piece (smartphones), rather than carrying a phone and a pda. What we got were large, good phones...integrated with small, very poor PDAs. Now they're pushing two pieces again...but this one is really not going to fit in your pocket! I think this is due to the fact that many of us are complaining that the smartphone is not as great of a business tool as we thought it would be. The average soccer mom would find them neat and "high tech"...but those of us who use it for on-the-go business just can't get great PDA functionality outa the things! I got the Treo a couple of years ago...it was just the greatest thing since sliced bread (so I thought). I came to hate the way it worked as a "PDA". Now I'm back to a basic cell phone with a TX...I like it SOOO MUCH BETTER! When I got my TX last week, the salesperson at Office Max said they are seeing more people looking at the PDAs again...said that people were complaining that the smartphones were really terrible PDAs. I, personally, am looking for powerful and COMPACT technology. So to Palm I say...If we're going to have two pieces to carry around, just do what you do best...PDAs. Make 'em better...we will buy them!
I had one of these 5 years ago! It was called an HP Jornada 680. This entry from Palm looks like too little too late. If the battery life was 12 hours or so it might be worth considering, but as it is, my notebook battery lasts longer, my notebook is just as light, and it does a whole lot more. Too bad.
I don't think anyone gets the idea behind the Foleo.
FACT: Existing Computers/OSs are too hard/slow/cumbersome to use.
I remember TVs where you had to manually tune in the stations. You wouldn't dream of doing it now.
Using a PC hasn't really changed or got any easier since Windows 3.0. It's probably gotten worse. Longer boot up times, bloated software, printer drivers that run to 50Meg, shorter battery lives. The GUI remains essentially the same, just better looking alah Vista, but essentially doesn't do much more than 95.
The future of computing as I see it is,
1. You carry your smartphone in your pocket anyway,
2.You sit down at a terminal (any terminal, anywhere),
3press the on button and start work on YOUR data. No synching, no flash drives, just press the On button.
When you've finished, press the OFF button and walk away. Simple, just like a modern television, ON/Work/OFF.
The Foleo is a major step in this direction. Linux based, but not trying to copy Windows (and never quite catching up) ON/OFF functionality, it's brilliant!!
So what if it doesn't play MP3s, your phone does that. Carting a laptop around to watch videos (when the battery will probably die before the end anyway) is pointless and you're not Foleo/Palm's market.
Once the linux hackers get a hold of this device I'm sure everyone will change their minds about it.
Pity it's not a bit cheaper.
Finally, someone that thinks the same way I do. A flash based instant on device that allows me to get online EVERYWHERE I go! Some people want the Folio to have Treo like wireless capabilities. Why? So I can pay for two services? I'm going to be carrying my phone around everywhere I go anyway. Am I suppose to get rid of my phone and taco talk into the side of the Foleo?
With a 8gig CF card, I'll have a stripped down machine for the 99% of what I do on my thinkpad, editing documents and internet/email. My only suggestions, make it lighter, cheaper and make it last longer. Maybe hot swapable batteries, oh wait, INSTANT ON!!!
I guess it's telling that I bought a windowsCE mobilepro a few years back just cause I hated carrying around my laptop. ;)
So here's a Verizon/Foleo question: Verizon diabled Bluetooth capabilities to allow the Treo 700w to act as a wireless laptop modem. So what happens with the Foleo??? Will 40% of all Treo owners (or whoever is on Verizon) NOT be able to use the Web functionality?
(BTW I have the same problem with my Tomtom GPS that is SUPPOSED to use my Bluetooth phone for wireless access...but is blocked by Verizon)