Palm Foleo Announced: Laptop-like Smartphone Companion

35 Responses to “Palm Foleo Announced: Laptop-like Smartphone Companion”

Rednektek, on May 30th, 2007 at 11:25 pm Said:

“WTF” THAT IS IT!!!!! A F##ken laptop.
Somebody call the police, these boys are
Krack. I thought this was suppose to be
ground breaking!!!!!
faslane, on May 30th, 2007 at 11:49 pm Said:

hahahahahahahahahaha LMAO!!! Palm, you blew it! Off I go, I can’t believe this thing, if anyone buys this and not a feature packed HTC or something with WAY more features (for the same price or damn near) you need help, I’d rather have my old Lifedrive than this thing!!!! hahahahahahahahhaahahahahaha what a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Faslane, still lauighing, and pretty damn disappointed! This is 2007 Palm! I think you should sel, sell, sell your stock if you own any!
faslane, on May 30th, 2007 at 11:56 pm Said:

It’s not even a laptop!!!! And you can get a 12″ laptop that will do WAY more, with built in BT and Wireless, for same price!!!!

Some one stop my from laughing, I cannot breathe!!!

Faslane
mw22, on May 30th, 2007 at 11:57 pm Said:

What happened to the DIRECT cell phone connectivity

My palm TX makes is virtually the same as this device “paired” with my Treo ????
ChasTreo, on May 31st, 2007 at 12:12 am Said:

I think it looks promising.

It’s easy to run it down even before more details are out.

Why not try thinking outside of the box, that’s why we all use a Treo in the first place.

It’s too costly at the moment, but they can cut the price before launch if they think the volumes will be OK.
MacChelsea, on May 31st, 2007 at 1:50 am Said:

The point is what would the marketing target of this thing be? A PC? You can get a laptop at the same price; a PDA? It’s way too big. What’s more important is that they’re targeting people who’d work a lot on the road, but these people would have got a laptop! If I’m this kind of person, why would I have to work on a half-standard device adn convert and sync my stuffs back onto my PC in the office, instead of working directly on laptop which saves me the time and hassle of conversion and sync-ing?

I think Dopod has a product like this, but I don’t think it’s selling like hotcakes. Sorry, I use a Treo and I love the Palm OS, but these guys got it wrong again.
alessandrot60, on May 31st, 2007 at 2:08 am Said:

The Foleo can be thought of as a “portable docking station” for the smartphone. I think this is a great idea.

Comparing it to a laptop doesn’t make any sense. If you guys need a laptop don’t buy a Foleo. This is mostly for people who already carry a smartphone (and are generally happy with it) but are frustrated with the small size of the display and keyboard — or who need to do some job for which the smartphone would be powerful enough but the display and keyboard are inadequate.

There may be quite a few people in this category, who would be willing to spend $500 to solve that particular problem — and who don’t really need a laptop.

Ease of use for the average person is a great feature. Instant ON/OFF is a great feature. Small form factor and light weight for $500 are great features. The ability to go online without paying an extra data plan specifically for the device (as is the case with many laptops or ultraportables with built-in cellular radio) is a great feature.

I want to carry my Treo wherever I go anyway. I am not looking for a bigger and heavier device to replace my Treo. I want to have a single data plan, and don’t want to constantly swap SIM cards. The beauty of the Foleo is that it lets you keep using your existing smartphone and expands it usability.

Also, think a few years ahead. Smartphones are going to be more and more powerful in terms of CPU, memory, and other features, but their displays and keyboards most likely won’t grow. In order to take advantage of the power available on these devices, we will need something like the Foleo.
faslane, on May 31st, 2007 at 2:59 am Said:

I just can’t see personally, why anyone would buy this though, when they coould get so much more in a laptop for the same price. I’d rather get the feature packed laptop that will do it ALL personally…just my 2 cents. Maybe it IS okay for someone who doesn’t want a laptop, but i highly doubt if one device with usb, sd card, bluetooth, wi fi, modem, hard drive, dvd player etc….and a “Fooleo” with not much more than a keyboard and a 10″ monitor that boots a few seconds quicker, were put in front of you for the same price, you’d choose the lesser of the two….wouldn’t make sense unless you have moolah to burn..

To each his/her own,

Faslane
reimer, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:30 am Said:

Really a new concept.

People at early stages may think that is not good “if comparing with known devices”.

Same happened with Pilots…….

-It is Not a desktop replacement (or multi-use notebook)

-But is complete office on the go with Internet, “at perfect usable size”.

-Secure portable backup for Treo, and a working replacement in case of disaster when traveling.
(you can get easily a prepaid phone locally for a short period for voice, and get all your contacts and work done with Foleo).

-Extends Treo with better keyboard and display.

- Foleo is extended with Treo when using wireless cellular.

Some High points:

-”It offers plenty of connectivity, via USB, Bluetooth, Wifi, VGA out, SD card and even a compact Flash slot” —- interesting, if drivers info will be available. VGA to connect a projector… nice..

-Seems to have a good keyboard and display.

- Light to carry

- Long battery life

- Fast boot

- all office components included

-use separately or together, you can choose.

I think it is not a notebook killer, but a huge qtty of people will have on this device their full solution.
MR PHAT PAT, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:47 am Said:

i will have to reserve judgement until it gets closer to release and all the info is out it is likely the specs will change before release, they always do…
cmotzko, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:49 am Said:

I am thinking that many of us are stuck in the old usage paradigm?

I use PDAreach to place my TREO650 up on the big screen. This happens for about 50%+ of my usage. Ummm, thats what the Foleo does (and looks much better and easier)

I do extensive research on the web and live on email * rethink the Foleo a a web-centric device and this starts to make sense. With WiFi (finally) and the ability to connect over the TREO one can always stay connected. Ummm, thats what the Foleo does

I do PowerPoint presentaions (at least once a week) and the Foleo is much samller than my Dell XPS M140 (and lighter!!!)

5 hours of battery time should allow me to write from Phoenix to New York and the Foleo looks like it fits on the fold-down seat tray (Wonder if the Foleo could also show movies?)

Oh well - the product introduction was JUST MADE, so over the next period of thime attributes will start being defined and we will see where the Foleo, as a mobile companion, really fits

Here Hoping!
jbeans, on May 31st, 2007 at 5:42 am Said:

Well, for the segment I’m in (a business power user), no–this doesn’t make sense. As noted, my type carries a laptop, and can already use the phone as a modem when necessary. And syncing isn’t necessary: since the Treo first arrived, we’ve had products like GoodLink to keep mail, contacts, and calendar synced over the air at all times.

So I’m left with wondering if the Treo and has made significant inroads into non-business users who don’t yet have a laptop. Even as I contemplate getting my 10 year old her first computer of her own…

A laptop.
tjgato, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:18 am Said:

disappointing. but The Linux interface looks nice. I wonder if Palm Software will run in this device?
alessandrot60, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:23 am Said:

You know, I have had a laptop for about 6 years, and I have been traveling several times a year and carrying the laptop around. I am often on the road. Recently I started leaving the laptop at home (or in the hotel room) whenever I thought the Treo would be sufficient for everything I really needed to do outside (including email, Web, calendar, and even taking a quick look at some PDFs and email attachments). I think if I had a Foleo I would no longer carry the laptop around. I would use the laptop only at home and at the office. So yes, I may be a perfect example of a target user of the Foleo.
EricC, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:41 am Said:

You know, alessandrot60 is right on target. I am a serious business traveler. This year I will do about 80,000 miles if my current trend continues. I take a laptop and Treo with me. But, more and more I rely on the Treo for much of my needs. The biggest drawback is reading PDF’s and powerpoint presentations. Those tend to be why I have the laptop along. With a Foleo, it would appear that those problems are solved and I can do real web browsing.

I am always trying to find the lightest, smallest laptop possible. I’m on a 12″ HP right now, and the size is somewhat large, in my opinion.

Target user is the guy that spends a lot of hours traveling a lot of miles and a lot of hours in hotels and conference rooms.
EricC, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:44 am Said:

Oh yeah, one more thought. Yes, I use over the air technology (Good), have my Treo set up as a modem, etc. But it’s all kludgy, none of it is seamless. I’m always in search of ways to make my mobile easier and more effective. $500 is not much to pay, frankly, if it improves my mobile computing.
faslane, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:45 am Said:

Okay, fair enough to all those who do appove or gif this, I’m just not sold for that much dough with so little, I DO, However, see the bennies to quickly turn on and off, 5 hrs battery..that is perfect for the airport!!!!! So one for the Foleo…..SD Card, didn’t realize it was shipping with one…is it/. been looking and unless i missed it, i didn’t see it on any spec sheet, please provide a link if you have one….the sd card would have to mean, a, more room for docs, music or 3rd party….that would open serious doors, just the music alone would PROBABLY sell me, would be nice emailing, surfing, rockin out, and for 5 hours!!! IF as long as batt lifespan is true at a full (sirf, email and music all at same time….can anyone answere any of these with a link or 2 where it was read, f it has sd music and maybe movies, I’m sold actually….specially on an instant on environment, THAT would be cool! if no sd, then i still think it sucks….fair enough?

Faslane
jbeans, on May 31st, 2007 at 7:19 am Said:

Well, for the segment I’m in (a business power user), no–this doesn’t make sense. As noted, my type carries a laptop, and can already use the phone as a modem when necessary. And syncing isn’t necessary: since the Treo first arrived, we’ve had products like GoodLink to keep mail, contacts, and calendar synced over the air at all times.

So I’m left with wondering if the Treo and has made significant inroads into non-business users who don’t yet have a laptop. Even as I contemplate getting my 10 year old her first computer of her own…

A laptop.
comet, on May 31st, 2007 at 8:27 am Said:

I am definitely interested in this product, even though I already own two laptops, an Alphasmart Neo word processor and a Sierra BT keyboard to pair with my Treo 650 and TX! As an internet junkie and enthusiastic amateur writer who loves to travel, I’m always looking for the perfect portable solution. I miss my old Windows CE clamshell devices with the near full size keyboards, which made excellent travel companions (very lightweight, instant on, long battery life) but had to go eventually because nobody was updating software for their OS and browsers etc were just too clunky. The Foleo looks like a perfect replacement for them, although I’d like to see more than 5 hours of battery.

I don’t usually travel with a laptop as I object to the extra weight for a load of features I won’t be using. I also don’t want to wait 5 minutes for the thing to boot up when I’ve got 15 minutes free at the airport to jot down my latest thoughts. The Neo’s great for that but ONLY that; I then have to rely on the Treo and the TX for all internet related stuff. It looks as if the Foleo will be a great instant-on writing tool (depending on the quality of the keyboard) as well as an excellent internet device. And by syncing with the applications on the Treo, as opposed to using it as a modem for Windows applications, presumably the kB of data will be kept to a minimum when necessary (for instance when emailing) - a valuable alternative for those of us who don’t have access to unlimited data plans.
arne_anka, on May 31st, 2007 at 10:09 am Said:

why is this thing called “fool-you”?
if this is what to expect from palm, now i am certain my next smartphone will be from another company.
the stupidity and incompetence shown by palm has reached a new level …
yamanimcool, on May 31st, 2007 at 2:46 pm Said:

damnit $500 I can get a used tablet pc on ebay for less that will still give me more options AND windows. linux is ok if u know how to use it or are a developer, but I don’t have time to learn a new os. A ‘companion’ for a smartphone shouls not cost as much as the phone itself. sd slot, good. no internal memory, bad. this device is not groundbreaking. yes its a letdown but I have no doubt it will be useful to some. not me. drop 300 off the price and ill buy one
TopTenTodd, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:33 pm Said:

WOW!!
AMAZING BREAKTHROUGH DEVICE!!!!
JUST LIKE THE….

LifeDrive! :P
Joad, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:52 pm Said:

Sorry, I now need a *MINI* SD slot for this to be compatible with my Treo… and my Cellular carrier specifically denies me the right to use my Treo as a “modem” (unless I pay another $40.00/month).

Seems like Palm’s right hand hasn’t even noticed what their own left hand has put on the street. And- take into account the Treo battery life too - using it as a modem tends to affect the battery a bit (especially as Palm is making them lsmaller to die quicker).

All the positive comments are interesting, but if the batteries choke in only 5 hours (usually an inflated number at that) this may have less hope than the Lifedrive.
Joad, on May 31st, 2007 at 3:53 pm Said:

Sorry, I now need a *MINI* SD slot for this to be compatible with my Treo… and my Cellular carrier specifically denies me the right to use my Treo as a “modem” (unless I pay another $40.00/month).

Seems like Palm’s right hand hasn’t even noticed what their own left hand has put on the street. And- take into account the Treo battery life too - using it as a modem tends to affect the battery a bit (especially as Palm is making them lsmaller to die quicker).

All the positive comments are interesting, but if the batteries choke in only 5 hours (usually an inflated number at that) this may have less hope than the Lifedrive.
holger.laux, on May 31st, 2007 at 4:08 pm Said:

Instead of having a “companion” to make up for shortfalls, I would like to see a device like the Treo to be the very HEART of my computing needs which can be expanded by periphals as and when I need them. In short: When on the road, it should be a pocket-sized device, when at home or in the office, it could be expanded to a full-fledged computer (or any stage between the two extremes).

Here are some truely revolutionary ideas they could have put into the Treo range:

- connectivity for a standard PC keyboard
- connectivity for an LCD TV or PC monitor
- connectivity for USB devices (HD, mouse etc.)
- built-in GPS
- short-range radio communication (PMR446 or DECT)
- TV/radio receiver

Enough for now. This would keep them busy for a couple of years.

Holger
serrgil, on May 31st, 2007 at 4:30 pm Said:

Sorry Palm… I really love my treos and the Palm OS is still a very good OS… but spend money and time to devolope a device like the Foleo… the world is now quite different as it was 15 years ago… The mobile-devices market is quite different now. Please, we need a new Treo, but not like the Foleo…
bozouclown, on May 31st, 2007 at 6:07 pm Said:

This would have been a device that MANY people would have wanted, including me, if Palm would have done the obvious:
make the device a stand-alone laptop Treo!
It is a shame that the marketing people really dropped the ball here. The 3 biggest problems with the Treo was the OS, WiFi and the possibility of 3G. They got the OS right (Linux, not Windows!) and put WiFi on it, but decided to make it a companion device instead of putting all the other communication protocols on it. There is certainly physical space to put all these things in the Foleo, but Palm refused. Why? It is not as if other devices soon to be released are not doing it. The other devices downfalls (I-Mate and HTC) are the Windows OS. Why can’t Palm get it ALL right? It shouldn’t be that hard to do!
ColonelKernel, on May 31st, 2007 at 8:41 pm Said:

To all the Sherlock’s and Einstein’s who let slip the secret that laptops are more powerful - DER!

Here’s how I see it - The iPhone was designed to be completely integrated with itself, a feat Palm OS Treos still haven’t perfected. So because the Foleo is designed specifically to buddy-up with smartphones, it should, in theory, do that very, very well.

The Tech-Ultra-Suave will claim that Bluetooth synching, WiFi connecting and filetype converting between a Treo and laptop are so simple a caveman could do it. But a Foleo, again, in theory, will always be better by default.

Media capabilities could be a HUGE selling point. Part of their argument is the Treo’s limited screen size and so, viewing video clips and movies on that 10-inch screen would be much more enjoyable.

In the end, one’s needs will dictate. The Foleo would be great for the writing I do, but the Adobe Creative Suite apps I’d like to run on the go…not so much.
Brjlk, on June 1st, 2007 at 4:29 pm Said:

If Linux is open source, I wonder why Foleo comes with MS Office suite, and not Open Office which is another open source program?

John
ColonelKernel, on June 1st, 2007 at 7:46 pm Said:

Brjlk - The Foleo comes with DataViz’s Docs2Go, not Microsoft Office.

http://investor.palm.com/pressdetail.cfm?ReleaseID=246406
explisiv, on June 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm Said:

aww man the idea sounds good but I’d like to see usb implemented web cam usage maybe or a multi sized card reader. gotta be able to watch movies and listen to music with my bluetooth headphones. I’m an all purpose computer repair guy and i’d love to archive my utilites and connect and intereact with laptops and pc’s so use a ethernet port for fast networking and diagnoisis of damaged cpu. I need just a little more push on that palm. but I really like the idea since vista is a real hog when it comes to any and everything.
Adamus, on June 5th, 2007 at 2:30 am Said:

Well at $500 it’s NOT cheaper than a laptop.
You can custom build a laptop with Asus Motherboards and white box case for about the same.
If it is properly fully dockabel with the Treo’s then you should be able to use the Treo’s Camera as a webcam, I already did this with my old IBM P150 laptop and Windows 98… so if it can’t do that then it’s just silly.
The only thing that sounds ground breaking about it is the instant on which if you have your laptop set up right for hibernate / resume it should be pretty close to that.
I get 10 hours of battery life out of my Old Treo 600 still… and it’s been through years of use.. by the way anyone know where to find the old replacement batteries for them in Canada?
They really should have put it together better in the way of expandability and a better battery life I think, if it’s aimed at business users it needs to be able to last the business day.
EricC, on June 9th, 2007 at 9:05 pm Said:

A few more thoughts on the Foleo.

I’ve been looking at the UltraMobile PC’s. Under 2 lbs, small keyboards, touch screens, modified versions of windows to adapt to the small form factor. The prices for anything worthwhile are well over $1000, I would probably end up at nearly $2000 for something I could live with.

BUT ……………. It would be under 2 pounds and easy to travel with, give me the capability I need on the road. I need to edit documents and spreadsheets, send and receive email, read (and create presentations), get on the Internet, read PDF’s, listen to music. I don’t need to play games, I’m not a developer, an architect, or any of those other things.

I do not need a full PC in a laptop form factor while I’m on an airplane or in a hotel, airport or conference room. I spend 2 weeks, or more, a month on the road. I have been very close to getting a UMPC because of this. A full laptop is more than I need on the road. Anything that improves my mobile computing capability is well worth the cost.

What improves mobile computing for me? Small form factor and low weight are paramount. I often am on 3 to 5 flights in a typical week and will fly 5 to 10 thousand miles. I refuse to travel with anything but carry on luggage, so whatever I take with me has to fit in my suitcase and briefcase. A laptop and AC adapter takes up quite a bit of room and weight. Room and weight I would rather devote to other things. Yet another reason for a UMPC. It has to have a long battery life. Some UMPC’s only have about 2.5 hours of battery life. My current laptop, on the internal battery, in powersaving mode, can go about 4 hours, plenty for the majority, but not all, of my flights (Seattle to Orlando is 5.5 hours there, 6 hours back).

Along comes the Paleo. It’s going to do all of the things I need, have WiFi for airports, conference rooms and hotel lobbies and connectivity to my Treo for when I don’t have WiFi (hotel rooms, for example). With Docs2Go I can read and edit all the document types I use on a regular basis. It has a 5 hour battery life, sufficient for just about every flight I might take. Instant on means I can pull it out and use it whenever I need to easily. And all the other stuff I need.

And it will only cost $500, half the price of the cheapest UMPC. And I wouldn’t even buy that UMPC, it doesn’t meet all of my needs. So, it’s about a fourth the price of the UMPC I’m likely to buy. And I can leave my 4 pound laptop at the office and take just this with me.

It’s easier and lighter than a UMPC, and does everything I need it to do. It costs about the same as a full size econo model laptop. My Compaq nc4400, 12.1″ screen, 3.9 pounds, 4 hours of battery, costs $1800 without any accessories, list price at HP.

This is a no brainer for heavy business travelers who value mobility, low weight and functionality. Get on an airplane and travel 75,000 actual, not bonus, miles a year, live in hotels 10 to 15 days a month, and spend the rest of your time in conference rooms and airport lounges and see how you feel about a $500 laptop that weighs 6 pounds and has a 15″ screen. Or, even, a traveler’s laptop that costs $1800, weighs 3.5 to 4 pounds and has a 12.1″ screen. For people like me, the cost means next to nothing. I spent $200 on headphones to reduce the noise level on airplane flights and you think I would consider $500 to be expensive for what this does for me?
EricC, on June 10th, 2007 at 1:06 am Said:

A few more thoughts on the Foleo.

I’ve been looking at the UltraMobile PC’s. Under 2 lbs, small keyboards, touch screens, modified versions of windows to adapt to the small form factor. The prices for anything worthwhile are well over $1000, I would probably end up at nearly $2000 for something I could live with.

BUT ……………. It would be under 2 pounds and easy to travel with, give me the capability I need on the road. I need to edit documents and spreadsheets, send and receive email, read (and create presentations), get on the Internet, read PDF’s, listen to music. I don’t need to play games, I’m not a developer, an architect, or any of those other things.

I do not need a full PC in a laptop form factor while I’m on an airplane or in a hotel, airport or conference room. I spend 2 weeks, or more, a month on the road. I have been very close to getting a UMPC because of this. A full laptop is more than I need on the road. Anything that improves my mobile computing capability is well worth the cost.

What improves mobile computing for me? Small form factor and low weight are paramount. I often am on 3 to 5 flights in a typical week and will fly 5 to 10 thousand miles. I refuse to travel with anything but carry on luggage, so whatever I take with me has to fit in my suitcase and briefcase. A laptop and AC adapter takes up quite a bit of room and weight. Room and weight I would rather devote to other things. Yet another reason for a UMPC. It has to have a long battery life. Some UMPC’s only have about 2.5 hours of battery life. My current laptop, on the internal battery, in powersaving mode, can go about 4 hours, plenty for the majority, but not all, of my flights (Seattle to Orlando is 5.5 hours there, 6 hours back).

Along comes the Paleo. It’s going to do all of the things I need, have WiFi for airports, conference rooms and hotel lobbies and connectivity to my Treo for when I don’t have WiFi (hotel rooms, for example). With Docs2Go I can read and edit all the document types I use on a regular basis. It has a 5 hour battery life, sufficient for just about every flight I might take. Instant on means I can pull it out and use it whenever I need to easily. And all the other stuff I need.

And it will only cost $500, half the price of the cheapest UMPC. And I wouldn’t even buy that UMPC, it doesn’t meet all of my needs. So, it’s about a fourth the price of the UMPC I’m likely to buy. And I can leave my 4 pound laptop at the office and take just this with me.

It’s easier and lighter than a UMPC, and does everything I need it to do. It costs about the same as a full size econo model laptop. My Compaq nc4400, 12.1″ screen, 3.9 pounds, 4 hours of battery, costs $1800 without any accessories, list price at HP.

This is a no brainer for heavy business travelers who value mobility, low weight and functionality. Get on an airplane and travel 75,000 actual, not bonus, miles a year, live in hotels 10 to 15 days a month, and spend the rest of your time in conference rooms and airport lounges and see how you feel about a $500 laptop that weighs 6 pounds and has a 15″ screen. Or, even, a traveler’s laptop that costs $1800, weighs 3.5 to 4 pounds and has a 12.1″ screen. For people like me, the cost means next to nothing. I spent $200 on headphones to reduce the noise level on airplane flights and you think I would consider $500 to be expensive for what this does for me?
mehnaz, on June 27th, 2007 at 9:59 am Said:

Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategy consultant Sramana Mitra, writes a review on Linux laptop replacement device by Palm. Read all about it in her blog: http://sramanamitra.com/blog/1072.