Tim Bajarin writes about the new Palm Foleo instant on email companion. I want one.
Palm got it right with Foleo:
Instant on, instant off.
WiFi built in + Blutooth to connect to phone.
Easy one-button access to email
Lightweight
Full size keyboard and screen
Good battery life
Moderate cost ($499)
People seem to miss a great benefit: with a Foleo, you no longer need two mobile phone data connections — one for your laptop, the other on your smart phone. That alone reduces your connectivity cost by $60 permonth or more, depending on your wireless carrier.
[tease]
It [Foleo] weighs about 2.4 pounds but feels much lighter, and even with its small battery it can deliver five full hours (even while using Wi-Fi the entire time). The large screen supports 1024-by-600 or 1024-by-768 VGA resolution. Navigation is done through a TrackPoint nub in the keyboard and it has a roller wheel below the keyboard to provide fast and easy scrolling.
[tease]
But, whether planned or not, Hawkins may have actually hit on a more powerful mobile-computing idea. Since this is a small, lightweight Linux computer, it could eventually become a new stand-alone portable-computing platform that the Linux or open-source crowd embraces.
Imagine what could happen if the open-source movement decides to start building software applications for this platform. I think it is plausible that Foleo will become the darling of this movement and help get Linux into the mainstream mobile marketplace, perhaps even challenging the dominance of the Windows portable computers.
I know that might be a stretch, but this device is the exact type of mobile e-mail machine I have personally wanted for over a decade. Because it can handle a full Web-browsing experience, it provides a serious alternative to taking a full laptop with me every time I hit the road. Jeff said Foleo is the most exciting device he’s worked on, and I think he might be right.
Tim, I am with you. I’ll buy a Foleo soon after they ship.
[from Cloudy Thinking, May 30, 2007]
