Writer's thoughts on Mike Cane's reaction to the Foleo
Mike Cane's thoughts can be summed up in two words, "Who cares?" No rants, no complaints. Just a statement of his diffidence.
I disagree with him slightly; I too am underwhelmed by the Foleo, but I think it could be that we don't quite get the niche it's made for. For starters, it certainly seems a shift to think of a laptop-like device a companion to the Treo. The Treo was a standalone, but it combines enough PDA function to serve, quite ably, as a desktop computer companion. Now the Treo gets a buddy.
But let us go with the Mobile Companion idea. From the description on Palm.com,
Foleo is made for that two-day business trip to Boston. That conference across town. Or even that meeting down the hall. Just fold it up, grab your smartphone, and you're ready to go. In fact, you can even run PowerPoint® presentations. Foleo comes with a VGA adapter that connects right to it.
How is this different from grabbing a laptop? I suppose size and money. To get a laptop the weight of of the 2 lb. Foleo means a premium price of $2000. The lightest I've seen are 3 lb ones. UMPCs cost around $2000 new. In this context, $600 may not be expensive. (I have a $1200 8 lb HP laptop. My back feels the virtue of the Foleo.)
I haven't seen the Foleo in action yet; I am not sure how fast synching information is between the Foleo and Treo, but it is over BlueTooth and I guess it would be relatively slow. However, the function Palm touts is already something I do; I have my mail forwarded to an IMAP server. I use SnapperMail to access it when I am on the move (I noticed that one needs to use VersaMail for this function - I've erased it from my custom ROM and don't feel like putting it back.)
For me, no email is important enough that I can't just deal with text. Sure, it'd be nice to see the HTML formatting in my e-mail. It is also nice to open up links in a real web browser instantly, like Opera on Foleo. Again, the key is that the Foleo isn't a pocket computer like the Tx or a WinMobile device. It acts as a day bag computer, but one probably will use the Foleo like a laptop and wait until he's at a cafe or back at the hotel. If I have to wait, then a laptop is as good as the Foleo.
In this case, for someone who is looking for a lightweight laptop, the Foleo might be the thing to use. I always carry a bag with me and the 2 lb Foleo would be a nice fit. At least that's my impression of the Foleo; it's for people who prefer doing things on a keyboard and a larger screen but can't afford a 12" iBook or a UMPC or a really small laptop.
What I would have wanted: basically a larger version of Tx or T5. With wifi and a cellular radio for data plan usage. But that's neither here nor there.
As it is, I'm neutral on the Foleo. One thing that I have some interest in is if the programs on the Treo can run on the Foleo. This would be really cool if one can actually sync all the databases used by Palm programs onto the Foleo. Then it would avoid a lot of issues with HotSync conduits and using a desktop companion. Instead, one might essentially run the Foleo in a "classic state" and edit the databases directly; the resulting changes can be synced with the Treo. If this function were available, I'd be more excited about the Foleo.
Bob at MobileRead is asking will the Palm Foleo be another step for e-books? "The Palm Foleo is going to be announced today, maybe even as I write this. In fact, some details seem to have slipped out accidentally(?) in the Palm RSS feed already. The whole discussion will be shaped quite a bit by the rest of the details, but already it has caused me to consider e-book ramifications.
[From Herman] Herman has just emailed in and he has a point, personally, I like the look of the device and think it is an nice design but I agree with Herman, it's good looks remind me of the Psion Series 7 / Netbook. 
Opera and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced that the new Palm(R) Foleo(TM) mobile companion will use the Opera web browser to provide customers a user-friendly web experience. Based on Opera 9, Opera for the Palm Foleo offers intelligent navigation features and support for advanced Web 2.0 applications using Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). Opera's Software Developer Kit (SDK) proved to be a quick-to-market solution in tailoring a browser suitable for the cutting edge of mobile technology.
Just a few days before Palm unveils its new product (mine own guess being that it would be a essentially a LifeDrive 2, which would resemble an ultra mobile PC) the local distributor in Israel has finally (eight months too late) launched the Treo 680 in Israel. The reasons given for the long wait were the need to localize and convert the Treo 680 language to Hebrew (an uneasy feat, as Hebrew is a language written from right to left and requiring a non-latin character set) as well as the strict Israeli mobile-phone regulations.
One of my favorite topics to write about is reading. I have just finished Mark Kurlansky's Cod. What is nice about the book is that Kurlansky includes a number of salt fish recipes. In addition to being machine searchable for informative passages, I can look up recipes. Wonderful! I admit it isn't the best way to store recipes, but in a pinch, it will do.
The BBC has an interesting news story about a new table computer product. "Microsoft has unveiled a new touch-sensitive coffee table-shaped computer called "Surface". Designed to do away with the need for a traditional mouse and keyboard, users can instead use their fingers to operate the computer. Also designed to interact with mobile phones placed on the surface, Microsoft says it will initially sell the unit to corporate customers. These will include hotels, casinos, phone stores and restaurants."
There is such a community aspect in the thoughts of Palm Users before tomorrow. The ability to share about this is like a bunch of sports fans speculating on an upcoming game. I wanted to through my hat in the ring with a speculation/commentary. The genesis of this post is my post on the official Palm blog not being approved. This got me thinking "was this a simple mishap or an intentional oversight?" Anyway as a "Palm user thought" I thought it was worth a post here. Here it is with some edits:
I am very eager to see what Palm has up its sleeve for tomorrow's mystery launch. Not so much for myself, since my T|X and I are very happy together. Rather, we are very interested in finding a good PalmOS device for my oldest son, who has Asperger's Syndrome, that he can use both to type and for educational software. Ideally, he'd have something like the late Alphasmart Dana, only with a good display and more compact form factor. From the few rumors I've heard about the "Hawk," it is supposed to run PalmOS and have a keyboard, so it may end up being the right device for him. And hey, maybe my T|X isn't so great after all! :) {Prof. Jonathan}
OK the last giveaway is not over I'll do a random name drawing for the SD card in the morning but because it's our 8th Birthday I am going to give away my slightly used but in perfect condition Sony VAIO VGN-UX90PS Micro PC. We use it here in the office and I awaiting with eager a Samsung Q1 Ultra-Mobile PC. To enter please send me a user thought on how your using your Palm device, IMPORTANTLY give it a title and put VAIO in your subject line and email to - 
There can be no doubt that devices have been getting continually smaller and smaller over recent years. It was not long ago that a simply mobile phone was the size of a small child, which had a battery which was so big that you were forced to pull it behind you in a small wooden cart; it totally weighed over a tonne and the battery life when making calls was about 5-10 minutes.
Five Skies looks like an interesting read over at the eReader site. "Beloved story writer Ron Carlson’s first novel in thirty years, Five Skies is the story of three men gathered high in the Rocky Mountains for a construction project that is to last the summer. Having participated in a spectacular betrayal in Los Angeles, the giant, silent Arthur Key drifts into work as a carpenter in southern Idaho. Here he is hired, along with the shiftless and charming Ronnie Panelli, to build a stunt ramp beside a cavernous void. The two will be led by Darwin Gallegos, the foreman of the local ranch who is filled with a primeval rage at God, at man, at life. As they endeavor upon this simple, grand project, the three reveal themselves in cautiously resonant, profound ways. And in a voice of striking intimacy and grace, Carlson’s novel reveals itself as a story of biblical, almost spiritual force. A bellwether return from one of our greatest craftsmen, Five Skies is sure to be one of the most praised and cherished novels of the year."
