Palm Foleo Videos...

Following up on the Palm Foleo podcast, here are a couple of videos with Jeff Hawkins sharing how the idea behind developing the Foleo came up (video 1) and how the "immediacy" and design provide for an enjoyable user experience (video 2).

Also, check out Brighthand's hands on experience with the Palm Foleo and David Berlind's (ZD Net) interview of Paul Cousineau (Palm Foleo product manager), showing off key features at last week's Digital Experience.

-The Foleo team

Comments

[Chad Garrett]

Bummer, I was hoping to hear some things we haven't heard/ read before in print and video :-(

[JS]

I like the concept behind Foleo - but feel that for me it would need to stand out in it's own right, rather than being a SmartPhone companion... by which I mean that it should include an internal 3G radio as well as the WiFi radio.

I will not invest in a Folio when I need to first buy a Treo. For me, a Treo is too much of a compromise - my Palm TX is a better PDA than a Treo and my Nokia cellphone outguns the Treo as a mobile handset.

I guess others will face a similar perspective, since the Foleo concept itself seems to have great potential, if it just had the ability to be an all-in-one mobile internet/comms device without any extra kit.

[rgraham]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Enough about the philosophy of the Foleo and the self congratulations for coming up the idea! I want some details (product specs, capabilities, native software, third-party software, etc.).

I am already a huge fan of the idea (I have been since I scrapped my laptop in favor of an old handheld PC), but I'm starting to get the sense that Palm is hiding something when the only publicity I see is Jeff Hawkins making hand gestures.

Palm, you had me from "hello." Please don't disappoint.

[Stewart Midwinter]

I actually see a lot of potential for the Foleo as a stand-alone device. My elderly mother, for instance, wants to keep in touch by email but struggles with all of the annoyances and encumbrances that go along with Windows PCs. The Foleo would be perfect for her (and simplify my support tasks!).

[tk421]

I can't understand this idea. Why not keep the TX form factor and screen size, and just sell it with a much better fold-out keyboard? The TX screen size is more than enough for e-mail.
I will never buy a Treo as long as the screen size is kept so small. A Tx with cell radio is the only way to go for me, or I will just get a cheap Nokia phone with the next generation Vaio UX (when they're small enough to fit in my pocket.)
I am getting a Fujitsu ultrapotable Tablet PC, which has a battery life of 11 hours, and weights 3.3 pounds. Using standby mode, this will be better thna the Foleo, and I'll have a DVD reader and burner as well. Okay, it's a different price range, I must admit.
At least, it's great that Hawkins has admitted that the Treo screen is too small for mobile computing. The TX has the perfect size for a pocket device though.
Look at the iphone sales numbers. I guess I'm not the only person who likes that form-factor. Too bad the iphone makes for such a bad PDA. I need a productivity device, not a high-end toy. I'm convinced that only Palm can release such a device, but I'm so afraid that they won't take the chance.
I'll take really good care of my TX in the meantime.

[Mike]

I still would like to see it be able to run all the apps on my Treo and I haven't heard that yet. It would be nice if they used the full screen but even if they only use 320 x 320 of the screen, that's better than carrying the foleo and a portable keyboard.

[Chris Glick]

If Foleo will support Unicode (and Japanese input), edit RTF and text files, run my Palm OS software, sync with my Mac, have a trackpad instead of the mini-joystick, I'll probably go for one. With Unicode, PC-sync, and instant on, Foleos might even sell here in Japan.

But a TX with a Unicode-friendly Linux OS would be much, much, better.

Make a reader version of it with an e-ink display with battery life measured in page turns instead of hours and touchscreen for taking notes so I can ditch all the books and magazines and notepads I carry around when I travel.

I already have a laptop, and the battery life is whats significant. Instant on is very handy, but I tend to leave my laptop on all the time anyway, and when I'm not charging it at night and not using it, it's on standby, which is close enough to instant on.

I need something I don't need to charge at night, something I can leave in my bag for a month which won't need to be plugged in every night, but when I want to read an article it is ready for instant on.

Palm could own the reader/tablet market with such a device, as the instant on is the key technology for such a device (power down after each page turn).

This thing is going to have a hard time fighting an uphill battle against full function laptops. I think Jeff is overestimating the benefit of instant on over standby. Foleo still doesn't fit in my pocket, so it's still going to have to be on a desk or a bag somewhere. The cost, size, battery life, and experience are very similar to a laptop, auto-on isn't enough of a breakthrough to make much of a niche for this product.

Make a reader version of it with an e-ink display with battery life measured in page turns instead of hours and touchscreen for taking notes so I can ditch all the books and magazines and notepads I carry around when I travel.

I already have a laptop, and the battery life is whats significant. Instant on is very handy, but I tend to leave my laptop on all the time anyway, and when I'm not charging it at night and not using it, it's on standby, which is close enough to instant on.

I need something I don't need to charge at night, something I can leave in my bag for a month which won't need to be plugged in every night, but when I want to read an article it is ready for instant on.

Palm could own the reader/tablet market with such a device, as the instant on is the key technology for such a device (power down after each page turn).

This thing is going to have a hard time fighting an uphill battle against full function laptops. I think Jeff is overestimating the benefit of instant on over standby. Foleo still doesn't fit in my pocket, so it's still going to have to be on a desk or a bag somewhere. The cost, size, battery life, and experience are very similar to a laptop, auto-on isn't enough of a breakthrough to make much of a niche for this product.

[Greg]

Jeff said "I just had the best product idea of my life". That's sad. I like Jeff Hawkins (really, I'm not being sarcastic). But if the Foleo is his BEST idea, I think Palm is in trouble. Look at all the users inquiring about a more TX-like phone device, or all the COUNTLESS Treo 700p users who are still having all their issues even after the MR has been released. I would think a more "Ah-ha" moment for this company would be to listen to and support their customer base - with that you can't go wrong.

[RobAnd]

TX with cellphone is the way to go palm. I want to upgrade my TX and adding on it a cellphone is what I am waiting for. I can't live without TX big screen and I don't need a thumboard as the touchscreen is much more flexibe for entering data.

[William K]

I agree with some of the other posts above. The Foleo would seem to have great appeal to certain categories of users (students, traveling business types, etc.). But for me (a physician), I cannot lug even a Foleo-type device around - it is too bulky. I need a 480 x 320 screen, in the TX/T5 form factor, with or without cell phone capability. There so much medical software out there for the Palm OS, and I find it to be really useful for me, and in using it in my daily work, my patient care excels.

I wish Palm would let its loyal users like me know its plans for handhelds. Are you or are you not going to update this product line? You doesn't have to say when such an update could occur. You don't have to say what OS it will run or what its tech specs are. Just say YES or NO to our legitimate questions regarding your commitment to this form factor and device category! What purpose does your secrecy or noncommunication serve? This silence does no good for people like me. I'd rather stick with Palm, but I have absolutely no confidence in where this product line is going. If Apple's iPhone could be adapted for my purposes, I would consider going with them. I would guess that there are a significant number of us out here who are ready to upgrade to a new handheld. Maybe sales of handhelds are down because Palm's current offerings are so stale! The apparent success of the iPhone clearly shows that this form factor works!

Yes, congratulations on the Foleo. But what about the rest of us?

[B Lee]

Please, please, include unicode/ east-asian language capability and dvorak keyboard layout support!

This is exactly what I've been looking for. I already have a full-powered laptop, but I've been also wanting a ultraportable that I can carry around without much of a second thought.

The Foleo looks like it would let me process my thoughts as soon as I think of them. Opening a laptop (even a Macbook) takes so much commitment I find myself negotiating in my mind whether I'm going to open it up or not, then by the time I deploy it, I forget what I was thinking about.

[Tam]

I agree with William K. Palm cannot leave the users without a refresh in PDAs with a decent size (just like an TX). The TX has almost 2 years now and still no sign of upgrade. And adding cellphone capability for the TX could be a killing feature as iphone sales are showing.

Palm, listen to your loyal customers. Give us a TX with cellphone.

[Marc]

Palm TX is the best pda I ever had. I have many friends that own a TX and think the same about TX.
Adding a cell radio to the TX could fix the big mistake of not having a microphone and could leave palm in good shape to face the Iphone.
The Foleo is a good concept but we need urgently a good TX upgrade.

[ALZ]

I agree with many of the posts here related to a TX having a cell phone. I can´t understand why there isn´t at least one single Treo model with TX size and screen. To use a Treo with such a small square screen is the best way to need glasses.

Palm we need a TX with cell phone.

[AlanM]

Thanks for beating the corporate messaging into us. The idea of Foleo is interesting, but I think specs are more important right now than the company line. Give us a chance with some real details and see what happens.

[Maybericher]

As a TX user I agree with those who ask for a TX with cellphone capabilities. Just make it GSM-EDGE, using treo 680 software: cannot be that hard.
And, zap you have a much more capable device than the iphone, that stole almost everything from Palm's ideas.

[roman]

you guys are too desperate to make us like the Foleo.

But...

1. it's overpriced. it should be $200 at most

2. it better stand alone, and not need the treo. think about it, if you have to connect w/ your treo over bluetooth to get internet, although the foleo might last, the treo will run out of batteries more quickly b/c of bt use.

3. is instant-on really that revolutionary? I mean, windows has had standby mode for how long? macs have it too.

4. you are asking us real users to have a treo, foleo, and a laptop. b/c how else am I going to create a powerpoint presentation w/o a laptop? imagine the troubles at the airport in the post 9/11 era. yes, we need a laptop.

like most are saying, you should have rather improved the palm tx and fixed issues and gave enhancements that WE THE PEOPLE were asking for.

no one asked for the foleo, and no on is impressed by it.

look at the iphone. there was a great market for it. why? people liked ipods. people needed phones. solution? make the iphone. merge 2 into one.

you've created a problem. You are asking people with a treo and laptop to now decide if the want to carry the foleo or the laptop, and then most likely have to carry all 3.

[Peter Lim]

This is asking a lot considering what is currently available. I am hoping for a foleo that works also without flipping open the screen. To make an appointment, I press the on button on, as I do with a TX, I graffitti in the appointment like a tablet. One hand holding the foleo, the other input the data, on a graffiti touch pad.

That way I dont need to place the foleo on a desk to work. It would really be like a note book.

For heavy duty word processing or email, then I will open up the foleo accessing the screen and keyboard.

[Sean Straus]

Specs are closely guarded for a reason, only a 415mhz xscale processor and 128mb of RAM. Actually quite funny, the specs are almost identical to the $100 One Laptop Per Child project (OLPC), and I think the OLPC honestly is a much more complete product :)).

[WyreNut]

Come ON PALM! You've had the amazing functionality of the TX hidden beneath a barrel for too long!

It has many of the abilities of the iPhone, and has had them for years!
1. Internet Browser
2. Movie Player
3. Mp3 Player
4. GPS/Google Maps
5. PIM management
6. Gaming ability
7. D2G/Microsoft Office
8. Palm PDF (Adobe PDF files)
9. BlueTooth connectivity
10. Wifi connectivity

I could easily go on! Only a decent marketing campaign has been the stumbling block between the device and mass appeal...

Adding a cellphone and a mic would complete the "iPalm"!!!! ;)

WyreNut

[oleg s.]

Does it support Unicode?
If it doesn't , it's dead already.