Palm cancels Foleo mobile companion
Several months after it was first announced and before it could ship on schedule, the Palm Foleo smartphone mobile companion has been canceled. Company CEO Ed Colligan revealed today that the 10-inch handtop is simply not "central to [their] core focus" of building a next-generation operating system and the devices that will take advantage of it. These new units, he said, will eventually include the Foleo II, which he believes will fit into a "market category [with] enormous potential."
Although popular opinion seems to be that Palm is doing the right thing by cutting their losses and moving forward without looking back at what most have prematurely deemed to be a complete flop, I'm a little disappointed by the news. I think the Foleo (like UMPCs) could've settled quite nicely into a niche market, especially at a lower price point. Giving up on it before it even had a chance to get into consumers' hands seems a bit hasty to me.
I fully concur -- I was thrilled by yet another entry into the 7-10" screen race despite the limitations (although a PalmOS-user, I do not have/ain' getting a Treo). Had it been priced lower, it might even have been the device to PULL people to the treo ("hmmm, for $200, I get this lappiething and for how much more a coolphone that'll get me online far from anything?").
Having said that, I think it just did too little, with or without treo, for where they'd priced it.
I AM pleased that this might mean PalmOS6 will 'ventually see the light of day.
Can you imagine a PalmOS able to run more than one program at a time... on an HTC-styled machine? MMMMmmmm -- damn, drooled on my macbook...
Posted by Bush -- not related | 02:53 AM on Sep 05, 2007
Agreed. $200, maybe even $300 with more native apps, would have easily turned me into a Foleo owner. I don't know how it could have been the "best idea [Hawkins] ever had," but it was at least deserving of a chance.
I wonder if those retail units that were given to a select few several weeks ago will show up on eBay. I'm sure they had to be returned to Palm, but it would be pretty ironic to see them at the heart of a bidding frenzy.
Posted by Jenn | 11:13 PM on Sep 05, 2007