Comments on: Hawkins Talks Netbooks in First Post Foleo Interview

Foleo Hands OnThe Investor's Business Daily newspaper has published one of the first interviews with Jeff Hawkins since the Foleo cancellation last year. In the article the IBD asks Hawkins about his views on the current netbook market and they also go into his experience with the Foleo and some of the reasons behind its non-introduction.

It was clear Foleo had technical issues. It was a first-generation product. We'd have to launch it and then do another gen within a year. And that's a big commitment of people and dollars.

It was a strategic decision to pursue a different approach. I don't think they made a mistake. We haven't seen the outcome of that decision yet. It really was not acrimonious at all. It was just business.

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Not an active employee

SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2008 11:19:04 AM # Q
According to Hawkins, he went part-time in =2002= and now has moved from THAT to being simply "an adviser". He filed an SEC Form 4 noting sales of stock and changed his title from "Founder and Member of the Exec" to simply "Former officer"; he also dumped tons of shares with that filing and hasn't filed another one since he is no longer an Insider and owns well under 5% of Palm so doesn't have to.

Yeah, he's not active, alrightee!

Let go quietly of the Cult of Jeff and move on to the Cult of Jon.


Reply to this comment

Unfair comparison with netbook market

orev @ 8/8/2008 11:40:41 AM # Q
They are unfairly comparing the Foleo to products like the EEE PC. These things are not at all comparable. The Foleo was not bad because of the size, form factor, solid state, or anything physical. It was because of THE SOFTWARE. An EEE PC and it's cousins run a full blown OS, like Linux or Windows, while the Foleo would have ran some version of Palm OS.

A laptop computer needs a REAL OS, and THAT is why the Foleo was so bad - it did not have one. It's about the PLATFORM, not the form factor.

RE: Unfair comparison with netbook market
hkklife @ 8/8/2008 12:25:13 PM # Q
The Fooleo was an atrocity because of the underpowered hardware, overly high sticker price, incredibly off-base expectations that it would revolutionize the industry AND a lack of inherent functionality/value/expandability.

Foleo had ZERO Garnet (or earlier) legacy code within. It ran a fully cutomized version of Wind River Linux platform and would have, at best, been a one-off device:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8779/palm-teams-with-wind-river-on-foleo-linux/

WR's Linux on the Fooleo is NOT the basis of Palm's Nova initiative.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Unfair comparison with netbook market
LiveFaith @ 8/10/2008 5:40:04 AM # Q
orev is right tho Kris. Bottom line to consumers would have been "this thing can't do 1/2 of what those things can do". As you well say price and horsepower were part of the culprit too.

Pat Horne
Reply to this comment

Fooleo

Gekko @ 8/8/2008 11:43:02 AM # Q
>It was clear Foleo had technical issues. It was a first-generation product. We'd have to launch it and then do another gen within a year. And that's a big commitment of people and dollars.

uh......Fooleo's problem was beyond technical issues. the whole concept was wrong.

http://discussion.treocentral.com/showpost.php?p=232872&postcount=23

hubris is fatal.



RE: Fooleo
joad @ 8/8/2008 11:54:21 AM # Q
Ah, but Apple will never make a dent in Palm's sales, righteeeo?


Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Fooleo
hkklife @ 8/8/2008 12:14:29 PM # Q
1. Fooleo was overpriced (though had it been a revolutionary device ala Treo 600 or Palm V or Pilot, price wouldn't have been anywhere near as much of a factor)

2. Fooleo was horribly underpowered. Underpowered hardware and crippled, nearly function-less (no e-mail client!?!?!) software is a baaad combination.

3. Nearly ZERO built-in functionality. A <$300 EEE 2G Surf is also kinda under-powered but it still is fully expandable compared to anything else in its price range and, aside from limited storage, has very robust hardware. The Fooleo couldn't even play fullscreen video or come with a standard mp3 player app. The Fooleo was circa 2004 PDA hardware dressed up in laptop trappings. The EEE is a midrange laptop from 4 years ago that's been greatly downsized. HUGE difference there.

4. Palm arrogantly assumed users want to go back to fumbling with 2+ devices. And even more arrogantly assumes users will splash out for a $600 Fooleo + a $300ish Treo + monthly data plan. There's nothing wrong with built-in, seamless smartphone/Treo integration. But the Fooleo should have been FULLY functional as a stand-alone device. Had Palm sold the Fooleo at, say, $199 or given one away for nearly free w/ purchase of a Treo it MIGHT have had glimmer of hope.

5. "We'd have to launch it and then do another gen within a year" That's life in the computing/electronics industry nowadays, bubba. What a naive comment. That kind of thinking is precisely what got Palm into their current mess. They STILL want to milk aging/tired products bone dry instead and measure product life expectancy in years instead of months. They haven't "gotten it" since, oh, 1999 or so. Of course Samsung/Sony/Acer/Asus/HTC/Lite-On/Nvidia et al would like to see higher margins, less competition, and longer product cycles. But they keep on innovating and making quarterly/seasonal upgrades and competing. Palm still tries to get by on marketing fluff & smoke 'n mirrors "zen".

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Fooleo
SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2008 12:35:16 PM # Q
W.r.t. that JakeE post first let me say outright that I think, at least at THAT time, that JakeE was naive beyond belief and a-MAZ-ingly lucky to get even a foot in the door.

But also, please note, that Hawkins in 2003 was a part-timer already, at least according to Hawkins; he didn't have much time to waste, I imagine.

RE: Fooleo
hkklife @ 8/8/2008 12:52:21 PM # Q
I would question if Hawkins ever really "spent" any time at Palm after the acquisition of Handspring.

Let's see...Palm snatched up the dying HS in June '03. They just rebranded the Treo 600 and kept on milking that cash cow, dragging their feet and playing shell games with the PalmSource spin-off before releasing the mildly revised Treo 650 in October '04. My guess is that Hawkins was fiddling around with Numanta (founded in early '05) stuff and fiddling with the Fooleo concept for several years.

What I want to know: Was the LifeDrive or the Fooleo the "secret third business" hinted at years ago ?
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=7999

I still stick to my theory that the Fooleo and the LifeDrive either started out as the same device and/or as complimentary sister products (ie 2 stages of the "child" technology he mentioned in the above article). Or the Fooleo was going to be the LifeDrive's successor device but they had to jettison features (gigs of onboard storage, multimedia etc) in order to make it cheaper/smaller. They certainly share a few common specs (CPU etc). At any rate, the LD & Fooleo ended up as stillborn demonspawn from the loins of the Hawkins incubus (make what phallic styli jokes you'd like here!) instead of any kind of "child" technology.



Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Fooleo
Gekko @ 8/9/2008 11:32:28 AM # Q

nah, lifedrive and fooleo were always two totally separate concepts IMO.

lifedrive concept was "mobile manager".

fooleo concept was "mobile companion".

two different animals.



RE: Fooleo
mikecane @ 8/9/2008 12:31:33 PM # Q
>>>The Fooleo was circa 2004 PDA hardware dressed up in laptop trappings.

And we have a winner in the Why Foleo = FAIL! Contest.

RE: Fooleo
joad @ 8/9/2008 1:12:16 PM # Q
>>>>> And even more arrogantly assumes users will splash out for a $600 Fooleo + a $300ish Treo + monthly data plan.

Actually, the Fooleo required it's own data plan - so that's TWO data plans! Seems that with the price of a Thinkpad "X" series and PDAnet license you'd come out far ahead of the Fooleo over a couple years....

...BTW - No email AND having to buy a separate data plan? Is it any wonder that Palm's most ardent fans were shocked to see the stupidity of them wasting time with the Fooleo when they should be patching and improving the Treo line, as well as getting OS6 ready to go..?


Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.

RE: Fooleo
LiveFaith @ 8/10/2008 5:42:08 AM # Q
Hey joad. Can't you tell "Apple is not just going to walk in to the smartfone market". :-D

Pat Horne
Reply to this comment

What does the cult of Jon have to worship?

hkklife @ 8/8/2008 11:45:09 AM # Q
SV:

Who's to say that Jon R. is even actively doing anything at Palm? ONE leaked device shot or 30 second NOVA demo would garner Palm months of at least cautious optimism by the teeming masses.

Again, I point to the utter lack of anything other than Ed's generic enthusiasm and vague comments about "buzz from other circles" from that link you posted recently.

My weekly fearless prediction:

IF there is ever any kind of future Palm OS II "whatever", it'll be because ALP and Nova are going to eventually end up as one single, hybrid (mutant?) OS with some kind of Garnet VM cobbled on to it...FrankenLinux?

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2008 12:25:21 PM # Q
Uh...I think I read somewhere that The Cult of Jon can worship "duller Centro keys".

I think.

Actually, I'm not sure where I read that but I think that's what they have to worship right now.

I think.

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2008 12:27:40 PM # Q
Speaking of ALP this morning I read a slideshow on Access's web site that mentions Docomo is going to have SOMETHING with ALP in 2009 or something.

'Course, that same slide show mentioned that Samsung/Orange were going to have an ALP phone out this year, too, so...

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
hkklife @ 8/8/2008 12:30:43 PM # Q
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8065/wsj-on-the-rubinstein-influence-at-palm/

We have on record from the WSJ that Rubinstein made an 11th hour change to the Centro's keyboard that made it easier to read outside in direct sunlight.

From the article:
"He asked product managers to look at details that hadn't been discussed before, such as whether the Centro's keyboard could be easily viewed in bright sunlight."


Supposedly, he may have also been responsible for that little ridge on the back of the GSM version (but not the CDMA version) that elevates it slight off the desk so the speakerphone doesn't sound muffled when the device in on a desktop. I think I read somewhere else that he may have mandated putting PTunes Deluxe in ROM on the Centro (at least the 3G versions of it-I don't think the GSM Centros have it standard) so users could stream live music.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2008 12:32:30 PM # Q
Well, there ya have it!

On yer knees and start worshipping!

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
mikecane @ 8/9/2008 12:32:51 PM # Q
>>>ONE leaked device shot or 30 second NOVA demo would garner Palm months of at least cautious optimism by the teeming masses.

Give it a rest already. You'll have an iPhone as an Xmas gift and will forget all about Palm.

Look: Ooooh, manga!
http://tinyurl.com/62sjjs

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
joad @ 8/9/2008 1:17:30 PM # Q
Or a Crackberry Thunder: http://crackberry.com/touchscreen-blackberry-thunder-keyboard-utilize-haptic-technology-amazing-implementation

If this "haptic keyboard" emulates hardware keys well enough, and I can get the equivalent of my mandatory applications running on the Treo to run on this.... maybe I'll finally have BES access and support AFTER the sale...


Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
SeldomVisitor @ 8/10/2008 6:11:04 AM # Q
Speaking of Android I just saw a video of an HTC phone with it on Boy Genius:

- http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/08/10/live-video-of-htcs-dream-android-phone/

Lousy video, cool phone, not bad OS visuals/minimal-shown-functionality.

Looking forward to seeing the HTC phone with Nova next!

RE: What does the cult of Jon have to worship?
abosco @ 8/10/2008 9:45:03 AM # Q
The "Haptic" keyboard feedback is the most overrated technology I've ever used. I tested out that Verizon iPhone ripoff (you know, the one that's twice as thick) and was flat out annoyed by the phone buzzing in my hand every tenth of a second.

It doesn't feel like real keys, it's just irritating. Plain and simple.

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + S710a

Reply to this comment

Foleo 2009

rcartwright @ 8/10/2008 5:59:21 PM # Q
I do think that Hawkins is spot on with the implication that the Foleo is the right form factor for this space and the EEE and its ilk have not gotten that yet. My optimistic takeawy from the interview is that a stand alone Foleo, running a foolproof Nova OS, using an Atom type porcessor, and containing a respectable amount of memory and storage could be coming in 2009. If its at the $299-$399 price point, then it could almost be the "game changer" that Palm execs have alluded to in earnings calls. I say that because if (a big if) Palm can deliever the right form factor, with ease of use for cloud computing using Office type tools such as DTG(where the EEE and the Wind have problems for doing "real work" Open Office notwithstanding) and a price point that undercuts the units that shoehorn XP into a small package they will have something flying out the door that takes down the Macbook Air and everything else on a price/performance basis.


"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill

RE: Foleo 2009
hkklife @ 8/10/2008 6:49:29 PM # Q
Well, keyboard & display-wise, the EEE 1000 series hits the nail on the head. The MSI Wind takes a close 2nd as well, and it's actually a bit trimmer in dimensions than the EEE. While I've not yet fondled the HP MiniNote, it's supposedly the best-in-class keyboard and build quuality.

The question is....would giving the Fooleo any more hardware oomph make it bigger? It'd certainly make it costlier! I think Palm's learning the hard way how brutal those razor-thin margins are with the Centro and that's a high-volume device. Anything Fooleo-esque is going to be a relatively niche item for Palm no matter how you slice it.

I just think that cannot run XP/Vista will be a hard sell for Palm or anyone. Instead of jumping in with another PDA, I'd rather see Palm gradually "grow" into such a device. Maybe first do a 320x480 Treo, then a MID Nokia N-series type glorified PDA with Nova, then maybe a larger tablet machine and THEN do a Fooleo 2.

P.S. What are the problems doing "real" work you allude to by the EEE & Wind? If you mean an EEE 7xx series, then yes, it's more of a novelty/emergency web/e-mail machine than a travel workhorse. But I find that with just a bit of adjustment, I can touchtype remarkably well on my 1000H.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Foleo 2009
Gekko @ 8/10/2008 7:46:15 PM # Q

i'm skeptical that the mass market wants a notebook-type device that runs anything other than a windows or apple OS with real MS Office. i also think that this mini-notebook market is a tiny niche that's already being filled. i don't see what palm brings to the table.

fooleo was so poorly conceived and so poorly implemented, that i really have to question hawkins' and colligan's ability to lead this company out of the abyss.

after all of these missteps, and after that infamous "PC guys aren't just going to come in here..." quote, how has Colligan kept his job??? yet ed zander gets pushed out?

RE: Foleo 2009
freakout @ 8/10/2008 9:01:03 PM # Q
I've got one of the original 4G Surf Eees, and WinXP performance is more than acceptable on it. But I'd still like to see someone try, as Palm did, to create an optimized interface for that form factor - a desktop OS really has no business squeezing into those specs. Desktop OS's take up enormous amounts of space, they're power-hungry and work best with large external monitors.

There's still plenty of room for someone to step up and demonstrate how an on-the-go laptop OS should be done.

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 -> Treo 650 -> Crimson Treo 680

RE: Foleo 2009
LiveFaith @ 8/10/2008 9:31:51 PM # Q
** There's still plenty of room for someone to step up and demonstrate how an on-the-go laptop OS should be done. **

Boom. UR right. I was both dissappointed and interested in the Foleo release. The things that it actually did were the things I mainly needed. Sounded quick and easy and that is not even on the radar of today's desktop OSes. Maybe Palm is bringing the mighty Nova to bear on a FoleoTwo. Hehe. :-D

Pat Horne

RE: Foleo 2009
hkklife @ 8/10/2008 10:02:07 PM # Q
"There's still plenty of room for someone to step up and demonstrate how an on-the-go laptop OS should be done."

Apple, anyone?

Seriously, M$ should have ALL available hands furiously working on a cut-down version of Windows 7/Vienna for netbook-style machines..and I don't just mean shoehorning native multitouch support onto it. I have a feeling M$ is going to make a big push to get Vista onto netbooks once the dual-core Atoms are out in a few months.

I think a successful, world-beating netbook is best created by someone who is a hardware specialist (is Asus, Acer, HP etc) without an additional "hidden agenda" like Palm had with the Fooleo (sell more Treos + tethering plans from their carrier partners).

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: Foleo 2009
rcartwright @ 8/11/2008 11:12:15 AM # Q
Interesting feedback on the EEE keyboard, the fondle reports I have indicated its a pretty cramped keyboard vs Folo raves about the keyboard. I believe that laptops are the new desktop. The niche that I see this class of product filling is a go anywhere lightweight product that does wp.spreadsheets. contact mgmt e mail and websurfing. Right now I really want a product that would let me leave the laptop and still get no compromise work done. Time will tell.

"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill
RE: Foleo 2009
Gekko @ 8/11/2008 11:16:46 AM # Q

how about a fooleo running cobalt syncing with an audrey and a copeland?

http://tinyurl.com/4896bs

http://tinyurl.com/63sdb9

http://tinyurl.com/63oowd


RE: Foleo 2009
Gekko @ 8/11/2008 11:19:34 AM # Q

all running on an ALP emulator playing a midi???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aBByl9ZY4g



RE: Foleo 2009
AdamaDBrown @ 8/11/2008 1:18:55 PM # Q
To be honest, I have to agree with Gekko, to a certain extent. There's no longer a market for a sub-notebook running a stripped down OS. Regular laptops and the Eee style machines have gotten too cheap, and they've eaten up what market was there.

There used to be a market for such a device. When sub-notebooks were still $1300 and up, a $400 sub-note using Windows Mobile, with a 6-7 inch screen and 8-10 hour battery life would I think have found some traction with users. However, you just can't manufacture such a beast cheap enough now to make up for not running a full OS. The main costs are no longer the CPU or the Windows license, it's things like the LCD and battery.

Palm is better off doing what they appear to be now, which is letting the Foleo die quietly. Sure, the sub-notes could use an improved interface, but that interface is going to have to run on top of XP/Vista or some other kind of desktop grade OS, with compatibility for desktop programs.

Reply to this comment

Sync = Bad

sgiga @ 8/12/2008 1:48:21 AM # Q
The Foleo idea is great, but the implementation of it is wrong. The sync paradigm is outdated and requires redundant operations. The perfect combination of a phone + PC is a netbook and a small functional dumbphone. Let the phone be used for what it is good for (communicating - data/voice/messages) and let the netbook be used for web and typing.
Reply to this comment

putting the FOOL in FOOLeo

Gekko @ 8/13/2008 12:01:21 PM # Q

i just played with this at Best Buy. NICE PRODUCT!!! especially for only $449!!!

Asus - Eee PC with Intel® Celeron® Processor - Black
Model: EEEPC900-BK039X | SKU: 8905973

Our Price:
$449.99

Product Features

* Intel® Celeron® processor with 900MHz processor speed
* 1GB DDR2 memory for multitasking power
* Note: Optical drive not included
* 8.9" WSVGA TFT-LCD widescreen display with 1024 x 600 resolution
* 16GB solid-state disk hard drive; shock-proof design
* Intel® GMA graphics with shared video memory
* Built-in 1.3MP webcam and microphone make it easy to video chat with, send video mail to or videoconference with friends, family or co-workers
* Built-in 3-in-1 media reader supports Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity and MultiMediaCard
* 3 high-speed USB 2.0 ports for fast digital video, audio and data transfer
* Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g); 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet LAN (with RJ-45 connector)
* Weighs only 2.2 lbs. and measures just 0.8" thin for lightweight portability; lithium-ion battery
* Stylish black case finish
* Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system preinstalled; software package included with Microsoft Works and Windows Live
* Intel, Pentium, Celeron, Centrino, Core, Viiv, Intel Inside and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8905973&st=asus&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1213046768451



RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
hkklife @ 8/13/2008 6:12:26 PM # Q
Gek;

I told you and Mike Con that the EEE 9xx & 1000 series were nice products!
And the 900 series still has the "old/small" keyboard that's tough to type efficiently on. Wait 'til you try out the MSI Wind or the EEE 1000 keyboard!

Although I personally would not buy one with SSD-based storage, especially the hideously slow 16G 900. For right now, I am tenatively awarding the EEE 1000H my personal "gadget o' the year" award. I imagine a slightly ligher/thinner version with a dual-core Atom and a stripped-down Vista installation on it would be a fine little machine in 6-9 months.

The EEE 904 (1000 formfactor but with a smaller LCD) & 1000HD would also be superb basic, lower-cost machines for those who don't need Bluetooth or Atom CPU peformance/battery life (quite overrated IMO).

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
Gekko @ 8/13/2008 6:30:02 PM # Q

yeah...puppy seemed a little slow, but i wasn't sure if that was due to the device specs or because of best buy's shit wifi connection and/or the need of a "reboot" after a million in-store fondles.

RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
Gekko @ 8/13/2008 6:34:52 PM # Q

1. why would anyone buy a fooleo over this?

2. am i going nuts or did you just edit your post?



RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
hkklife @ 8/13/2008 7:28:15 PM # Q
I can't edit my post (or anyone else's). If I typed something in error, then Ryan must've caught it.

The Fooleo would never have stood a chance! A <$299 EEE 2G circa 2007 has more inherent functionality, multimedia capability and bundled software than a Fooleo at any price. Other than the few Palm apologists would've snatched a few of them up and then ranted & raved like madmen at how it was THE thing to have, I cannot imagine anyone purchasing one, especially at $400-$500.

Well, the CPU in the 900 is not the problem. It's that they use a very, very slow single memory module in the cost-reduced 16G version. It really bogs down under XP. Nevertheless, it's adequate for basic web browsing, e-mail, Office doc work etc, especially if you upgrade the RAM. There's nothing wrong with the 900mhz Celeron-M CPU in the 900, btw. In some apples to apples instances, it's actually faster than 1.6ghz Atom that's running way underclocked 99% of the time to save battery power.

IMO netbooks are still better served by conventional hard drives for the next year or two.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
mikecane @ 8/14/2008 11:09:32 AM # Q
>>>Mike Con

Knock it off, you twat.

Gekko, wtf do you live that it's only NOW you're getting to fondle an Asus?! Do we have to wait for 2009 til the 1000 gets to your trailer park area?

Here, let me show you what the 1000 look like, so you'll know:
http://tinyurl.com/6x6leb

RE: putting the FOOL in FOOLeo
Gekko @ 8/14/2008 11:21:18 AM # Q

i live in a top 10 major city. i just happened to pass by the display yesterday and decided to stop and check it out. i'm sure it's been there for a while - i just was never that interested before. while i appreciate its technological and price accomplishments, i'm still not that interested since a free regular-sized work-provided laptop has always been good enough for me.



Reply to this comment

Celio Deadfly ... er, Redfly

mikecane @ 8/14/2008 11:37:57 AM # Q
http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2008/08/10/leaning-to-the-redfly/

I still say: $99 on ebay by early 2009. Save your pfennigs. Ha!

But I also still say, this is the secret beta test device of Palm.
http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/7742/palm-sends-out-beta-test-invites-for-new-device/

So what became of all that then, eh?

RE: Celio Deadfly ... er, Redfly
SeldomVisitor @ 8/14/2008 12:54:00 PM # Q
One of the beta testers (or someone who said they were THAT device beta tester) said that the device in question was the 800W.

Reply to this comment

A hundred bucks for a real netbook

SeldomVisitor @ 10/29/2008 9:44:55 AM # Q
RE: A hundred bucks for a real netbook
mikecane @ 10/30/2008 2:52:48 PM # Q
Yeah, right. Since when is Linux real?

RE: A hundred bucks for a real netbook
SeldomVisitor @ 10/30/2008 5:27:56 PM # Q
Linux is unreal - I've just used up about 4 hours auto-upgrading "the other machine"'s Ubuntu installation.

We'll see if it wireless-network-connects when it reboots...uh huh...

RE: A hundred bucks for a real netbook
SeldomVisitor @ 10/31/2008 3:34:06 AM # Q
Well, the Ubuntu update apparently went flawlessly so far - network actually worked "just fine". Today I'll put it though the ringer to see if it's solid.

In other news, Asus says they're going to be selling a $200 EEE laptop in 2009.

- http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20081031PD209.html

[the page at that link is volatile and WILL disappear soon to those who are not subscribers (a day or two), so read now if you're going to read!]

RE: A hundred bucks for a real netbook
mikecane @ 10/31/2008 5:43:32 AM # Q
He contradicts himself. Says 7" & 8.9" screens will go away in favor of 10". No way 10" screen for $199!

RE: A hundred bucks for a real netbook
twrock @ 10/31/2008 7:37:41 AM # Q
10 inches is definitely a sweet spot for screen size on these things. That, the Foleo did get right (as well as the touchpoint, IMO).

My Inspiron 700m has a 12 inch widescreen and slightly undersized keys (but nothing nearly as undersized as the original Eee). The screen and keyboard are exactly the same width. So the bigger they get the screen, the more likely the keyboard will become usable.

Hey, if ASUS will sell an Eee with 10 inch screen and a usable keyboard for $200, I'll buy it and "donate" this Inspiron to another family member. The Eee would be great both for sitting around the house and for throwing in the "briefcase" (backpack) any time. That's what I was hoping to get when I bought this thing used. But having a "real computer" with lots of extra hardware that doesn't get used is still way too much. And the power supply for this thing is probably half the weight of the Eee alone.


"twrock is infamous around these parts"
(from my profile over at Brighthand due to my negative 62 rep points rating)

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