Palm smartphone companion mobile computing device – Foleo
Palm hired Igor to name a breakthrough new top-secret
product, the flagship of an entirely new fourth category
of products for the company. This was to be an ultraportable
mobile computing platform running Linux with special hooks
built in to work seamlessly with the Palm OS, the Treo
family of smartphones, and smartphones made by other manufacturers.
Crucial to the naming process was Palm's mandate that the name convey
the concepts of "portability" and "book" (without saying
"notebook"), and have a close connection to the Treo. Igor
delivered, and on May 30, 2007, Palm
publicly announced the Foleo:
The Foleo mobile companion has
a large screen and full-size keyboard with which to view
and edit email and office documents residing on a smartphone.
Edits made on Foleo automatically are reflected on its
paired smartphone and vice versa. Foleo and its paired
smartphone stay synchronized throughout the day or at the touch of a button.
This powerful combination is for productivity-minded business people who
want a more complete mobile solution for email, attachments and access
to the web.
The Foleo mobile companion turns on and off instantly and features
fast navigation, a compact and elegant design, and a
battery that lasts up to 5 hours of use. Its applications
include email, full-screen web browser, and editors or viewers for common
business documents such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. The
Foleo stays synchronized via Bluetooth®
wireless technology and uses the smartphone's radio or
the Foleo's built-in Wi-Fi radio for general Internet
connectivity.
"Foleo is the most exciting product I have ever worked on," said
Jeff Hawkins, founder of Palm, Inc. and the visionary behind
the Foleo's concept and definition. "Smartphones will be the most
prevalent personal computers on the planet, ultimately
able to do everything that desktop computers can do.
However, there are times when people need a large screen and full-size
keyboard. As smartphones get smaller, this need increases.
The Foleo completes the picture, creating a mobile-computing system
that sets a new standard in simplicity."
...Skyrocketing use of mobile email creates demand for a new way of
mobile computing. By the end of 2007, an estimated 24.2
million wireless email accounts will be in use worldwide,
and by 2010 wireless email accounts will soar to 199 million.
The rapid growth of smartphone sales, the faster speeds
of wireless networks, and the increasing digitization of content make
this the right time for the introduction of Palm's first mobile companion
product.
Although designed primarily as a companion to a mobile phone, Foleo is
a powerful computer on its own. Its Linux-based operating system and built-in
Wi-Fi radio make it easy for developers to create new applications that
can be installed with a single click in the browser. The Foleo has a USB
port, video-out port, headphone jack, and slots for SD and compact flash
cards for memory expansion. This combination of capabilities in a low-cost
design is new in the industry. Palm has opened its design and is actively
supporting third-party software developers.
Primary Capabilities and Attributes of the Foleo Mobile Companion
One-button access to full-screen email
Instant on, instant off
Rapid access to various applications
10-inch screen and full-size keyboard
Web search and browsing via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
Editors for Word, Excel and PowerPoint, plus a PDF viewer
Compact, stylish design that fits on an airline tray table
Lightweight at 2.5 pounds
Fast, simple and intuitive navigation
5-hour battery life
Linux OS for easy application development
Altering the spelling of "folio" – a book or manuscript consisting
of sheets of paper folded in the middle to make two leaves
or four pages – to match that of Treo, the name Foleo
works well on several levels.
