Post questions for Palm (Interview up, but keep posting)

[taroliw]

I was catching up on various threads and rather than try and cross-post amongst several, I had one specific question about an Ed Colligan quote you posted in one of the articles.

"Treos break down when you try to do robust computing with that small screen and keyboard. We're not trying to replace the laptop, but in a lot of situations you will now ditch it."

Did anyone happen to mention to him that the problem with doing "robust computing" on a (Palm OS) Treo is really more a problem with the platform and not so much the hardware? When are they planning on bringing the benefits of a real OS (Linux) to their aging platform?

A point I and others have posted several times in the discussion threads and no one seems to have opened with Palm representatives is whether they see the Foleo being unique from the "PC companions" of the mid- to late-90's (think Windows CE 1.1 and 2.0 clamshells with twice the battery life the Foleo is rumored to have, as well as instant on, etc, etc). True it has built-in WiFi and BT, which most CE devices of the era lacked. But this fundamentally seems to be a very similar product to all of those failed past attempts by others. How does Palm feel that what they are attempting to do here is anything different? I could, for example, buy an aged HP Jornada 820 off of eBay and do 10 times what a Foleo will on a similarly sized and powered platform, based on the specs that have been publicly shared thus far...

[Dieter Bohn]

Hi Folks -

Ok, I ended up needing the weekend for sleep and human interaction (funny how I keep forgetting about those things). But I'm back in business now, baby - slightly delayed because of the suprise financial news. I'm going to transcribe the video and answer your questions ...now. Expect the article by the end of the day.

[rvwink]

Because Folio, piggy backs on the smartphone's internet connection, it is capable of saving the need for an additional internet connection for ones laptop. A signficant group of business traveler who uses his laptop for email, making presentations, and accessing the internet don't need to spend additional money on the laptop's connection fee. Thats a nice competitive advantage imo which might persuade some to carry a smaller, lighter device, that saves them a monthly connection fee for their laptop.

Am I missing something?

[bean]

I have a question for Palm. I have a 'remote desktop' at home and I would absolutely consider a 2.5 lb Folio if it had the ability to let me have that installed on the Folio. Is it possible?

[surur]

Originally Posted by rvwink

Am I missing something?

That DUN via bluetooth was not just invented by Palm 5 days ago?

Surur

[rvwink]

Don't think this is a technical issue, Surur, instead it seems more of a legal issue. If you hide a laptop behind your Treo, your deception of the service provider may or may not work. But if it is an independent device, it still would be an attempted deception imo. Perhaps the enterprise as a business group would be unwilling to let their employees practice that deception. Wiith the Folio, not an independent device, but a smartphone accessory device, I would think the connection would be strictly legal across the board. It would seem that the Folio will tend to increase the amount of connection time of the smartphone it is connected to. This will increase fees generated by the smartphone. I wouldn't be surprised but that some service providers might eventually actually begin selling Folios at their cell phone stores both for the added equipment income but more because it will probably increase arpu even more.

[surur]

It could go either way. Its all about maximizing revenue. If many business people start using the Foleo for real work, and not buying business class data plans to go along with it, the networks may actually ban the Foleo.

As I said, it could go either way.

Surur

[taroliw]

Originally Posted by rvwink

Am I missing something?

That DUN often requires you to pay extra fees to your carrier, beyond the usual PDA "unlimited" data plan... probably commensurate with the "laptop" data plan you would have been using with a PC card setup.

What isn't clear from the descriptions so far is whether you could be using DUN only if you were accessing the web (which is what it would do if WiFi weren't available). They have been pretty clear so far that you CAN'T do email directly over WiFi (you'd have to use a web-based account), which suggests that a direct BT connection to the phone is used to sync that with the Foleo, and the phone will do whatever it would normally to sync it's mail data up with the server.

So... I guess my original comment might depend upon what you're doing, but Foleo certainly opens the door for BT DUN (tethering) charges from your carrier.

[surur]

Over at Brighthand it was confirmed via Palm that you can download mail directly via WIFI. It contradicts other statements they made, so there is still some confusion.

Surur

[samkim]

Originally Posted by surur

Over at Brighthand it was confirmed via Palm that you can download mail directly via WIFI. It contradicts other statements they made, so there is still some confusion.

Surur

I usually just assume that Brighthand is wrong, regardless of whether there's a contradiction.

[CGK]

Originally Posted by surur

Over at Brighthand it was confirmed via Palm that you can download mail directly via WIFI. It contradicts other statements they made, so there is still some confusion.

Surur

Lots of things that one arm is saying in palm about the device then seem to be contradicted by another - that's always a worrying sign.

[tirk]

Originally Posted by CGK

Lots of things that one arm is saying in palm about the device then seem to be contradicted by another - that's always a worrying sign.

That, the last minute photo album app, the general lack of thought and direction, the secrecy, etc, etc.... all leads me to wonder if this was the product they actually intended to launch at all, if some other (surely better!) project went off the rails a while back and they had to chuck something out to fulfil expectations.

Maybe it was only last autumn that they discovered flexible screens wouldn't be commercially available in time???

[samkim]

Originally Posted by CGK

Lots of things that one arm is saying in palm about the device then seem to be contradicted by another - that's always a worrying sign.

Brighthand didn't attribute this info to any source. It's Brighthand contradicting Palm.

[samkim]

Originally Posted by septimus

Hi Folks -

Ok, I ended up needing the weekend for sleep and human interaction (funny how I keep forgetting about those things). But I'm back in business now, baby - slightly delayed because of the suprise financial news. I'm going to transcribe the video and answer your questions ...now. Expect the article by the end of the day.

[Dieter Bohn]

Originally Posted by samkim

Sorry. article's about done now. just a few more minutes.

[Dieter Bohn]

http://treocentral.com/content/Stories/1231-1.htm

pant pant pant.

Can I stop writing about the Foleo now?

[dstrauss]

Originally Posted by taroliw

... I could, for example, buy an aged HP Jornada 820 off of eBay and do 10 times what a Foleo will on a similarly sized and powered platform, based on the specs that have been publicly shared thus far...

Ditto in spades for the Psion Series 5. It would (still does) run circles around the Fooly-oh for a fraction of the cost.

I'm beginning to believe that Palm expects us to be like the little boy at Christmas that sees a pile of manure in the barn. He dives in tossing manure left and right until his father stops him and asks what on earth he is doing...

"There's got to be a pony in here somewhere Daddy..."

[Hdhntr23]

Gawd I love the following...


"8) Why only three launch applications? (Office, email, web) 9) Why not include the rest of the outlook equivalents? (Calendar, tasks, contacts, journal, notes)
Palm says those work "just fine" on the Treo and won't benefit from a bigger screen. I say that's a pretty poor answer


pdaluver asks
Does the Foleo not include the basic Palm PIM's? I don't remember Jeff mentioning them in the webcast. I use those much more than I do email.
See above - Palm says you don't need a big screen for those. "


I mean seriously? We need a big screen for email, surfing and editing dox and thats it? We dont need a big screen for the others?

Dont get me started on how much BS this is. This is bush league and a weak attempt at spin. They just arent ready for prime time. Ever try to edit or create a memo on your handheld? Ever try to look at the full months calendar on your handheld? Shall I continue?

This hurts my stomach (not really) because its such a weak thin and insulting way to answer this.

[samkim]

Originally Posted by septimus

http://treocentral.com/content/Stories/1231-1.htm

pant pant pant.

Can I stop writing about the Foleo now?

Wow. Great job.

[taroliw]

Originally Posted by dstrauss

Ditto in spades for the Psion Series 5. It would (still does) run circles around the Fooly-oh for a fraction of the cost.

I'm beginning to believe that Palm expects us to be like the little boy at Christmas that sees a pile of manure in the barn. He dives in tossing manure left and right until his father stops him and asks what on earth he is doing...

"There's got to be a pony in here somewhere Daddy..."

The reply my question got in the article just posted wasn't completely unexpected, though I do admit it comes from the Palm marketing engine-that-could. "... but none of those devices so seamlessly integrated with your Treo/smartphone." Sure, but the Treo didn't EXIST then. The point was really more along the line of "how does this vertical device distinguish itself as an entirely new market when we've seen this form factor before and the only /real/ differentiator seems to be a bit of software to sync email."

Oh well... with no real answer coming, I guess I'll just unsub these threads and move along.