LinuxWorld Hands-On Foleo Demo Video

A new video about the Foleo taken at LinuxWorld has been posted to Vnunet. In the video, Palm’s Ben Combee, a frequent PIC poster, discusses Palm’s new Foleo Mobile Companion and gives an interesting hands-on demonstration. Most of the information given in the video is already known and has made the rounds online but Ben does delve into some tasty details about the bundled applications and app menu, the Foleo's remote desktop capabilities and the Foleo’s Intel/Marvell Xscale CPU choice.

Mr. Combee still refers to the device’s release date as "later this summer". The full-length video can be found here and is 5:16 in length.

Documents To Go, in addition to the bundled Photo Viewer app is demonstrated. The photo viewer appears to have undergone a bit of refinement since its initial unveiling and offers speedy photo browsing and zooming. The device's overall performance seems quite snappy and lag-free, unlike some recent Palm handhelds and smartphones utilizing NVFS flash memory.

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I'm warming to it

justauser @ 8/10/2007 6:18:55 PM # Q
The more I see it the more I like it. Just wish I had a use for it.

RE: I'm warming to it
krosfyah @ 8/10/2007 8:38:50 PM # Q
I'm gonna buy one. I travel quite a bit and need to be able to quickly check flights/hotels/transportation options. I almost missed a flight a month ago because I had to quickly find an alternate flight and it took me 15 minutes to boot-up and then my bloothtooth GPS connection crapped out (for no reason). Instant On would have seriously reduced my stress.

This thing is perfect for me. I was sckeptical until I thought about most of my laptop usage when I'm away from the house or office. 90% of what I do is on the web. BAM. This thing will work perfect for me.

"Foolio"? Naw.

I can do email.
I can do wireless web.
I can do Word/Excel.
I can LogMeIn to my desktop.

That'll cover 99% of my needs.

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/10/2007 9:11:02 PM # Q
> ...I can do email.
> I can do wireless web.
> I can do Word/Excel.
> I can LogMeIn to my desktop.

And if you buy, say, an ASUS EEE you can do that and much much more for hundreds of dollars less!

Hmmm....

=========

"LogMeIn Free" is a java app. It runs under a browser. Don't need no stinkin' Fooleo for that.

RE: I'm warming to it
twrock @ 8/10/2007 9:36:09 PM # Q
Unfortunately the ASUS EEE has a seriously undersized keyboard and seriously undersized screen (in that low-end model). I had hopes for it as well, until I realized its flaws were show-stoppers for me.


Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/
Fooleo = PAIN
Gekko @ 8/10/2007 11:00:56 PM # Q
>I can do email.
I can do wireless web.
I can do Word/Excel.


don't fool yourself into thinking you'll get even close to a PC-comparable experience for these tasks, silly. you'll get a clunky, buggy, slow, crashing, incompatible, uni-tasking, discombobulating, disrupting, frustrating, painful, and overall shitty experience.

you've been warned.


RE: I'm warming to it
dkirker @ 8/10/2007 11:17:17 PM # Q
And who said that the Foleo was a PC/laptop replacement?

I was told otherwise.

RE: I'm warming to it
freakout @ 8/10/2007 11:44:26 PM # Q
As for "slow": the hands-on vids that have popped up have all shown an impressively snappy response.

It's not meant to be a PC. Although with a stronger software package it could give low-end laptops a good run for their money.

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/11/2007 8:54:16 AM # Q
> ...you'll get a clunky, buggy, slow, crashing, incompatible,
> uni-tasking, discombobulating, disrupting, frustrating, painful,
> and overall shitty experience.
>
> you've been warned.

Oh come on!

PALM is dumping their own Linux and soon going with WindRiver Linux for a reason, ya know!

RE: I'm warming to it
cervezas @ 8/11/2007 11:12:48 AM # Q
Anyone still care about SeldomVisitor's mendacious spewing here?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Bueller?

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/11/2007 11:18:23 AM # Q
Reality sucks, don't it?


RE: I'm warming to it
cervezas @ 8/11/2007 11:24:35 AM # Q
Reality sucks, don't it?

That does seem to be your motto. You should really give it a chance, though. You don't seem to have had much success in convincing people of your FUD: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8033/#111870

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog
RE: I'm warming to it
krosfyah @ 8/11/2007 12:00:34 PM # Q
"don't fool yourself into thinking you'll get even close to a PC-comparable experience for these tasks, silly. you'll get a clunky, buggy, slow, crashing, incompatible, uni-tasking, discombobulating, disrupting, frustrating, painful, and overall shitty experience.

you've been warned."

I'm not looking for a laptop "replacement".
I've got a laptop for work.
I've got a desktop at home.

What I want is some small and quick to do legitimate web browsing while I'm running around. If it isn't 1024x768 with a decent keyboard, then it's useless.

The ASUS EEE does not have built in bluetooth integration with my Treo, if it has any itegration at all. With the "Foolio", I can pick up 802.11 or bluetooth to my phone for GPRS connectivity. In a pinch, I should always be online.

People who think this is a laptop replacement is missing the point.

It's Always on - Always connected. More and More, all applications are going to the web. In 10 years (maybe 5), all apps will be web enabled. All you need is a device to get you on the web quickly and your off and running.

RE: I'm warming to it
twrock @ 8/11/2007 1:05:51 PM # Q
Reality sucks, don't it?

Maybe, but continuing to avoid it at all costs is not going to help your problem, SV.


Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/
RE: I'm warming to it
LiveFaith @ 8/12/2007 9:22:46 AM # Q
close to a PC-comparable experience

As long as it's nothing like that, I'll buy two. Even if they don't otherwise work.

Pat Horne

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/12/2007 9:37:16 AM # Q
Lol!

Interestingly, the "only" strangeness I've had with XP Pro on a PC is the cursor disappearing on occasion on the login screen, disallowing logging in until C-A-D is pressed to bring up the alternate login. I don't believe I've had ANY other full crashes at all.

Ubuntu Linux, however, a pretty much virgin install on a PC, has gone catatonic multiple times (that is, GUI is catatonic - I did not try telneting in, for example, to see if it was otherwise alive), Firefox has exited completely without notice, etc.

So "PC-comparable experience" can run the gamut!.

RE: I'm warming to it
Gekko @ 8/12/2007 10:00:43 AM # Q

your PC has spoiled you, Reverend, and you don't know how good you got it and you take it for granted. using the fooleo exclusively for a few days will cure you.

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/12/2007 10:27:11 AM # Q
> ...using the fooleo exclusively for a few days will cure you.

== "...The menus are apparently just alphabetical -- Docs To Go,
== Email, File Manager, etc -- and there doesn't seem to be a
== way to edit the menus, which are flat rather than cascading
== (e.g. the DTG apps aren't in submenus). You can assign
== shortcut keys, though, which is practice are faster to use
== than the trackpoint. What happens after all of the keyboard's
== characters are used up, though, will be interesting to find out..."

-- http://discussion.treocentral.com/showpost.php?p=1329065&postcount=71

RE: I'm warming to it
Gekko @ 8/12/2007 10:41:37 AM # Q

i like this one -

"However, Foleo crashed with a pop up message when I try to open the web browser. So I tried reset the Foleo. It took two minutes to boot up. I guess this is kinda like my Treo 700P... it is instant on but reset takes a while to boot up."



RE: I'm warming to it
freakout @ 8/12/2007 5:19:51 PM # Q
two minutes to boot up

Unless he timed that with a stopwatch, I think it may be a little exaggerated. I used to swear my Treo 680 took that long too, until I actually timed it one day. 59 seconds (which is near-unacceptable, considering the 650 was 30). It's the old "watched pot never boils" adage.

RE: I'm warming to it
jca666us @ 8/12/2007 7:00:11 PM # Q
Freak,

He was talking about the amount of time it took to reboot a Foleo - nothing to do with a Treo EXCEPT stating that (like a Treo) it took longer to reset than to turn on.

Not a good sign regardless.

RE: I'm warming to it
freakout @ 8/12/2007 8:01:18 PM # Q
Jca,

And I was saying that unless he actually timed it, things can seem to take a lot longer than they actually do. Duh....

RE: I'm warming to it
SeldomVisitor @ 8/12/2007 8:12:29 PM # Q
Just took 1 minute and 5 seconds to hard-boot that Ubuntu PC I've posted about from "catatonic GUI crash" to login prompt after reboot.

600MHz PIII with a GByte of RAM.

RE: I'm warming to it
jca666us @ 8/12/2007 8:58:42 PM # Q
freak, admittedly a long reboot time on such a "lightweight" device is not a good sign. We all know you're a foleo apologist. I'll reboot my iphone and let you know how long it takes.

RE: I'm warming to it
jca666us @ 8/12/2007 9:04:16 PM # Q
36 seconds

RE: I'm warming to it
dkirker @ 8/12/2007 9:44:47 PM # Q
2 minutes is a pretty big exaggeration.

RE: I'm warming to it
dkirker @ 8/12/2007 9:47:10 PM # Q
EDIT: (append to above comment)

I wouldn't expect it to be much different from the iPhone boot time. For any mobile device for that fact.

RE: I'm warming to it
freakout @ 8/12/2007 10:33:22 PM # Q
We all know you're a foleo apologist

Lol! No, I'm perfectly capable of being objective. I would not be employed by the site otherwise. I can see that Foleo has an extremely limited software package, a high price tag and meagre hardware specs. It also has a lovely form factor + weight, the concept is intriguing and it's open to third-party devs. Who knows what we'll see developed for it?

Rather than labeling me an apologist, you should label yourself a... what's the opposite of apologist? Critic? I'm not sure that fits - it implies you have more reasoning ability than you actually demonstrate...

RE: I'm warming to it
jca666us @ 8/14/2007 12:50:16 PM # Q
Let's stay on point here :)

Well, when you get a foleo Freak, reboot the thing and let's see how long it takes to fire up. Anything over a minute is garbage.

I agree with your opinions on the foleo, except that the form factor is uninspiring and boring.

I'd buy a Foleo in a heartbeat if it was a touchscreen/touchpad - $600 for a half-baked laptop is unfortunate.

Ubuntu freeze followup
SeldomVisitor @ 11/10/2007 2:54:42 PM # Q
In this post:

-- http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/8869/#136144

I mentioned that a fairly virgin install of Ubuntu Linux on an old 600MHz PIII would freeze and be totally unresponsive GUI-wise. To follow up on that, it was also catatonic when attempting to access it via telnet - totally dead requiring hard reboot.

However, there was a bug fix just posted that mentioned disabling the "powernowd" CPU-frequency-changing daemon. I did that and the freeze-on-visit-Engadget went away.

Useful info, perhaps, for those playing with Linux soon with the Google Phone SDK being released Monday!

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Students

Rhauer @ 8/10/2007 10:14:33 PM # Q
It seems perfect for a student.

Reply to this comment

Tablet

Rhauer @ 8/10/2007 10:55:02 PM # Q
It seems to me that this concept should have more of a tablet format where you can flip the screen. Better for ebooks and video. Put in a touch screen for viewing the web and more and this device works.

Would it be costly to add flip screen and touch.

RE: Tablet
bulls96 @ 8/10/2007 11:01:48 PM # Q
I am guessing we'll see that in Foleo 2 or Foleo 3.

Of course it wont cost $499 anymore.

RE: Tablet
razorpit @ 8/11/2007 12:17:09 AM # Q
Nope, it'll be $99.95 in the bargain bin...

What a load of crap. Palm will be dead before Foldeo 2 or 3 sees the light of day.

RE: Tablet
freakout @ 8/11/2007 12:54:06 AM # Q
^^ Snooze. How long have people been predicting the death of Palm now? Give up already!
RE: Tablet
PacManFoo @ 8/11/2007 4:43:15 PM # Q
Palm's not dead yet! See here-> http://bdball.googlepages.com/Palm.jpg

It's just a flesh wound.

I don't know why the Black Knight reminds me so much of Palm.

PDA's Past and Present:
Palm - IIIxe, Vx, M500, M505, Tungsten T, TX
Handspring - Edge, Platinum, Deluxe
Sony - SJ22
Apple - MP110, MP2000, MP2100

RE: Tablet
freakout @ 8/11/2007 10:17:07 PM # Q
But unlike King Arthur in that scene, the online verbal slayers of Palm have great difficulty in moving on...

Anyhoo, a better Monty Python sketch to make your point would have been this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GipFyAsYK1M

;)

RE: Tablet
LiveFaith @ 8/12/2007 9:24:50 AM # Q
Oh no. Mods, please redirect thread to "Rock-Paper-Scissors" before the server bogs down.

Pat Horne
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Dell Inspiron 1501 = $499

Gekko @ 8/10/2007 11:04:01 PM # Q

Dell Inspiron 1501
Mobile AMD Sempron™ 3500+ (1.8GHz/512KB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic
Size: 60GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
FREE! 1GB8 DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
$499

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_1501?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19



RE: Dell Inspiron 1501 = $499
freakout @ 8/10/2007 11:48:45 PM # Q
How much does it weigh? How long does the battery last? Will it fit neatly in my backpack with room to spare? How long does it take to boot? How big is the power brick?

Don't get me wrong, it looks great and the price is fantastic. But it's not the same kind of device.

RE: Dell Inspiron 1501 = $499
razorpit @ 8/11/2007 12:20:22 AM # Q
How much does it weigh? How long does the battery last?


Who cares? If you are wireless how long do you think the battery in your Palm is going to last? How long do you think you would be able to actually do work on the Foldeo before you go mentally insane working on the tiny screen and keys?

Once the battery is dead on my laptop I'm about ready to put it down anyways and go get some fresh air.

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