So, Palm introduced a “mobile companion” today, based on Linux, called Palm Foleo. The only similar product in the market today is Nokia’s N800. Here’s my take on it:
The Palm offering has a big 10″ screen and a hardware keyboard, but the N800 is smaller, it has a touchscreen and a real UI rather than an email/web interface and nothing else. You see, Palm’s Foleo –except few preference settings– does not have a full UI that enables third party apps or calendars or even music or video. It is simply, a web browser and an email client. Nothing else. Not even a solitaire game can’t be found in there. In the N800 instead you will find lots of different third party applications and a real UI rather than just a single front-end to email/web.
If you are JUST looking for web/email client to contemplate your phone, then the Palm Foleo is a good idea. However, it is a big device, you can’t slide it in your pocket as you can with the N800. If you are going to have a 10″ screen laptop, get a Fujitsu laptop instead which runs a full desktop OS. But then again, the Fujitsu laptop costs $1600, while the Foleo costs $600.
If you are looking at a mobile companion at a smaller form factor and with the ability to do more, other than web/email, then the N800 remains the best choice at $375. Besides, Nokia has licensed Flash and so the N800 can do YouTube, while the Foleo can’t! According to Gizmodo, the Foleo doesn’t do video at all actually.
Personally, I would be sold into a device that’s in between the N800 and Foleo. It should have a WXGA resolution (1024×600) at a 7″ touchscreen (rotatable, to look like a tablet) and a hardware keyboard like Foleo’s, but all other features should be as found in the N800. Now, that would rock because it is the best of both worlds between the two products and at the same time it would be much more “mobile” than the smallest desktop laptop available.