There’s a principle in human psychology that promising something and then taking it away is a bigger disappointment than not knowing about it in the first place. Vapourware is the epitome of this for us.
With visions of the MacBook Air hovering tantalisingly before us, one designer took a page from the now-dead Palm Foleo and has docked the iPhone into a really barebones 12″ chassis—essentially nothing more than a screen, keyboard and USB ports. Willy Yonkers, its creator, thinks that if you kept it simple it could sell for as little as $US150. Too bad it’s a pipe dream, even if it looks a bit fugly. [Willy Yonkers via Yanko Design]
We just got word that the controversial Palm Foleo has been canceled “in its current configuration.”
I know, I know, you’re terribly upset, all five of you who defended the off-beat mobile companion when it was introduced in May. In a message on the official Palm blog, Palm CEO Ed Colligan wrote:
Despite reported bugs, Palm is denying that their Foleo UMPC-like device will be delayed. [MacWorld]
The much anticipated Palm Foleo has been delayed due to sync-related software bugs. [Barrons]
If Palm’s mutant smartphone/laptop Foleo is your kind of bag, Brighthand gets its hand(s) on the previously unrevealed full spec list: the mystery processor is a 416 MHz Intel/Marvell PXA27x, and it packs 128MB of RAM with 256MB of non-volatile memory. [Brighthand]
The Palm Foleo may be available as early as August 22nd at Palm retail and online stores. [The Boy Genuis Report]
This week Palm announced the Foleo, an ultraportable Smartphone companion laptop. The January 2007 issue of Make shows you how to take a hardcover book and turn it into an ultraportable laptop by embedding a Palm Pilot and keyboard. The designer, Allen Wong, even powered it with AAA batteries that last for days. How does the Foleo stack up against Wong’s Palm Notebook? It’s time for… Iron Gadget!
OK, so the rumors weren’t rumors, just little wispy truths that have been confirmed by one big announcement: Palm has indeed built some kind of crazy laptop-like friend for the Treo, called Foleo. Suffice it to say, the initial reaction has not been overwhelmingly positive.
We handed you the press release and specs and even a gallery, we’ve given you the best seat in the house for the unveiling, but still something is nagging at you. What, exactly, is this baby meant to do? Is it really a supplement to your smartphone, or is Palm trying to go into the laptop business? And is $499 (after rebate) cheap as hell or way overpriced?
