[samkim]

What's amazing to me is that the Pre phone is actually more powerful than the first Foleo - in terms of memory, processor, and plenty of other specs. And the new OS certainly looks like it could work very well on a larger screen with a keyboard. I think there's no doubt that Palm will be taking another crack at the netbook market.

[Gerorne]

I sure hope so. I'm still holding out for one.

[Kupe]

I think there's no doubt that Palm will be taking another crack at the netbook market.

The last thing palm needs to do now is dilute it's product line with yet-another market-flooded, low-margin device. They totally blew it with the Foleo and now it's too late to be a leader in that market.

[BARYE]

The last thing palm needs to do now is dilute it's product line with yet-another market-flooded, low-margin device. They totally blew it with the Foleo and now it's too late to be a leader in that market.

I love my netbook(s) -- but these have become ultracompetitive low margin commodities in which not even M$ft is making any real money.

It was a mistake to invest originally in the Foleo -- a WebOS powered Folio now would still be a Netbook -- high risk, high investment, low margin, low potential for return, silliness ...

[Ehsan]

What's amazing to me is that the Pre phone is actually more powerful than the first Foleo - in terms of memory, processor, and plenty of other specs. And the new OS certainly looks like it could work very well on a larger screen with a keyboard. I think there's no doubt that Palm will be taking another crack at the netbook market.

I agree. With WebOS based foleo and sexy design (touch screen and keyboard) Palm can not only come into netbook market but with WebOS they can beat the hell out of current netbook market with their "synergy" and "activity" with sexy hardware design. I can definitely see netbook in Palm product line in future....well I hope so....

[Gameboy70]

Unlike a netbook, the Foleo was basically a PDA in the form factor of a laptop, not unlike WinCE palmtops.

Like Kupe, I wouldn't expect Palm to dilute their recovering product line with an ultramobile, at least in the short term. But I would love to see them release something like the Vaio P with WebOS inside.

[bulls96]

oh dont get me started on a Foleo WebOS device... i can wish for that all day.

[ttcoupe]

With webOS stages and scenes Palm has created a way to run webOS applications on a much larger screen so that the apps make use of that larger screen.

This is how it probably would work: A new application opens to a new window or tab. A new stage opens side by side to a new 'browser frame'. A new scene replaces the previous one on the current frame.

This kind of information is not extractable from a traditional mobile app, so they do not run well on a large screen. webOS apps do.

To quote Palm: "Palm webOS is designed to run on a variety of hardware with different screen sizes, resolutions and orientations, with or without keyboards and works best with a touchpanel though doesn’t require one."

Ed Colligan has also said that they do not plan to license webOS to others. The only conclusion can be that Palm itself will bring this variety of hardware to market.

So the question is not "Will they?". The question is "When?".

[BARYE]

if after the utter debacle of the Fooleo, Palm still has the hubris to contemplate a netbook -- most especially a proprietary netbook -- they are worse than doomed -- they are a geek's punchline.

Does anyone who imagines these delusional fantasies of a Palm Fooleo 2 have a clue as to the business dynamics of computers generally, laptops more broadly, and netbooks most particularly ?????

My Gawd -- what business model, what market, what target audience, what retail environment are you aiming for ????

The one now occupied by netbooks running some modified flavor of Linux ??? The one that runs XP ???

Puleaze.

This is so off the charts -- not that that at all means that Palm would not be so dumb to in fact do it, though... (but hopefully the adult money from Elevation Partners would throttle this idiocy before too much more of their cash got wasted.)

[ttcoupe]

what market, what target audience

The one now occupied by netbooks running some modified flavor of Linux ??? The one that runs XP ???

Basically the same kind of value proposition than Pre has: the best mobile web experience in its category. This would be the machine that runs web applications with all the add-ons that mobility provides. Location services, synergy, instant-on and application compatibility between your phone and your laptop.

[Gaurav]

I read something interesting in Kim Komando's column recently that I think may pertain to this discussion:

Windows 7 is coming. So what? - Columns from The Kim Komando Radio Show® & Web site

When the umpteenth Windows version appears, Microsoft isn’t really pushing Windows. It’s selling computers. Nearly everyone gets the new operating system with the computer. No computer sales, no Windows sales.

Most people probably like their machines. I don’t see a big blastoff for Windows 7. If you like XP or Vista, stick with it.

This is a terrible problem for Microsoft. Coming down the road are Google and The Cloud. Google is believed to have a million servers, more or less.

The logical use for those servers is cloud computing. You get an old computer out of the closet. On it, you install a free, small Linux operating system. But the real operating system is on Google servers. You access them through the Internet. Ergo, the Cloud.

In regards to netbooks, in my opinion the major problem with them is that there really isn't a platform or OS specifically designed for THEM. Vista/XP are too bloated and old respectively for the platform and XP really wasn't meant to be a ultra portable platform for things like instant on and etc that the original foleo promoted. Various distros of Linux on netbooks are no better either because they take the same desktop approach to the devices as other platforms and also are much more fragmented commercially. What netbooks really need is a new type of OS that can take advantage of their ultramobility and low end hardware and that ALSO focuses on the cloud! WebOS seems like the perfect platform to do that...the problem however is how does a company like Palm make money in such a senario when margins on netbook devices are so razor thin?

[jhoff80]

I read something interesting in Kim Komando's column recently that I think may pertain to this discussion:

Windows 7 is coming. So what? - Columns from The Kim Komando Radio Show® & Web site



In regards to netbooks, in my opinion the major problem with them is that there really isn't a platform or OS specifically designed for THEM. Vista/XP are too bloated and old respectively for the platform and XP really wasn't meant to be a ultra portable platform for things like instant on and etc that the original foleo promoted. Various distros of Linux on netbooks are no better either because they take the same desktop approach to the devices as other platforms and also are much more fragmented commercially. What netbooks really need is a new type of OS that can take advantage of their ultramobility and low end hardware and that ALSO focuses on the cloud! WebOS seems like the perfect platform to do that...the problem however is how does a company like Palm make money in such a senario when margins on netbook devices are so razor thin?

Many people really do like XP on netbooks, and those same users will like Windows 7 on netbooks if they give it a try. As for wanting some new OS designed for the system, honestly you're wrong. People want a netbook which can run all of the programs they're used to, that's why something like 75% of all non-Windows netbook purchases get returned and why so many Mac fans are clamoring for a OS X netbook (and using their own methods to get one if they have to).

I know a lot of people here are gung-ho for a Foleo 2 with WebOS, (I really loved the concept of the first Foleo at the time myself), but it's not going to do well. A device with an ARM CPU can't run anything similar to the programs people want, even though it uses a lot less power. That's why the Atom for all its flaws is pretty perfect for the netbooks.

And as for instant on, that was because the Foleo was always on and in standby. A PC or any regular netbook can do the same thing, it just uses more power to do so. That's one of of the reasons SSDs are so great, you can hibernate the PC and it uses absolutely no power and my SSD boots to Windows 7 in about 20-25 seconds. Not quite instant-on, but close enough for my liking, and my SSD has a read-speed of about 75MB/s.

Edit: Okay, I had it a little off. MSI says 80% of all its netbooks that get returned are running Linux, that's the real statistic: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardwar...0.htm?feed=rss

[RC46]

the problem however is how does a company like Palm make money in such a senario when margins on netbook devices are so razor thin?

Its simple. They take the RedFly approach. Then they save tons of money on hardware because they use the Pre's processor, RAM, Wireless Radio, Storage and Graphics card. Why have duplicates on these parts? This way you also have built in Internet connection without any additional charges for the user. This also eliminates any need for syncing. All palm needs is a nice keyboard and a nice screen. If they dont do it they are crazy.

Since I got my Redfly my netbook as not left my house. The Redfly is smaller, lighter, has a 10 hour battery, a free Internet connection (from my 800w) and saves all my data right on my 800w. Did I mention it takes 1 second to boot? Its the perfect solution.

[B-model#CB]

forgetting the business case ....
I want to see a Foleo w/ Web OS> Think it would be awesome !!!!

remembering the business case ...
it's difficult to find a solid way for plam to succedd in this space. more importantly, they need to focus on phones right now. If pre is a monster hit, and the following version are as well, then they can consder this

[GreenHex]

Here is something to think about:

Adieu to the old-fashioned desktop computer? | Crave - CNET

(Android, a brand new netbook OS?)

[fredc1]

Tech Trader Daily - Barron’s Online : Palm: Will Foleo Be Revived As A Netbook?

Note the $399 price estimate

[Kupe]

Tech Trader Daily - Barron’s Online : Palm: Will Foleo Be Revived As A Netbook?

Note the $399 price estimate

Awesome. Nearly two years after the introduction of the highly successful netbook class of computer, Palm will be reintroducing a concept that was two years out-of-date the first time they introduced it. A netbook-sized webOS device priced at $399 would reflect Palm's continuing disconnect with the marketplace. I think they fail to understand that while small size, long battery life, and light weight are all desirable features, webOS becomes the single biggest drawback when compared to today's mainstream netbooks. Showing up two years late to the netbook race puts them at a "day late and a dollar short" disadvantage.

[ADGrant]

Many people really do like XP on netbooks,

...

Edit: Okay, I had it a little off. MSI says 80% of all its netbooks that get returned are running Linux, that's the real statistic: Linux 'teething problems' affect netbook returns: News - Hardware - ZDNet Australia

I think you are correct. MS claims 95% of the netbook OS market.

[pkcable]

I always wanted a Foleo, and was disappointed when Palm cancelled it. I'd LOVE to see a WebOS Foleo II, or whatever they call it.