Palm's Foleo in the wild?

We're still of the opinion that Palm should just abandon the whole Foleo concept and work on making the Treo competitive again, but despite our pleas, the company appears to be proceeding towards launch -- manufacturing delays or not. Our tipster spotted the gentlemen pictured rocking what certainly appears to be a Foleo at an oil-change joint in Redwood City, California, and sent in a few snaps. According to her, our guy was happily typing away on the unit, occasionally stopping to refer to his phone (which obviously appears to be a Treo). That's all the info we've got -- but judging from the look on this guy's face, the Foleo is just as frustratingly not-a-laptop as we assumed from the start. Two more shots after the break.

[Thanks, Michelle]

[John Doe @ Aug 29th 2007 11:17PM]

im gonna peg it at an ultraportable laptop. If it was a foleo, he wouldn't need to look at his phone.

[Dae @ Aug 29th 2007 11:21PM]

what a foolieo (corny? yes)

[Chird @ Aug 29th 2007 11:23PM]

It appears as though he used his ultraportability to discover that he has just been diagnosed with type 2 diabeetus.

[Mik3 @ Aug 30th 2007 8:21AM]

Dude, Thats not even funny. I'm 23 and just found out i have type 2 and it's such a pain... I have to keep my blood suger down or else. If your going to make fun of him at least do it with some type of taste like somthing he can help like his fantastic shirt.

and again at the end of the day this site is about gadgets like most of the comments.

Not trying to be a cry baby just trying to give others respect.

[yrrebnarg @ Aug 30th 2007 1:44AM]

and run a spellcheck before being a jerk. It's hard to keep your geek cred strong when you mess up your Latin.

[Patrick @ Aug 30th 2007 8:45AM]

You guys just aren't up on your internet memes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pod4jIKT_kA

(although this Fooleo guy looks nothing like Wilford Brimley)

[Profoleo @ Aug 29th 2007 11:24PM]

I really think you guys haven't thought about this enough yet. There is potentially a large market for this kind of device. Instant-on, solid design, killer battery life.. it's the future of mobile computing.

If I can have my phone out of my pocket with a game of Tetris going in less than 20 seconds, and the technology exists for a instant-on laptop so I can do the same with a Word document.. well, how is that a misguided product?

http://profoleo.com/2007/08/a-niche-market/

[dj-kenpo @ Aug 29th 2007 11:35PM]

ya, I doubt that's a folio. BUT it does bring up the ergonomic issue, everyone take note of his legs.

as an owner of a 12" ultraportable, I use my 14". the 12 is cool, it's small, but annoying as HELL to position on your lap (and I'm 25 and small) you have to squish your balls to get the thing on your lap, and if you try to balance it on one leg it's near impossible to type on steadily.


as much as I'd like a folio (for coding on the go) small computers can be as big a pain in the ass as they are a comfort.

[humpty @ Aug 29th 2007 11:36PM]

Meh, my vaio tz190 beats it.

[pinchies @ Aug 30th 2007 2:11AM]

Yep, and how much did that cost may I ask...?

[Lee Glantz @ Aug 29th 2007 11:37PM]

I've seen several Foleo's in the wild. All of the Palm reps that go around the country to cell phone operators received their Foleos over a month ago. They look really cool but the person who was using one in front of me once complained about syncing not working sometimes.

[The General @ Aug 29th 2007 11:42PM]

Poor guy... :-(

[awam @ Aug 29th 2007 11:46PM]

he is obviously putting the device through rigorous testing

in an old age home

[waiownsyou @ Aug 30th 2007 12:00AM]

This is obviously not the real Foleo. If the woman was brave enough to be a voyeur, I'm sure she would've been able to just walk up to them and be like, "O HAI THAR. ARE THAT TEH NU FOLEO?" Besides, there's only 2 people (her and that old guy) in the room-- I know what it's like for them to work on your car.

But who would give a Foleo to Santa Clause with a Hawaiian T-Shirt? Not I!

[violajack @ Aug 30th 2007 2:08AM]

Actually, it was at Boardwalk auto center, which is a big dealer and service center. The waiting room was full of about a dozen people. I was too chicken to actually go and talk to him about it. I had Engadget open on my laptop to double check the gallery pictures of the Foleo to make sure that it was really a Foleo I was looking at. It did indeed have the silly ridges on the back, even though it's hard to tell from the picture.

[rkny @ Aug 30th 2007 12:06AM]

I added a little contrast to the image...now you can plainly see what it is.

[rkny @ Aug 30th 2007 12:09AM]

[IMG]http://rknydesign.com/battleship.jpg[/IMG]

[Philometalist @ Aug 30th 2007 12:09AM]

looks like the picture taker is rockin a Macbook

[violajack @ Aug 30th 2007 2:21AM]

Yup, it's a blackbook. I had to look a few times before I really believed what I was looking at. I had Engadget open to compare the gallery pictures to what the guy was holding to make sure it really was a Foleo. I also checked on Palm's site to make sure it hadn't really been released yet. I was just too much of a chicken to actually go and talk to him about it.

[dudeInAmerica @ Aug 30th 2007 12:20AM]

He doesnt look happy.

[ark_v2 @ Aug 30th 2007 12:33AM]

Oh...he fell for it...

[The ZeroCorpse @ Aug 30th 2007 12:47AM]

ARGH!

Why can't any company meet my needs? I want a small, ultra-portable device (no more than 7" screen, like most portable DVD players) with a decent keyboard. The device needs to be able to get on the Internet wirelessly (and automatically) for simple things (checking email, checking accounts, blogging, visiting basic websites, online shopping, etc.)-- It needs to have a basic "Office" type program that can do halfway decent word processing, spreadsheets, and maybe a little basic publishing. It needs to have a decent battery life, of course (3-4 hours) and it should have a simple media player that can handle MP3s, and most basic forms of video.

The device needs USB ports, WiFi, upgradable RAM, and solid-state storage (flash memory instead of a hard drive). It should be able to support an external optical drive. The OS can be OS X, Newton, Linux, Windows CE--- Whatever--- as long as it gets the job done, can share info with MS Office and other common programs on full-sized computers, and understands most common file types.

Finally, it needs to be under $250-- Preferably under $200 since it's not a full-fledged computer, but more of a pal pilot with a decent keyboard and bigger screen.

I thought the Eee PC would meet this need, but then they pumped it up and boosted the price.

Look, Hardware Manufacturers Of The World: A LOT of people would LOVE an inexpensive portable word processor/spreadsheet that can access the Internet, check email, and offer basic things found in most modern cell phones (calculator, alarm clock, picture viewer, etc.)--- It doesn't need to be powerful; It just needs to be INEXPENSIVE and LIGHTWEIGHT.

I don't need to play games on the go. I don't need to have the power to run Photoshop when I'm out and about (and if I did, I'd get a MacBook Pro). I need to be able to sit down in class, or in a cafe, or at work, and type out a document and send it to a printer or transfer it via memory stick to another computer. I need to be able to whip this thing out like it's spiral-bound notebook (the paper kind) and write a chapter of a story when it gets into my head, and then stuff it in my coat pocket when I'm done.

Yes, a lot of PDAs have these features, but they lack built-in full keyboards, and I don't want to carry around a bunch of PARTS. I need an all-in-one solution that turns on when I flip it open and lets me get typing or web-surfing right away. On-screen keyboards are NOT an option for serious writing. I can't write an essay or even a proposal on a damned on-screen keyboard.

If someone would make this mini computer device and sell it for $199, I would buy it.

My choices, as it stands, are to not have a decent keyboard with some sort of PDA, or get a subnote for an outrageously high price (and have a bunch of power and features I'll never need when I'm on the go), or get a bigger, bulkier laptop that has a decent keyboard.

The Eee PC was looking perfect until they decided to add more stuff and raise the price. I don't NEED a damned webcam! I don't NEED to watch movies (A portable DVD player is DIRT CHEAP right now). I don't NEED to play games or sync with my high-priced mobile phone. I just need to type, surf, and save it all.

Get it right, dammit!

[John @ Aug 30th 2007 1:27AM]

here's the obligatory: tl;dr

Plus, tc;dr (too capitalized; didn't read)

[robt @ Aug 30th 2007 1:31AM]

What you described is a long way off from costing $200 retail. (or about $ 100-$140 price to a carrier/distributor. This would include manufacturing by even the largest asian CM. My guess is the closest you'd get is about $365-$400 cost assuming a few bucks for an OS. That would mean that distibution/carriers might see at at about $ 520 and retail about $749

[Simon @ Aug 30th 2007 5:02AM]

I agree. I wish I was a venture capitalist.

[tso @ Sep 3rd 2007 6:04AM]

hmm, maybe some variant of the via nanobook would fit what your looking for?

[Jacob @ Aug 30th 2007 12:49AM]

Is that Walt Mossberg?

[strider_mt2k @ Aug 30th 2007 1:04AM]

He's probably just cranky because those meddling kids and that no good dog foiled his criminal scheme.

Mister Wilkins!!

[Alex @ Aug 30th 2007 1:04AM]

If it is, that guy doesn't seem too excited to be using it. I'll pass!

[Nervid @ Aug 30th 2007 1:18AM]

I am no expert, but I was thinking that wasn't a Treo. Something about the antenna doesn't seem Treo-ish.

[Eriq @ Aug 30th 2007 1:19AM]

Dude doesn't look happy

[Adam @ Aug 30th 2007 1:22AM]

Its clearly a mac book you can see its running OS X and he has firefox and adium open.

[Ondra Soukup @ Aug 30th 2007 3:56PM]

lol, you're a piece of idiot, really :D

[Adam @ Aug 31st 2007 3:58PM]

What?

[Adam @ Aug 30th 2007 1:22AM]

I think hes holding an HTC

[emjoi @ Aug 30th 2007 1:55AM]

I like the models the Koreans use alot better.

[SteveG @ Aug 30th 2007 2:03AM]

Does no one remember the IBM Z50?
http://www.hpcfactor.com/reviews/hardware/ibm/workpad-z50/
It came out 8 years ago. WinCE, instant-on, yadda yadda yadda. The Foleo is neither new nor innovative, just a repackaging of an old concept. Also, I bet dollars to donuts that the Foleo will be a) buggy as hell on release, and b) not get an update until 2 months before the Foleo 2 ships. Any Treo 700p user will know what I'm talking about. Thanks for nothing, Palm.

[crow610 @ Aug 30th 2007 3:51AM]

At this price and with only 5 hours of bettery life I don't see how this is better then a traditional laptop. I feel what would be a better solution instead of this foleo would be a screen+keyboard addon that can be attached to any PDA. I used to use the Palm fold out keyboard with my Axim to type notes in class and it actually worked out great! And adding a 8-10"screen would give you exactly what the Foleo is offering. One user said they don't want to carry around a bunch of PARTS. Lets do the math: Foleo + Phone = 2. Phone + keyboard/LCD = 2. 2=2 right?

[tso @ Sep 3rd 2007 6:04AM]

thats 5 hours with wifi on full blast the whole time, iirc.

with wifi off, i really do wonder how long it can last.

[joey @ Aug 30th 2007 4:03AM]

Top everyone who gave gay ass comments, Youre just hatin on a playa! (cuz you aint got a folio)

[Kent Pribbernow @ Aug 30th 2007 7:46AM]

At last we know who Foleo's target market will be...elderly men. Sounds about right, because no one under 60 will buy this product.

[Tim Yates @ Aug 30th 2007 8:02AM]

In marketing, you pray that your "in the wild" photos are not that of a 65 year old get his meds filled at Walgreens.

[Burke Hamblin @ Aug 30th 2007 10:09AM]

The Architect of the matrix using a Foleo...so sad.

[Anthony Crum @ Aug 30th 2007 10:10AM]

That is an old Jornada. Note the curved top.

[Korey @ Aug 30th 2007 11:22AM]

Jornada 820??? looks exactly like one then again if he has a palm theres no need for the 820 so maybe its folio. if the person snapped higher res pics we could locate some brandings.

[Old Guy @ Aug 30th 2007 12:00PM]

As the 'old guy' in the photo, perhaps you would like to know what I was doing, and have done, with my Foleo.
When these pictures were being taken, I was spending most of my time while on the Foleo, reading and replying to email (which I could have done even if Boardwalk didn't have free WiFi, which they do). Other things I did were to a) vpn in to our network to check on an issue with our intranet (which I am the principle developer of). b) Work on a functional requirements document for a new system in Documents-to-Go.
Things I could have done include a) connecting to my computer at work and run it as if I were there (doing code development and all that my desktop is capable of). b) use Avvenu to get/put documents to my desktop. c) thus, basically everything the person who took my picture was able to do with her laptop.
The times I was using my Treo, I was reading a book on eReader.
Bet if I took a picture of you while you were on your computer, you would look 'mad' too ;)

[beeperr @ Aug 30th 2007 1:02PM]

For what it's worth, he's an engineer...you an tell by his pinky ring

[Valgas @ Aug 30th 2007 4:20PM]

I want something like the Asus EEE but better. I thought the Foleo was going to be an it but it's more geared toward being ultra compatible with a mobile phone. I need an affordable wifi internet tablet for around the house and on the go!

[m3kw @ Aug 30th 2007 4:31PM]

I'm getting a foleo..............!!!

[Mischa Lockton @ Sep 2nd 2007 9:57PM]

dude, that's Malt Wussberg!!!