More On a Possible “Foleo II” Device

While looking for more information on the rumor from this past weekend that Palm might be mulling over their options on releasing a redesigned Foleo running Palm webOS, I found this interesting article over on JKOnTheRun.com. Mr. Kendrick writes:

“Lots of companies are currently working on Google Android netbooks and there have been whispers of how great a WebOS-based netbook could be, even though not a single device with that OS is actually shipping yet. This obsession with netbooks and how to make a great one has me thinking that there’s no reason Palm couldn’t produce one, and right now.

Just hear me out. A netbook that is designed from the ground up to be a cloud machine could be easily produced using high-end PDA components. The main requirements would be a decent processor, very long battery life and an easy-to-use OS. Enter Palm.”

I think that this is a really cool idea. I’ve been using a Dell Mini 9 since late November (2008) and I have mixed feeling about it. Yes, it is light and super portable. I liked the Foleo’s exterior finishing better than the glossy lid on Dell’s netbooks. I also like the fact that I can run Windows XP on the Dell netbook, but with only about 2.5 hours of battery life, I’m not going too far without my AC adapter. (I often can’t go to a full morning’s or afternoon’s worth of meetings without having to break out the charger. Ugh!) There are only a handful of applications that I use my Dell Mini 9 for: note taking and word processing in Microsoft Word 2003; checking my email in Microsoft Outlook 2003 (I do have access to corporate email via a web mail portal but I prefer Outlook or my BlackBerry); calendaring; and web surfing with FireFox or Internet Explorer.

Now, here comes Palm with a “Foleo re-mix” taking the best concepts of the Foleo and combining it with the flexibility of Palm’s new webOS platform, and you can have an ultra-portable device that can easily provide the kinds of features I’m looking for (word processing, email, calendaring, and web browsing) in a device that can run at least 8 hours with the screen set to a reasonable brightness level with Wi-Fi enabled. That would be a perfect device for me.

You can bet I’ll be keeping a close eye on this rumor as we continue to move through th rest of the year.

You can read the full JKOnTheRun.com article here…

[Photo credit: JKOnTheRun.com]