A Niche Market?
August 8th, 2007
What puzzles me most about the Foleo criticism so far is how out of touch these writers are with users who might be attracted to this type of device. They seem to think that every user who needs a portable computer should be anchored to a fully-loaded laptop.
I've been reading quite a lot about the Foleo lately, especially the feedback on message boards and blogs. While most of the feedback is overly negative, there have been a number of comments from people who immediately see the value in a lightweight, instant-on device that does a few things well. Two things strike me about these comments: First, they seem to come from people who are not terribly vocal on the Internet. It’s possible they represent a larger market of people who would be interested in minimalist computing. Secondly, they seem to be very interested in the Foleo as a standalone device. They like the lightweight, instant-on nature of the Foleo and do not really care for the smartphone companion angle that Palm is pushing. It almost feels that if Palm were to market the Foleo differently—say as a “laptop alternative” or something—then there could a significant mass market appeal to the device.
I put together a small sampling of this market. These hypothetical customers are based on blog comments from people who have expressed an interest in a Foleo-type device. Names have been changed and the quotes are paraphrased.
Scott the Xerox repair guy - Scott needs a quick way to check PDF manuals while working on copy machines. "My company-issued laptop is heavy and takes 4 minutes to boot up," he says. "I'd love to have a lightweight, instant-on machine that reads PDF files well and also allows me to keep up with email. I don't use my laptop for anything else.”
Will the Foleo work for Scott? It's hard to say right now. Apparently there will be a PDF reader available, but some have speculated that reading graphics-heavy technical manuals will be a little sluggish with the Foleo's processor. We'll see.
Pamela the health-care professional - Pam is on the move all day visiting patients. She wants a lightweight computer that allows her to quickly access a database of patient records. She'd also like a good keyboard for taking notes and updating patient information. "I hate my laptop," Pam says. "I'm always looking for an outlet or waiting for the thing to boot up. It frustrates me that I have to carry around an all-in-one toolbox when I just need a screwdriver."
Pam would seem like an idea Foleo user, if a basic database application is available on the Foleo. Pam did mention that she would probably be satisfied with a set of spreadsheets, so that’s a possibility. But let’s hope the right software comes along soon.
Lynn the novelist - Like many writers, Lynn doesn’t need much out of her computer. Word processing and the Internet would cover most of her needs. “I find myself waiting a lot, either a few minutes for my Starbucks latte or a half-hour for an airplane,” Lynn says. “I’d love a go-anywhere writing machine that is quickly ready whenever I have a few extra minutes.”
Is the Foleo an idea writing device? If the keyboard is comfy and the processor is speedy enough for long documents, I see no reason why a Foleo couldn’t be a novelist's dedicated writing device. However, many writers have specialized software that they’ve grown fond of.
Thomas the professor - Tom says his laptop needs are dead simple. “I use email, read academic papers in PDF form, and write my own articles,” he says. “Last time I checked, a lightweight laptop that could do those three things was just over $2000. It’s silly that no one makes a basic computer that speedily handles academic needs, and nothing else.”
Like Lynn, Thomas seems that his main concerns in a device for reading and writing would be the keyboard and software. The reviews on the keyboard seem fine so far, if you don't mind a laptop keyboard. And the right software for reading and writing is available. We'll see soon how good that software is.
August 23rd, 2007 at 5:30 am
You can add “Tom the blogger” to that list. I’m very interested in the Foleo, although I don’t have a Treo or plan on getting one. (My phone only has one feature: the ability to talk to someone on the other end.)
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:21 pm
I am essentially Thomas the professor, except I also have to give several lectures every week. Students expect most of these in slideshow format. Most of the classrooms have a projector with a vga connector. So I’ve been looking for the minimal, least cost machine that also allows me to project slideshows. And doesn’t make me wait for booting. Foleo seems tailor-made for my needs, although I wish it were 9.5″ instead of 10.5″ wide.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:49 am
I am another lynn the novelist, although I don’t really care to have the Internet on my writing machine. (I know, I’m weird.) I just can’t resist the tempation to check blogs, forums or my email. I’m using an AlphaSmart Dana now, which is nice but has a terrible display. The MobilePros also work good, but the keyboard is a little small, and the display isn’t viewable outdoors.
There have been a number of these “not quite a laptop” computers over the years, and they never really have taken off. I think it’s mostly because the companies didn’t want to replace the functionality of a full computer. I mean, let’s face it, the MobilePro 900 easily has the power to edit MS word docs, but Microsoft shafted the last version of WinCE with a crappy “Word Viewer” app. So you pay for a system that’s suppose to act like a laptop, but it doesn’t have the right software.
Let’s hope the Foleo fares better. The software so far looks like it’s lightyears beyond what the MobilePro came out with.
August 26th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Vance: Bravo for recognizing that there is a growing group of us that are excited about the value the Foleo can bring to the table.
I’m in another group: The sales manager who is always on the move. I need a device that allows me to view & edit spreadsheets, keep up on e-mail, and write the occasional report or presentation, so the Foleo seems to be the perfect answer. The e-mail sync is a huge plus, and will free me from my tiny Treo keyboard when responding to messages from various offices.
I can see this device having great potential for a large group of business professionals who need core tasking without being tethered to a bulky laptop.
August 29th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Keep em coming, and I’ll do a “sequel” to this post.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:59 am
I have another interest in the Foleo or similar device. I believe it could be a viable alternative to laptops for high school and middle school students in the public schools. Wireless, good battery life, internet, inexpensive. Sounds like a fit.
August 30th, 2007 at 8:50 am
TOO MUCH MONEY!! why pay 500 for supped up pda, are you kidding me? that is such a waste of money. get a ASUS EEE, cost half as much (starting @ $199) and is a full laptop with free software, and it starts up in about 10 seconds. also pretty much the same size as foleo. you may not be able to sync with your treo but blame that on palm for not making software available, if the foleo is running linux then it shouldn’t be to hard to make software that allows you sync easily on any linux machine. The asus eee comes with linux or you can load a different distribution or windows if you want. Also theres the VIA NanoBook for 600. The main thing that gets me with this laptop is the price, im a student and am not going to spend that much money on a device that can do the exact same thing my pda can but on a bigger screen.
peace
p.s. sorry for not loving this device, but it just blows in my opinion
August 30th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
agree with adrian, it is the price that is the problem here. i think the form factor is great, but for $500, why not go with a full fledge laptop? several approach this form factor with only a little more money, but a lot more functionality.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
What the laptop solutions do not offer is “instant on”, OS simplicity and battery life.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:12 am
Any laptop in the $500 range is simply not a true mobile machine. They are hot and heavy with a bloated OS that slows you down. Laptops today are desktops that just happen to fit in a bag, and the ones at $500 require a heck of a big bag.
I want a machine that offers the speed of a smartphone and the form-factor of a laptop. I can have a smartphone out of my pocket and running a NES game in 13 seconds flat. The technology exists today to have that speed for all kinds of tasks… email, working on a Word document, taking notes in class. Yet all we have is all-powerful portable desktop computers. They are not true mobile machines.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:39 am
There seem to be these “Foleo won’t do what ‘x’ laptop will do” or “Spend less and get a pared-down laptop” camps that keep panning the Foleo for being a bad product (and bear in mind this is even before the Foleo has hit the street).
Is the Sony Vaio TX more functional than the Foleo? You bet. (It also costs upward of $2k) But the Foleo isn’t trying to be your laptop. It’s a secondary computing device. I agree with Vance that Tealpoint hit the nail on the head… The Foleo is more like what your laptop used to be before we made the laptop run everything it wasn’t designed for. The Foleo is insanely portable and functional for some important tasks that many of us use in the business world.
If buying a $200 Asus eee is your thing; great. Maybe the Foleo wasn’t made for you (but don’t blame the Asus’ lack of Bluetooth on Palm). If you need ALL your laptop’s functionality ALL the time, then the Foleo’s not aimed at you, either.
I’m obviously a fan of the Foleo concept, and I’m not anti-laptop (I’m writing this on my notebook, in fact). However, I will gladly plunk down a few bucks for a device that lets me leave the laptop plugged in at the office and handle my routine tasks more efficiently on the road.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
You can add the system & network administrators to the list of interested people for the Foleo. A light, cheap, unbloated (that’s for all you windows fanboys out there, be it WM or XP/Vista) device with 5+ hours of autonomy is ideal for people who have to walk around with their device most of the day, needing wifi and often 3G/EDGE/GPRS connectivity via their phones to keep connected to the networks they administer. Just having a remote desktop app, a terminal emulator and email+web (not flash stuff, just normal web pages). If it does what it’s advertised to do, and it’s linux it’ll sell. No problem. It’ll piss off the gadget kids who don’t have a real need for anything in their parents’ basement, but for the real professionals out there, it’s a godsend. And it’ll be virus-proof, or a lot more than a MS product’ll ever be. So it automatically becomes a candidate for the roadwarriors (not by choice for them, but their sysadmins will choose the Foleo if 1. it integrates into the corporate network easily (looks done there) and 2. is easy to administrate. The less hassle the better, and debugging windows laptops from hundreds of kilometers away is a nightmare. This product, kept simple as it is, won’t have this issue. ‘Nuff said.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:54 pm
I am a Palm fan - no apologies. In the part of the world that I am, the easiest and most convenient way to connect to the internet at the moment is via your mobile phone. Home internet connections are rare, expensive and fairly unreliable.
It’s as if Palm made the Foleo with me in mind. The positive replies to the Foleo on this forum goes to show that there is a massive market out there for the Foleo, even more so if they make it compatible with other mobile phones via Bluetooth.
I just wish they would release it today! Any updates on the new release date?