Re: [NTLK] New Palm Device (flop?)

On May 31, 2007, at 4:41 AM, John Chu wrote:

>> I think it is much funnier (and more useful) than that. Anyone
>> remember the Microsoft attempt at this? Bonsai, or UMPC (Ultra Mobile
>> PC), was originally aimed at being smaller than a laptop, feeling
>> like a good PC, and costing less than $499.
>
> The codename for the UMPC was Origami.
<snip>

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I must say I recently took an emergency trip with only my cell
phone. I have a Nokia E60 which is a very business oriented "smart"
phone (no camera).

This phone pretty much does everything and does it pretty well too.

I was able to check my email (4 accounts, 3 Imap, 1 pop), browse the
web (excellent included browser), and amazingly even VNC into my OSX
box and control that if need be. All of this happens via WIFI, so I
don't need to pay my provider for it. Also, sad to say it happens
much faster then it ever could on the Newton :~(

Now, admittedly trying to input text on the little cell phone keypad
is not very easy/fun.

Still I can't help but thinking after this experience that a product
like the UMPC or the Palm Folio is dead meat coming out of the
starting gate. These things are too big to be carry everywhere
devices, and the modern phones pretty much can do everything. If I
want a second machine to work in concert with my phone, I don't want
some sort of specialized half baked laptop like the folio.

I can buy a refurbished Macbook for $899 these days which has about
3.5 hours of battery life, and can run Windows, Linux and OSX.

Why would anyone want to pay $500 for a mini laptop that is too
underpowered to play media, and has Linux of some kind only and an
unknown processor type/speed?

No thanks, and good by to Palm.

I think Palm is history.

Marty

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/