While I wait for most of you to pick your jaws up off the floor, we’ll get into the Foleo from Palm. Does anyone remember it? A mobile companion that was set for great things, along the lines of the Celio Redfly, that never eventuated!

The original Foleo concept was meant to be a mobile companion that supported Windows Mobile and Palm devices. Announced on May 30, 2007, and renounced on September 4, 2007, the ill fated Foleo never eventuated. What did Palm have to say about it?

Foleo is based on second platform and a separate development environment, and we need to focus our efforts on one platform. Our own evaluation and early market feedback were telling us that we still have a number of improvements to make Foleo a world-class product, and we can not afford to make those improvements on a platform that is not central to our core focus. That would not be right for our customers or for our developer community.

Via Palms Blog

What was a bit screwy at the time, was the mention of a second platform, meaning the Foleo was based on a Linux derivative. As we have seen of late, WebOS is Palm’s major focus. It looks like the Palm Pre will be available in early release at Best Buy, on June 7, but stock and location are limited, and a NetBook built on the new WebOS could be the next Foleo!

However you may think of it, the rumoured Foleo 2, is said to be a complete package, not an add on to a, once thought dying OS. Not dissimilair to anything we have seen from Google with Android, Palm seem to be taking the same tack with WebOS.

You know we’ve seen WinMo on Symbian devices, Android on netbooks, and now a palm, WebOS netbook is apparently on the way.

The old Foleo, above, did actually exist, even though it never made the market. You know, even though Psion had a netbook, by name at least. The Foleo really encompassed the Netbook diadem. A linux based device that can access the internet and runs on low power, giving you increased mobility, allowing you to work on the go, and keep your other mobile devices synced.

There’s not really a lot to say about the Foleo II at the moment?

Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research, asserts in a note to clients today that Palm is doing exactly that: he says they intend to produce a $399 netbook that will run the Palm Web OS that debuts soon on the eagerly awaiting Pre smartphone. Chowdhry says the device will use Qualcomm’s (QCOM) Gobi 3G wireless chip, ARM (ARMHY) chipsets and have 8-10 hours of battery life. He says the device is being designed by three ex-Apple (AAPL) iPod guys. He also says the netbook will only support browser-based applications, and not “native applications.

Others are speculating that it will also come to an Intel Atom based device near you soon as well.

The one observation I would make here is that mobile Os’s are becoming more robust and versatile. If Android and WebOS can run larger devices, they are stout and breaking new ground. Perchance, trumpeting the way of things to come, where mobile Os’s are an alternative to Microsoft and Apple, across all devices. Where does that leave Windows Mobile?

I can say, this is a welcomed development!

Via Barrons

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Related posts:

1. Palm, CES, Thursday, The Rumour Mill!
2. Talking the Palm Foleo With Jeff Hawkins
3. Palm kills the Foleo dead – Engadget
4. Sneek Peek at the Palm Foleo
5. Astraware & Palm Announce announce first games for the Palm Foleo