The response in the mobile online community is pretty consistent. Generally, people say they find it intriguing, but they are really disappointed and it's not what they need. My first impression is very similar. I want very much to like it, but it seems more like a limited function toy than something I would really use.
But the more I think about it, the more I think it might succeed. Especially after looking at the
Engadget notes on the Hawkins presentation.
Here's why: We tech freaks are missing the whole point. We think that we are early adopters, so we much be the market for a crazy new piece of hardware that comes out from the creator of the Palm Pilot. After all, we are the ones that jumped on a PDA when no one really knew what to do with it.
But this product, while it is a creation generated by the same person, is a whole different ball game. Hawkins is looking for mass market appeal. He wants to appeal to the low-tech businessman and the common guy on the street. As much as it pains us, he is not after the tech freak.
So imagine just the scenario that Hawkins alludes to - everyone carrying around a smartphone. They really don't know how to do anything complicated on it. And they are finally advanced enough that people can sort of do email and look at documents. Plus, everyone wants to browse the web. But it's very complicated and hard on a smartphone. You have all that potential that's being wasted because it's hard on a tiny screen. So how do you open up all that potential to the average businessman or businesswoman, or the average Joe/Suzy on the street? You give them a Foleo!
They don't care about the latest features. They don't care about touchscreen. They don't care how many applications are available. They just want an easy way to do email, office documents, pdfs and web browsing. Remember that, as Michael Mace has pointed out, the zen of Palm is the simple approach to providing solutions. That's exactly what the Foleo does. Simple maintenance for enterprises or families. Simple usage and setup. And the primary activities people want are covered. It's cheap, well-sized and has "decent' battery life. It could be a hit.
You can hate Palm for releasing a product that doesn't meet your high tech needs (and mine), or you can consider how much larger the low tech audience of consumers will be. Just imagine, as everyone has a smartphone in the days to come, and they all wish they had a simple way to use it. What's the answer. Hawkins and Palm are hoping Foleo is the answer.
The only problem is that it's a hard acceptance curve to climb, and convincing the average phone user to get one is tricky. By then, there will be lots of competition. Can Palm make it a success? That's the question of the day.