Czadowo – Fotki

The PalmNavi F3501 GPS navigation system was recently paraded at Computex 2007, and what you get is a fairly normal GPS navigation system. Features include a 3.5″ touchscreen display, 3D graphics that make it easier to determine where your exact location is, and a 1800mAh li-ion battery that provides up to 8 hours of juice. A flip up GPS antenna produces superior reception, while MP3 and MPEG 4 support ensures you won’t run out of entertainment options when going through the motions of a long road trip.

Thanks to mankind’s inherent curiousity, details of the upcoming Palm Treo 800w have been leaked. The Treo 800w will bring a whole truckload of improvements for Sprint users of current 700wx smartphones. What you get with the yet unreleased 800w include EV-DO Rev A., Windows Mobile 6.0, a 320 x 320 display, 256MB flash memory, 128MB RAM, WiFi connectivity, GPS navigation, Bluetooth, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Sprint is apparently targeting a Q4 2007 release, but nothing has been set in concrete yet.

Palm has just released a Linux-based 2.5lbs “mobile companion” called Foleo. It is capable of running basic productivity such as email, web browser, word processing and so on… It is an “instant-on” (no boot) device with a full keyboard and a 10.2″ display. The manufacturer claims that it has a battery life of 5 hours. It connects to the internet via WiFi or via a phone (Foleo>(Bluetooth)>Phone>(phone network)>internet).

Palm presents it as a “new category” of devices but I don’t think that it is so new. There were various attempts in the past at providing a lighter, instant-on platform connected via Wifi or BT modem. However, this one has a good design, I have to admit. The question is: is there a market for this? Without a native Microsoft Exchange capability (I mean mobile outlook – there’s an Exchange support via Versamail), it’s going to be hard to convince professionals (and their IT departments) to use it and at $499, it’s hard to get consumers to buy it. So it all depends on how much value it really adds and how easy it is to use. At the moment, I doubt that Palm can turn this into a commercial success but I’d love to get my hands on one because it looks so sexy.

Second opinion on PCmag

Palm has just dropped a new accessory for owners of the Treo 650, Treo 680, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Tungsten E2, and T|X. This Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard folds up for easy transportation, and yet opens up to reveal 5 rows of full-size keys for easy touch typing. A couple of AAA batteries can power this baby for up to five months before requiring a replacement. The Palm Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard currently retails for a cent shy of $100. I wonder about the naming convention though – why call it a “Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard” when we already know Bluetooth doesn’t connect via wires? Food for thought.