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Where Palm went wrong with the Foleo |
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Written by Bjorn Stromberg
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Friday, 13 July 2007 |
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Michael Brown put up a great article about What Palm got right with the Foleo and where they went wrong. Mr. Brown found quite a few very positive things to say about the Foleo, but the places where Palm went wrong really overwhelm the positive aspects. The most important of which is:
Price & Lots of Competition - Now, here’s where Palm got trumped, big time! They announce the Foleo for $499 after a $100 introductory rebate. The same week, Asus and VIA announce their mini-laptop platforms. The Via Nanobook will go for $600 USD, and the Asus Eee PC for $199-299 USD (depending on storage and screen size). The Asus announcement really trumps them. Linux powered, similar specs WITH a webcam mic & speakers, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and a standard 56K modem (apparently no Bluetooth).
That doesn’t include all the UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC) and MIMD (Mobile Internet Multimedia Device) product announcements this week, of which there were quite a few. So, Palm’s going to have an uphill battle on what they thought was a “revolutionary” product. They could turn it around, if they change the price point (which is the biggest acceptance factor), get good developers tools in place, and allow for third-party applications. So, in a few months we’ll see whether the Foleo makes the news, or the obituaries.
It's an excellent article with well though out arguments, I suggest you head on over and read the whole thing.
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Visitor
Sunday, 15 July 2007
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Visitor
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Thanks for your kind words on my article. Palm could have a good thing with the Foleo if they do two things:
1. Fix the price point! It's as much as a Treo without the carrier's subsidy. Few people will pay more for an accessory than they paid for the primary device.
2. Stop trying to market it as a Laptop for the Treo. It's not a laptop, so don't confuse people by trying to make it seem like it is. It's a "Mobile Companion" product, so show us viable reasons for making it the "must-have" Treo accessory.
Enjoy the article, and feel free to leave your comments there, if you so desire.
Cheers!
Michael Brown
solutionsathand.ca