Just when Palm was ask to embark the Foleo , its controversial smartphone comrade intersection , the society or else decided to kill it .
In ablog posting , Palm CEO Ed Colligan write that he decided to cancel the Foleo so the companionship could focus all its zip on a individual merchandise platform . While Palm will continue to pop the question some products that use Microsoft ’s Windows Mobile package , go forward all its internal work will be on a new software platform due out next year .
Just over a week ago , on Aug. 24 , Palm denied reports that the launch of the Foleo would be delayed . Palm first introduce the product in May , pronounce it would ship in the summertime .
The Foleo was a Linux - based lightweight personal computer that would operate on in conjunction with the Treo smartphone . But because the Foleo had little processing power , it would n’t add much more than a larger keyboard and screen , so it could hardly justify the purpose $ 500 price tag end , said Todd Kort , an industry psychoanalyst .
Palm still believes a product like the Foleo could mould and design to make a “ Foleo II ” free-base on Palm ’s upcoming software , Colligan publish . He would n’t speculate on when that 2nd - generation product ship .
“ Our own valuation and early market feedback were tell us that we still have a telephone 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 cardinal to our core nidus , ” he wrote .
Criticism and lack of market place interest may have contributed to Palm ’s determination to kill the product , Kort said . “ There was very small interest in it from the public , ” he said .
Palm also may have falter in generating stake from the developer community , he said . Developers do n’t need to operate on production for a platform unless it ’s probable to be successful , and the negative response to the Foleo may have hold back many developer off , he said .
“ I think Palm was saucy enough to pull back when all the signs were indicate negative , ” he said .
Palm is n’t in the side to take a big endangerment on a new product class . While the caller is still profitable , its sales have slowed considerably as it moves from being a PDA ( personal digital assistant ) Godhead to a smartphone developer . Palm ’s gain for the quartern ending June 1 reflected a 44 - percent drop from the same quarter last year .
“ If they would have swarm a lot of resources into this and flunk , it could have scuff the companionship down fairly quickly , ” Kort said .
ribbon will take an net income charge of less than $ 10 million come to to the cancellation , Colligan said in the blog post .
