Analyst Gartner has hit out at the new Palm Foleo , saying it's "too large for many smartphone users to consider carrying around".
The report into the new device says it is "a limited-function accessory that requires a separate carrying case". It continues to state: "Gartner believes that this unwieldiness will severely limit Foleo adoption by smartphone users, who place a premium on 'pocketability' and attractive design." Oh dear.
Palm has previously stated the Foleo is to be marketed as a "mobile companion" - albeit one that costs $499 (around £253). The company believes it is an adequate replacement for a more expensive full-blown notebook. The Linux-based Foleo is able to read and write to Microsoft Office documents and boasts a battery life of five hours.
Gartner says the device has "limited functionality". It gives Palm plenty of food for thought:
"We believe there is a small but growing segment of the market that would welcome a low-cost device with a full keyboard and good display that is capable of roughly 75 per cent of what most notebook computers are used for. But the Foleo's functionality falls short of this."
The analyst does say it foresees a market for the device though. "We believe the Foleo could be more successful if it were modified and re-positioned to serve as a low-end Linux notebook PC, able to replace Windows or Apple notebooks in some usage scenarios."
