Computing comes to cattle class
posted on
Jun 01, 2007 06:43AM
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Computing comes to cattle class
May 31, 2007 – GOODBYE personal digital assistant, hello “mobile companion”. PDA and smartphone giant Palm Inc has introduced a compact mobile computer that should attract the attention of handheld IFE providers looking for new commercial off-the-shelf platforms. It should also encourage the emerging air-to ground broadband providers, whose market is currently constrained by the functionality limitations of smartphones and PDAs and the bulk of laptops, which effectively rules out their use outside the premium classes. “This is for business people who want a more complete mobile solution for email, attachments and access to the Web,” says company founder Jeff Hawkins. “Smartphones will be the most prevalent personal computers on the planet, ultimately able to do everything that desktop computers can do. But there are times when people need a large screen and full-size keyboard.” The new device weighs 2.5lb and has a five-hour battery. It switches on instantly and can support email, full-screen Web browsing, and editors or viewers for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. Bluetooth short-range wireless is used for synchronisation with the smartphone, and WiFi for general Internet connectivity. Foleo is also a powerful ultra-mobile PC in its own right – it has a Linux-based operating system, USB port, video-out port, headphone jack, and slots for SD and compact flash cards for memory expansion – and it has clearly been designed with working in aircraft in mind. It is sized to fit on an airline tray table, and its instant on/off capability will allow users to comply promptly with flight restrictions on electronics. Foleo will be available in the USA from this summer, priced at around $500. |