MobileTechRoundup 126: Samsung Q1UP now, REDFLY next

CLICK HERE to download the file and listen directly.
MoTR 126 is 35:10 minutes long and is a 32.3 MB file in MP3 format.

INTRO: Based on “Time v2.1″ by Meta Sektion, additional mixing by James Kendrick.
HOSTS: James Kendrick (Houston), Matthew Miller (Seattle) and Kevin C. Tofel (fighting the Flu in Philadelphia)

TOPICS:

Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium is in the house!
Are times changing? Are we moving to a "two laptop minimum"?
We each have a REDFLY loaner unit arriving tomorrow. Initial thoughts now and experiences on the next show.
Why might the REDFLY be successful when the Palm Foleo was killed off?
Shozu comes to the desktop for PC and Mac.
HTC finally delivers the EV-DO Rev. A update for the Sprint Mogul. Is Verizon following soon for the XV6800?

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Comments

[Toby]

Thanks James, Mathew and Kevin, I enjoyed listening to the show.
And Kevin, for what it's worth, I thought your hosting was excellent!

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Thanks Toby, glad you enjoyed the show!

[James Kendrick]

We're glad you like the show, Toby. We have a lot of fun doing it.

[ojleblanc]

Kevin,

Just listened to MobileTechRoundup, as I do every Sunday. First, this is a great podcast and I enjoy it every week, this week no exception. But I'm writing this week to say I really appreciate your line of questioning about all the excitement about the Redfly versus the widespread slashing given the Foleo or, as you put it, a line of questions from the listener's perspective. You very nicely anticipated the questions I have about the Redfly and a number of comments made in this podcast. Just to note a few...

(a) It was mentioned that the Foleo was to work only with Palm OS while the Redfly will work with Windows Mobile. Actually, the Foleo was to work at launch with Palm OS and Windows Mobile, b/c it was to work with Treos, which run both operating systems. (Palm had plans for compatibility with Blackberries and other smartphones, but plans are just that, I realize).

(b) I am not personally convinced that the difference in media reception of the Redfly vs. the Foleo is due to the fact that the Redfly allows the smartphone to do all the heavy lifting whereas the Foleo had a processor and operating system. Why? Because the tech blogs are very excited about devices that one might describe as "laptop lite;" devices that let you email, surf the web, and do relatively light document work. This is exactly what the Foleo would have allowed one to do, even without one's smartphone in pocket. So, the Foleo would have been both a smartphone companion and a "laptop lite" device for those times when a full-blown laptop isn't necessary. As an academic, I have do to a lot of writing (articles and lectures). All I need is something compatible with MS Word and Powerpoint for those days I want to work in the library or coffee shop. (I used to use my Palm with portable keyboard, but the screen is was really to small for my taste). The Foleo with DataViz's Documents to Go would have been great-- cheap, lightweight, large screen, and simple to use. In fact, I was also considering this device for my aunt, who doesn't need a full-blown Windows or Mac OSx device to do what she needs to do. The Foleo would have been quite adequate.

(c) There has been no mention of a potential downside of the Redfly being totally dependent on the smartphone for processing. When the phone's battery is dead, so is the Redfly, in effect. At least with the Foleo, one could sync over documents and continue one's work (yes, I'm document focused), as well as continue to access the web.

(d) A comparison between the Redfly and Foleo is not rendered irrelevant by the fact that the Foleo was canceled. This is because the panning it received from the technology community played a large part in why the device was ditched by Palm. Thus, a comparison between it and the Redly would create a good opportunity for the technology community to reflect on it's original thinking. Was the Foleo really as bad as some believed at the time? Or was it panned because it not the device we all expected Palm to announce, thereby failing to meet expectations?

if you decided to write a usage comparison of the two devices, perhaps you would reach the same conclusion about the Foleo others did at the time. The Foleo may very well have been a bad idea. But I, for one, would welcome a comparison of the two devices, even if you do not have a Foleo to work with.

Looking forward to reading any replies...