Palm introduces the Foleo Mobile Companion

Drum roll please.... introducing the Palm Foleo

The early announcements peg this nifty device to be a companion to the Treo smartphone. Think of it as an expansion of the Treo's screen and keyboard running Linux as the primary OS. Supposedly it can do everything the Treo can do - with wireless access to boot.

Early reports claim it uses bluetooth to make the wireless connection to the Treo. It has instant on/off capability, runs the Opera web browser (which I'm a fan of), and runs a mobile version of Documents to Go.

The demo in the link above says it all.

I'm not quite sure what to think of it yet. I have run into instances when I could of used a larger screen and keyboard on my Treo when doing some heavy work on it. Instant access to the web with either wireless or bluetooth-to-phone connectivity is also appealing.

But then again, what about my current IBM laptop? It's small, light, and does everything a Treo can do and more. I primarily use it to browse the web, and get access to my company network. Come to think of it, my Treo 755P also has access to my company network in emergencies, and a big screen would be a big help. If the Foleo can do both of these without the hassle of running Windows, it's a winner for me.

Perhaps some sort of laptop accessory could of accomplished what the Foleo can do? Then again, you can't get a laptop for the Foleo's retail price of $499. And it can do web, email, and document editing - all anyone needs, correct?

It'll be exciting to see what sort of chatter this will generate in the Treo community in the coming days.

I've collected a few feeds from today's announcement in my Shared Feeds box along the right...