RIM tablet said to be 'companion device'
Jeff Hawkins told CNET that the Foleo was the best idea he'd ever had when he unveiled it in June 2007 at D: All Things Digital. The device, which was sort of like a Netbook, but relied on a Treo for its processing power and connectivity, was scrapped by Palm and never reached the market.
(Credit: CNET)So that RIM tablet? It's not going to be a tablet in the standard sense.
Boy Genius Report said on Thursday that it confirmed with multiple sources that the upcoming Research In Motion tablet will be a "companion device." Where have you heard that before? Oh right: The ill-fated Palm Foleo. The "best idea" Palm founder Jeff Hawkins' ever had that was canceled after its announcement but before a single product was ever shipped.
Why did Palm cancel the Foleo? For the same reason RIM will find out soon enough: companion devices don't really makes sense. BGR says the BlackBerry tablet won't have its own cellular connection so it will only be useful via a Bluetooth connection to a BlackBerry or Wi-Fi. So it's basically an extra display for a BlackBerry that will also have some multimedia functions, including reading e-books, Web browsing, and photos.
According to the report, the device is scheduled to ship by December. No price was mentioned. But we're not exactly holding our breath here.
