A Palm Foleo (L) and Treo smartphone. (File Photo)

    BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Palm Inc. on Wednesday unveiled a new compact portable computer designed to synchronize with a smartphone for wireless web use and e-mail applications.

    The new device called "Foleo" has a 10-inch screen and full-size keyboard, weighs 2.5 pounds and has a five-hour battery life.

    It stays connected to its companion smartphone through a Bluetooth wireless link and supports Internet browsing with either its own Wi-Fi card or the smartphone's radio. But it also works on its own as a minilaptop.

    "Ultimately, it will make smartphones more successful," Company founder Jeff Hawkins said in an interview, "It allows us to rethink how you design smartphones."

    The Foleo mobile companion uses the Linux operating system and comes with software to create and edit Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents and view PDF files.

    It is priced at 599 U.S. dollars before a 100 dollars rebate beginning this summer.

    Analysts, however, said mass appeal for the Foleo is not likely, since only a portion of the smartphone users will be interested in carrying a separate device and many business travelers prefer to carry a smartphone and a full laptop computer.

    (Agencies)