Why, look at that: Palm (PALM) has come out with a Linux laptop.

This is the vaunted "third product" to come out of Palm - a company responsible for the breakthrough PalmPilot and the Treo smartphone, two devices which pretty much created their categories and still stand alone compared to rivals' offerings.

The Foleo is, alas, nothing like its forebears.

Instead of a breakthrough, Palm's delivered a me-too product, an entirely unremarkable device that's unworthy of being associated with Jeff Hawkins, Palm's cofounder and the creator of the Pilot and the Treo.

Just look at the stats: 2.5 pounds, five-hour battery life, 10-inch screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, $499 after a $100 rebate. For a little bit more, you could get a much more capable Windows notebook.