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TechCrunch demos ‘CrunchPad’ tablet
June 3, 2009 | 8:42 pm
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By Chris Meadows
You can tell that multimedia tablets are really taking off just by looking at how many different companies have suddenly decided to get into the act.
In the news tonight: TechCrunch, the technology blog, shows off the latest version of its “CrunchPad,” a big-screened browser tablet that can surf the web and even view YouTube videos. (There are links to pictures of the various prototypes, and a YouTube video of the device being demonstrated as well.)
It seems to use its own operating system, perhaps based on some form of Linux but that’s just a guess. Whatever it uses, it can view YouTube videos natively, so presumably Flash will be included. No word on things like price, on-board storage capacity and expansion media, or e-book format compatibility.
The CrunchPad looks attractive, but I can’t help but think that Apple will end up owning the market if the rumors of an iPod Touch-style tablet are true.
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Comments:
Inside the CrunchPad is believed to be an Intel Atom processor running a Linux based operating system which boots into a WebKit based browser. The software has been developed with TechCrunch’s partner Fusion Garage. The only difference between Arrington’s original idea and the final version is the price, which will probably be $300. The launch is scheduled for some time in July.
Looks good, but I agree with you, Chris. I think if Apple jumps into the market the game is pretty much over.
I don’t own a Kindle or a Sony but if a multi-use tablet from Apple becomes available I will be purchasing that instead of a single use device.
The eInk is isn’t a big enough selling point for me. I read off my computer screen 10 hours a day – I want versatility.
Cheap, uber portable, able to connect to the web via wifi, and a little storage for downloads is all I believe is needed to make a step forward to universal digital inclusion. Not to mention its use in business and educational environments.
I am seriously itching for a device like this. I want apple to make it happen but I think they are going to keep things on the high end. The linux option gets it into more hands. From there, people will graduate.
I’m not sure how relevant a large-format iPod will be to the CrunchPad’s target market or vice versa. We’re talking a $300 10″ Linux BrowserPad vs a $700 7″ media player. Other than the slab form-factor (and maybe ebook reading capabilities) there really isn’t that much overlap.
At least not until the CrunchPad guys start supporting DRM’ed ebooks and Drm’ed Music and DRM’ed video and forcing you to use a PC-based App to load content on their gadget if at all possible.
Realistically, the upcoming Apple Tablet isn’t really a tablet, its a large-format iPod; it’ll do what iPods do the way iPods do it. And that is pretty much antithetical to what the Crunch-folks say they’re up to. The pod-people audience would never buy a CrunchPad and CrunchPad’s audience is not going to buy into the Apple mystique; the Venn diagrams just don’t intersect.
No cross-shopping likely.
Now, of course the bigpod is going to outsell the CrunchPad, that goes without saying.