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CrunchPad Will Be a 'Dead Simple Web Tablet'
Hugh Pickens writes "TechCrunch's Michael Arrington has been talking for a year about building a touch-screen tablet for Web surfing and now it appears that the CrunchPad is close to becoming a reality. 'We're going to make some really big announcements,' said Arrington, who predicted a prototype would be ready for unveiling by the end of July. The purpose of the CrunchPad will be very simple: surfing the Web. Turn it on and up comes a browser — 'an Internet consumption device,' for reading, checking e-mail or watching video. The CrunchPad will not have a hard drive or keyboard and photos of the latest prototype show a device with a 12 inch screen. 'The screen is now flush with the case and we've decreased the overall thickness to about 18 mm,' writes Arrington. 'The case will be aluminum, which is more expensive than plastic but is sturdier and lets us shave a little more off the overall thickness of the device.' The CrunchPad boots directly into the browser with a Linux-based operating system and a WebKit-based browser. A video of an earlier CrunchPad prototype in action shows a device which, unlike the iPhone, runs flash. 'The next time we talk about the CrunchPad publicly will be at a special press and user event in July in Silicon Valley,' writes Arrington. 'We're full on. These prototypes are real.'"
Then please add a strong (8\10 meters) IR interface.
It can then become my universal remote AND my (potato) couch web browser.
Otherwise, I already found some solutions to browse from the couch (aka iphone)
It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
It's not a netbook and I don't see why anyone would possibly prefer a larger screen in a format that is easier to hold to something with a keyboard.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
... so you would hold some small keyboard in your hand and your other hand could be holding the tablet? Sounds horrible.
Overall cool - iphone with big enough screen
But they really should focus on design of a virtual keyboard that is large and ergonomically laid out.
We have to avoid trending toward encouraging passive web surfers who are only "channel surfing"
just like the advertisers want you to.
The internet is way more interesting and useful when it is truely two-way, peer-to-peer.
Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
I've got a 8.9" tablet-convertible netbook installed with Windows 7.
Even with this relatively small screen, the built-in onscreen keyboard is really quite nice.
While I can't easily touch-type on it, I can definitely "hunt-and-peck" with 2 hands. On a 12" screen I should be able to use all my fingers.
In a previous video of the Crunchpad, they used some clunky looking onscreen keyboard and I hope they switch to something better (like the Win7 one).
A multi-touch screen will make it even better.
^_^
I was thinking something like a slide out keyboard, like g1 phone style. A keyboard is really so much nicer than touch for entering data. In my book it is an essential requirement for serious web browsing and email but shouldn't get in the way or be there when you don't need it or you might as well just be holding a laptop.
It runs Linux and I find it difficult to believe that they are making any serious attempt to "lock it down."
If you can't access at least a shell prompt out of the box, I'm sure someone will post a youtube how-to video within 5 minutes of release.
Put a keyboard on the back which can be folded to the front, depending on the position you can use it as a pad or a netbook.