CrunchPad Prototype Peeks Out Again

A new video that surfaced briefly promises that CrunchPad, the inexpensive tablet from Web 2.0 personality Michael Arrington, will be ready this year “for sure.”

The video, which has since been removed from YouTube’s site, showed the unboxing of a CrunchPad that looked very similar to the photographs of the device that were out in April.

“This was not a sanctioned or official video, nor is it even very interesting. It’s just the last prototype being taken out of its box,”  wrote Arrington. “It’s certainly not the launch prototype, which doesn’t actually exist yet.”

Arrington first wrote about the idea of a tablet in June last year. He talked of a touchscreen device that would run Firefox and maybe Skype on top of a Linux kernel. The tablet would have low end hardware, a single power button, a headphone jack, a built in camera for video, low end speakers and a microphone. The CrunchPad would also come with Wi-Fi, 512 MB of memory, 4 GB solid state hard drive and no keyboard. All this for a promised price tag of 0.

The latest video was shot at a TechCrunch party last week and showed CrunchPad partner Fusion Garage doing the unboxing, says Arrington on his blog. Beyond the candy colored packing and a rather slick-looking device, the latest peek didn’t offer anything new.

But it has led to questions about whether the CrunchPad can live up to its 0 billing. Based on its specs and overall production, it could end up being priced closer to 0, says James Kendrick at the jkOnTheRun blog. And we are inclined to agree. Though the CrunchPad promises low end hardware and a Linux-based kernel, the touchscreen display, the Wi-Fi chips and solid state hard drive should all add up to a much higher price point that what Arrington is willing to let on.

Another problem that the CrunchPad doesn’t seem to have solved yet. Messy fingerprints on the screen. The unboxing video showed a device whose screen was smudged with grubby fingers.

See also:
Web 2.0 Mogul Michael Arrington Creates New Web Tablet

Photo: Crunchpad Prototype