First working CrunchPad prototypes a few weeks away

Michael Arrington's little experiment with consumer electronics is about to get real. The image above is the "near-final industrial design" of the man's CrunchPad with "first working prototypes" expected in another few weeks. Changes include a display now flush with the bezel and an 18-mm overall thickness thanks to the switch from plastic to aluminum. Inside we've got a Linux-based OS that boots direct to a Webkit-based browser. Michael says that the next public appearance will be at a special press event in July. However, as a man (in)famous for leaking other people's details ahead of official announcements, we wouldn't be surprised to see his vision of the ultimate couch computer make its way to the Internets before the big unveiling.

[Eddy Munn @ Jun 4th 2009 7:42AM]

That's beautiful, period.

[darkstar @ Jun 4th 2009 9:15AM]

indeed!
im selling my liver or kidney for it. u choose which.

[Seth @ Jun 4th 2009 9:22AM]

I dont get the form factor - am I supposed to constantly hold it upright with one hand while I multitouch with the other?

Not a big deal with a tiny iPhone, but awkward with a 12" device (note tablet PCs arent exactly ubiquitous)

Seriously, if you remove the hinge and keyboard from a 12" notebook and add a touchscreen, all you've done is make input slower and taken away the part that conveniently holds the screen upright for you.

If you look at it the other way and call it a big iPhone, you've removed the pocketability factor and again, you might as well put a keyboard and hinge on it so when you have a convenient lap or flat surface nearby it can actually stay upright on its own and you can touch type.

I think Michael Arrington is going to find out that mobile device design isnt as 'obvious' as any one consumer seems to think it is, and stuff that sounds great on paper has very fundamental usability hurdles when you actually have to live with it.

[Michael @ Jun 4th 2009 9:54AM]

@Seth
Have you never used a clipboard before? It's really not at all awkward. You hold in on your forearm and write or tap away with your other hand. If you're sitting down you wedge the end against your lap and hold the top with one hand as the other hand interfaces with it. Or lay it flat on a table like a notepad. It's actually a great form factor for a computer. 12-14 inches like a regular notebook size would be the perfect size.

I can't believe how many people keep bringing this up. Like it would be so horrible not to have a keyboard even though we've had paper notebooks and canvases for decades.

[darkstar @ Jun 4th 2009 9:57AM]

@ seth

tablets arent ubiquitous because they are expensive. priced right... around $500, im sure they'll do better.
OQO was a nice device that i wanted but it was well over the price that i would pay and use the thing for. which is basic tasks like surfing, music, and youtube.

[DragonJade @ Jun 4th 2009 11:10AM]

It's in the form factor of a Star Trek Padd.

[mirakutea @ Jun 4th 2009 1:08PM]

Its like that thing bill gates showed off 2-3 years ago, very nice.

[Tom @ Jun 4th 2009 9:00PM]

The only way this could be more beautiful, is if it miraculously used tegra.

Hulu Heaven.

[´steve @ Jun 4th 2009 7:46AM]

damn.... touchscreen? pen? windows 7? Bought!

[put4558350 @ Jun 4th 2009 8:46AM]

touchscreen - yes
pen - no
windows 7 - it's 1.6 GHz Intel Atom + 12" capacitative touchscreen. But no word for ram and not sure about it's size of SSD. So put it as maybe.

[Kareem @ Jun 4th 2009 8:49AM]

Linux... actually

[steve @ Jun 4th 2009 8:58AM]

capacitative? actually there is multi touch available? there should be some third party pens working ;-). this "laptop" is on the buying list for sure

[put4558350 @ Jun 4th 2009 10:29AM]

base on 2nd model it's will have
12" (4:3 aspect ratio)
Via Nano
1 GB of RAM
4 GB of flash memory
4-cell battery
WiFi
Camera

3th model say that it will change ...
12" wide touchscreen.
1.6 GHz Intel Atom.

4th model say that it will change ...
capacitative touchscreen.
aluminum case.
screen flush with case.
thickness reduce to 18 mm.

[mirakutea @ Jun 4th 2009 1:11PM]

This thing needs pen input, although perhaps there's a dedicated digital notes taker somewhere i can buy :>

[TheAxMan @ Jun 4th 2009 5:14PM]

Holy crap - if I could run Win7 on this I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Even without Win7, it looks like a really attractive proposition -- just a basic browser and good font rendering, and the ability to play most media files would satisfy 95% of users.

The only reason I'd like having Win7 on it is that most of my work stuff requires Windows (and Office) and I'm often doing work stuff while lounging in front of the TV. Besides, Win7's touch capabilities are awesome.

I'd even buy Win7 seperately and install it on this, if there's a way of doing that. However, if the rumors of it having just a 4GB SSD are true, that's not really practical :(.. I guess for the installation to be possible, it just needs to have a regular BIOS (not EFI) and should have a USB port that it can boot from, or otherwise at least a PXE boot (network boot).

[put4558350 @ Jun 5th 2009 6:04AM]

I think that if It's really Intel Atom.
You will got regular BIOS and bootable USB port for sure.

it's bundle in Atom set - all intel mainboard include gma.

from eeepc to vaio p. Intel Atom have same chipset inside. (not include Ion that using mainboard from nvidia)

[dan @ Jun 4th 2009 7:52AM]

if it comes out withing the target price range, i'll buy

[steve @ Jun 4th 2009 7:53AM]

Nice minimalistic design. Elegant and refined. Now just have to see what software it runs, and it specs!

[Pc_Madness @ Jun 4th 2009 8:29AM]

According to an article from back in January (on engadget),

12-inch touchscreen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. -obviously no longer correct
Via Nano CPU
1 GB of RAM
4 GB of flash memory
4-cell battery
WiFi
Camera - can't really see it in those pictures

[Kai @ Jun 4th 2009 7:55AM]

Hopefully this product isn't as good as the quality of Arrington's journalism.

[Ellianth @ Jun 4th 2009 8:18AM]

So you want the product to be bad?

I've never read any of his work so I don't know how great of a journalist he is. However, if you're gonna take a jab at someone take the time to think about what you write. Perhaps you should have said: I hope this product is better than the quality of his journalism. At least then it would be clear what you were trying to say.

[old.news @ Jun 4th 2009 3:22PM]

Ever heard of sarcasm? Apparently not...

[Kareem @ Jun 4th 2009 7:57AM]

What about battery life?

[Boards of Canada @ Jun 4th 2009 8:01AM]

Good Lord! I dont care if its ticker, put an atom inside and boot win7 and im buying it at 600$. I would like a letter format screen please.

[Pc_Madness @ Jun 4th 2009 8:31AM]

Doesn't the Atom draw a lot more power than VIA cpu's? With Windows you'll end up with a 2 hour device. :p

[strider_mt2k @ Jun 4th 2009 8:43AM]

Dude.
It's the Win7 bug.: It makes you want to run it on EVERYTHING.
(I am also afflicted, as it's been great. Either that or my hardware is better than I thought.)

I still really like my netbook. (Running Win7)
Personally, I'm still smarting from my bad Nokia N810 experience, so excuse me if I hang back a bit and watch over the reviewer's shoulders for a while.

[slarity @ Jun 4th 2009 8:04AM]

I'm guessing this is the type of thing apple is working on. If it flows as well as my iPhone only with all the features the iPhone is missing, I'm thinking it will be a real winner.

This looks really neat, but it's hard to make something this fancy and extremely usable and have a cool UI at the same time.

[GeekGirl @ Jun 4th 2009 8:07AM]

No Windows, I would buy it today! :)(Really cant wait)

[musback @ Jun 14th 2009 3:21PM]

It sure as hell won't spin OSX if that's what you want.

[erwin @ Jun 4th 2009 8:07AM]

please make it true! my ipod touch screen is too small for web browsing.

[Ryan McGrory @ Jun 4th 2009 8:24AM]

Why is the Crunchpad logo a back to front OS X window commander (the traffic lights)?

[PW @ Jun 4th 2009 8:42AM]

Funny that you call them traffic lights, all the while inferring that Apple invented them.

[Ryan McGrory @ Jun 4th 2009 9:21AM]

What the hell are you talking about. Trying to create problems over nothing, I am asking why they have used those coloured orbs that are clearly a take on the window commands in OS X, and you try and suggest that Apple copied traffic lights?

Seriously, fail argument.

[PW @ Jun 4th 2009 9:39AM]

What I meant was, they are clearly a take on traffic lights, just as the OSX buttons are a take on traffic lights. That doesn't make the Crunchpad's markings a take on OSX.

[Kareem @ Jun 4th 2009 9:39AM]

He didnt really say they invented them.

[Michael Kennedy @ Jun 5th 2009 2:02AM]

I think you'll find the logo is just the CrunchPad word, and the "traffic lights" will be a power light, charging light , and HDD or something light.

[jonbruck @ Jun 4th 2009 8:28AM]

I hope this blows away the products being designed by Conde Nast and NY Times. Oh, and sorry, Kindle. You had a good run.

[y3k.nik @ Jun 4th 2009 9:49AM]

This with the E-ink/color display that was shown of yesterday on the modded Acer netbooks would be awesome! Kindle when you need, netbook when you need!

[superhobo @ Jun 4th 2009 8:53AM]

Want with Windows 7!

[bombgigitty @ Jun 4th 2009 8:55AM]

Bangable!

[PowerHouse @ Jun 4th 2009 9:39AM]

Very nice indeed!

[Mattvega @ Jun 4th 2009 10:09AM]

If apple would make a tablet, I could imagine it looking somewhat like this. Anyway very solid and good looking!

[shul @ Jun 4th 2009 11:06AM]

now this can be a good antidote!

[CtrlBurn @ Jun 4th 2009 10:21AM]

This is THE gadget I want right now. Even the old prototype had me drooling. This new version is ridiculously nicer.

[LVL UP @ Jun 4th 2009 10:28AM]

Scratches!

[Bayard @ Jun 4th 2009 10:28AM]

Nice form factor. If it can run some sweet drawing apps so it can be used as a sketch book, run gps and google maps and do some other stuff, PERFECT.

[dkarageo @ Jun 4th 2009 12:16PM]

This looks like a cool device.

Expect for these to be the next consumer device space that companies beat each other silly to dominate in. Apple is supposedly releasing a similar 'media tablet' with 3G connectivity on Verizon Wireless, and no doubt the next gen Amazon Kindle will be similar to these.

Should get interesting for us consumers.

[Hackettman @ Jun 4th 2009 12:31PM]

YES!

[Schlossy @ Jun 4th 2009 2:05PM]

WANT! (and for the love of god, keep anything Microsoft OFF this thing).

[gerrrg @ Jun 4th 2009 2:33PM]

That's got a lot of potential.