CrunchPad unboxed, handled on video

We heard earlier this month that the first official CrunchPad units would arrive soon, and it seems like Mike Arrington and company are making progress -- here's what looks to be semi-final hardware and packaging on video for the first time. Interestingly, the device is still plastic and somewhat chubby, not the 18mm-thick aluminum we'd heard earlier -- and whoever's in charge here won't boot it, so we've yet to see the custom Linux / WebKit OS in action. It's all due to drop in July, so we'll know what's what soon enough -- for now, check out the vid after the break.

Update: Looks like there is a short video of it in action, so we've stuck it after the break as well. It's certainly an interesting idea, but we noticed some glitches here and there -- we'll see how cleaned up things are at launch.

Update 2: Oh, Mike Arrington. The king of all whispered rumors isn't too happy that this video went out -- he says it's not "sanctioned or official," and that "it's certainly not the launch prototype... which doesn't actually exist yet." Of course it doesn't, Mike.

[Thanks G]

[Via jkOnTheRun]

[boilr @ Jun 14th 2009 3:39PM]

this is old video. the newest prototype is much slicker - http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/03/crunchpad-the-launch-prototype/

[Valicore @ Jun 14th 2009 4:37PM]

But that's a rendering of a device, Engadget is showing something that actually exists in real time.

[Brian @ Jun 14th 2009 10:39PM]

I agree with showing an actual device. But I disagree with your statement of real time. Real time would mean it's a streaming unboxing.

[Troels C @ Jun 14th 2009 3:45PM]

So much want, so little have :(

I can't wait

[Ysengrim @ Jun 14th 2009 4:06PM]

Color me intrigued, if not pink. What I want is Vista level handwriting recognition to go with it.

[AlCabone @ Jun 14th 2009 3:52PM]

what's with the bing sticker?

[JimboJones @ Jun 14th 2009 4:06PM]

i bet you after he turns it on, we will see Win7

[Eddy Munn @ Jun 14th 2009 5:01PM]

It's the new search engine by Microsoft I do believe.

[David @ Jun 14th 2009 9:30PM]

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/08/weve-got-a-whole-lotta-bing-stickers-want-one/

[Miles @ Jun 14th 2009 3:55PM]

WebKit?
So Apple helped make it?

[Miles @ Jun 14th 2009 3:56PM]

This thing looks like a Giant iPhone.
Looks pretty slick.

[superhobo @ Jun 14th 2009 3:59PM]

No.
No.
No.
Yes.

[JimboJones @ Jun 14th 2009 4:00PM]

webKit is open source

[Benson @ Jun 14th 2009 4:35PM]

I wouldn't say Apple "helped make it" in a particularly meaningful way.

WebKit started in 2002 as Apple's fork of KHTML and KJS, along with Apple proprietary code; the rest of the code was opened in 2005.

As one of a handful of open-source web engines available, it's been used in lots of open-source projects, such as Chromium/Chrome, Android, WebOS, Epiphany, and others. While any project using it is certainly benefiting from Apple's work, it indicates no direct involvement by Apple, and many of these projects are actually directly competing against corresponding Apple products.

[mirakutea @ Jun 14th 2009 4:50PM]

Bill Gates showed this concept off years ago, he was waiting for someone to make it.

[gouken85 @ Jun 14th 2009 5:00PM]

@mirakutea
So why didn't he bring it to market?
Or generally push the idea to OEMs since Microsoft is a HUGE company?

That's right, because they don't know how to do it right until somebody else does it first.
Making predictions and showing concepts in trade shows is easy. What's hard is bringing an actual product to market with success.

[The Walrus @ Jun 14th 2009 5:17PM]

Because Microsoft was busy making operating systems that 90% of computers run

[Miles @ Jun 14th 2009 5:23PM]

Microsoft knew that if they brought it out it would break within 1 year.

[The Walrus @ Jun 14th 2009 5:44PM]

Unlike Macbook Airs or previous Gen 17 MBP, rigght?

[mirakutea @ Jun 14th 2009 7:36PM]

Actually it wasn't practical for anyone to produce it back, my point is we've been waiting for something like this for a long time.

[Ryan McGrory @ Jun 14th 2009 3:56PM]

Pink...

The Bing sticker...

Didn't turn on...

Yet after all these shortcomings, I want it so so badly.

[TavisJohn @ Jun 14th 2009 6:22PM]

AND it was covered in fingerprints. So I get the feeling that this was not a "Virgin" unit.

A real unboxing would be if the device had never been seen after it was sealed in it's box. This thing looked like it could have been "Unboxed" several times.


I wonder how many takes they did of that lame vid.?

[Joshua Walters @ Jun 14th 2009 3:56PM]

Its far to clunky. It looks to be about the same size as my Wind, and if you are going to carry something that big, you might as well have a netbook. At least you can do a little bit more.

[JimboJones @ Jun 14th 2009 4:04PM]

your ass is clunky

[L @ Jun 14th 2009 4:04PM]

Same opinion here. I'm not seeing the market for this.

[Information Central @ Jun 14th 2009 4:18PM]

"Its far to clunky."

IT'S far TOO clunky.

When you can't spell "it's" and "too", you know it's time to log off and seek remedial education.

[Boards of Canada @ Jun 14th 2009 6:31PM]

I dont think so, there is a market for this. If the touchscreen keyboard is good and the price is right, this unit will have a following and imitators.

We have netbooks, now this. It's just another choice for the customers.

[superhobo @ Jun 14th 2009 3:57PM]

Is it x86? Is it? Is it? Please? Is it? Please? Is it?

[L @ Jun 14th 2009 4:05PM]

Afaik they're using a Via Nano, so, yes...

[superhobo @ Jun 14th 2009 4:11PM]

YESSSSS!!! This plus windows 7 = awesome.

[L @ Jun 14th 2009 4:21PM]

I wouldn't be too cheery for now - since they're using a stripped-down Linux version that apparently does little but run the webbrowser, I guess it won't have much RAM and even less storage space. Probably needs some tinkering before it could run Win 7 well...

[jon @ Jun 14th 2009 6:01PM]

Hobo, I think you'll be happier with Archos's new tablet.

It might be worth the extra $200.

But until we have final specs, who knows.

[Tesla @ Jun 14th 2009 4:02PM]

Please just STFU!

[Tesla @ Jun 14th 2009 4:03PM]

That was supposed to be for Miles.

[kwikit (aka tikiwk) @ Jun 14th 2009 4:01PM]

If the device boots a custom Linux build directly into the browser, how can you use any applications that do not use a browser? It seems to be mostly a net browser, which is fine, but it's then not a couch computer.

[jay jay @ Jun 14th 2009 6:27PM]

it's only suppose to go on the internet nothing more.

[KEROLiUKAS @ Jun 14th 2009 6:54PM]

Yea but you can do so much more on the internet than browse websites.

[Rudy @ Jun 14th 2009 4:11PM]

i kinda wanna buy it

[zamboni @ Jun 14th 2009 4:12PM]

CrunchPad is retarded, just like Michael Arrington.

To summarize this idiotic vaporware for people who don't know the history - some troll with an awful rumor blog gets hold of a picture frame, puts a browser on it and calls it revolution.

[ImPulsE @ Jun 14th 2009 4:31PM]

I just put that on the Christmas Gift list. Looks like I will buy my girlfriend one of these...

[Yeags @ Jun 14th 2009 4:41PM]

Just add some white knobs and it's an etch-a-sketch!

[dudi @ Jun 14th 2009 4:47PM]

Bunny Teeth , Bunny teeth, BUNNY TEETH!!!!

[nick @ Jun 14th 2009 5:30PM]

It's a cool device, my question would be how well it can actually handle some of the more intense websites out there, heavy flash, so like hulu. Also, the price is going to be a huge factor, 300 dollars and it's an impulse buy, 500 and people may take pause. Can I write on it with a stylus and produce a usable document? I believe they're using an on screen keyboard, but if that's the case please have a usb port in case I want to do something else. One thing nobody mentions is how useful this would be for web-based services like Gmail/Google docs. Businesses could pair this with a keyboard and mouse and get an instant useful workstation assuming the performance was ok.

[uratewl @ Jun 14th 2009 5:38PM]

I've been looking but haven't seen anyone ask. Can this be used offline? Would be very nice to be able to play movies with it while not connected to the internet, say on a plane.

[Zoli Erdos @ Jun 14th 2009 6:05PM]

New video, but "old" prototype. This is Prototype C, unveiled in April, the Launch Prototype only exists in the form of sketches:
http://www.cloudave.com/link/are-the-gizmo-blogs-fooled-by-old-crunchpad-prototype

[allen @ Jun 14th 2009 6:53PM]

i'm going to go ahead and say that this is a paid viral advertisement for bing, considering the amount of money they're pumping into promoting the new search engine, and the hit-mania factor of tech crunch, gadgets, and videos.

[kingu @ Jun 14th 2009 7:40PM]

Bing what you say?

[jdotuk @ Jun 14th 2009 6:53PM]

My thought when I first saw the post was that Engadget was showing off an Etch-a-Sketch.

[G @ Jun 14th 2009 6:58PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP-0Nce5oTQ

see it in 'action'

[mirakutea @ Jun 14th 2009 7:36PM]

back then*