Even though they don't make retail devices, the booths of component makers like Qualcomm, Broadcom, TI, and Marvell at trade shows are often great venues for actually
seeing retail devices -- these guys have to help showgoers make the connection between a boring chunk of silicon and an end product if they're hoping to score orders, after all. Indeed, Marvell's tent at
MWC this year is a veritable cornucopia of Good Things, and we couldn't help but notice that they're showing what appears to be one of
Chumby's not-for-sale reference designs sporting an 800 x 600 display with an 800MHz Marvell Armada core (hence the appearance here in the booth). For the record, we're told this is a successor to last year's reference platform known as "Silvermoon" that had been running on a 1GHz PXA168 and that there's a chance it'll be available in retail form later this year. The UI's attractive, but not really as multi-functional as Sony's
Dash -- you can think of this as more of a giant
Chumby One, really, with some extra screen elements designed to take advantage of the significantly higher resolution. There's no guarantee this'll ever be produced -- or if so, when -- so for the time being, our video UI tour after the break is about as close as you're going to get.
posted February 18th 2010 9:03AM
Seems too purposeful to be a Chumby. Don't get me wrong, i love Chumby.
Funny how Apple has influenced so many companies to push tablets. Even though the ipad is lacking in features with some things it will probably still out sell the competition.
@Mtmrob Indeed. Simply thanks to the App store, the iPad will become a sort of universal device around the home. The low price makes it a steal really. One by the bed, one in the kitchen, one on the coffee table to control all your gear and view online TV/media guides etc etc.
And with data contracts, I am sure some will even be free. The App store will kill most dedicated competitors to the iPad - as the iPhone & iPod Touch have done to other gadgets. Even the humble stop watch and timer is rendered obsolete by the iPod Touch & iPhone - they do them both very well.
@Oflife The iPhone is limited compared to some other devices but there's ways to work around all that with jailbreaking. I'm sure the ipad will be jailbroken too. Plus with the huge support of the app store you really can't touch these devices. You can say all you want On how great your blckberry, htc, N1, etc. But apple has built a huge following and the fact that the ipad, iPhone, and itouch all can interact and share apps is a HUGE advantage. Can't wait to see what's instore for the iPhone come June. Regardless it's an exciting year for gadgets!!!
@Mtmrob
So you actually believe this device is a couple of months in the making?
@Mtmrob
Really? You people honestly think that, in under two months a company can come out with a complete product that is nearly ready to be shipped to market?
Also, there's already a device I can use all around my house to help me with electronics related tasks. MY PHONE
@Mtmrob guess what the first chumby came out in 2006 before ppl even knew that the iphone was gona be a touch screen........fanboy fail
I love the name Chumby. It brings happiness to anyone who hears it. Chumby...lol
Ha. There's my old house icon.