JooJoo revamps interface ahead of launch, adds local video playback -- and changes color
By Nilay Patel 
posted Mar 10th 2010 6:13PM
posted Mar 10th 2010 6:13PM
What else? The text-entry situation has been improved: there's now both a smaller keyboard designed for one-handed operation that can be moved around the screen so it doesn't obscure content, and a full-screen multitouch keyboard that does chording so it recognizes more than one key at a time. There's no auto-correction or prediction, though. Flash is now fully working, and YouTube videos can either be played back using Flash or the custom H.264 HD breakout player we've already seen; that player supports a range of codecs and can also be used to play videos stored on a USB thumb drive. And finally, and perhaps most oddly, the JooJoo has changed colors. Instead of black, the back casing is now a "champagne" color, a picture of which you can see below -- Chandra told us that unhappy preorder customers can just have their $499 refunded if they desperately wanted black instead. All we desperately want to do is get a review unit and tell you what the JooJoo is actually like to use -- if all of these promises hold up, it could be very intriguing indeed.
looks slick. i really like it
@skyblaze
Yeah I agree. This may actually turn out to be a nice alternative to the iPad.
@skyblaze
yeah I like it too. I mean the wait times and initial prospects for the joojoo weren't great . . . but I feel like this puts them back in the game at least.
good work - don't throw a shitty product out there for people to waste their money on!
@2late2die
If this actually pans out, the ipad might be a nice alternative to this, not the other way around.
@skyblaze
Looks much better then previous versions. Though as much as it will suck to type on the iPad they have at least made the best keyboard you could on a device like this. Looking at it the JooJoo and the Slate both still need to overhaul their keyboards. but thats it! Love everything else!
@skyblaze
yup. Like button: pressed.
@skyblaze
Crucnhpad FTW!
@fylraen
Realistically, the iPad will be the "premiere" tablet, at least in terms of marketshare and at least between these two.
Except those of us who read tech blogs, no one knows about the JooJoo tablet. Plenty of people know about Apple, however, and surely saw the ad during the Oscars.
Whether or not this is how it should be (it shouldn't), Apple's marketing is simply better than the guys and gals at Fusion Garage.
@skyblaze
I like it a LOT more now than I used to before...and yes Very "SLICK" indeed
@abedinthehouse I support them, not that I'm hoping too much, but them bringing another tablet to the table brings a new type of competition, which in somehow the users might benefit. Impressions: http://is.gd/9YA1L
@skyblaze Having an SD card and USB ports almost makes this a winner by themselves.
@skyblaze It's slick but I get the depressing feeling that if Apple had no problems suing HTC with a slew of nonsensical UI patents that they'll have no issue going to court with all kinds of silly patents on swiping.
Looks really nice. At least it can play Hulu.
@Ryan Hemler Until Hulu cuts support for it.
@Ryan Hemler
How can hulu "cut" support. This thing just goes to hulu,com and plays the video via flash.
@Missing Matter
Same way they cut Hulu for Playstation 3.
@FauxNews That is one thing I am worried about. I'm hoping that does not happen though. As the JooJoo simply acts as a regular web browser, but I should not be surprised if that does happen.
@iFargle Hulu cut the PS3 access because its connected directly to the TV all the time. The TV studios don't like that. They're fine w/ laptops, so I don't see them having any issue with this either.
@FauxNews Only way they can do that is via the user agent , the user agent was not the same as a normal PC on the ps3 so thats how they could block it.
@Missing Matter And the same way they cut Netflix from Linux.
Looks like the only valid competitor to the iPad thus far. Android tablets are too basic for their size and potential power, and Windows does not work on touchscreens very well.
This is coming from someone who had to live with an HP Touchsmart for a year.
pretty impressive. If only they decided to change the name. "What's that?" "A joojoo" [enter uncontrollable laughter here].
@Brent1700
Q: What's that?
A: an iPad!
cue uncontrollable laughter and bad puns
@reiththestud Whats that?
My Dell Streak.
...
...
Yeah.
@Brent1700
Yes and when the 2nd rev. comes out, it can be called the JooJoo B
@Brent1700
If anyone asked me I'd tell them it's a Crunchpad.
@TonyMontana2367
hell yea, thats what this thing should go by everywhere outside of the companys control starting now
THE CRUNCHPAD
I really like this linux interface because it dosent look like a typical linux (most of them) interface with plain grey task bars top and bottom with windows 95 style icons.
10 stars for design
@OCEAN CLAK
I hate seeing Linux interfaces that look like this by default setting
http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/debian-linux-5lenny-desktop.png
@OCEAN CLAK
I agree. (wow!?)
And trying to go from that to anything cool is way too difficult for a casual user.
@OCEAN CLAK - I'm going to guess you haven't used any recent Linux distro... Take a look at Fedora 12. Gorgeous GUI.
@MRCUR i installed FC 12 today.. yeah it looks pretty much like what @OCEAN CLAK said. i love linux distros but they rarely (if ever) look as sleek as the joojoo interface. that being said, its only a screen shot!
@branttaylor
Try putting Compiz on it and a custom bitmap behind the tool bars. They eye candy is there. You just need to turn it on.
@(Unverified) The point bebop was making is that it takes a PHD to do that. Your average user just wants to click twice (better yet, default install) and have a cool looking UI. Sadly, the general consumer just doesn't want to have to figure anything out on their own.
@MRCUR Dude, I'm typing this on FC12. And it ain't gorgeous. Its almost exactly the same as FC9. Sorry, its perfectly usable and all, but gorgeous? where?
This is what the iPad could have and should have been.
@dmgabe
Never believe anything before see any real review movie.
PS genius can do any amazing picture then this.
@zetman Likewise can be said for the iPad so until it is finally reviewed or released, his opinion still stands.
@p0p0 Except for the part where we have seen real movies of the iPad, and numerous people have used it. Who's used a JooJoo?
@dmgabe
No...the iPad should've had OSX. But then again only Macs have OSX...
There should've been a MacPad then...
But then it doesn't have the "i"...
sigh* nvm...The iPad is what it is and not should've been mistaken for something as high end as an OSX tablet.
@questionexclamation
I do agree that the iPad should have been OSX based. In its current form I don't find it appealing at all, and that is coming from a guy that loves just about anything Apple pushes out.
@dmgabe Mac OS X on a tablet would result in a very sluggish experience which would not be good. If they put hardware in the tablet that could smoothly run OS X, it would be horribly expensive which would not be good.
And either way, there would be many, MANY elements of both the OS and the applications that would be terribly unfriendly for touch interaction which would be really bad.
@dmgabe it should have been just a web browser/web app player with no native apps and no app store?
@dmgabe really? how clueless are you? you realize that the JooJoo costs $499 and has only 4GB of storage? Not to mention it runs on a Atom processor which is much more power hungry than the A4 (or any ARM-based chip for that matter) so this device has "up to 5 hours" of battery life? child, please.
http://thejoojoo.com/sites/specification
Oh snap, steve jobs just jizzed in his pants.
@Let1me1in you sure you've chosen the right slang?
@(Unverified)
I'm pretty sure they meant 'peed' his pants, though I need to see this UI in action before making such assertions.
Look's promising though...
Nope, it should be jizzed in his pants. Have you guys never seen the video or heard the song?
Nooooooo! It's not black?!?!?!!!
@FORDY
Well, I guess you can keep your $499, then.