Cherrypal Asia runs Android on the cheap, comes in 7- and 10.1-inch flavors
By Chris Ziegler 
posted May 14th 2010 4:12PM
posted May 14th 2010 4:12PM
We had a chance to check out both flavors of the Asia at gdgt live in Chicago this week, and the phrase "you get what you pay for" definitely applies with these suckers -- they're not well-built powerhouses in any sense of the word, and we were told on no uncertain terms that the devices are geared at developing markets where price point reigns supreme. Closed, both smartbooks have the same slick, glossy appearance, but open, they're quite different; the 10.1-inch version has a simple, upscale, matte, MacBook-ish look to it while the 7-inch version just looks like a straight-up toy. Both were running pretty choppy -- a symptom of the low-spec processor, we're sure -- but Cherrypal told us that updates to newer builds of Android are in the works and will be available either online or via flash drive, so we suppose there's a chance that could help smooth things out a bit. Check out some shots below!
World's first $99 laptop goes Android, Cherrypal drops Linux in favor of Android for sub-100-dollar laptop
Palo Alto, CA (RPR) 05/11/10 - After the successful launch of the Cherrypal Africa product line (WinCE and Linux) in December of last year the company announced today the availability of its new sub-100-dollar laptop, the Cherrypal Asia. The "Asia" comes in its basic version with a 7" screen and Android 1.6. The Asia is also available in a 10.1" wide-screen version. The company also announced the end-of-life of the Cherrypal Africa Linux edition. Pending orders will be automatically upgraded to the "Asia" Android edition.
"Android is the ideal operating environment for the ultra-low-cost laptop market. It combines the stability and flexibility of Linux with the very intuitive user experience of Android. It seamlessly fits into our ongoing cloud computing initiative. More and more applications are going to be consumed in a hosted "application-store-like" environment rather than stored locally. The "Africa" (Windows CE) as well as the "Asia" (Android) product line are the ideal systems for our partners in the developing as well as industrialized world; low cost, "good-enough" user-experience and last but not least above average quality in order to address the digital divide and make green computing available to everyone. ", said Max Seybold, Cherrypal's founder.
World's first $99 laptop goes Android, Cherrypal drops Linux in favor of Android for sub-100-dollar laptop
Cherrypal Asia 7 inch
The $99 (US retail price) Cherrypal "Asia" comes with "good-enough" processing power, based on the design principles of the very successful Cherrypal Africa product line; VIA ARM9 533Mhz processor, 256MB RAM, 3 USB 2.0, 2GB local storage and full keyboard.
The Cherrypal Asia is also available as 10.1" wide-screen edition, same specification as the 7" model but with integrated 1.3 Megapixels webcam included. Cherrypal's suggested US retail retail price for the Asia 10" is $148.00
Detailed technical specifications can be found at http://www.cherrypal.com
Better than Nothing
what's the screen res?
@gargle
According to the website, the 7" is 800x480. 10.1" is 1024x600.
@derspiess ah.. i shouldn't have gone to cherrypal.com (no info on screen res there) but to the source links.. thanks
@AlienSix Try getting warranty work from this company, similar product here: 100dollarnetbook.com , with a warranty. Not much to complain about in this price range, it is like the model-T of computers. Everybody can afford one, it is portable, and it really is utilitarian. I use one of these in my bail bonds business to download pictures of my customers and email them in the field. It's great because it fits in my briefcase and does what I need it to. Knock it if you want but I think it is a great product for the price, and typing extended amounts of info on my blackberry is tedious.
@AlienSix
Nothing is underrated
The operative word being 'cheap' in this case...
Why does the engadget RSS feed go to something called 'tvsquad'?
The most important factor here in terms of capability, performance, and upgrade-ability, would be amount of memory, but our intrepid "tech reporters" forgot to include that.
Go away. Please?
@MrHashbrown The 10.1" Cherrypal Asia was designed with developing countries in mind; low price, pleasant user experience, high quality. The "Asia" comes with following specifications: 533MHz VIA 8505 (ARM9) processor, 256 MB DDR / 2 GB NAND-flash and runs Android 1.6. Here are some more basics: Screen: 10.1" inch high-resolution TFT .(1024 x 600 pixels) LAN:10/100M Ethernet Access WIFI: IEEE 802.11 b/g Ethernet RJ-45 Keyboard: QWERTY 86 keys Mouse&Touch pad:build-in touch panel, set two shortcut key,and support 1.3 Megapixels webcam, USB Port: USB 2.0 x 1 (external memory) USB 1.1 x 2 (keyboard & mouse only) External Memory : SD card , U-Disk , USB-HDD Card port: SD / MMC card slot (8GB) Battery: 7.4 V 2100Mha built in Lithium battery: 4 HRS Built in speaker 1 x microphone Weight: less than 2 pounds
@MrHashbrown I'm sure you know memory is about as important as CPU (if these things can be generalized). And that a high spec CPU speed with not enough memory to run anything past the current version is a recipe for obsolescence. It's no gift, and low value to the seller, to sell people without money something designed to become obsolete.
@huh re-read the specs again. It have about the same specs as a 2G ipod touch- but sports a full keyboard, web camera, android, a microphone, an SD card slot, and a much larger screen; for $166 the 10inch version is a solid value; oh and your fluff about things being obsolete-- uhhh ding, have you been reading the tech news at all? Electronic are outdated by the time they hit the market for consumers to purchase. Oh and another thing, you name another single device that offers that many features, in the same form factor, for a similar price--- within %10 of the price? we are waiting.......
Would it be THAT expensive to put together something like this with Snapdragon and a gig of RAM? Really?
@starkruzr Yes, it would be. See: Lenovo Skylight, expected retail price of $499 when released.
@starkruzr I want to see that in the form factor of the Lenovo s10-3t
"Good Enough" finally some honest descriptions by manufacturers!
Me no likey
@ERROR import it lol
You don't have to import it, the guy is from Palo Alto, CA if you go to their site (actually its funny when he says in the About Us, what's sweeter than an apple?)
He is importing them for you! (just like every other manufacturer!)
Lame processor...someone make one of these form factors and slap in there the internals of the EVO4g...that would be pretty interesting.
@DoctarPeppar yea, umm lets see, a smart phone unsubsidized *off contract- with a snapdragon and more ram costs how much?... snap
@cosmicinglewood
I really don't care how much it costs.
Subsidization hurts the consumer.
I personally would be willing to pay 300-400 for a decent powered android netbook...but none exist for me to buy..so...snap! :)
@cosmicinglewood I think you are looking at this the wrong way, smartbooks are "supposed" to be able to compete with netbooks on price. The reason for the smartphone premium is due to the R&D costs and other things that make it more costly to fit into the form factors that they use - a laptop would avoid most of these extra cost related issues.
@DoctarPeppar If you are willing to pay 300 for an android netbook, then buy a regular netbook and run android on it.
@edude05
That's a really intelligent statement...NOT.
First of all, since when is android fully x86 compatible?
There is a port in progress but it's not even finished yet.
Android is designed for ARM (risc) cpus.
Second, even if android was fully ported to x86 and you could somehow shoehorn it on to an Atom based netbook, there would be no drivers for the chipset, video card, 3g modem, or any other hardware...nothing would work, it would be a brick.
Anyways -- I think companies are holding off on such products because they don't know how much of a demand there is for a mobile OS running on a tablet or netbook \ smartbook...it has to be done very carefully or else the products will fail.
@juanvaldez
Yeah that's the thing...android is free and open source but drivers are still proprietary...it takes a lot of work to get decent hardware together and make it fit in a proper form factor and have fully functioning drivers for everything...and then everybody needs a value add, so some kind of software customization would almost be a must.
HTC is really good at doing stuff like that though, and I believe the last rumor was they were working with T-Mobile on a decent powered android netbook. I really hope we can start seeing some new exciting products soon (tablets and smartbooks \ netbooks) that run android, or even symbian^4 \ webOS. I honestly believe that tablet and smartbook form factor devices are better off with ARM cpus and mobile OS's than x86 with windows 7 or linux.
The key to these products being successful though won't neccessarily be price (it will be somewhat of a factor -- they can not be TOO expensive, but as long as they can compete with windows 7 netbooks it shouldn't be) -- but just how good the overall experience is for the user (ie. software \ batery life \ usability \ application support).
hey for $150, wtf are people snatch wiggling about- that sick looking even as a desk warmer; if it can do anything for that price its a good deal~ smartphone with rip off carried data required said what?
@cosmicinglewood $166.80 shipped on the 10.1.... can't wait to play with this gadget.... smartphones can suck my iPod Touch- and soon they can suck a cherrypal asia!
@cosmicinglewood the CEO and founder replied to an email with questions about my order in less than 5 hours... now that is quality customer service!
@cosmicinglewood
Seriously! You could buy a new one of these EVERY SINGLE MONTH with what the networks are charging for data!
Just imagine 12 android netbook/smartbooks just chilling... that would be too many for a MiFi!
@kapryt I agree, and think the "data plans" are nothing other than greedy rape in the anus on behalf of the networks. I rock a dumb phone and iTouch 2G and soon a Cherrypal Asia 10.1 with android.
People are stupid; they do not do long term cost layouts. Look at the 10 year cost of ownership for an iPhone for example. Even better still, a lot of the tool bag idiots that have smartphones, also sport $5 to $35K of credit card debt at 18% or higher, so they are taking it in the nose like a two bit prossy in a crowd full of Johns with hands full of cash!
This seems like a cheaper, ARM-based version of the Eee 701.
When the Africa came out, I think I posted that it might be interesting if they put Android on it. I know the specs are lousy and it only runs 1.6, but for $99 I'm half-tempted to buy one of these suckers just to have another Android device.
@derspiess
Seriously? For $99 why not?
Like that's what you pay for a month of internet on an iPhone... oh yeah and you still have to pay $200 and sign a 2 yr contract to get one... Oh yeah and it has a 600mhz ARM so its like the same specs!
For $99 this wee beauty is worth a look :)
Looks pretty much the same as the Pioneer DreamBook Lite E10 ... available in Australia for $199. But Pioneer are shipping it with only 128MB of RAM and Windows CE. Their website says Android is an option but the build-your-own page only lists WinCE.
Product page: http://bit.ly/auT7GZ
Running Android, but has a Windows key....
Warning to all interested partys:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherrypal#Timeline
Cherrypal is difficult in many ways...
@cherrypalasia Dude. why would you make your screen name the name of the product you are bashing? And i could really care less if the company was a lemon if i can get something remotely useful for under a benjamin.
@cherrypalasia I wrote an email with a question and Max himself replied in less than 5 hours. So it looks like all of that fluff you posted was just exactly that... about the past!
@ERROR Dude. They are already available at the Cherrypal Open store. Click the "Cherrypal(1)" source link for the 7" or the "Cherrypal(2)" link for the 11". They ship to the US.
well, I ordered one. I am interested to see what it looks like and play with android.
@EricNYC646 I am likewise excited to play with it. I hope the company actually makes good on this one. Otherwise I will head down to cali and force some justice....
@cosmicinglewood If not I will help you kick some cherry butt! haha
@EricNYC646
Please report if it is actually delivered.
@nicolasw oh, I will, and if it is not, when I get back from Japan, I will literally fly down to pay someone a visit. A family man like the founder of Cherrypal has too much to loose to be trying to cheat anyone... if you know what I mean.
@cosmicinglewood oh fyi, bankofamerica is great about refunding charges if you call their customer service. So just use a BofA visa to order, if cherrypal doesn't deliver you can contest the charge and get your money back. I personally would rather have the android toy than my $166.80...
@cosmicinglewood "I personally would rather have the android toy than my $166.80..." of course you do, thats why you bought it in the first place... ;-)
@nicolasw nope; the company is a fraud, took my money and never delivered the goods. I am now going to make it my personal mission to bring justice to them~ I already contacted every appropriate government agency regarding Cherrypal's business fraud- they just messed with the wrong nerd~