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
well, after reading that its a ARMv9 and the G1 is a ARMv11, its still compelling, but frankly not worth it if I cant watch 800x480 video at 25fps on the 7"... If i KNEW I could, I'd have just purchased one... Gonna send em an email asking if they can run linpack on one, also how much ram is reported under the "free" command... 256mb of DDR is plenty for this kinda cheap device...
Almost exiting news. If the ARM cpu was Cortex A8 or A9 I would run out and buy a handful of these right now.
no one else notice that it's a blatant macbook rip-off?
@sighclops good, for $1000 the macbook is tight, but it missing the (good deal factor)--- and you can copyright chicklet keys and white case there dr. Brilliant>!
@sighclops i doooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Guys, please be careful if you ever order from this site.... Have a read from here first: http://bit.ly/59qdv2
Many has called them out as a scam. I am a bit surprised that Engadget is giving them some recognition when many has tried and been burnt.
Take heed of their timeline and what has happened so far at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherrypal#Timeline.... this is definitely not something you would simply want to order straight away. Thanks.
$167 for a 10" netbook running on Android? Going to give it a run. Will post thoughts about it when it arrives - assuming it actually arrives, given the track record smileyguy posted.
WOAH IT LOOKS JUST LIKE.... JUST LIKE... JUST LIKE........................................................ AN ANDROID DEVICE
mmm any possibilities to install flash lite???
@yoshiki2 it will support flash when android 2.2 froyo is published and updated for it... according to Mr. Max himself.
This things got twice the ram of my msi wind u100! Hot dog!
"Drops Linux in favor of android." Lolwut? These people sure know a lot about technology.
That beats having to lug around a typewriter.
I'm so lost right now. It says in the description on their site, it says "Mouse&Touch pad:build-in touch panel" Does that mean it has a touchpad or an actual touch panel screen? I really want to buy one and mount it in my Isuzu's dash. But with a touchscreen.
If I wanted a slow, small computer I'd much rather have this than an ipad. I could throw it around, leave it in the car, the bottom of my bag etc.
But I don't.
Am I the only that sees a really tiny phallus and two giant balls for their logo? Man they got balls.
The logo better have been the same for both Africa and Asia.
this is a rip off off the mac book air design its so plainly obvious
@techwhoregalore good; since when can apple claim victory over the aesthetics of a thin white notebook? and the iTampon with which these devices is more directly comparable, is exactly that; an iPad... oh and the Macbook air you speak of is completely overpriced and underpowered for its price--- even for apple!
@cosmicinglewood its seems like you are undermining the design aspects of the mac book air the fact that it was and probably still is the thinest ultra-portable on the market for one... the over pricines is just to be expected hat mainly because they include the price of having to build a super sleek metal case and install their good {none i phone like}software* without a optical reader this is just like those horrible i pod rip offs with the same exact shape .....
that looks like a white macbook
I emailed Cherrypal yesterday asking about Android Marketplace, Max the president emailed me back in less than an hour saying an OS upgrade to 2.1 will be out within a month which will include marketplace.
I'm ordering one tomorrow... for $100 its less expensive than a portable DVD player, I can take the thing out in the garage or wherever without worrying.