JooJoo creator rips into the iPad, says an app store only sells 'stripped down versions of actual websites'
By Donald Melanson 
posted May 28th 2010 3:02PM
posted May 28th 2010 3:02PM
Fusion Garage CEO and JooJoo creator Chandra Rathakrishnan has certainly discussed the iPad before in talking up his own tablet, but nothing could have quite prepared us for the bit of bombast he unleashed on the occasion of the iPad's international launch. While he started out with the usual line that the "JooJoo delivers the entire Internet -- including Flash-based websites," he soon took things to a whole new level, saying that "we don't see the need for an app store," because "an app store sells stripped down versions of actual websites" -- stripped down websites like Brushes, KORG iElectribe, and Real Racing HD, we suppose. Believe it or not, however, Rathakrishnan didn't let things sit there, and apparently went on to describe the iPad as just "another storage device with web capabilities." Of course, there's at least a chance Chandra was actually paying the iPad a compliment, since a "storage device with web capabilities" would be a pretty big step up from the JooJoo.
Someone's bitter.
@jackson Extremely bitter. I don't see the need for an iPad, but there's need to be so bitter.
@derekdevine you'd be bitter too if you saw your fortunes go down the drain.
@jackson Jealous? may I say?
@Gaujo I'm no iPad fan (or even a general tablet fan), but even I can see that in the tablet market, it is currently the superior product.
@jackson
Lmao priceless!
@Becauseitsnotgoogle2
Engadget defended it up there, kid. Or didn't you read that far?
@jackson
I think some apps would hold true of this statement -- but others which actually use more than web code, aren't...like games, audio applications, various utilities...
It's easy to say the JooJoo is \ was a piece of shit and to write this guy off completely, but what he says is true of SOME apps...but not all of them.
@TheLondonExchange
Lmao
Millions of iPad buyers/owners have "defended" Apple's position when it comes to Flash, multitasking, etc etc..
Try again.
@jackson JooJoo creator has the cojones to diss Apple, with his web-only tablet?
Brave, but I guess he has to get the JooJoo into the minds of the masses somehow.
@suicidebob Trolls don't have the ability of reasoning/cognitive thought ^.^
@Becauseitsnotgoogle2 and few defend apps that are just the website with no added value, particularly when they cost actual money.
but not all apps are just websites, which shows that this gentleman hasn't really explored the issue. he's just talking sour grapes because no one wants his portable web browsing device in vast ipad numbers. instead they want 'one device to do almost all' and aren't bugged by the lack of Flash and so on.
@jackson
Apps let developers create whatever ecosystem they want their users to experience, whereas the web it unorganized and cluttered. Basicly, I'd prefer any app version of a website's content. Need an example? The Craigslist ipad app is way better than the site itself, and the epicurious app has more functionality for the ipad.
@jackson
I told you were talking about the blogger.
@Becauseitsnotgoogle2
Agreed.
@jackson Probably. But he has a point... kinda.
Yes, there are a plethora of useless apps for the iPad, and yes the iPad often does sell 'stripped down versions of actual websites' which is unusual for anything we consider a computer (which face it, its not), but there are a lot of useful non-web apps as well.
@jackson Bitterness tastes exactly like joojoo.
@HotDog
Don't forget the Engadget app, I actually prefer that over the web version.
Really, I don't think anyone can take this guy seriously with statements like this, no matter how useless you think the ipad is or how much you hate apple. Way to go to scare off investors like this, who in his right mind would invest money in a company with a CEO that makes narrow-minded and just plain dumb statements like this. No surprise the joojoo failed so miserably.
@Gaujo It is business plain and simple. Apple news and product reviews are huge draws, and are a large portion of the page click numbers. You do what you have to do to stay in the good graces of Cupertino, and continue to rake in the money. Would engadget survive without Apple? You bet, but not in the high traffic form it does today. Just compare the number of comments on the average Apple article to any other article on the site.
@Becauseitsnotgoogle2
have fun playing GTA Chinatown Wars "the website" on your JooJoo, troll.
@Becauseitsnotgoogle2 Apple doesn't sell them. Sites like Engadget create them and sell them. If you wish to be angry at someone, be angry at the site owners who create them.
@jackson What's funny is that if you go back a few months, most people here were defending the JooJoo over the only-announced ipad and stating how flash would make the JooJoo oh-so-much better than the apple device.
What changed?
@drange
If not for the fact that he crippled his own device, I would take him very seriously. As it is, he took some gear that should stomp all over the iPad and hobbled it in a similar fashion.
It's got a GPU that can play back BD rips but the platform apparently doesn't allow for that.
@jackson Seriously, this guy need to go bury himself under a rock somewhere and never touch another electronic gadget ever again. He's bitter that his product absolutely blows and no one will buy it. Face it dude, the iPad kicks your product in the nuts and runs circles around it. You should be complimenting it not hating on it.
Harsh I know ; )
@jackson Shouldn't this be a "C-E-Oh-no-he-didn't!"?
@jackson
Serious. The iPad has plenty of shortcomings. I told myself the Apple tablet would be my first ever electronics impulse buy when it came out.. and despite the fact that it ended up being half the price anyone expected, I still don't have one.
This dude should have stuck to legitimate criticisms rather than flat out trashing it in an unnecessary way. It makes him look bitter.. and worse, it makes him look out of touch to those of us who can understand that the iPad is *really good* at some things. It might not be every gadget geek's wet dream, but if you can't understand why some people find it useful, should you really be a CEO?
@jackson
'Someone' sold 40 Joojoos..
@jackson
This a-hole is one of the dumbest people on the planet. I'm convinced of that now.
@jackson
If this guy doesn't see how (very) inferior his own product is (in the whole damn category) factoring in the price, he has no business in this industry. Unrecognized brand, subpar quality, minimal functionality, poor performance, heavy for the category. There are very few positives about the JooJoo, if any. He's eating a double-down serving of denial slathered in thick fail sauce marinated in vinegar and lemon juice.
@vqro
What happened is that Fusion Garage took an alpha-grade product and shoved it out the door. Personally, the moment I first saw a video of Chandra talking about the thing I had him pegged as the over-promise-under-deliver type. If it had lived up to its promises, it would probably be a pretty good product. This is why people probably shouldn't swallow everything a CEO feeds them (and that includes a certain other CEO, too).
@jackson
It'd be interesting to see what percentage of iPhone/iPod/iPad (iApp?) apps are repackaged web sites. My guess is that it's less than 10%.
Of course, another 30% ~ 40% of iApps are complete garbage, even if they're not repackaged web sites, but that's another story.
I haven't seen anyone mention this, but in defense of some of these "repackaged web sites" - they do (or can) serve at least one very useful purpose, which is to present the information in a way that's much more useful in a small screen and touch-based interface. Even if Safari on the iPhone/iPod/iPad supported Flash and every other plugin available for desktop browsers, there's still be benefit in repackaging sites for this different user interface. This will become plainly obvious once a version of Android with working Flash support is released: it won't be the nirvana some people are imagining.
@Killing Time This guy has only seen other people's money go down the drain, not his own.
@Killing Time
And this is Apple's problem in what way? Its not Apple or any other companies problem if they don't make it.
@jackson I guess its pretty normal. Hopefully this one won't turn to be a vaporware. Still waiting for it to improve though. http://j.mp/no-more-ju2x-concept
@BergerFan
Good point. I hadn't really thought about the JooJoo. Now I wonder 'will it blend?'
@drange Wait, the iPhone engadget app is better than a web version?!
The Blackberry app is just a link :(
@jackson
He's bitter because nobody is buying the JooJoo. The iPad is the hottest-selling device going even if it doesn't support the entire Internet. There isn't time enough in the world to see the entire Internet.
Once he said there's no need for any app stores, he stepped directly into the twilight zone.
Bitter because what he says is basically true?
It may be coming off the wrong way, but in actuality, almost every single app that isn't a game or offline tool is just a custom-made website portal. They're all either glorified RSS readers or websites with forms for interaction made in the app instead of in a webpage.
If you think otherwise, you clearly have no understanding of how apps work.
Please, oh please change the name.
"...a "storage device with web capabilities" would be a pretty big step up from JooJoo."
OOOOOOOOOOF! Engadget with the burn!
@SPENone
they certainly didnt like another company dissing their beloved ipad!
@SPENone
Yeah, but this joojoo guy said it for the lolz. He knew what he was doing.
Dear JooJoo your product is a joke, Please go away.
@kingblind
Bloodyhell it's large...
@FORDY
That's what she said :D
@FORDY I was going to say you could always put some wheels on it and use it as a skateboard, but it'd probably be bust in two as soon as you got on =/.
On a serious note, does the JooJoo have any retail/stores selling their product? Probably not, but if so I'd raid the place when it hit rock bottom pricing... I'm sure I could use it for something... right?
@DBG Porn?
@DBG With Michael Arrington on board as a partner and the product being touted as the Crunchpad, this sorry excuse of an entrepreneur had all the publicity and media machine primed and ready to go.
Then, typically, he got greedy and decided to go it all alone, thinking he had used Michael for a sucker and could leapfrog him with all the publicity around the litigation. Wrong... opportunity strikes once and only once. Hasta la Vista, baby...
@DBG -- "On a serious note, does the JooJoo have any retail/stores selling their product?"
I don't think the JooJoo is in stores now... or will ever be sold in a Best Buy sitting near the Apple booth... but the hardest obstacle for the JooJoo to overcome is:
The JooJoo is $500 !!!!
@kingblind
You would be correct if JooJoo was funny.
But then again, the name *is* kind of funny.
Ok, you win.