That CrunchPad Tablet Sure Looks Big

Posted by | 04/11/2009 | 11 Comments

This picture from Jason Calacanis’ blog sure makes that 12 inch Crunchpad look awfully big as compared to that Apple keyboard. Tough to tell what is plugged into what as well.

cruchpad

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Category: Hardware

About the Author (Author Profile)

Warner Crocker is a professional theatre director, producer and playwright and also a Tablet PC enthusiast. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Tablet PCs. Send email to Warner.
  • Rob Bushway

    although the hardware looks pretty darn cool (especially the cost), we all know the success is in the software. Browsing the web, keying in addresses, etc using a virtual keyboard has problems written all over it. Except for price, I’m not sure that Arrington and company have done anything that folks like Motion, TabletKiosk, Fujitsu have not done before + with a superior OS solution like Windows XP, Vista, and now Windows 7.

    A lot of these will be sold, especially due to the cost, but in the end, I’m not sure Linux is the best solution. I think most people will end up getting frustrated. Pecking at a keyboard will get old very quickly.

    In the end, I’m hoping that this will do the tablet market what netbooks did to the laptop market.

  • http://www.gottabemobile.com Warner Crocker

    Couldn’t agree more, Rob.

  • http://sumocat.blogspot.com Sumocat

    Looks about 12 inches to me. If you’re referring to the case space on the sides, I think that’s important for handling the device without accidentally tapping the capacitive touchscreen.

    As for newness, the other thing to look for is battery life. I’m interested in seeing how efficiently this thing will run and whether it will need a fan. Could be similar to my Electrovaya SC500 but at a fraction of the cost.

  • http://www.lorenheiny.com Loren Heiny

    To me, the CrunchPad belongs in the HP TouchSmart All-in-one product line. It’s just 12″ rather than 22.” HP should be thinking of selling something like this in its TouchSmart line running it’s TouchSmart software.

    With a 12″ device that thick–and presumably that heavy and possibly warm–do I WANT to hold it for extended periods of time for reading? I’m not so sure. That has, in fact, been a traditional issue of slates. How do I hold it in my lap for reading? Do I need a stand? If I use a stand can I use a wireless keyboard or KVM solution? With a stand does it become more of a second monitor?

    See once the stand is the most practical device to use with the unit, it doesn’t get held as much and that’s why I think it becomes more of an All-in-one than anything else. Who cares about even having a battery in it that lasts more than let’s say 2 hours? Just keep the device plugged in. Or provide wireless charging stations for the counter or the coffee table, etc.

    Anyway, I’d like to see a thinner device foremost–something in the under pound range. Plastic Logic’s eReader is in the right direction although of course not feasible for a generic PC, but it’s a goal.

  • http://www.lorenheiny.com Loren Heiny

    Oh no….spelling error. Can someone fix it for me? Typing with a chemo brain is dangerous!

  • Richard-UK

    I think this format factor has a place in the home as a casual device that anyone can pick up and use, throughtout the house – adult and child. Especially children, as I think they will like the touch experience. From looking at the photographs, the stand seems to suggest another use, as a digital photo frame. Not sure if the specs allow for this?

  • http://Gottabemobile.com Matt Faulkner

    Rob – why does it matter if its Linux when it boots to the browser? ( unless something has changed with it actually having another function ) People won’t know what os it’s running to get frustrated. Though I do see your point of the virtual keyboard being a pain.

  • schmolch

    Linux has a very nice onscreen-keyboard that includes handwriting recognition.
    It might not be as good as the one from windows but it lets you enter any type of character from all the fonts installed on the system (including exotic things like math-characters or characters from *any* language) and is certainly capable of serving as url-input panel.

  • HG

    For web browsing this should be fine for most, even though it has onscreen keyboard. From the picture it looks like its the size of Macbook as you can see the Mac on the end of the table. Anyone looking to just be able to browse and be able to setup a printer to it, should be ok with this device.

  • http://thirdworldpc.blogspot.com Dodot

    I wonder how much one of these things would cost? Also, it doesn’t seem that these come with support for pen input – or do they?

    I personally am still more intrigued by the Classmate PC netvertible. I’m still hoping to see an in-depth inkshow on in from you guys, with a focus on its pen-driven features of course. :)

  • http://thirdworldpc.blogspot.com Dodot

    Also, it seems that quite a number of people have managed to make pen-abled tablets like my TC4400 work on linux. The whole process just isn’t very user friendly. (Although apparently some Linux Distros have Wacom support from first boot.)

    I would personally be happy to see the linux tablet pc community blossom – wonder if GBM has enough pen-wielding penguins for a critical mass? :)

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