

CrunchPad dead? Delayed by higher-than-expected costs? - fromedome
http://www.businessinsider.com/are-rising-costs-killing-the-crunchpad-2009-11

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astartupaday
"And if it's going to cost $600 or $700 for a CrunchPad, which only supports
Web surfing, it's going to be tricky to compete with better devices from tech
giants that cost just a few hundred dollars more. (For instance, the
forthcoming Apple tablet, which could cost less than $1,000.)"

Wow, they're speculating on a potential price, and then proceed to denounce
said price based on a speculation of a price of a product that has yet to be
announced?

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vicaya
Unlikely. Michael spoke before a small group of people less than a month ago,
when I asked about CrunchPad. He said that it's coming along and that "Atom
sucks." So, he's probably waiting for Chrome OS running on the new ARM
processor (Cortex A9?) He mentioned that he has sunk $1M+ TC money in the
project.

I'd love a bookpad that has two screens that fold together like a book. One
screen is LCD that can serve as keyboard/(multi)touchpad/video screen and the
other e-ink screen for reading books.

~~~
ErrantX
That is actually the worst news I've heard about it. :(

Waiting for Chome OS? A risk if the rumors of the Apple Tablet are true.

$1M+TC money.. but how MUCH TC money - and _still_ no product; that's a worry.

Essentially he's saying I've spent more than $1M on technology that I don't
want to use anymore and I am waiting for Google "vapour ware" to materialise
to use on the new one.

~~~
alaskamiller
$1M+ to me means one million and more.

~~~
ErrantX
Yeh I couldnt figure on that; how MUCH is the +TC money. It could be 100,000
or another million... it has to be the latter surely.

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noonespecial
Its probably the same old "made in china" story most people face trying to get
stuff built there. They'll promise you a rocket ship to the moon for $20 the
first day, but the more you invest yourself in the project, the more the price
will go up.

At a company I worked for once, we called it "the ransom". This was the extra
money the supplier would demand at the very end for "unforeseen costs" to
release your completed units.

In china, the signed contract is just the beginning of negotiations. You're
not done until the completed devices are in your warehouse in the US.

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maudineormsby
Too bad. I, and many others, would love one of these.

I am confused that they didn't use a cheaper, more power efficient processor
in this, but I guess when you want to be able to play back flash video, you're
stuck.

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petesalty
I have no idea wether the cost is holding this back but I've always been
doubtful about this "pad" format for devices - it just doesn't seem like good
design.

\- It's too big to be operated with two thumbs (i.e. Blackberry and iPhone)

\- It lacks a physical keyboard so I suspect that typing anything isn't going
to be a positive experience.

\- It lays flat which isn't a good viewing angle, which means that I will need
a stand (unless it has one built in - don't know),

\- I suspect it's too heavy to hold up like a Kindle.

Maybe I'm wrong about these things but it seems like a lot to pull off and I
don't think the TC guys are the ones to do it. Now, Apple might be a different
case, we'll have to wait and see.

~~~
astine
I doubt that it's too heavy to hold up as that would defeat the purpose. I
imagine that a device like this would be more pleasant to keep in your lap as
you browse the Internet or such then a traditional laptop. Plus, you could
always mount it on a mechanical arm or on the wall. I can imagine having such
a device hanging in my kitchen, so I could check my email, or look up recipes
while cooking.

~~~
petesalty
With it in your lap, flat, your head tilts down, bending the neck. This puts
strain on the muscles at the base of the neck, which tires them. The muscles
under the shoulder blades will then step in to try and compensate, tiring
them, etc., etc. This is why it's uncomfortable to to read, sitting up, with a
book lying flat on your lap. With a laptop the screen juts up at an angle from
the lap (~45 degrees) which allows you to look at the screen longer without
becoming tired (less neck strain). Of course if you're just half propped up on
the couch this might not be the case. Admittedly it's probably harder to
accidentally knock this off your lap while reaching for your
coffee/beer/whatever.

I could see it on the wall, but if it's for mounting, why worry about making
it light? You can save on material costs by going heavier.

~~~
astine
_This is why it's uncomfortable to to read, sitting up, with a book lying flat
on your lap._

Who reads like that? I was imagining sitting in a recliner and holding it like
a newspaper. If it's light enough, that would work.

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steve_mobs
I actually think the crunchpad will fail, but the only cool thing about it is
the possibility of a launch party. The valley needs more parties in general.

