The CrunchPad was an ambitious, brilliantly obvious idea. Who wouldn’t want to have an easy-to-use, open source touchscreen pad with wireless connectivity and ease of use? Surf the net, watch video, play games, etc. The CrunchPad was poised to be a major competitor against Apple’s impending iPad device. But the dream has ended.

According to the story posted on TechCrunch, the CrunchPad was being designed by a small startup called Fusion Garage, which apparently turned on TC due to pressure from its shareholders. Fusion Garage basically attempted to shut TechCrunch out of the project that TC first conceived of, abruptly informing them that Fusion Garage would be releasing the product themselves. This, despite the fact that TC jointly owns the “CrunchPad” intellectual property along with Fusion Garage, and TC owns CrunchPad trademark alone.

It looks like the folks at TechCrunch are still scratching their heads in confusion over this attempted theft of intellectual property. The whole business is sure to be mired in lawsuits for a long time as the legal system sorts the mess out. There’s a lot more to this sordid tale — click here if you want to read it.

Image: TechCrunch.

Post from: EveryJoe

CrunchPad is D.O.A.

Tired of waiting for Apple or Dell or Sony to put out a killer-app tablet that won’t break the bank, tech site TechCrunch.com took the initiative to make it happen on their own. The result is the CrunchPad, and despite all odds, it actually seems to be happening.

TechCrunch’s idea is simple: create a very thin, light touch screen device that has no hard drive and exists solely to surf the web. Upon investigating, TC’s Michael Arrington discovered that such a gadget could be constructed for less than $250, and sold for less than $300.

They’ve been prototyping the thing for more than a year, and it’s getting closer and closer to actual production. The customer for this thing is envisioned as someone who wants to surf the web, read email, watch online videos, and video chat. It’s a bare-bones device not intended for data entry, with just one USB port, a built-in camera, speakers, microphone, and a 12+ inch screen. The OS they’re using is Linux-based, with a Webkit-based browser.

The prototype is darn purdy and looks like something I’d love to have. And at less than $300, it’s seems like the perfect device for anyone who wants to surf the web on the couch for pleasure, without the need for a leg-burning full laptop. I can’t wait to see more of the CrunchPad! Here’s hoping it actually goes into production.

Image: Copyright 2009 ©TechCrunch.

Post from: EveryJoe

Have you seen the CrunchPad?