Rumor Mill: Apple Tablet To be Released In October Of This Year

China Times reports that an Apple “netbook (or a “tablet” as many call it)” is due in October of this year, which is earlier than the recent report from Piper Jaffray that said Apple will be releasing a tablet in the first half of 2010. As early as 2008, both TechCrunch and ZDNet independently said that an Apple tablet is due in the fall of 2009.

The rumors first materialized in March of this year, when Wintek, a manufacturer of LCD screens and touch panels, was reported to be supplying Apple with touch screen panels for a netbook. Later, DigiTimes reported that it is indeed an “e-book form factor netbook”, which suggests a tablet. But speculation of an Apple tablet has been going on since 2005 because of numerous touchscreen tablet patent applications on behalf of Apple.

Details about the specs are still murky. It will likely be based on the iPhone OS and run on a processor designed by PA Semi, a chip design firm that Apple acquired in 2008. It is not known how this processor would fair with the Intel Atom chips that the CrunchPad will use. Conflicting reports about the screen size include 12-13″, 10″, 9.7″,  and 7-9″. Price points have only been estimated so far, ranging from $500 to as much as $1000.

What does this mean for CrunchPad Inc? No apps.

While part of the iPhone’s success can be attributed to thousands of applications, the CrunchPad, which will run on Firefox and a Linux platform, will not enjoy the same benefits. Apple would not only bring apps to the tablet,  but would also bring a product with a brand label of trust and quality.

Michael Arrington cannot imitate Apple’s brand and customer service strengths in such a short period of time. But one of Arrington’s smartest moves so far was switching the CrunchPad casing material from plastic to aluminum. This made it thinner and visually appealing, something consumers have come to loathe about Apple products.

ttp://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1786

Keith Teare Denies Rumors of Being Recruited as CEO of CrunchPad Inc. Here we go again?

Successful internet entrepreneur Keith Teare has denied reports published by Silicon Alley Insider that he is being wooed by Michael Arrington to become CEO of CrunchPad Inc.

Gabe Rivera of the technology news aggregator Techmeme, tweeted that he asked Keith in person about the rumor and that he denied being recruited as CEO (Teare has also denied it himself here). But there is no report yet on whether he is being recruited for any other CrunchPad related position.

Arrington told the NYT last week that operations surrounding the CrunchPad are taking two-thirds of his time and he “will remain actively involved for now, but wants to replace himself at CrunchPad and return his full-time focus to the blog.”

This would not be the first time Arrington and Teare worked together. In February of 2006, they co-founded Edgeio, an online classifieds platform which was used by publishers. But that didn’t last long, and in December of that year Edgeio, run by CEO Teare, joined the deadpool. Former Altavista CTO Louis Monier, who is now leading efforts surrounding the CrunchPad, invested $1.5 million in Edgeio.

One of the main problems with Edgeio was its high cost structure. Teare burned through $6 million of cash at Edgeio in less than two years, and by the time it was auctioned off, they had 11 full time employees.

And indeed, criticism some what exists of Arrington’s abilities to sell the CrunchPad at a low price point while keeping costs down. Laura DiDio of ITIC told TechNewsWorld that “if he can sell it at around $300 and make money, more power to him.”

When Edgeio went under, Arrington said “In general I’ll say this – it is unwise for a company to spend a lot of money building out infrastructure before a product proves itself.”

Google Chrome OS “Leaks” Don’t Even Have The Right Google Logo

A person who claims to work for a company that supplies parts to Acer says they have been shown a demo of the new Google Chrome OS.

The entire blogosphere went bonanza, but here is the kicker: they didn’t even get the Google logo colors right.

Update: A fake as expected.

The Register Reveals Hilarious CrunchPad Clone Named RegPad

It looks like the clones didn’t come out from China this time, but from the UK – and from a publication. The Register, an often satirical British technology news site, has released the phony RegPad. Designed for Reg readers, it runs on a Vulturium processor (sounds faster than Intel’s Core i7) and has a “wireless connection rates of up to 8 petabytes per millisecond.” Best of all however is the biscuit dispenser which seems to be designed specifically for the morning users.

Google “steals” Michael Arrington Concept By Announcing New Google Chrome OS

Google has just announced the making of Google Chrome OS, its latest onslaught against Microsoft. Sundar Pichai, VP of Product Management, explains that users are fed up with current operating systems since they want to check email and browse the web without having to wait for a computer to boot.

FusionGarage, the Singapore start-up which was acquired by CrunchPad Inc., is also developing an awfully similar concept. In fact, Pichai’s post itself looks like a mirror of Michael Arrington’s post a year ago.

Comparing Google’s post with Arrington’s vision:

Google: We hear a lot from our users and their message is clear — computers need to get better.

Arrington: I’m tired of waiting – I want a dead simple and dirt cheap touch screen web tablet to surf the web.

Google: The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel.

Arrington: Just a Macbook Air-thin touch screen machine that runs Firefox and possibly Skype on top of a Linux kernel.

Google: People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up.

Arrington: The idea is to turn it on, bypass any desktop interface, and go directly to Firefox running in a modified Kiosk mode that effectively turns the browser into the operating system for the device.

Google: Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010.

Arrington: So let’s design it, build a few and then open source the specs so anyone can create them.

Mobile Devices Become A Hit Through Satisfying Consumer Needs: Will The CrunchPad Be Able To Do The Same?

It’s a given for any device, not just mobile ones. They become a success by meeting the unmet needs of consumers. When looking through the history of portable computer devices, we don’t need a specialist to realize that new devices to access the internet took off because their predecessors were behind in portability, functionality, or affordability. As the PC evolved in the 90s, users were looking for something they could take to more places than just their offices and desks at home.

One of the answers to consumers’ needs of mobility and full functionality came with slate PCs as well as convertible tablet PCs, which were like laptops, but had special hinges so that the screen can be flipped and then folded onto the keyboard. They were targeted to business users who could use it to jot down notes with a stylus during meetings or fill out a predefined form away from the office (think health care and construction industries). These tablets were also appealing to students who used them for note-taking during lectures. But these tablets were priced at $1000-2000 which was above the consumer range, and were actually not so portable – most were above 4 pounds and well over an inch in thickness.

The next milestone was a while later when mobile internet browsing took off with the advent of the iPhone. It featured the best mobile browser at the time and web use was more mobile than ever. The iPod Touch filled the void for people who didn’t want another phone, but wanted web browsing and media playing around the house and on the go. The iPhone and the iPod touch fixed the traditional tablet PC obstacle by providing a portable unit that was reasonably priced.

Apple’s products however didn’t come without limitations. Both just had a 3.2″ screen and the Safari web browser, though earth shattering at the time, still had functionality limitations such as not being able to play Flash and was slower than PC browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer even under wifi. Something else needed to save consumers by providing a cheap portable device that has full web browsing functionality.

Netbooks, small and cheap stripped down laptops that usually run on Intel’s Atom processor, came to the rescue. Acer, Asus, and MSI were the early entrants, with every PC manufacturer following. Heck, even Daewoo and Commodore have one. Most netbooks come in the 8.9-10.1″ screen size range, which was still a reasonable sized screen for video playback and surfing.  These computers were perfect for web browsing (hence, netbook), priced in the range of $300-500, and weighed around 3 pounds. Consumers now have a low price, fully functional, small and lightweight unit.

The limitations with respect to mobile web surfing of traditional tablet PCs and smart-phones may have been overcome by netbooks. Surely there are payoffs to every device class. Some consumers do view the iPod Touch and netbook as substitutes. What else can the CrunchPad bring to the table that these successful devices couldn’t bring? Considering that the CrunchPad also runs on an Atom processor and sports a 12″ screen, functionality and portability will not be a game changer for it.

TechCrunch’s current branding copy is “Welcome to Couch Computing” with a picture of a model using it on a couch. From my observations through comments on blog posts and Twitter, many have found that the tablet would be ideal for lounging around the house. Can’t you also do that with a netbook you ask? Surely you can, but one can argue that a tablet might prove to be more “couch friendly” since you don’t need to stay seated and put it on your lap or a table. As Arrington and his team have rightly identified, one of the advantages of the CrunchPad reflects the various body postures you can use it in.

They could also find a use in kitchens or as kiosks for businesses, the same markets that all-in-on touchscreen PCs are targeting such as the HP TouchSmart, Asus Eee Top, and Dell Studio One 19. As suggested before, the CrunchPad could also be your formula for finally putting your fitness equipment to use. Outside the house, they might be substitutes for portable DVD players. You may see people carry these in their messenger bags and purses to use while commuting on the train if we assume the it will have a 3G connectivity option.

The CrunchPad’s biggest need that hasn’t been met by netbooks however is e-reading. TechCrunch has been hush about its e-reading capabilities, but this is actually what many users are hoping it can be used for. The CrunchPad may be capable of both e-reading and web surfing, while Amazon’s Kindle is only for e-books. Amazon has its own DRM-restricted format (AZW) for new and old books, but the Kindle does not support PDFs. CEO Jeff Bezos did mention that consumers should expect Kindle books to come to more mobile devices in a similar fashion to the Kindle for iPhone app. Whether Arrington or other hardware developers have had any contact with Amazon is not known.

The CrunchPad’s ultimate success is contingent upon three questions: [1] what current devices is it a substitute for, [2] what consumer needs have not been met already,  and [3] do they want to spend $300 on yet another device.

CrunchPad To Sell For Less Than $250 (Not Anymore), TechCrunch To Acquire FusionGarage

Update: The NYT has corrected the price and thickness. Too bad, not $250 anymore.

The San Francisco Business Times wasn’t the only one that interviewed Michael Arrington recently. The New York Times interviewed him over the weekend and more juicy details have emerged.

The CrunchPad will sell for less than $250, which was actually Arrington’s low end estimate (correction: it will sell for less than $300, which was Arrington’s high end estimate) . In April when pictures of Prototype C were released, he said it can be built for less than $250 and “you can sell it for $300 and probably not go out of business.”At this price point, consumers might not be as hesitant to purchase yet another mobile device to access the internet. It will come in several colors and be 0.7 inches (18 mm) slim, which is a tenth more than the recently announced Archos 9 (correction: it will be 0.6 inches (16 mm) thick, the same as the Archos 9).

In addition, the NYT report mentions that most of the 14 employees in Singapore are part of FusionGarage, and that “TechCrunch is now closing its acquisition of the start-up.” FusionGarage is the OS-less start-up led by Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan, a proven entrepreneur in his own right.

In the post that kicked off the project in July of 2008, one of Arrington’s dreams was that the tablet would boot straight to the browser. “The idea is to turn it on, bypass any desktop interface, and go directly to Firefox running in a modified Kiosk mode that effectively turns the browser into the operating system for the device,” he said. But in September of 2008,  FusionGarage was one of the participants at DemoPit, an event part of the annual TechCrunch50 conference where start-ups launch their products or just get more exposure. It is here where Arrington’s dream came true.

SF Business Times: CrunchPad Inc. Formed With 14 Employees In Singapore, Press Event End Of July

The San Francisco Business Times has chronicled the rise of Michael Arrington from a corporate lawyer to an internet tycoon, and now a hardware entrepreneur. In addition, a few more simple details have emerged. The date for the promised CrunchPad press event is at the end of July. Arrington mentioned his plans before to eventually spin off the CP operations into a seperate entity. Now we know this entity is CrunchPad Inc., and it has 14 employees in Singapore.

After leaving a business law firm that specializes in technology companies, he founded and worked for several internet start-ups in the US, UK, and Canada. He then took time off, and in an apparent way to educate himself about the internet, started writing his findings and ideas online. Soon his TechCrunch baby was born, and it’s now on fire.

As Arrington’s success grows in media and hardware in the coming years, we shouldn’t be surprised if either a biographer chronicles his life in more detail or if he writes his own memoir. After all, he’s already one of the most influential people in 2008.

Social Media and Publicity Update

There’s now an official CrunchPad page over at Facebook and they also have a Twitter account where no messages have been posted yet. You can also follow us on Twitter at crunchpadfans.

In addition, I spotted a German CrunchPad fan site but you can view the Google translation here.

As we get closer to the release date, TechCrunch should be trying its best to keep the hype from dying off by giving fans a sneak peek of the product and confirm details about its e-reading capabilities.

Update: There’s also a French CP fan site now.

I Also Want a CrunchPad Cake On My Birthday :(

Chandra Rathakrishnan, CEO of CrunchPad partner Fusion Garage, received an innovative birthday cake from TechCrunch yesterday. Fusion Garage is the “OSless browser” startup that is currently working on the CrunchPad. After Chandra made a blooper by allowing someone to shoot an “unsanctioned” video,  a cake is certainly the best way to tell someone you’re still friends.

CrunchPad Prototype Unboxing Caught On Youtube

Straight from the sounds of the tweets, a Youtube video of the CrunchPad prototype unboxing has been spotted.

Loic Le Meur, the Seesmic.com founder who has close ties with Michael Arrington, posted the video of what looks like the earlier prototype which came in red plastic shown in April. There are no logos shown on it which are found on the new launch prototype released two weeks ago. I have contacted Loic to confirm the date of the video.

However, one thing to note is that it has a Bing.com sticker on the back, and TechCrunch recently received a bunch of them. This would suggest that video was also shot recently, however the TechCrunch team didn’t have the launch prototype ready to show off yet.

When the gentlemen in the video was asked “When will you have it out”, he answered “By this year for sure.”

UPDATE 1: A visitor below in the comments notified me that the video posted is no longer active.  Loic may have been asked to pull down the video by TechCrunch. The reason may very well be the confusion which surrounded the blogosphere yesterday, with many readers  incorrectly believing the device in the video, which is the old prototype, will be what the final product will look like. The launch prototype is what the final product will really look like.

UPDATE 2: As predicted, Michael Arrington requested Loic to take down the video as he did not want an unsanctioned video showing the CrunchPad released.  I’m also sure he noticed the chaotic confusion that ensued when some bloggers  implied that this video is the CrunchPad to be relased (it’s not, it’s the older prototype). Furthermore, some readers were also confused with the Bing.com stickers on the back since they were not aware that TechCrunch had received these promotional stickers and they were not intended as sponsors for the CrunchPad. As the CrunchPad team moves on to a more formal product, their casual ways of doing business may prove difficult to change.

As TechCrunch Aims to Produce Tablets For Web Surfing, Others See Opportunities for eReading

While Arrington’s original dream had nothing to do with the CrunchPad being mainly an e-reader, many in the blogosphere have suggested that it would be the perfect e-reader for books and newspapers.

TechCrunch has yet to explain or demonstrate what reading application the CrunchPad will host. Smart Q7, a tablet recently released only in Asian markets, uses FBreader, a Linux based ebook reader. This same application also opens PDFs, a need expressed many times over at the comments in TechCrunch posts.

In addition, several have pointed out that the CrunchPad may be a substitute for products such as the Kindle, Plastic Logic, and Sony Reader.

Here are some comments from writers:

“Ladies and gentlemen, this could be the iPod moment for eBooks.” – Fiction Matters

“However, if TechCrunch can work with its partners to keep costs down to its originally predicted $200 price tag, the CrunchPad is likely to fly off the shelves. And so for newspapers. Given the size – a 12inch screen with an 18mm-thick aluminium casing – the CrunchPad is ideal for browsing the Internet and reading a newspaper, as the picture of the device surfing the New York Times demonstrates.” – editorsweblog.org

“These new, lower cost tools present another exciting opportunity for media organizations to connect with readers, especially those who can’t afford top-of-the line gear.” – Poynter Online

“Equipped with a 12″ screen  flush with the case and  a 18mm-thick aluminium casing –  is also ideal for reading  newspapers… perhaps the perfect companion for the google concecpt of an ereader. Google provides the books, TechCrunch provide the ideal mobile ‘net’ device.” – Fresh Tech

TechCrunch Reveals CrunchPad Launch Protype – Prepare to Drool Over Pics

Michael Arrington has released new pictures of what he says will closely resemble how the product will look like on launch date.

At the forefront, it is much sexier than the previous prototype. At 0.7 inches (18 mm), it stands to be thinner than the thick end of the MacBook Air and most netbooks . While the previous release showed the pad in red and in white, the  pictures now show only a black/charcoal finish. As notebook companies such as HP, Dell, and Asus attempt to grab a share of the female market by beautifying their devices, it should come as no surprise if the CP also comes in red or pink.

He explained that even though the aluminum casing will be more expensive than the plastic, the team ended up choosing the former since it is sturdier and allows them to make it thinner. This will likely mirror what Apple will do to their tablets rumored to be released early 2010. With the addition of aluminum, we’re not sure if Arrington can still keep his promised price of 300, which was the target price announced when the tabelt was going to be developed using plastic.

In addition, the TechCrunch post starts with a picture of a model on a couch holding the CP, which suggests creative marketing agencies have already begun work on the CP.  With a fan base such as TechCrunch, we don’t know how much advertising this beauty really needs.

There are actually two version shown in the pictures. One with the CrunchPad logo adjacent to a set of LED lights while the other has them at different corners.

A press event will be held at Silicon Valley around July. To be informed of any updates, you can send an email to crunchpad@techcrunch.com.

Move Over Wii Fit, Here Comes The Next Use Of The Crunchpad And Other Net Tablets

The Wii Fit is truly an innovative product with many hoping to shed pounds with it. However for $90, you never know if you’ll use it for a couple of days and then chuck it in the attic or under the bed.

One of the advantages of tablets and other touchscreens is their ability to be placed in many more places than a netbook: it’s just a slab without a keyboard. What does that call for?

Michael Morganbauer is using an HP Touchsmart in front of his bike. Get out your old fitness bikes and steppers in your garage, and plant them in front of your Crunchpad. You will need a stand for a table which I’m sure third party manufacturers will develop. Raise the stand, and you’ve got yourself a Wii Fit substitute.

Placing the 22″ or 25″ HP Touchsmart in front on a table is a good idea, but doing the same for the 12″ Crunchpad might prove a challenge. A more conveinent way to trim the waist line while surfing is if you place it straight on the handle bars.