Arrington-less Crunchpad to be Called JooJoo, Launch this Week
Posted 12/07/09 at 02:21:16 PM by Bart Salisbury
The morality tale surrounding the demise of the CrunchPad has gotten some clarity while it's become even more murky. The CrunchPad, as such, isn’t quite dead. Rather, it’s been reincarnated as the “JooJoo”, and Fusion Garage CEO Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan says it will be ready to launch Friday, December 11.
The quick-and-dirty of the tale is this: Michael Arrington of TechCrunch announced the death of the CrunchPad on November 30. He related the cause of death to be Rathakrishnan and unnamed investors who decided they would be better off without Arrington’s participation. In Arrington’s view he’s part owner of the intellectual property behind the CrunchPad, so without some agreement on terms Fusion Garage wouldn’t have a product to sell.
Rathakrishnan struck back today. Not only is Fusion Garage prepared to produce and sell the 12.1-inch web tablet, it is planning to do so this week. Rathakrishnan also clarified the cause of the TechCrunch-Fusion Garage break-up to be Arrington, who Rathakrishnan says “was completely unable to deliver.”
The background probably isn’t as important as the product itself. Details are limited, but the JooJoo will have a 12.1-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, ebook capability, the ability to deliver full HD video, and, according to Rathakrishnan, “the fastest bootup sequence out there.” It will also cost $499, more than double what Arrington had projected.
Whether the JooJoo will see the light of day is another matter. Come Friday we’ll have a better idea on where this little saga goes next.
Image Credit: Fusion Garage
Sounds like
Submitted by MeTo on Tue, 12/08/2009 - 6:30pm
Sounds like this was a publicity stunt to drive up the price. I would rather have a $300 10" netbook.
Submitted by exaltedbladder on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 5:44pm
logo looks suspiciously like the "koodo" logo
http://images1.makefive.com/images/200922/48c7f4f31e269281.jpg
Submitted by Mr_Histamine on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 5:12pm
I highly doubt this will be successful. They're already having issues with investors and each other, so I wouldn't be surprised if this fades into eternity by summer of next year. And that really is unfortunate, because the system itself is brilliant - but without the capital and solidity of companies like Apple, Dell, Sony, etc., I can't see this succeeding.
________________________________________________________________________________
Please deposit your pride, life, and other garbage in the receptacles at the back of the theater before you leave. Thanks!
Wow...
Submitted by Spartacus on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 3:47pm
If the price tag doesn't kill this thing, the name will. Whoever thought of that name must be a truly extraordinary specimen of humanity.
CrunchPad was a pretty good name, sounded catchy and cool... If I hadn't seen this before someone mentioned the JooJoo I would have first thought who would EVER give a name like that to anything, and second, what on earth is a JooJoo?!?!
Submitted by Spartacus on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 3:46pm
If the price tag doesn't kill this thing, the name will. Whoever thought of that name must be a truly extraordinary specimen of humanity.
CrunchPad was a pretty good name, sounded catchy and cool... If I hadn't seen this before someone mentioned the JooJoo I would have first thought who would EVER give a name like that to anything, and second, what on earth is a JooJoo?!?!
Submitted by exaltedbladder on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 5:42pm
mandarin speaking kids call penises "joo joo" (phoenetics)
not a good name, i would say.
Submitted by aviaggio on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 3:35pm
Waste of time and space. Guaranteed it'll be an epic failure, and just what Fusion Garage deserves for their BS.
Explain why I would want this instead of a netbook (or even notebook) that can do 10x more for $200 less?
Submitted by DogPatch1149 on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 2:50pm
"Can JooJoo Do-Do, Or Is JooJoo Just DooDoo?"
Looks pretty, might work, no really big selling points, and definitely expensive.
"Fastest bootup sequence out there." Well, when you're the only touch screen tablet out there, the bar isn't exactly set very high, now, is it?
What makes it worth $500 again?
Submitted by N25PHILLY on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 2:33pm
...people treat product that have been around for years like they were just invented.
Submitted by Walnut on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 2:26pm
I thought the whole concept behind the Crunch Pad was to come out with a tablet for web browsing on the cheap. $500 is not "on the cheap." I wouldn't touch this thing with a ten foot pole, especially considering the seemingly malicious twist Fusion Garage has thrown into the picture. Get this sucker into the $200-$300 dollar range and then we'll talk. Until then, I'm waiting for Microsoft's Courier. That thing looks sweet.
Submitted by Bender2000 on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 2:18pm
Finally!! Now we have a real choice against that dastardly tablet made by Apple, right! Dell, HP, SOny all dropped the ball here. It took Fusion Garage to beat Apple at its own game with a tablet that is fast and cheap and stylish! Never mind that the Apple tablet has not yet been announced or even acknowledged. Maxi the Unicorn gives this an Eleven KICK-ASS rating, and its already won the most innovative design of 2009 by some popular soething magazine, right?
Submitted by LVmonkey on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 3:57pm
...astroturf
Submitted by LVmonkey on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 3:57pm
...astroturf
Submitted by CentiZen on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 1:55pm
I seem to remember the podcast saying that the crunchpad for sure wasn't coming out in 2009.
lol
the CrunchPad isn't
Submitted by nekollx on Mon, 12/07/2009 - 1:59pm
the CrunchPad isn't though...
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