TechCrunch Tablet

Dopedangel · 04-10-2009, 08:00 AM

http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/09...-little-early/

This device looks great for Comics and technical books and is supposed to be under $300.

kwjones · 04-10-2009, 08:19 AM

Purdy! I might have to consider one of those instead of a netbook when I get ready to replace my laptop.

Neil · 04-10-2009, 10:47 AM

Wow, it does look like a good solution for browsing. Not sure though how the screen would play for ebooks. I do like the e-ink screens for such more than most color lcds.

Dopedangel · 04-11-2009, 02:32 AM

Persoanlly I dont mind reading on lcd screens as I read on my Touch 3g Phone
but many people have problems with it
This can actually very good reader for comics, email, web browsing I think the $300 price point should come down a lot if it is mass produced.

HarryT · 04-11-2009, 05:31 AM

With that 12" screen one has to wonder what the battery life will be. I suspect very poor.

wallcraft · 04-11-2009, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

With that 12" screen one has to wonder what the battery life will be. I suspect very poor.

UMPCportal estimated (guessed) about 2.5 hours, see Guessing the Specs: Techcrunch ‘CrunchPad’. The problem is that a large capacity battery is also a heavy battery.

If this is designed to be used while tethered to a power cord (USB Charger), it might still work for around the house. One of the mistakes iRex made with the Digital Reader is missing this usage mode (it is possible with the DR, but the device isn't designed to allow it and so the USB socket can break).

HarryT · 04-11-2009, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

UMPCportal estimated (guessed) about 2.5 hours, see Guessing the Specs: Techcrunch ‘CrunchPad’. The problem is that a large capacity battery is also a heavy battery.

Absolutely. Which explains why there are no "A4" Tablet PCs. The combination of large screen and long battery life just doesn't "work" for LCD screens.

Quote:

If this is designed to be used while tethered to a power cord (USB Charger), it might still work for around the house. One of the mistakes iRex made with the Digital Reader is missing this usage mode (it is possible with the DR, but the device isn't designed to allow it and so the USB socket can break).

Interesting idea, certainly!

echoleaf · 07-04-2009, 10:56 AM

They claim it's coming to market for $300. Very curious to see what battery life is like.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/03...nch-prototype/

emellaich · 07-04-2009, 11:07 AM

For me at least, the bigger issue is whether it is an ebook reader.

This thing is primarily designed as an internet device. For example, if you want word processing you use google docs or other online services. Following this logic, anything you read would need to be online. Obviously it has some local memory so that it can receive a web page, but I'm not sure that it can actually hold a library of books. Nor do I know whether it can run a local application program to read from that library.

DG25 · 07-04-2009, 02:25 PM

Why no PixelQ screen? This device begs for it! I would buy it in an instant if it had PixelQ and a good battery. It's just the thing i want: ebooks and web reader, all in one compact shape.

phenomshel · 07-04-2009, 02:37 PM

DG, you're right. A PixelQi screen on this would also (I think) have the advantage of lengthening battery life.

Emelliach, I don't see anything telling what type of operating system this has, but judging by the Intel Atom processor, it should run anything you throw at it, just about. I also don't see where it says or shows any remote storage capabilities, such as an SD card. But assuming those two items, it should make a decent reader if you don't mind the short battery life. I am beginning to need something that will read comics as well as novels - if this had the Pixel Qi screen and/or a more robust battery life I'd be first in line.

emellaich · 07-04-2009, 03:34 PM

This is a dupe of a post I just made over at Teleread, but here goes:

Unfortunately for us ebook fans, the way I read it this is ONLY intended to be a web browsing device. They want to simplify the design and make it cheap by concentrating only on web browsing. For every one of us who wants ebook capabilities there is someone else who wants media player functions and another looking for MSOffice. Here are some quotes from a recent NY Times article:

Quote:

Mr. Arrington said the CrunchPad would be different from netbooks, the mini-laptops made by companies like Acer, Asustek and Dell that my colleagues have written about. Many of those have small keyboards and offer more capabilities than just a browser, like running Microsoft Word.

The additional applications bog down the performance of netbooks, Mr. Arrington said. “Most people will find it works as good as a netbook or better,” he said of the CrunchPad.

He said it will also be different from the tablet computer that Apple is rumored to be building. He has speculated that an Apple tablet could run iPhone applications and be $500 to $1,000. “I’ll buy three of those, that sounds awesome,” he said. “I don’t intend to be the Pre for the iPhone,” he said. “This is very different from what they’re doing.”

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/0...cer-arrington/

It's not that I don't want it to have ebook capabilities, its that I don't think it will be designed that way.

dordale · 07-04-2009, 03:48 PM

If it's able to be used as a web browser, it should be able to render books in html format.

dordale

wallcraft · 07-04-2009, 04:17 PM

There are some on-line ebook applications. One is Bookworm and see also Google throws down the gauntlet, announces plans to sell e-Books (NYT).

emellaich · 07-04-2009, 08:27 PM

Well, I hope I am wrong on this. However, an ebook reader needs to be able to pull an entire book into memory so that the person reading it can take the book with them when they go out of range.

Of course, there is no reason web sites can't publish an entire book as one HTML file. For that matter, it is likely that txt ebooks (ie, Gutenberg) can be pulled in as entire files. However, I don't see it as too likely that Amazon, Fictionwise, etc will get into the business of publishing books as web pages. Depending on how cache is handled, it also doesn't make it easy to bring more than one book with you on trips, etc.

I'm sure I will be trying to figure out someway to hack this. It does support USB. There is no reason there can't be a browser extension that interprets epub for display in the browser, and you may be able to plug in a USB key loaded with files. As long as the browser can point to local storage, you could work something out.

Hopefully with the help of all of the developers here, it won't be too tough to crack and add in these capabilities. My point is not that it can't be used as an ebook reader, but that it won't be designed that way out of the box.

04-10-2009, 08:00 AM	#1
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,759 Karma: 30063305 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	TechCrunch Tablet http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/04/09...-little-early/ This device looks great for Comics and technical books and is supposed to be under $300.

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04-10-2009, 08:19 AM	#2
kwjones Groupie Posts: 178 Karma: 1546 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rising Sun, MD Device: Sony PRS-505; Motorola Droid	Purdy! I might have to consider one of those instead of a netbook when I get ready to replace my laptop.

04-10-2009, 10:47 AM	#3
Neil Addict Posts: 226 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, PB Color	Wow, it does look like a good solution for browsing. Not sure though how the screen would play for ebooks. I do like the e-ink screens for such more than most color lcds.

04-11-2009, 02:32 AM	#4
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,759 Karma: 30063305 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	Persoanlly I dont mind reading on lcd screens as I read on my Touch 3g Phone but many people have problems with it This can actually very good reader for comics, email, web browsing I think the $300 price point should come down a lot if it is mass produced.

04-11-2009, 05:31 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	With that 12" screen one has to wonder what the battery life will be. I suspect very poor.

07-04-2009, 10:56 AM	#8
echoleaf Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 236 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Bebook, Cybook or eSlick?	They claim it's coming to market for $300. Very curious to see what battery life is like. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/06/03...nch-prototype/

07-04-2009, 11:07 AM	#9
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	For me at least, the bigger issue is whether it is an ebook reader. This thing is primarily designed as an internet device. For example, if you want word processing you use google docs or other online services. Following this logic, anything you read would need to be online. Obviously it has some local memory so that it can receive a web page, but I'm not sure that it can actually hold a library of books. Nor do I know whether it can run a local application program to read from that library.

07-04-2009, 02:25 PM	#10
DG25 Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: EU Device: none	Why no PixelQ screen? This device begs for it! I would buy it in an instant if it had PixelQ and a good battery. It's just the thing i want: ebooks and web reader, all in one compact shape.

07-04-2009, 02:37 PM	#11
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	DG, you're right. A PixelQi screen on this would also (I think) have the advantage of lengthening battery life. Emelliach, I don't see anything telling what type of operating system this has, but judging by the Intel Atom processor, it should run anything you throw at it, just about. I also don't see where it says or shows any remote storage capabilities, such as an SD card. But assuming those two items, it should make a decent reader if you don't mind the short battery life. I am beginning to need something that will read comics as well as novels - if this had the Pixel Qi screen and/or a more robust battery life I'd be first in line.

07-04-2009, 03:48 PM	#13
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	If it's able to be used as a web browser, it should be able to render books in html format. dordale

07-04-2009, 04:17 PM	#14
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There are some on-line ebook applications. One is Bookworm and see also Google throws down the gauntlet, announces plans to sell e-Books (NYT).

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07-04-2009, 08:27 PM	#15
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	Well, I hope I am wrong on this. However, an ebook reader needs to be able to pull an entire book into memory so that the person reading it can take the book with them when they go out of range. Of course, there is no reason web sites can't publish an entire book as one HTML file. For that matter, it is likely that txt ebooks (ie, Gutenberg) can be pulled in as entire files. However, I don't see it as too likely that Amazon, Fictionwise, etc will get into the business of publishing books as web pages. Depending on how cache is handled, it also doesn't make it easy to bring more than one book with you on trips, etc. I'm sure I will be trying to figure out someway to hack this. It does support USB. There is no reason there can't be a browser extension that interprets epub for display in the browser, and you may be able to plug in a USB key loaded with files. As long as the browser can point to local storage, you could work something out. Hopefully with the help of all of the developers here, it won't be too tough to crack and add in these capabilities. My point is not that it can't be used as an ebook reader, but that it won't be designed that way out of the box.