Cheap Web Tablet CrunchPad Hits Prototype B

TechCrunch last year fantasised about a low cost touch screen web tablet that boots right to the browser. Today the site showed off the CrunchPad and we have to say, we’re pretty excited.

Michael Arrington writes that the idea is to get a new type of device that does web and little else into people’s hands for as little cash as possible. TechCrunch was aiming for two hundred bucks but says it’s looking more like something around the $299 mark.

“It fits perfectly on your lap while you are sitting in front of the TV, so you can look up stuff on Wikipedia or IMDB as you channel surf. It plays Flash video flawlessly so you can watch movies and TV shows on Hulu or Joost or wherever. Or listen to music on MySpace Music. Or use TokBox to have a video chat with your parents. Then check email and call it a day. Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Hulu, Wikipedia, Google Docs and Gmail are the killer apps for this device.”

With regard to the guts of the device you’re looking at looking at a 12-inch touchscreen (4:3 aspect ratio, 1024×768) powered by a Via Nano processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4 GB flash drive to store the OS (Ubuntu Linux), browser and any cache, WiFi, an accelerometer, a camera and a four cell battery.

Total cost of the device, including estimates for the case, codecs and all the other bits and bobs, is just over $200. However, Arrington claims the LCD used in the prototype is pretty low quality and therefore, cost less than the $200 mentioned. The two hundred bucks includes the cost of a more expensive, higher quality LCD.

For us, this is the missing link between a netbook and the iPhone. Something you can use to browse the web, email, twitter, Facebook, look up places to eat, book flights or video chat but without eating the cost of a device that’s intended for much more. If TechCrunch can pull it off (and Mike and the lads seem to be well on their way), this is something we see being a huge hit with older people who just want to go online.

We’d like to see this make it to the production lines but according to TechCrunch, that’s not a decision they’re about to make just yet. Show your support by checking out the full article here.