R.I.P. CrunchPad [Update]
R.I.P. CrunchPad
Michael Arrington has just now reveled on TechCrunch that CrunchPad is dead. It’s tragic end to the dreams of Michael Arrington, as the tablet computer Crunchpad is in the Deadpool now. Crunchpad died before its arrival. The device was scheduled to be launched on 20th November at Real-Time Crunchup Event and there were already 1000 devices on the pre-sales.
By the way what was CrunchPad? It was an internet consumption gadget (much like a Apple’s Upcoming Tablet). The device was supposed to boot directly into the browser (Firefox). CrunchPad project was started in July 2008 with the aim to build a simple web tablet for just $200. But, by the end of the July there were rumors that CrunchPad would cost around $400.
The unfortunate end to CrunchPad is not due to some technical issues or financial problems but the end is a result of greed, jealousy and miscommunication as told by Arrington. Crux of the story- Partner company Fusion Garage no longer wanted to go along with TechCrunch and wanted to sell CrunchPad on their own, under their own banner. Arringoton says that both TechCrunch and Fusion Garage hold the intellectual property of CrunchPad and TechCrunch solely holds the CrunchPad trademark. So, TechCrunch plans to file multiple lawsuits against Fusion Garage and its stake holders. (Read the full melodramatic story here in detail by Arrington). The nature of the law suites is yet to be made public.
The unleashed tablet computer CrunchPad had already being named as one of the 10 best ‘Product of the Year 2009‘ by Popular Mechanics last month. We will keep you updated as the story develops in coming days and months…
In the end R.I.P. CrunchPad. 
Update - CEO and Fusion Garage will be holding a media event on Monday to reveal his side of the story. Michael Arrington has also published the E-Mail conservation with Fusion Garage CEO Chandrasekhar Radhakrishnan along with lawsuit letters sent by the law firm of TechCrunch. You can also find the copy of the letters sent by Law Firms embedded below.
Image Credits: TechCrunch
Follow-Up
Origin Of Story
TechCrunch: The End Of The CrunchPad by Michael Arrington
Neutral View:
Technologizer: CrunchPad, We Hardly Knew Ye by Harry McCracken
Silicon Alley Insider: The CrunchPad Is Dead, Says Michael Arrington
The Next Web: There is be no CrunchPad. Arrington’s Project Implodes
Satire:
Engadget: The CrunchPad Disappears in a puff of vapor by Nilay Patel
ChengLtr –
2009-12-04 Letter to Rathakrishnan –
Whether this is- a publicity stunt by Arrington or a reality… Arrington for that matter has nothing to loose here.. If this soap opera style story of ‘Arrington & Fusion Garage’ is a reality then arrington is lucky enough to get out of a project that was doomed to fail.. I dont think consumers would have bought $300 CrunchPad after the launch of Google Chrome OS. Chrome Os has the potential to turn any net book into the so called CrunchPad.We dont need CrunchPad any more!
John, I believe your comment isn’t quite right. The point on the Crunchpad was to be a large format (12″ screen) touch screen device – that is what differentiated it from netbooks, regardless of operating system. I, for one, would have bought one the instant it came out.
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )
says:
Yep… Quite right… CrunchPad was supposed to be a Tablet not a Netbook
“Chrome Os has the potential to turn any net book into the so called CrunchPad.”
Except for the parts about turning the clamshell into a flatscreen, turning the eight or ten inch diagonal into a twelve-inch, turning the screen from TFT to touch, and turning the thickness of the device to less than half. Oh, and making the keyboard and touchpad obsolete. Or… well, just about anything aside from the boot-into-the-browser part, the only thing that Chrome OS might conceivably do that would make it in any way like the Crunchpad proposed to do.
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )
says:
+1. Well done ykm!
Whether they live or die, these new age devices are really amazing.
@TD
Post more articles like these.
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )
says:
yup… They are mind blowing.
CrunchPad could have been a great device for sure. More than that I was really watching it closely because it was so amazing see the power of new media & what it can do…!
Sure we will post more of these…
Do let us know if you find some thing interesting that you think should come here on TechDusts.
The Kill Switch on the project came down from on high, from “shareholders”. I have no doubt that these are investors protecting interests in other more proprietary investments. The CrunhPad was too open. Funding the project served to give them control over it, and to deter anyone from trying to do the same in the future once they publicly killed the project. This is what we get from giant global corporations. The tell us what we can have. I have a new saying, TBTC — Too Big To Crunch.