The much-hyped Crunchpad is very much alive. It’s now called Joojoo and is hitting US shelves this Friday, 11 December for $400. So what is it and what can it do? And how will it differ from the fabled Mac Tablet? And what does it mean for Chrome OS? Check out our 10 things you need to know about the Joojoo tablet and we’ll tell all.
It won’t run apps
Joojoo won’t run apps, instead booting straight onto the web browser in a slick nine seconds flat. That means there’s no chance of an Apple-alike App Store for punters, something which the Mac Tablet will doubtless come packing if, and when, it rears its aluminium head.
It’s not like Google Chrome
In spite of booting straight onto the web, Joojoo doesn’t come running Google Chrome OS. While the Big G’s operating system is all set for PCs next year, Joojoo’s makers Fusion Garage have built their own system. It differs by using Joojoo’s own browser. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, we’re yet to decide.
It has local storage
Joojoo is set to come with 4GB of on board storage, meaning it should be able to stash docs, music and video for a bit of entertainment while you’re on the move. That’s another difference between Joojoo and Chrome OS, which actively avoids local storage.
Crunchpad lives! Now called Joojoo
It supports HD video
Fusion Garage said at Joojoo’s launch that it would have enough graphics grunt to deliver hi-def video. That means watching movies on its 12.1-inch screen will be ace, in theory at least.
It’s Wi-Fi only
Fans of 3G web browsing, look away. Joojoo only works with Wi-Fi and with no SIM slot, it looks set to stay that way. Best make sure you’re always in a hotpot, or invest in a Mi-Fi device if you want to hop online.
It has a USB drive
Chucking a USB down the side is an inspired move. It means you can access all your other goodies stored in different places and perhaps even bulk up Joojoo’s storage.
You get five hours surfing
Five hours web time is no mean feat on a device this size. That should sate you on a lengthy train trip. Just make sure you have access to power if you’re on an epic flight, or plan to hammer the battery with video playback.
It’s got a capacitive touchscreen
That means Joojoo will be great for zipping around the web, registering every prod and not requiring a naff stylus to tap out messages.
There’s an SD slot
For snappers, the Joojoo could be priceless. Stick in an SD card in the side and you can review your photos on a decent screen. Chuck photo editing into the mix, and it suddenly the Joojoo looks like a must-have gadget.
It has an accelerometer
So what, you say? Well, with a portrait mode, Joojoo could work as an eBook reader or the perfect place to serve up newspapers, Kindle-style.
