TechCrunch wants internet tablet, builds internet tablet

Just a little over a month ago, Techcrunch announced that they’d like to have a simple, cheap, yet powerful internet tablet. It should run Firefox and Skype, have a touch screen and should be available for $200 max. Nobody had built something like this so far and there were no signs of one being built. Usually, with blogs and magazines alike, the story would end here: We put the idea out there, so now we wait to see if someone takes care of it. Not so in this case. TechCrunch actually is building the thing.

The first prototype is ready:

A humble (and messy) beginning. Prototype A has been built. It’s in a temporary aluminum case that a local sheet metal shop put together for us that’s at least twice as thick as it needs to be, but the hardware has been defined and is nearing lockdown. We booted the machine in the case for the first time today, accessed the Wifi network and were able to navigate a web page via the touch screen.

Still a bit bulky, but hey, it’s been just a few weeks from idea to prototype. How awesome is that?

Here’s a first teaser photo straight from TechCrunch:

TechCrunch Tablet

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