This hit me like a ton of bricks today. Apparently the CrunchPad is not going to be released after all. To be even clearer, it seems that the CrunchPad is being taken out from underneath its creators.

I think this statement best sums it up.

Quote:

“This is the equivalent of Foxconn, who build the iPhone, notifying Apple a couple of days before launch that they’d be moving ahead and selling the iPhone directly without any involvement from Apple.”

Harsh, but I am inclined to agree. Despite the fact that it has its IP in order, thus ensuring TechCrunch that the CrunchPad is filed jointly as a product between the company and the manufacturer, apparently the other guys are not too worried about this.

So what’s next? From the sounds of things, nothing. No, there appears to be no real evidence that the CrunchPad will ever make it into existence. I cannot speak for everyone out there, but this sort of makes me sad. It would have been a really cool concept. Guess the industry will have to wait for the Apple alternative!

[awsbullet:tablet computer]