6 Crunchpad Alternatives

The Crunchpad is no more but don’t worry because there are a number of options already out there for sofa-surfing fans. I’ve lined them all up with a short summary in this post. Click the images for detailed information and links to reviews, images and forums.

The Archos 9 tablet is built around a 1.1Ghz Atom CPU and runs Windows 7. You get a 60GB harddrive, 1GB storage, Wifi, BT and it all comes in at about 800gm. Light enough for some one-handed sofa fun! Pricing is $550 / 500 Euro.

The WITS A81 is an an interesting WIndows CE device build on an ARM cortex CPU. WITS are promising an Android build in December. 7 inch, long battery life and a price of around $250 before shipping and taxes make it very competitive.

The EviGroup Pad is ready to launch in Europe. Orders are already being taken for this 10 inch tablet built on a netbook platform and running Windows 7. Pricing is between 450 and 550 Euros and the high-end model brings you 3G. Just add a folding keyboard and you’ve got a nice modular mobile computer.

The Viliv X70 is about to become my ultra mobile PC of the year. Its proven to be efficient, well built and perfect for ultra mobile computing, sofa surfing and even a bit of navigation. Pricing is under $500 and you can get versions with 3G and fast SSD drives. Viliv, the company producing these now has global distribution.

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet is a tiny 5 inch handheld device weighing barley more than a high-end smartphone and like the WITS A81 above, it runs a version of Android on a Cortex ARM processor. There’s wifi, BT, GPS and a bunch of accessories that turn this into a PVR. It’s fast to browser the web, does a great job with media and is excellent value. Most of all, there’s an active community and new apps and hacks are appearing daily. The entry-level 8GB SSD version is just about to launch in Europe at 230 Euros. The 32GB version is available for $379. Expect the 8GB version to arrive for under $300.

The ASUS Eee PC T91 combines a netbook with a tablet in one device weighing less than 1KG and costing less than $500. It has a convertible touchscreen (multitouch if you want it) and runs Windows XP. With an 8.9 inch screen, the T91 crosses over between ‘pad’ and laptop.

As you can see, you have options so don’t worry too much about the death of the Crunchpad. Personally I prefer the 7 inch sizing for lazy-man web surfing and, as with ebook readers, the weight needs to be kept down to a minimum. The WITS A81 looks promising and we’ll be testing it out very soon on Carrypad. I love the Archos A5 IT too. For productivity work though and the possibility to build a modular mobile computer, check out the X70 and EviGroup Pad.

View all of these devices in an interactive comparison table. (Via UMPCPortal)