Tablet starts shipping in the US

Mar 23, 2010 08:56 GMT  ·  By

Tablets have only recently started getting attention, but they are hardly a new invention. Apple had been working on its iPad for quite a while before it got around to launching it and convertible tablets have been selling for years. In fact, besides the iPad, there has been another slate that, through controversy and various setbacks, has drawn the eyes of the media. Known as the JooJoo tablet, formerly the CrunchPad, the slate seems to have finally started shipping.

JooJoo's history is not exactly close to perfection, with the list of controversial developments including a lawsuit filed by TechCrunch and some issues involving Fusion Garage's supposedly inappropriate use of the PayPal service. These problems did not exactly provide good publicity, especially considering that, until recently, neither was there a clear indication of when the tablet would actually start shipping, nor was there any information on its specifications.

The problem of lack of info on the tablet specs took care of itself not long ago, when the device passed through the hands of the Federal Communications Commission. Components were revealed to be all previous-generation, with an Intel Atom N270 CPU coupled with NVIDIA's first-generation ION graphics processing unit. There was also a mention of possible 3G connectivity, support for Windows, and a 12-inch capacitive touchscreen. Now, the official product page points out a modest storage capacity of 4GB, a USB port, built-in speakers, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

The launch date was supposed to be March 25th, but it looks as though the slate started selling a little earlier, with the official website having already listed it as available in the US, at a price of $499.00. There is also the option of adding a JooJoo stand in the mix, for an extra $29.99. The web page also states that the availability in other countries will be announced 'shortly.'