Re:Update On The TechCrunch Tablet: Prototype A
by gstar on Sunday August 31, 2008 @12:39PM
(#291412)
That's a fair synopsis of my response, yes! The very fact that they have built a prototype already means they're doin' it wrong.
The correct approach when you fly in with a set of specs (which seemed to be $200, touch screen, browser) is to find suppliers and negotiate your build cost down to sub $75 so that you can afford to bring it to market at $200
This kind of budget, with the volumes (small) and capital (small, mike arrington isn't dell) that TC would have for this project means that well before you're at the stage of ordering samples building a prototype, you would have needed to have done a whole lot of work at the negotiation table to even get into the ballpark.
I'm all for optimism, but honestly - this isn't a rails web app - it's hardware.
"you can't do that, your working model isn't good enough, you're all incompetent and overreaching, you're a bunch of nerds and you're just stealing other designer's hardware."
Why does your comment have any positive votes at all?
Much as I think the idea is silly (keyboards forever!) "Do these guys really think you can brew up a $200 web tablet at an old kitchen table?" - yes, yes they do. And good luck to them.