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Picture of Cherrypal C114, 110V power adapter, coffee cup, and plant

Cherrypal is a small, light nettop computer using a PowerPC-processor, the Freescale 5121e system-on-a-chip (SoC), integrated main-board, and Xubuntu as its operating system. The device launches Firefox Minefield web-browser, AbiWord word-processor,[1] and other apps via icon double-click. The C114 version is equipped with 256 megs of RAM. The newer C120 model has 512 megs.

This article is about the Cherrypal 5121e-based computer, however its marketer, Cherrypal the company, has subsequently introduced other computers including "Cherrypal Bing" (an X86-based netbook) and "Cherrypal Africa" (an ultra-cheap quasi-laptop of indeterminate specifications).

History

Cherrypal was founded by Max Seybold based in Palo Alto.[2]

Wattage

An article in The Register noted that Cherrypal's producers asserted that the computer will consume only 2 watts of power. There has been no independent confirmation of this.[3] Independent, informal testing has shown a wattage consumption of 6.9 watts while booting.[4][5]

Cloud Computing Plans

Cherrypal's marketers planned to use Firefox not only as its web-browser but additionally as its user-interface for launching other applications such as OpenOffice.org.[6] They planned that the Cherrypal would make use of cloud computing in which applications and storage would be wholly or in part Internet-based. These plans have not yet been implemented. The company's president asserts the cloud (Green Maraschino) will be launched in Feb. 2010.

Africa

Cherrypal's $99 netbook, the Africa, is aimed primarily at the developing world but also available for sale to consumers. According to a blog post by Max Seybold, the device's specs in Cherrypal's web store are kept intentionally vague, because the Africa is not built to a set design. Instead, Cherrypal either purchases pre-made netbook systems or buys odd lots of whatever inexpensive components are available and builds netbooks out of these. It then rebrands these netbooks as Africas.

Seybold states that the resulting device will at a minimum meet the specs listed on the website, but could also exceed them. It could also end up having an ARM, MIPS, or X86-based CPU architecture depending on what chips are available.[7]

In an interview, Seybold stated that the Africa is not meant to be sold as a "computer" in the traditional sense, but as an "appliance" to provide Internet access to people who could not afford to buy a traditional computer. He said that with the number of government services (such as unemployment or disability) that are encouraging access by Internet, lack of such access is becoming more and more of a disability. The only thing Cherrypal promises for $99 is the ability to access the Internet. [8]

As of January 11, 2010 nobody has yet received a unit, the whole operation is believed by some to be a scam. [9] Others claim tracking shows a shipment on its way. [10]

Timeline

  • Jul. 2008: Cherrypal was originally scheduled to ship in late July, 2008.
  • 4 Nov. 2008: Rescheduled the ship date for 4 November 2008.[11]
  • 3 Dec. 2008: The first end-user report of actually receiving a boxed Cherrypal was posted.[12] Cherrypal stated they had earlier shipped some multiple-unit orders to organizational customers.[13] More users began receiving their Cherrypals, and real-life test reports were released, with mixed responses.[14]
  • 20 Jun. 2009: A competitor's blog claimed Cherrypal went out of business in the UK in June 2009 and that "We are not quite sure what has happened with Cherrypal Inc. in the USA." [15]
  • Dec. 2009: An upgraded version of the Cherrypal is offered for sale on the company website.[16] Also released were an update for their "Bing" notebook, and a $99 mini-notebook called "Africa". The $99 computer was named Africa in honor of PAAJAF, a humanitarian services group based in Ghana, West-Africa. [citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Green Tech Girl (Dec. 5, 2008). "Green Tech Girl Blog: My Cherrypal Has Arrived". Retrieved 2008-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357185,00.asp
  3. ^ Austin Modine (July 21, 2008). "Cherrypal launches $249 mini PC into ad-backed cloud". The Register. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  4. ^ http://www.morphzone.org/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6196&forum=11
  5. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF20N9HPGo
  6. ^ Maureen O'Gara (July 28, 2008). "Cloud computing start-Up creates PowerPC-based cloud desktop". JDJ. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  7. ^ Max Seybold (December 19, 2009). "The open secret behind the Cherrypal Africa, or, A brand is a promise, or Understatement by design". GreenOpenFair. Retrieved 2009-12-21.
  8. ^ Chris Meadows (December 24, 2009). "Cherrypal's Max Seybold talks 'Africa': $99 netbook no Kindle—but can run e-book software like FBReader". TeleRead.org. Retrieved 2009-12-26.
  9. ^ Chris Meadows (January 06, 2010). "Caution may be advisable: That's my advice after talking to Cherrypal chairman Max Seybold". TeleRead.org. Retrieved 2010-01-11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ atari (January 11, 2010). "Cherrypal – Online Tracking". blog.hep-cat.de. Retrieved 2010-01-11.
  11. ^ http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10068111-1.html
  12. ^ Solmn (Dec. 3, 2008). "Cherrypal at my Front Door". Retrieved 2008-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40187/135/
  14. ^ engadget takes cherrypal for a first spin
  15. ^ Cherrypal Folds
  16. ^ Cherrypal Products
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