CherryPal Mini-desktop Saves on Power
by Frank Jovine on 07/21/2008 in Computers, Hardware
CherryPal is a new Linux-based mini-desktop that saves on power, but lacks on performance which may lead to some concerns.
The CherryPal “cloud computer,” announced on Monday, which looks more like a thin client, uses only 2 watts of power at maximum usage, 97 percent less than typical desktops, the company claimed.
There’s a trade off with the low power consumption and that’s performance, said Michael Kanellos, senior analyst with GreenTech Media. It is best used as a secondary home desktop for basic Internet and productivity applications, but other than that, it serves limited purpose, Kanellos said.
Priced at US$249, the system includes a Freescale processor running at 400MHz, 256M bytes of RAM and 4G bytes of internal flash storage. It comes with the OpenOffice suite and the Firefox Web browser. By comparison, Asus Eee PC mini-notebooks have at least an 800GHz Intel Celeron processor, 512M bytes of RAM and 2G bytes of flash storage for about $300.
Users have the option to store data online, a concept known as “cloud” storage, and access it from any device, including mobile phones. Online storage capacity of 50G bytes will be provided at no extra cost, according to the company.
The system weighs 0.66 pounds (0.3 kilograms) and runs an embedded version of Debian Linux. It will not come with Windows, according to the company. It doesn’t include a monitor or keyboard.
Curt
Jul 21st, 2008
Sounds too limited to me to be much of a marketing success!
Allure
Jul 21st, 2008
I do not think that the Cherrypal would be a success in terms of being bought and used by the public. a 3G cellphone could do more than a cherrypal can.
Haspel
Jul 21st, 2008
Seems like a very nice concept but the features are rather limited for now.Another great find TJ
Frank J
Jul 21st, 2008
Haspel – So true it’s limited when it comes to performance and for that rpice I would pay another $100 for a bit more speed.
coolnews
Jul 21st, 2008
seems like a good device..
less power than typical desktops..
i will get more information about this..
Frank J
Jul 21st, 2008
coolnews – Welcome and thank you for the input!
cuekriz
Jul 21st, 2008
yeah limited… maybe can upgrade or overclock for performence… for basic internet ehm… ok but for games or multimedia ? hehehehe maybe no
Cindy
Jul 30th, 2008
Check it out and get your own hands on a cherrypal! Come to http://cherrypal.blogspot.com for the lean, mean, green computing machine. Soon you can get a discount code for getting your own CherryPal as well as an education in green computing.
solmn
Aug 8th, 2008
Thank you for talking about the CherryPal C100. I am linking to this page from my blog, CherryPal for Everyone, at cherrypal dot blogspot dot com. I am excited about how the CherryPal can bridge barriers to people who have not had access to computers or the internet because of money, fear, education or other challenges. I will be commenting on my experience
of using it on my blog as soon as I get my own CherryPal C100! You can use CODE CPP206 to get your own CherryPal for $10 less than purchase price at Paypal when they are shipping (soon!) The best update I’ve gotten on availability is that the delay is due to a last minute decision to upgrade the solid state storage to a faster, higher quality version than
planned. The hardware is working perfectly but the software requires some tweaks to fully optimize the OS to the new hardware. I think its worth the wait as there is nothing else available at the price point of $239 (using code CPP206). Come visit http://cherrypal.blogspot.com for updates I don’t work for the company, just an anticipated fan with interests in cloud computing, green washing, and cheap, reliable connectivity.