Chumby drops hardware sales, phases out support
updated 08:30 pm EDT, Thu April 19, 2012
Chumby quietly shuts hardware store
Chumby's Duane Maxwell has confirmed suspicions among prospective buyers that the company had stopped selling hardware. He told community members that the company had stopped selling its own-branded products, having stopped production in 2011. Chumby had run out of stock, he said.
The exit appears to have mirrored an unspoken phase-out of support. Users commented on the same forums that they aren't getting responses to support e-mail. It suggests, though doesn't confirm, that Chumby hadn't set out a gradual transition or otherwise warned owners.
Chumby's Linux-based, customizable platform still exists in NeTV, but it has mostly ramped down. Both the Sony Dash and the Insignia Connected TV were dropped after relatively short intervals. While they had immediate uses for the general public, their goals of offering a customizable OS didn't resonate with users who could find similar features elsewhere.
The company itself may be winding down activity. Early creators Alison Fay and Michael Coleman have both moved on to Media Navi. Neither Maxwell nor others have confirmed any such plans, however. [via Engadget]
