While most people just want their devices to work so that they can do stuff, some people love tinkering with operating systems. Until now, the tablet sector’s been ripe for hacking, but there hasn’t been anything that’s truly open-source and easy to fiddle with from the get-go. This Spark tablet puts that straight.
It runs Plasma Active UX, an open-source OS based on the Linux kernel. It’s not, I think it’s fair to say, designed to be a Kindle Fire or iPad competitor. Indeed, it’s aimed at “those who love writing great software… using the typical Linux tools”. That kind of rules me out, but it will get plenty of people excited, I’m sure.
In terms of specs, it fairs modestly: a 1GHz AMLogic ARM processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage plus SD card slot, a 7-inch capacitive multitouch screen and Wi-Fi connectivity. It’s slated to cost around $US260 when it ships, though at the moment it’s not clear when that will be. [aseigo via Ars Technica]