Now that Microsoft, Apple and Google have presented their versions of what tablets should look like, Linux is chiming in. They have their first tablet called the "Spark" up for grabs. Read on to see more on this special tablet with the popular open source software inside.
An Open Source Tablet For Programmers
This tablet is made for the geeks in the world. Those who love tinkering with code are the ones who were in mind when this Linux tablet named Spark was created. The coding geniuses now have their own brand of tablet to play or work with. This tablet is not made to give a challenge to an iPad or Kindle Fire. It is purely for the "purist", the programmer.
This Is Not The Sharpest Knife In The Drawer
This is a tablet with modest, but efficient, hardware specifications. The screen size is rated for seven inches of digital real estate. The clarity of the display is a disappointing 800 by 480 pixels. Remember, this tablet is not designed to be an "iPad killer". The processor is cruising along at a barely respectable one gigahertz. It is an AMLogic ARM processor. This is accompanied by an anorexic 512 megabytes of RAM. The internal memory space is a tight four gigabytes but thankfully the tablet also has an external flash memory card slot.
Thank A Programmer For This Tablet
A developer by the name of Aaron Seigo is the impetus behind the Spark tablet. He is a KDE developer and wants this to be a special kind of tablet. There will be a Meego-based mobile operating system running the menus and programs. If you do not remember Meego, it is an open source platform based on Linux and started by phone maker Nokia. The Spark tablet runs "Mer", a fork of Meego. Those who want to develop touch screen friendly apps with QT and QML will now be able to. This tablet will be the perfect beta testing tablet.
A Great Looking User Interface
The KDE ( K Desktop Environment ) that this tablet is running under is sporting a "Plasma Active" user interface. This is a flexible cover for the Linux mobile operating system, similar to the "Sense" user interface on HTC smartphones. But the "Plasma Active" UI is designed not to use much processor memory. It can be used on smartphones, smart televisions, in-car infotainment systems, set-top boxes and home automation. It is very customizable and "learns" what the user wants over time.
This Tablet Will Be Here Soon
Look for the Spark tablet to come out in May or behind schedule. The price will be $260 dollars or €200 Euros if you are in Europe.
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