Spark: Linux-based 7-inch tablet ready for release in May

The much-touted Linux-based 7-inch tablet, the Spark, is getting ready for release by the middle of this year. More details about the tablet are recently made available by one of its developers, Aaron Seigo in his personal blog. The Spark, basically a rebranded version of the Chinese tablet, the Zenithink C71, is to run Mer, the community based edition of MeeGo Linux with great support for open source applications.

Spark Linux-based tablet

The Spark will land in stores with a 7-inch capacitive multi-touch display and a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. The tablet will be up with a 1GHz AMLogic (ARM Cortex-A9) CPU, 512MB of RAM and Mali 400 GPU. You will have 4GB built-in storage and a microSD slot for memory expansion.

For network connectivity, you can depend on Wi-Fi 802.11b/g initially. In future, there will be a 3G version of the Spark. The gadget sports a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for making video calls. The device will come with a pair of USB ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. Other details about the tablet are yet to come out of cover.

Indeed, the most notable thing with the tablet is that it runs Linux firmware and richly supports open source apps. Anyone can create his own apps to run on the tablet, because it is all about open source. Similarly, users can access lots of eBooks and other digital media contents on the tablet.

The Spark will be shipped in Europe in May this year. Meanwhile, pre-orders for the device for Europe and the entire global markets will shortly start. Its designers haven’t mentioned anything about its possible U.S. release date, however. The tablet won’t come with a locked bootloader, which means anyone can modify the kernel to meet their specific requirements.

On release, the Spark will be available in Wi-Fi model only. Later, the device will get both GPS and 3G capabilities. It will be so easy to manage the Spark tablet, which is a simple and small tablet. Its 7-inch screen makes it a highly portable tablet as well. It is a time the tech blogs are replete with the news on leading 7-inch tablets.

The 7-inch tablet revolution, started by Amazon Kindle Fire, goes on with better penetration into the global tablet market. Customers widely prepare to buy a 7-inch and small tablet. The Spark is to stand out the entire chunks in market thanks to its open source Linux operating system and open apps.

The Spark will come with a price of just $265. It is yet another dazzling thing that makes the Spark notable. Mainstream customers, who love Linux or open source platforms, may go for the tablet PC with little hesitation. Google and Apple, two leaders in global tablet industry, will be offer stiff competition with products like the Spark.

Via: Liliputing