Linux unveils open source tablet

The Spark, an open source tablet that will be available for purchase by May this year, is part of the Linux-based MeeGo project, which is hosted by the Linux Foundation, iTWire reports.

The device will run open source software, as well as a mix of free content, such as digital books from Project Gutenberg, as well as content and apps for purchase, PC World states.

Along with Plasma Active, the Spark device will offer a 1GHz AMLogic ARM processor, Mali-400 GPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, an SD card slot, a seven-inch capacitive multi-touch-screen, and WiFi connectivity.

ITProPortal says that, according to Aaron Seigo, a self-proclaimed KDE hacker who presented the tablet, the Spark is aimed primarily at people who want a device that sports "an open Linux stack on an unlocked hardware and comes with an open content and service market".

According to Seigo in a ZDNet report, the device has been designed in such a way that other people can use the same backend to make their own app stores. “It supports the idea of a single, large set of content, which can then be curated into any number of different stores with different focuses and delivery targets.”