KDE developer launches open source tablet

Zurich-based developer Aaron Seigo, who is known for his work on the KDE desktop environment, has announced the launch of a Linux-based open source tablet running the Plasma Active user interface. Dubbed ‘Spark’, the 7-inch device will retail for €200, featuring a 1GHz Amlogic ARM processor, 512MB of RAM and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Writing in a post on his personal blog on Saturday, Seigo described the tablet’s specs as “modest but compelling”, emphasising that “[t]his is more than just another piece of hardware on the market … This is a unique opportunity for Free software.” He notes that the device will provide a fundamentally open platform for developers, with “no walled garden to get locked into or which can be taken away.”

Judging by the comments on Seigo’s initial post, the reaction in the KDE and broader Linux communities has been mixed. Many commentators appear enthusiastic about the project, asking for more hardware details, with Linux Magazine staffer Paul Brown offering to “market the crap out of it.”

But some dissenting voices have pointed out the device’s similarity to a generic 7-inch tablet produced by Chinese manufacturer Zenithink. A reverse search using Seigo’s teaser image throws up a number of promotional photographs of the Zenithink ZT-180 C71, a low-end device that can be found online for as little as $100.

“I’m excited by a tablet with free software, but I'd be more excited by a tablet with free software and expensive hardware,” writes a commentator using the handle ‘mick’. “It seems that lovers of free software are always perceived as cheapskates ... I am one who simply likes freedom.”