Spark Tablet Coming Soon

Aaron J. Seigo, developer of the Spark tablet, has posted a lengthy Q&A detailing the new device’s specifications.  According to Seigo’s blog, Spark pre-order registration will open next week, and units are expected to begin shipping in May 2012. At that time, it will be available for order online worldwide.

The device, which will run Mer with the KDE Plasma Active interface, is completely open and can be altered to suit customers’ needs. Seigo says that Spark is the device most suited to adaptation for vertical applications available today. Depending on order volume, Spark tablets can be shipped with customizations pre-installed and pricing incentives.

The device has a 1.3Mpx webcam on the front and 800x480 screen resolution. It has two USB ports, a microSD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, a power jack, and standard 802.11 b/g WiFi. The first run of Spark devices, which are based on the Zenithink C71, will not offer built-in 3G or GPS, although there are plans to provide those features later depending on market demand.

For developers, Seigo recommends QtQuick for creating applications targeting the Spark. The device also has KDE libraries, including the Plasma framework. However, Spark can support non-Qt apps. Developers also will have access to the add-ons store, so according to Seigo, getting your apps to Spark users will be “dead simple.” You can read the entire post at http://aseigo.blogspot.com/.