Does a €200 tablet running KDE Plasma Active sound good to you? If so, say hello to Spark.

Spark KDE Plasma Active Tablet

Spark is a fully open-source $270 7″ tablet running KDE’s Plasma Active interface. Notably, the device is not being brought to market by a profit-motivated hardware company but by the KDE/Plasma Active community itself. Profit made from sales of the device will be poured straight back into developing KDE Plasma Active.

The hardware used by the tablet is unlocked (for hacking fans) and additional features/apps/productivity will be provided through ‘an open content and services market‘.

Despite the low price and cheap looking case, the specs of the tablet are nothing to be sniffed at: –

  • 1GHz AMLogic ARM processor (Cortex-A9)
  • Mali-400 GPU
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 4GB internal storage
  • SD card slot
  • 7? capacitive multi-touch screen (800×400 resolution)
  • Wifi (802.11 b/g)
  • 1x mini-HDMI Out
  • 2x mini-USB ports
  • 1.3MP webcam
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Weight: 360g
Based on the board within the device, Spark will support 1080p HDMI output as well as onboard decoding of 1080p for H.264 files.

Details on precisely when the device will begin shipping is expected in the coming days.

The device is expected to start shipping in May 2012.

Below is a video showing Plasma Active Two in action (albeit not on a Spark tablet)

KDE plasmaactive tablets