PengPod Creator Uses Funds Raised to Improve Tablet

By having one of the two operating systems installed in the device's internal memory, the other on the SD card, the PengPod tablets will offer simple dual-booting. According to the PengPod creator, an active community is working to make the devices far more efficient.

Say hello to the PengPod 700, a seven-inch capacitive touchscreen tablet, with bootable Linux SD Card (News - Alert), built-in camera, one USB port, headphones and built-in speakers. Placed as an earlybird special for 99 dollars, the seven-incher is now sold out.

The PengPod 700 is now listed at $120 with an estimate delivery of January 2013.

Built to run with Linux from an SD Card, the PengPod 1000 is a 10-inch capacitive touchscreen Android (News - Alert) tablet and is listed at $185. Every PengPod device is capable of running from internal flash or booting from an SD Card. 

Using a Linaro root file system, PengPods have access to most standard Linux packages available for ARM (News - Alert), with software including LibreOffice, XBMC, VLC, LXDE, KDE and Gnome. The KDE Plasma Active interface is used to make the Linux version touch-friendly, and the Android version uses Android 4.0. 

Image via Shutterstock

Its efforts continue to raise cash. With 20 days left to reach $49,000, the project has raised $11,313. The software engineer behind the tablets, Neal Peacock, is on a mission to satisfy Linux users who would prefer a tablet running "real" Linux – the idea behind the PengPod tablets.

"Our goal is to build a powerful, True Linux Tablet, one free of Google (News - Alert) and Android's restrictions, at a reasonable price," according to Peacock.

With the money raised, Peacock says he intends to offer a central repository of A10 specific packages, fix up the tablet related features and create images and guides to make these devices even better.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.