14 DAY TRIAL // We've all seen plenty of tablets on the market and out of it, from small and conventional ones to flexible prototypes. What we hadn't seen before was a model that was completely crowdfunded. That has now finally changed.
Crowdfunding is a great way to make sure that what you're making will resonate with the intended customer base. After all, if people pledge their money for your invention before you actually send it out to sell via retail, they're basically stating their approval.
The tablet market has primarily been driven by the vision of the product makers, from chip makers like Intel to device builders like Samsung, not to mention OS developers like Google.
Now, a startup company has revealed Jolla, the world's first fully crowdfunded tablet, which is totally independent and open source.
The assets of the Jolla tablet
Jolla (pronounced with the “i” from Carl Jung instead of the “j” from jello) has a 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel CPU, 2 GB of RAM, two cameras (5 MP back, 2 MP front) and WiFi, all packed in a 7.85-inch package and powered by a 4300 mAh battery.
The hardware is more than decent, but it's the software that really stands out. The device doesn't use Windows or Android, but a unique operating system called Sailfish. Sailfish 2.0 to be exact.
“Jolla Tablet’s Sailfish operating system will be unlike anything you’ve tried before. Once you try it, you’ll never want to go back. Independent and open source, change whatever you like, whenever you like,” the company states on Indiegogo.
The OS emphasizes privacy, meaning that the OS doesn't have any backdoors or other means for third parties to monitor your activity.
Multitasking is another focus, since it shows all running apps in one single view, allowing you to easily switch between active programs as well. Somewhat similar to how window tabs are used in Windows and Linux.
Gesture recognition is implemented to ensure everything goes smoothly and that you don't have to face the frustration of tiny buttons.
And before you ask, yes, Android apps are fully supported, although Sailfish OS does have some unique apps of its own. Still, you can rest assured that your Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts will be accessible just fine.
Finally, the “Ambiences” feature (previously unavailable on Sailfish 1.0) lets you personalize the tablet, while “Events” (the second update brought by Sailfish 2.0) shows all messages, calendar events and other relevant info in one single view screen.
Availability and pricing
The Jolla tablet will ship in May 2015 if the campaign pays off (which is looking likely) and you can reserve one for $199 / €199, since the $189 / €189 offers have all been taken.
Update November 19, 2014: The crowdfunding goal of $380,000 / €303,000 was reached and exceeded by a lot in just a few hours apparently. You have until December 9 to keep making orders.
