







The upstart Spark Linux tablet is up for pre-order at makeplaylive.com for a target price tag of 200 euros (about $263 USD). You can indicate how many tablets you’re interested in, and your priority number will ensure you’re among the first to receive yours. The Spark folks are hoping to get a strong sense of device demand before the tablet launches.Developer Aaron Seigo also posted a new blog today discussing the financial aspect of the project.Overall, the idea is to put money that comes in back into the project and to Free Software (especially those around open devices) in general. At first, the money will go into developing Plasma Active and Mer, and from there, funding will be directed to whatever areas of the Spark project are currently in the most need.“Where these funds will be targeted will depend on what needs doing, what needs supporting the most and how successful the products are in the market,” said Siego in the post. “The more success in the market, the more funds we have to direct. The more feedback we get from Spark owners about specific features or problems, the more we'll focus funding on those areas.”Seigo notes that part of that will be investing in partnerships with other people and companies that can create software and technologies that enhance Spark. One example he cited was Xompu , a cloud storage service that could be a great fit for Spark.Reading between the lines, it sounds like nobody will personally getting wealthy from Spark, even if it does well in the market.In mentioning that more overhead costs in the form of running any business (administration, shipping, etc.) would be coming down the pike, he also let on that the team is planning an increased product line beyond the initial 7-inch tablet, which will be interesting development to keep an eye on down the road.