Many tablet makers ship their Android tablets with locked bootloaders, and some don’t even provide an unlock utility for allowing the hacker types, like myself, to load custom ROMs like CyanogenMod. Well, my friends at ZaReason are now shipping the ZaTab, which not only has an unlocked bootloader, but will eventually ship with CyanogenMod 9 which is the latest version based on the Android Open Source Project, specifically Android 4.0.3.
If you want to be a developer on the ZaTab, you can purchase one now with no OS on board. If you aren’t a developer, then you can put your order in, and as soon as it’s ready for the general public, it will be shipped out to you.
The specs on this tablet are:
Specs:
- Pure Android
- Allwinner A10 SoC
- 9.7″ IPS 1024×768 display
- 5 point capacitive touchscreen
- 16 GB internal storage + microSD for additional storage
- 1 GB RAM
- WiFi (802.11 b/g/n)
- Front and Back cameras
- Sturdy metal back
- High-capacity 8000 mAh battery
- 9 hours battery life playing 3D games
- 14 hours battery life watching videos
- Ultra-light 630 grams
Ports:
- Headphone
- microSD card slot
- microHDMI video out
- 2x microUSB ports
Package includes:
- Tablet
- AC Adapter
- USB Cable
- User Manual
- Source Code
Pricing on the tablet is $349, which I think is pretty good for a device in this class. The only thing that has me a little worried is the CPU; the Allwinner A10 SoC is a single ARM core running at 1.2 GHz with a MALI400MP OpenGL ES 2.0 GPU. Not the fastest tablet out there, but it should hold its own, unless you are a hardcore gamer. For most the things I use my EeePad for, this should do just fine.
If you want a tablet from a company that honors your freedom to run whatever ROM you want, then head on over to ZaReason, and get in line! They are selling fast! If you’re a developer, I would definitely order one of these as ZaReason could use your help to make the ZaTab a success.