Tronity and the Root101
While you might presume that something named Root101 is a class or tutorial for hacking an Android device, it is actually a tablet with the goal of being an Open System.
“The Root 101 is the most open source and affordable tablet available today. It comes with a completely stock version of Android Jelly Bean 4.2 (the most current version) with no bloatware apps, no ugly skinned version of Android, and comes with root access so you can install any app and even custom ROMs… We’re dedicated to making this the most open source tablet available. All our source code will be available online making it much easier for developers to build custom ROMs. As people develop new ROMs we’ll host them on our website for others to use. “
The Root101 is currently being developed and funded through an indiegogo campaign.
Tronity is the company behind the Root101, and I had the chance to interview Justin Smith of the Root101 team:
“Tronity is a company started with the goal of creating affordable, quality and open source (where relevant) electronics.”
When asked how Tronity plans on making the Root101 friendly to developers, he said:
“The Root 101 was designed to give both developers and general Android users the tools to do whatever they want with Android. So many other tablets force customer into a specific firmware and make it difficult to port custom ROMS or even just get a stock AOSP experience. Yes, a large number of these devices now have the ability to be rooted and have other ROMs installed, but the process is often very cumbersome and many times the functionality of these aftermarket ROMs is sub-par. We’re giving our customers a clean slate of rooted AOSP with CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android available as a super simple install through TWRP. We’ll also have all the source code available for developers to do whatever they want.”
Justin expressed the problem that he feels we find in the tablet market today:
“Many people are priced out of the high quality tablets like the Nexus 10 or iPad because they’re just too expensive. Right now the only alternatives are cheap tablets from China or WalMart. If you’ve ever bought one of these you know how poor the user experience is…from the long shipping times, to the horrible software, to the complete lack of support.”
This is what Tronity is offering in their Root101 tablet:
- 10.1” IPS HD screen with 1280 x 800 resolution
- Multi-touch capacitive screen
- AmLogic AML8726-MX Dual Core 1.5GHz CPU
- Mali-400 Dual Core GPU – up to 1080P video
- 1GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Storage
- MicroSD slot – up to 32GB
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
- Bluetooth
- VGA Front camera and 2MP rear camera
- 9 hours battery life (7000mAh)
- Mini HDMI slot – output up to 1080P to TV
- Micro USB slot
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Microphone
- G-Sensor
- 2 Rear speakers
- Rear aluminum shell for strength and durability
- Dimensions: 260mm x 173mm x 9.9mm
And while the Root101 does not boast the most RAM or the most Cores, it is often forgotten that none of the tasks that are presently undertaken on Android take advantage of more than a dual core processor.
And just in case you are not a developer, or looking to tinker with the Root101:
“…while this tablet is great for developers it’s also fantastic for the average consumer looking for an affordable tablet. Even with stock AOSP this makes a great tablet for just about anybody. You don’t need to install ROMs or do anything technical to be able to use this. Out of the box it’s ready to go.”
Many Thanks to Justin Smith for his time, and if you are interested in the Root101, you can find out more information here.
http://tronity.com/root-101/
Consider adding your support to their indiegogo campaign here.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/root-101-an-affordable-and-open-source-10-1-inch-android-tablet?browse_v=old_no_dropdown
What would you identify as the Root101′s greatest strength? The greatest strength is tied between the price and the software. Many people are priced out of the high quality tablets like the Nexus 10 or iPad because they’re just too expensive. Right now the only alternatives are cheap tablets from China or WalMart. If you’ve ever bought one of these you know how poor the user experience is…from the long shipping times, to the horrible software, to the complete lack of support. On the software side we have a great developer who has done wonders with our AOSP, CM and PA firmware. Great firmware like this allows us to get the most out of the hardware. The Root 101 doesn’t have the most impressive CPU/GPU, but does that really matter when our great software allows you to do all the things you want with the tablet…play games, watch HD video, run apps, etc.?