SurfaceInk 12.1-Inch Ubuntu Tablet Design Gets Video Demo

SurfaceInk may not be a name you're familiar with, but the product development firm may well have a tablet you want.  They've been showing off their latest prototype, a 12.1-inch 1280 x 1024 capacitive slate running Ubuntu on Freescale's i.MX51 800MHz Cortex A8 chipset, and which they're currently trying to persuade manufacturing partners to adopt.  ARMDevices caught up with the company recently, grabbed some footage of the unnamed reference design, and also found out about SurfaceInk's future plans for smaller versions.Video demo after the cut

Since this is a reference design SurfaceInk are still tweaking the specs; right now there's WiFi b/g, HDMI, Bluetooth 2.1 and USB 2.0, together with a single, front-facing camera, but they also have versions with dual cameras.  The display is a multi-mode touchscreen supporting capacitive multitouch finger-control and a stylus; meanwhile the company is working on an Android build, too.

As for smaller devices, SurfaceInk are working on a 7-inch version of the larger reference design, together with collaborating with Freescale on an 8.9-inch slate with edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass that they reckon could have a retail price of around $350.  Of course, that's assuming a manufacturer jumps on board, but were that to happen SurfaceInk reckons they could see products on shelves in under eight months or so.