Ask HN: How to ship software as a physical device?
The tablet will do nothing, other than run my application. It will be based on Android. It will boot directly into my application following a splash screen. The user wouldn't even know it was an android device, it would just be a tablet that has my interface and application.
I would have thought the best approach for entering this field would be to approach a manufacturer on alibaba, explain that I want their hardware, but to flash it with a custom image that I would provide, and away we go. It seems nothing is quite so simple.
There are multiple android tablets that I can source on alibaba that would be suitable, but it seems they want to sell the devices with their (often terrible) android distribution - suggesting I simply install the application. This is not an option - I really want to have a things like a seamless boot, a customized interface, dedicated app store, etc - and I want to be able to handle my own updates rather than distributing some manufacturers idea of a "final" release, with no channels for updates, etc.
What are my options here? Am I asking the wrong questions? I don't have much in the way of funding. The plan would be to get a device, build a prototype, and launch a campaign on kickstarter or similar. Ive already been through validation, its just I don't see how to proceed with execution.
Any advice would be gratefully received.