When they will build a tablet with a full blown Linux distro
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| nmset May 25, 2013 9:31 AM EDT |
I'll shout a big "HOURRAAAHH". A tablet with a keyboard renamed a netbook, why would I need that ? It's less portable, more cumbersome than without the keyboard. I guess it boots on u-boot from internal flash, I guess it doesn't boot from SD, no mention of kernel sources availibility... In fact all these Android devices are presented as Linux powered (it's true) free devices but the fact they are as closed as iPads is silently ignored. We can't do what we do with a real PC, i.e, wipe out the internal storage and install what we want. HP wants to ignore MS ? OK, but what more freedom do they give ? |
| Fettoosh May 25, 2013 10:53 AM EDT |
Quoting:wipe out the internal storage and install what we want. It seems this is not going to be an option on such devices from OEMs in the future. Google Android opened this trend gate for others. This trend will definitely encourage others like ZaReason to offer open devices. One device that might be a game changer, when it is released, is Vivaldi. It will be, or at least trying to be, fully open hardware and software. Here is an interview. And here is couple domoes First Demo & 2nd demo. |
| nmset May 25, 2013 11:06 AM EDT |
Unfortunately, the Vivaldi focuses on KDE Plasma Active, which is quite heavy weight software. It will require at least a twin core CPU and at least 2 GB RAM. I could try Plasma Active on my A10 Pengpod, and was quite deceived. The UI itself is not as usable and productive as the more common LXDE of lubuntu/Linaro in the stock Pengpod device. What I meant was that paper spits in the face of MS but does not offer a better option. 470$ for a closed tablet ? In Europe it will be at least 700 $ ! Hmmm.. Let me think again... |
| caitlyn May 25, 2013 12:54 PM EDT |
Interesting article with interesting comments. I would ask the same question that started this thread. I'd love to have a fully capable conventional Linux distro on a tablet. I'm not anti-Android. I like it on my phone. I just wish it wouldn't be a method for Google to harvest data about me. I actually like the convertible tablets with removable keyboards. Without the keyboard it's just another tablet. Add the keyboard and it becomes a netbook. It's the best of both worlds to me. I like the way ASUS does it on their Transformers series. I just don't have a compelling reason to spend the money on one of those right now. Like Fettoosh I'm waiting to see what happens with Vivaldi. I like KDE Plasma Active. I've run it on a netbook and it works well with a single core Intel Atom CPU and 2GB of RAM. Nowadays that isn't all that much horsepower so I do think it can work on a tablet. |
| Fettoosh May 25, 2013 5:04 PM EDT |
Quoting:which is quite heavy weight software One could say "quite heavy weight" about KDE Plasma Desktop, and that is how it was designed to be from the get-go, but KDE Plasma Active is being optimized and being striped down from all features that are only Desktop related. Besides, like Caitlyn said, KDE Plasma Active doesn't need a lot of horse power like the desktop, and even if it needed good horse power (which I doubt), that is not going to be a problem in future devices since most will have much more hardware resources than existing ones. I run KDE Plasma Desktop 4.10.3 on a micro-form factor computer with Atom D525 1.8GHz Quad-processor with 4 GB of RAM that cost $170. Its performance is excellent and I don't see any reason why tablets can't have the same or even better hardware resource. I can't say much about Vivaldi now since it is not officially released and I haven't received mine yet, but one thing we can be sure of is that it will run fully open software and hardware. In terms of standard applications, KDE Plasma Active will have KDE applications already fitted/adjusted to work with Touch Screen interface, does LXDE already or will be available with apps that are Touch Screen Friendly? I really haven't looked at anything other than KDE. When something works, why keep changing! |
| hkwint May 26, 2013 8:36 AM EDT |
I guess a Chromebook (Pixel) running Ubuntu comes close to a tablet running a 'full blown Linux distro'? OK, you have to use a saw to remove the keyboard if you want a real tablet, hehe. |
| nmset May 26, 2013 8:45 AM EDT |
Yep, but even with the saw, the screen alone won't fit in my pocket ! In fact I'm hoping of the same thing on 7 inch tablets, i.e, Ubuntu using the Android kernel. Canoncal advertised such a Nexus tablet, I just hope I'll be able to install certain apps on it without using Ubuntu repos, that's there'll be a usual terminal.... that it can be used as a pocket PC. |
| henke54 May 27, 2013 4:36 AM EDT |
some links : http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/03/worlds-first-ubuntu-table... http://www.ubuntutablet.com.au/ http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/05/hp-225-laptop-with-ubuntu http://www.ekoore.com/web/en/product/tablet-2/dylan-2/overvi... http://www.ekoore.com/web/en/product/tablet-2/python-s3-2/ov... |
| nmset May 27, 2013 5:49 AM EDT |
Thank you very much for the links. The Dylan shows at least what Ubuntu can do on a tablet and it's quite impressive. There's much to say on this subject, we are already off topic. Thanks. |
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