Linux @lemmy.ml beleza pura @lemmy.eco.br 2 wk. ago

linux-capable tablets for $100-$200

i'm seriously considering permanently abandoning laptops in favor of tablets. i spent a day working on my wife's tablet today and it was fine enough for when you're on the go that the small screen isn't too much of an issue. plus, you get an extended battery life, no noise, more comfort carrying it around, and the best of all, for much less money

the biggest downside is that, since tablets are technically embedded devices, they're much more locked up and you basically have no access to the system with the stock rom

so im looking for a cheap tablet ($100-$200), around 10 inches, that i can easily (or at least reliably) install linux to. any recommendations?

51 comments

Pinetab 2? https://pine64.com/product-category/pinetab/
- pine stuff has excellent cost/benefit, but...
  
  Package cannot be shipped to your country due to logistical reasons.
  
  ☹️
  
  Depending on your country you can use a remailer. I used to use one when I lived in the middle east and couldn't order from the US. I has a bunch of addresses worldwide you can use to order and they aggregate and forward the packages.
  
  FWIW I do use a PineTab2 on a daily basis and... it works. I can warmly recommended it but some caveats :
  
  WiFi didn't work for a while, it's good now though (mostly stable, AFAICT no instability for me)
  
  BT still does not work (not ideal if you need a mouse)
  
  USB-C is a single port for charging, single port for devices, iirc usb-C hubs don't work, only usb-C to A single converters
  
  it's... not fast, so if your workflow is a bit of Web browser or a text editor great, if it's Blender or Gimp or anything that can be a bit demanding, it might test your patience
  
  Overall while keeping such limitations in mind, still recommended! (if you can get it shipped somehow)
check out dell latitude 5285/5290 2-in-1. they are Surface Pro lookalikes with detachable keyboards, but with way service-friendlier interior - easy to open and SSD, comms, battery can be easily replaced, whereas RAM is soldered. the screens (12" 1920x1200 IPS mutlitouch) are gorgeous and the hardware isn't too shabby, kabylake (7xxxu) and kabylake-r (8xxxu), with standard UEFI BIOS so you can install Linux and have SecureBoot even. I can get them locally for $100-150, dependent on config and equipment (even less if they're without battery and keyboard).

edit: yeah, I misunderstood your idea, I thought you wanted a cheap linux tablet. what you actually want is a fantasy - an ultra-portable device with huge battery autonomy running linux and such a thing doesn't exist, for any kind of money.

namely, the mentioned dells are twice the heft of a normal android tablet and the battery autonomy is laughable; not only is it not an improvement over a normal laptop, it's likely to be worse, as that thing's essentially a laptop with extras, like touch, gyros, etc.

then comes the real hammer - touching the thing. Gnome and Plasma (and their derivatives) have touch support but if you're coming from an android or iOS tablet, that support is in its infancy. it's crude, inconsistent, flaky, and not very well propagated throughout the system. it's way better than it was a few years ago, but this is not something you'll want to hang your career or education on.

you can tweak the thing into something semi-usable, and for the price (around $100) that's a worthwhile endeavour and cute hobby project. it bears repeating, it is not daily driver material, and that includes way pricier solutions - saw a Ryzen 6-series the other day for like $700; everything I've written applies to it as well.
- Well, i have the 5290 laptop (not the tablet)(i5-8350u) for a year now. It's great, practically pocketable, upgradable everything except the cpu (obivously), decent materials, a decent keyboard, etc. But the display is terrible.
I was in a similar boat, and ended up buying a used convertible tablet from eBay instead. Much more Linux friendly, 12” Toshiba Dynabook. Might be a better option.
- This is a bit of a slog, but I have tailscale and rdclient running on an iplay mini 50. I have a SIM card in it, but I am on wifi 95% of the time, and it connects back to my desktop at home running Fedora. Not quite as good as being in front of it, but it's a pretty reliable workflow, and I can switch the same remote session to my laptop if I need more screen size.
A second hand old Surface Pro could work well.
- Im considering an old surface go as well
  
  In trying to get Linux on my og Surface Go lately, it’s not easy or straightforward.
For proper desktop Linux in that price range a used surface is a choice. It'll be bigger and less battery life than an android tablet and I don't know what the fan situation is in the generations in that price range now.

Another option is go with an Android tablet that has LineageOS support. You get fullish access to the system, but the system is still Android, so depends on what you want if that works for you.
- Another option is go with an Android tablet that has LineageOS support. You get fullish access to the system, but the system is still Android, so depends on what you want if that works for you.
  
  that's an acceptable possibilty, too. from my experience with my wife's tablet, android is fine to work with now that emacs is available
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet works with postmarketos (mobile Linux), keep in mind considering your price range and considering its a tablet you're lucky to get 4gb of ram at most.
- not a problem, im only gonna be using it as a kind of "dumb terminal" anyway
  
  At that point you wouldn't benefit much from the tablet features, have you considered getting a tiny laptop (I can recommend a few)?
- duet 3i or the ARM versions only?
  
  Not sure
I miss Netbooks. Chromebooks suck, but most can be formatted and have linux installed
- I miss Netbooks
  
  i dont lmao. they felt crammed and were too bulky at the same time
  
  Just like my wife
- You may like Chuwi Minibook X.
Have you looked at ubuntu touch supported devices?

That might do some tablets - although i guess they're focussed on phones - and I think have very little resources.
If you can find a secound hand Fujitsu R727, they are great linux tablets! But they are not as common, in my experience.
You are making a mistake. You are comparing an Android or iOS tablet, that have a user interface that makes sense for these devices, and you're trying to shoehorn Linux in them, and expect the same "fine enough". It won't be, because while it might work, it won't be ideal. Linux was optimized to be used as a desktop OS, with a mouse or touchpad. You'd have to install something like LineageOS to get it working properly, but then you will lose the cool abilities of a linux desktop for the most part. Conclusion: get a tablet if you want, but don't throw away your laptop.

Edit: Also, this was posted just an hour ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H669Fwtv-3o
- Well, gnome exists.
  
  and it seems to work pretty well with touchscreens according to the video
- Linux was optimized to be used as a desktop OS?
  
  when it comes to regular old gahnoo slash linux, she's right. plasma, gnome, lxde, etc, were not made with a touch screen interface as a main form of interaction in mind. touch capabilities in the usual linux des tend to be an afterthought in my experience
- maybe you're right. that's something i've been thinking about too, which is why i said a rooted android tablet with lineageos would also be an acceptable option.
  
  but considering i have a desktop already and having a tablet for mobile computing, a laptop feels more and more like an awkward intermediate. laptops, i think, make more sense when you only have the laptop, but i really don't see a situation where a laptop offers me something a desktop+table combo wouldn't.
Honestly i do not think your gonna like doing this. If you whole thing is having a tablet with its battery life etc then de-googled android is probably gonna be better for you. Android is based on linux anyway and custom ROMs exist to give you a more privacy focused and in your control OS. Like Graphene OS for example.

If you want linux and a tablet id instead recommend a really slim thin and light 2 in 1. Maybe with detachable keyboard. These are typically made with x86 Chips instead of ARM tho so the battery life wont be as good.
Vheck out chuwi tablets
- ty they look pretty nice and the shipping price is fine
I think any Linux device with out a proper keyboard is a pain to use. Mini laptops are better choices.
- Counterpoint: for those who prefer split ergo keyboards, the internal keyboard on laptops is rarely used.
  
  A tablet where you can bring your own weird keyboard to pair with it is better.
- im gonna have a physical bt keyboard to take along with it. last time i tried one, it worked pretty well

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