Linux tablet 5g support and small enough to lend itself to everyday portability
Something ive been wanting for a while is a highly portable linux device like a phone or small tablet but obviously running fully flegde linux.
I need a device that is x86, 5g/4g networking water resistant if possible, sliding kB would be great but thats a bye gone era.
I don't want to use android based systems as when they have linux support it is via a spersific distribution made for that device. Virtualization is also not for me.
Linux tablets are just hitting the market, so finding a native Linux tablet that suits all your needs might be wishful thinking. Juno Tablet is probably your best bet right now. Otherwise, you might need to settle for installing linux on MS Surface or similar device.
StarLabs StarLite is the closest device I’ve seen to those requirements. It’s a 12” x86 tablet without a cell modem or water resistance.
https://us.starlabs.systems/pages/starlite
This sounds almoat good to be true. What's the catch?
Edit. The processor is quite slow, which is fine for my use cases, but you are not going to game with that thing.
That probably says more about the state of x86 processors than anything else.
Love this thread. That looks amazing
Honestly if you want it to be portable, you're going to have to use a RISC processor. The x86 processors are just so energy inefficient for most instructions that the battery is drained too quickly and it requires a much bigger battery to compensate.
I know that Pine64 had one in the works but so far it isn’t consumer ready.
Are there any mainstream tablets running RISC processors though? I though RISC processors of that power level were still in the development stage and/or only available in China.
ARM is a RISC processor at heart. Or at least it was at one point - I'm not sure how or if they've deviated. Time for some wikipedia.
they're still pretty RISC, using fixed-width instructions and fairly simple encoding. certainly a hell of a lot simpler than the mess that is x86-64
Plus most ARM SOCs have 5G support built in so you need relatively little to add the rest of the support. Best case for most X86 stuff is finding an M.2 module that’s going to drink even more power.
I have had good luck installing Gallium OS on a Chromebook for my daughter, so you might look at some of the Chromebook tablet/detachable keyboard options. Just make sure the model you get is supported.
Check out the GPD Pocket/Mini PC lineup, they have pocket sized laptops that can run Linux. Not sure about water resistantce, think you can get some or all of their options with a cell network module.
I'd love to get around with one of these. So many choices!
Yeah, they are a cool company that has been serving this niche market for a long time.
I have a GPD win. Tried getting Linux on it, had all kinds of problems. Like, couldn't get the screen to stay upright, no sound, no keyboard, Wi-Fi dropping... Might give it another go someday, but probably not.
Fair. My understanding is that not all of their lineup is equally Linux friendly. I had the original GPD pocket, which IIRC had a official Linux image. I didn't even use that image, and had a functional Ubuntu install. Their newer devices are more mature from a hardware perspective, so it may be worth some research on those regarding features and Linux compatibility.
Shift shiftbook https://shop.shiftphones.com/shiftbook-tablet.html
Looks good
A Surface might do, unless you find that to be too big for your liking.
I really wonder when there will be Linux for the Google Pixel Tablet. Its very secure, GrapheneOS is already there. But Android is a shitty tablet OS, Firefox is not optimized at all, leave alone
Many other apps work greatly though.
Its simply a bad experience compared to an ipad, while KDE or GNOME are probably great.
I haven't ever tried to root an android device and Linuxify it before. Now I am curious. I use Linux at work but I am no greybeard and that task sounds like something suited for someone with a little more crust than myself.
Outside of the 3 listed so far, the only other Linux tablet I know of is Purism's Librem 11 they have in stock
Probably a Surface (if there's one with a 5G modem) at the moment. I got a Lenovo Ideapad Duo Chromebook a few years ago but it's become unusable now and hasn't been jailbroken to my knowledge. There was a newer version but it wasn't made available in the UK. Devices like the Juno look promising but are way too expensive for me (accepting they're around the same price as an iPad and that Android devices are subsidised).
I know this isn't a direct answer but ... if other restraints are that important (portability, water residence, I assume a bright screen, etc) it might be a viable compromise to get a good ARM (Linux) tablet & then use remote (via VPN) to a desktop PC (or like a VM) for super fast (but potentially laggy) x86.