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What's next for tablets running Linux?

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Just not preloaed... (Score: 2, Interesting)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2014-09-17 04:29 (#2SG1)

I don't understand the pessimism in the summary. It even mentioned that the Nexus 7 can be re-purposed by anyone who wants to. Just buy one, and install Linux on it.

http://liliputing.com/2013/02/how-to-install-ubuntu-touch-on-a-nexus-7-with-windows-mac-or-linux.html

http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Install-Ubuntu-on-Nexus-7-323489.shtml

As long as the tablet hardware is open, those who are interested in Linux will be able to install and use it. And supporting open hardware is a far more important goal than (locked-down) Linux preloaded on a tablet.

In addition, there are convertible x86 laptops that can look and work an awful lot like a tablet.

Personally, I'm happy to skip the fad... I always get my phone with a hardware keyboard, and I'm hardly going to be interested in a bigger and more expensive device without one. Chromebooks look like a good source of cheap laptop hardware for Linux aficionados to me.

Re: Just not preloaed... (Score: 1, Interesting)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-09-17 04:59 (#2SG2)

Because "open hardware" means ZIPPO and won't EXIST for long if not enough of it is sold to keep the company in business.

And unless you get very lucky as to right place / right time / right niche (Raspberry Pi) you end up like Maemo/Meego/blabla or Tizen.

The rest of us hope that a successful commercialized platform will still allow enough freedom for the tinkerers among us to continue doing their thing. This is why, despite its decline into evil, Google and Android are still so, so, so much preferable to Apple or Microsoft. And of course your Nexus 7 example proves that point.

There is very little incentive for manufacturers to make their "tablet hardware open" except that they want to take advantage of Google's ecosystem and market, and the cost of rolling their own is too high / doomed. It's a lucky and convenient accident that we're not more locked up than we already are.

So if a platform were commercialized that WERE entirely open by design and in practice, it would be a really nice place to start and to maintain.

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Time Reason Points Voter
2014-09-17 23:15 Interesting +1 rocks@pipedot.org

Junk Status

Marked as [Not Junk] by bryan@pipedot.org on 2015-01-03 01:04