Linux...on a tablet? It might just work

Date:
Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:53:08 +0000

Description:
The PineTab, sent the way of the dodo by pandemic manufacturing concerns, is getting a refresh.

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Linux device manufacturer Pine64, the company behind the PineTab, a tablet running a custom Linux distribution as alternatives to Apple or Android devices, has announced a new complete revision for 2023.

Aimed at hardware prosumers, the next-generation PineTab will be powered by the RK3566 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which the company claims will benefit a tablet due to low power consumption and heat output. It will sport two USB-C ports, a micro HDMI port, a microSD slot, a headphone jack, and two cameras.

The announcement led Pine64s December Update video and accompanying blog post , in which it stated that the original PineTab fell victim to pandemic component shortages, and other project priorities, such as its Linux-based smartphone , the PinePhone. New PineTab revision

As reported by Ars Technica , Pine64s Community Director Lukasz Ereciinski said the RK3566 SoC has a great price/performance ratio and is genuinely future proof, as it already powers the companys QuartzPro64 single-board computer.

He has also claimed that development for the SoC is booming, and that it may be a prime candidate for mobile operating systems in the future.

A key draw for those who find that their existing tablets are too much of a closed ecosystem will be the metal enclosure that it comes in, providing easy disassembly via a set of snap tabs for upgrades and repairs.

Like the original device, the PineTab 2 will come with a detachable keyboard, a boon to those looking to save money without buying additional accessories. Read more

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Pine64 is yet to announce a price for the device, which will reportedly be available in two configurations offering 8GB RAM / 128GB flash storage or 4GB RAM / 64GB flash.

However, the original PineTab was available for around $120 USD, which should provide an idea, and Pine64 expects to announce a price before Chinese New Year, presumably between January and February 2023. Heres our list of the
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/linuxon-a-tablet-it-might-just-work


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