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What is a good Linux Tablet for University (lemmy.one)
submitted 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) by I_like_cats@lemmy.one to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I need a tablet for uni and I want to run Linux on it. It doesn't need to be the fastest but it should be able to run Rnote and a web browser comfortably. It doesn't need to come with Linux, I am comfortable with installing and managing my system. I thought about buying a Microsoft Surface since they seem to be supported prettty well but I want to see what alternatives there are.

It needs to have a Stylus for writing. I have around 450€ to spend and would go a little higher. Also I will probably buy a used device

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[-] TheOubliette@lemmy.ml 12 points 14 hours ago

I recommend using pen and paper and then digitizing later, assuming this is for notes. It will help you internalize the lecture or reading better in the moment and the act of digitizing your notes will reinforce your knowledge and provide you with better material for tests.

I think the only digital option that could come close to this would be an e-ink tablet but those kind of suck. Better to spend $50 on paper and pens than $500 on a tablet that isn't as good for the purpose.

[-] julianh@lemm.ee 16 points 19 hours ago

I personally got a surface go 3. Put fedora on it and the surface kernel and it works pretty good - GNOME's interface honestly works better for touchscreens then windows. Just be aware that some config might be needed - I had an issue with the keyboard that required making a udev rule (I documented it on the surface kernel github issues page).

[-] bananahammock@lemmy.ca 7 points 18 hours ago

Another vote for the surface go. I'm running a go 2 with nix!

[-] julianh@lemm.ee 1 points 18 hours ago

I agree but also I saw the words "vote" and "nix" and nearly had an aneurism.

[-] data1701d@startrek.website 1 points 16 hours ago

I kind of disagree. I had a miserable experience with my 1st gen Go. The cameras were hard to set up and the power states were really buggy; after going to sleep a few times, the system (Debian Testing) would get unstable with weird graphical glitches and I'd have to reboot.

[-] julianh@lemm.ee 1 points 13 hours ago

I had issues with debian-based distros as well, that's why I switched to fedora. I also think the go 3 has better support in general. The cameras are still annoying but things have gotten better, with Firefox getting libcamera support.

[-] data1701d@startrek.website 1 points 8 hours ago

It’s moot for me know because my Go sits on my home desk. The initramfs got borked during the Trixie time_t64 transition, and I should have just chrooted and fixed it, but I just let it be because I was sort of done with it. I threw Debian on a beat-up old Lenovo Yoga that I brought on a few trips before getting my Thinkpad E16, which I love, especially after I got that one Wi-Fi card bug sorted out.

[-] Daeraxa@lemmy.ml 4 points 15 hours ago

I have an older, second hand Thinkpad Yoga but it has served me really well with Fedora installed on it.

I also have a PineTab 2 but that has been a little bit of a rough start and still doesn't feel that great as a day to day device just yet

Honesyly I think I prefer the laptop form factor over tablet + smart cover. Even my old Android Asus Transformer I used almost exclusively in laptop mode to do anything productive.

[-] data1701d@startrek.website 5 points 16 hours ago

I might recommend a 2-in-1 Thinkpad. I can’t speak for all models, but my 1st generation Surface Go brought me misery when running Debian Testing on it - power profiles weren’t supported quite right and the camera was hard to set up.

If you have the budget, the Star Lite seems pretty nice as a Linux tablet, although you should do your own research - I don’t own one. Personally, I have a Thinkpad E16 for college.

[-] bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net 5 points 18 hours ago

I'd consider a Pixel with GrapheneOS, not Linux per se, but with FDroid it's probably the best FOSS tablet experience

[-] geoma@lemmy.ml 1 points 12 hours ago

Chuwi tablets work fine with linux in my opinion

[-] solrize@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago

Thinkpad Yoga?

[-] Qkall@lemmy.ml 4 points 22 hours ago

So... It's not without it's challenges and I obviously cannot speak to how long it will last (particularly the hinge seems like it might long term be an issue), but I really love my p8 mini laptop. It's a small 2 in 1 laptop that comes with a stylus, meets your price point and runs Linux pretty well. It has some quirkiness ... Like when you boot the login screen is a blank screen until you close the lid to suspend and reopen. But otherwise is fairly peppy, and the pen works great. I'm using endeavoros with plasma but have just switched to sway. The latter greatly improves battery life. My biggest complaint is the placement of Q and Tab as well as / and .

[-] femboy_bird@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 16 hours ago

Get a surface or some 2:1 laptop

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

https://www.minisforum.com/page/v3/index.html

[-] themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

It's... Not great? Sure it's performant but that's there is going for it, the rest is really not that good for a tablet. They should have made this a gaming laptop and it would've been fine.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

Zero complaints with mine. Linux daily driver, no issues at all. If OP didn't actually mean a FULL Linux experience, then that's something else, but this is the best one out there in tablet form with stylus afaik.

[-] I_like_cats@lemmy.one 1 points 20 hours ago

Kinda outside my price range. And there's probably no used devices yet.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 4 points 20 hours ago

Well anything that is linux-first WITH stylus support isn't going to be cheap.

The cheapest Linux tab I can think of is the DC-Roma II ($250), but it's RiscV and meant as a development platform. No stylus support.

Similar in features is the Juno Tab 3 ($699), but it's an n100 based tablet, and I don't think it has stylus support.

Maybe you can find a used Lenovo Tab and root it to install Linux? I know you're unlikely to do so on a Samsung.

[-] tophneal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 19 hours ago

If you need to keep the budget down, you could probably find an end of service 2 in 1 Chromebook and make it a chultrabook.

[-] I_like_cats@lemmy.one 1 points 12 hours ago

Nah. I already did that once and the mrchromebox.tech site even says not to buy a chromebook for Linux. It's honestly not that great of an experience

[-] tophneal@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 hours ago

I'm inclined to agree. I wasn't a fan when I tried it on my EOL one as an option.

[-] InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world 0 points 19 hours ago

I don't think Linux is well supported in tablet land. I had a surface in uni and it was quite nice.

this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
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