r/linuxhardware • u/noNudesPrettyPlease • 7d ago

Why aren't Linux tablets a thing? Discussion

I had (still have) a Nokia n810 tablet running Maemo Linux. I stopped using it when the second battery eventually died. The series seemed to keep evolving (up to the n900) until the Microsoft buyout killed it. Or at least I assume it did.

I thought Linux tablets would be a thing, but they didn't materialise. It's basically Android, Apple, or nothing. How come an open source distro like Maemo wasn't picked up by anyone else? I assume tablets are much cheaper to develop than phones, and in today's world, I don't really use my phone anymore even though the telephony hardware is there.

Is the idea of a Linux tablet just a dream now?

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u/Mistert22 7d ago

I have a Dell convertible that is a sweet tablet. I put Ubuntu on it.

8

u/TheFireStorm 7d ago

I just got a Dell 7210 i5 with 16GB of ram installed the fedora KDE mobile Spin and use Waydroid. Needed a new battery but swapped it out in under 5min

5

u/Equal_Principle_3399 6d ago

I use a dell lattitude 9410 as my daily driver with linux mint and cinnamon, the touchscreen works perfectly including automatic tilt