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Old 09-04-2011, 11:28 AM   #1
DoctorZeus
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Smile Which Tablet Should I Choose if I want to run a Linux Distro?


Hello,

Recently I have read/heard lots of stories of people buying tablet pc's with something like Android OS on them and wiping them clean but leaving the boot loader intact and then installing a Linux Distro onto them.

Before this news I couldn't really see a huge amount of use for tablet PC's apart from having a very large PDA. However with this news I am now considering buying one so I could do this..

My question is if I was to buy one, has anyone heard of tablets that are more compadible with Linux drivers then others? If so could they please recommend a model/s that I could buy and do this? Oh and "this is a terrible idea" posts are welcome too ..

From what I understand to accomplish something like this you have to jailbreak the tablet, get access to the root user and reboot into the bootloader and boot into a liveCD...

Any Help/Suggestions would be great

Thanks

DoctorZeus

Last edited by DoctorZeus; 09-04-2011 at 11:32 AM.
 
Old 09-04-2011, 12:30 PM   #2
jefro
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You need to select one that has some clear and proven way to install what you want. Remember that most of these android gizmo's are not x86 based and that may make apps difficult.

I'd get a tablet that came with some windows xp to windows 7. They cost a lot more but you'd find it easier to get working.
 
Old 09-04-2011, 12:58 PM   #3
rokytnji
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Quote:
heard of tablets that are more compadible with Linux drivers then others?
Kinda sorta. It turns into a tablet but does a lot more depending on how much you spend on it.

http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/products/smartbook.htm

Kinda a swiss army knife type of touchbook.

Edit: you might want to look through

http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=78

also.

Last edited by rokytnji; 09-04-2011 at 01:04 PM.
 
Old 09-04-2011, 01:58 PM   #4
DoctorZeus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jefro View Post
You need to select one that has some clear and proven way to install what you want. Remember that most of these android gizmo's are not x86 based and that may make apps difficult.

I'd get a tablet that came with some windows xp to windows 7. They cost a lot more but you'd find it easier to get working.
Thanks for the reply,

I was thinking of going for the new HP Slate or another Win7 HP tablet but as HP's going out of computing I decided against it..

I'll keep my eyes open..

DoctorZeus
 
Old 09-04-2011, 02:04 PM   #5
DoctorZeus
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rokytnji View Post
Kinda sorta. It turns into a tablet but does a lot more depending on how much you spend on it.

http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/products/smartbook.htm

Kinda a swiss army knife type of touchbook.

Edit: you might want to look through

http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewforum.php?id=78

also.
Thanks for the reply,

I think Asus has done a very similar one:

http://uk.asus.com/Eee/Eee_Pad/Eee_P...sformer_TF101/

and theres also this:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-...-936986/review

I'm concerned with those however that the keyboard drivers may be highly specialised..may have to take the risk.. But I will try and get one with Win7 on it..

It's Ironic that both Mac and Android tablets are in the Unix family with Linux and yet Windows tablets are more compadible ..

Last edited by DoctorZeus; 09-04-2011 at 02:06 PM.
 
Old 09-04-2011, 02:38 PM   #6
DoctorZeus
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I'm leaning towards this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/10-2-Windows...5164781&sr=8-2
 
Old 09-04-2011, 11:01 PM   #7
jefro
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Might have a chance with that.
 
Old 09-05-2011, 04:27 PM   #8
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One more thing, lets say everything goes out the Window and the OS doesn't work at all, I assume it shouldn't be too hard to re-install Win7 if you have an install disk?

Thanks

DoctorZeus
 
Old 09-05-2011, 09:14 PM   #9
jefro
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Windows 7 has some ways to return, simple backup to a usb drive and someone with a W7 dvd should allow you to recover it. If not windows there are other ways to clone the image. Image may also include a hidden or recovery partition that you should understand about.

It would be best if the company offers some media or way to make media in case of disaster and that ought to be the first thing you do and test that.

In any case if you want to sell it later, a fresh install of windows would aid the sale.
 
Old 09-06-2011, 03:42 PM   #10
DoctorZeus
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It would be best if the company offers some media or way to make media in case of disaster and that ought to be the first thing you do and test that.
I completely agree with you, personally I wish the hardware manufactures would make it easier for people who do have the skills to experiment with the software to be able to do so without having to jump through all these hoops.

Most of the Win7 tablets are either out of my budget range for the moment or are sold by some company I have never heard of and I have a feeling that the tablets would break within a month of buying them or have a mirage of other issues.

I'm gonna keep looking around though...

Thanks

DoctorZeus
 
Old 09-06-2011, 09:02 PM   #11
jefro
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Everyone is playing with the ARM based android tablets but you almost run into no mans land. Just not a lot of web pages and support yet.
 
Old 09-08-2011, 08:16 AM   #12
DoctorZeus
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Ok I may have found one that suits me well!

Hopefully it won't break in the first month! (£269 down the drain)

Thanks

DoctorZeus
 
Old 09-08-2011, 03:29 PM   #13
jefro
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You were supposed to tell us which one.
 
Old 09-08-2011, 04:19 PM   #14
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I would like to know that, too. Thought about something like that. Slackware on a tablet would be really fun.
 
Old 09-11-2011, 03:24 PM   #15
DoctorZeus
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Sorry for not telling which one,

I only had a minute during the last post..

Hopefully I'm not taking a risk with shoddy hardware but I got this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...ef=oss_product


Will post back when I have put Linux/tried to put Linux on it to tell you how it goes!

Thanks

DoctorZeus
 
  


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