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Ask HN: Is there a tablet/laptop hybrid that works well with Linux?

7 points by listic ↗ HN
I've been excited about Microsoft Surface Pro 2 tablet and I thought I'd try using it as my main machine. It's, after all, a modern x86 computer with 10.6" pressure-sensitive screen with a stylus, that weighs 2 lbs, and iPad cover-like keyboard that just might be good enough to make it a decent tiny little laptop. I thought I'd install Ubuntu on it; with its recent focus on touch enabled device, surely it must run well on this x86 tablet?

Unfortunately, it doesn't: device support is barely there in 13.10 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2209247&p=12949597#post12949597 and there's no indication that anything will be better in 14.04.

Is there an alternative device that works better with Linux? (I believe Ubuntu is the main candidate to work well with touch devices, but if there's another distro, I may switch)

4 comments

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SEJeff
The Yoga 2 Pro (Lenovo) works fine with the latest Ubuntu and Fedora
listic
Do you know about ThinkPad Yoga? I actually hoped for much smaller, tablet-like device. I guess Surface Pro is still unique :(
zardeh
Not him, but I use a Yoga 1 as my main laptop (CS undergrad) and I run ubuntu 13.10 on it. Getting wifi working takes a bit of work, and I don't have full functionality (though you can get it working with some scripts, I just don't care) in terms of screen rotation, but the laptop is pretty great.

Pluses: The touchscreen works and support multitouch its a very solid laptop Wifi and bluetooth drivers are available Installation was pretty painless, it took me some research to get around the shenanigans that are UEFI, but there are guides on the web

Minuses: automatic screen rotation is apparently impossible making wifi work is a struggle and it occasionally needs to have the drivers recompiled after updates, I simply have the file in my main directory and do so as needed There's almost no linux stuff that makes use of multitouch, so the point is moot

tluyben2
Good timing this one; just picked up a very cheap T100 which I really like but lousy Linux support so will need to have patience. I never tried the hybrid concept before this and I really like it so it'll be worth it getting linux to run.