That OpenSUSE Tablet So Far Is A Dud

[phoronix]

Phoronix: That OpenSUSE Tablet So Far Is A Dud

Remember that "openSUSE Tablet" last year that was seeking crowd-funding and even advertised by the openSUSE crew for being a Linux tablet as cheap as $200 USD? Sadly, it's not a reality while the company still appears to be formulating something...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OpenSUSE-Tablet-Dud

[schmidtbag]

Honestly, I think it'd have been more successful if it were ARM based. Designing an Intel based system would be too expensive, not just because it's more complex, but because the Intel parts cost more. It also isn't that hard to find a $200 Intel-based tablet that Linux should run on with relative ease, but it is hard to find a good Linux-compatible $200 ARM-based tablet. Even when an ARM tablet is Linux compatible, not everyone knows how to install Linux on a tablet (or ARM devices in general).

[bug77]

These things fail because they don't understand the problem they're supposedly addressing.
The tablet itself may run on pixie dust, but when someone buys it, the first thing they do is install apps. Does it have WhatsApp? Does it have Snapchat? Can it run CandyCrush? I know there are many Linux apps available, but how many of those are usable on a tablet?

[Vistaus]

These things fail because they don't understand the problem they're supposedly addressing.
The tablet itself may run on pixie dust, but when someone buys it, the first thing they do is install apps. Does it have WhatsApp? Does it have Snapchat? Can it run CandyCrush? I know there are many Linux apps available, but how many of those are usable on a tablet?

First of all: regarding WA, Snapchat and stuff... do you really think the general consumer cares about a OPENSUSE tablet? Do they even know what OpenSUSE is? I think it's safe to assume "no" to both questions.

So that leaves people from the Linux community. Most of them will know what OpenSUSE is and what limitations there are when it comes to tablet apps. A lot of apps work fine on tablet (I can tell from my own experience), but not all of them are easy to the touch for most people (I happen to be a male with relatively small hands so no problem for me but most people, esp. males, have bigger hands, so...). But some of the more popular apps work fine on touch screens: the GNOME core apps, Corebird, Google Chrome/Chromium, Firefox (needs a bit of manual tweaking but nothing out of the ordinary), Ramme, Spotify, GThumb, WPS Office... just to name a couple.

[bug77]

First of all: regarding WA, Snapchat and stuff... do you really think the general consumer cares about a OPENSUSE tablet? Do they even know what OpenSUSE is? I think it's safe to assume "no" to both questions.

So that leaves people from the Linux community. Most of them will know what OpenSUSE is and what limitations there are when it comes to tablet apps. A lot of apps work fine on tablet (I can tell from my own experience), but not all of them are easy to the touch for most people (I happen to be a male with relatively small hands so no problem for me but most people, esp. males, have bigger hands, so...). But some of the more popular apps work fine on touch screens: the GNOME core apps, Corebird, Google Chrome/Chromium, Firefox (needs a bit of manual tweaking but nothing out of the ordinary), Ramme, Spotify, GThumb, WPS Office... just to name a couple.

My point exactly: like these clueless tablet makers wannabes, you also got it backwards. What it can do matters more that how it does it.

[starshipeleven]

Honestly, I think it'd have been more successful if it were ARM based. Designing an Intel based system would be too expensive, not just because it's more complex, but because the Intel parts cost more. It also isn't that hard to find a $200 Intel-based tablet that Linux should run on with relative ease, but it is hard to find a good Linux-compatible $200 ARM-based tablet. Even when an ARM tablet is Linux compatible, not everyone knows how to install Linux on a tablet (or ARM devices in general).

Lolwtfno.

What's the point of the processor being ARM if it has to run Linux?

And ARM brings many annoying bullshit to the table like lack of BIOS/UEFI (yes I know they theoretically can have it but afaik most don't use it) so installation/reinstallation is a total pain in the ass if you don't have factory tools and flashable images, possibly GPU with blobs and related issues, plus whatever.

[starshipeleven]

These things fail because they don't understand the problem they're supposedly addressing.
The tablet itself may run on pixie dust, but when someone buys it, the first thing they do is install apps. Does it have WhatsApp? Does it have Snapchat? Can it run CandyCrush? I know there are many Linux apps available, but how many of those are usable on a tablet?

You are using the wrong arguments (how many linux users need watsapp, snapchat and candy crush on their linux tablet?) but the main point is valid. ATM linux lacks tablet-friendly applications, and has half-assed tablet-friendly DEs like GNOME3 and hopefully a scavenged but still unfinished Unity 8

[schmidtbag]

What's the point of the processor being ARM if it has to run Linux?

Uhh... what difference does it make? Kind of the benefit of Linux is it doesn't matter what the processor is. Based on your reaction to my post, you clearly don't have that much experience using Linux on ARM. As long as you have working drivers, it's a very comfortable experience.

And ARM brings many annoying bullshit to the table like lack of BIOS/UEFI (yes I know they theoretically can have it but afaik most don't use it) so installation/reinstallation is a total pain in the ass if you don't have factory tools and flashable images, possibly GPU with blobs and related issues, plus whatever.

What exactly do you need a BIOS for on an ARM platform? They're so basic there's hardly ever anything to configure. Most of the stuff you can configure can be done either through a text file or through the OS itself after it has already booted.

And how often do you find yourself reinstalling an OS? Personally, I manage to keep my Linux installs running for years. The only time I ever need to reinstall is because the distro maintainers decided to break something, or, because I want to move onto a new desktop environment.

[yoshi314]

linux tablets are like modern amiga hardware. only for enthusiasts, which are not that many of.

that tablet might work if it also supported android, at a reasonable price. users would have a choice of either tinkering with linux, or using it like pretty much anyone else does. and even then, it would just be another tablet - the market is really saturated, and only specific devices make a breakthrough, usually through specific hardware features.

[Niarbeht]

I didn't even know this was happening...