I’ve never been into tablets, are Surfaces as easy to install Linux on as a PC? Is there any bootloader unlocking or anything like on a phone, or is it more like secure boot on a PC?
I had installed Linux on an old Chromebook and it would always offer to wipe the hard drive on every boot, so now I’ve assumed that some hardware isn’t as Linux friendly as others. I think a lot has changed since I got my desktop and the last laptop that I installed Linux on.
And are the Linux touch screen interfaces any good? I tried a Fairphone that was running something Linux and the touch interface was lacking. (It was a great tiny laptop for using a terminal though).
And last random thought… I loved the 10” netbook form factor back in 2009 or so. I think tablets are a similar size, but the weight is in the “monitor” part, I preferred the bottom heavy laptop form factor. Are the Surfaces okay for that, or top heavy enough that they can fall over and can’t have the angle adjusted finely like a laptop?
I terms of installation they are actually a PC. Just load your favorite distro on a USB stick and install it as you would on a Desktop. For me Ubuntu is working great on an older Surface Go, including touch.
The keyboard cover is highly recommended of course.
Surface are basically a tablet (=all hardware and weight in the monitor). You can get them with a cover that contains a keyboard but it is still top heavy (think of a normal cover for a tablet, but slightly more sturdy because of the keyboard).
There’s also a surface book that more or lees is like a laptop - from the looks of it. The bottom part with the keyboard is heavier, but only contains the keyboard, an USB hub and additional batteries. It’s till top heavy with it, as you can “detach the screen” and still have a fully functional “PC tablet”.
I’ve never been into tablets, are Surfaces as easy to install Linux on as a PC? Is there any bootloader unlocking or anything like on a phone, or is it more like secure boot on a PC?
I had installed Linux on an old Chromebook and it would always offer to wipe the hard drive on every boot, so now I’ve assumed that some hardware isn’t as Linux friendly as others. I think a lot has changed since I got my desktop and the last laptop that I installed Linux on.
And are the Linux touch screen interfaces any good? I tried a Fairphone that was running something Linux and the touch interface was lacking. (It was a great tiny laptop for using a terminal though).
And last random thought… I loved the 10” netbook form factor back in 2009 or so. I think tablets are a similar size, but the weight is in the “monitor” part, I preferred the bottom heavy laptop form factor. Are the Surfaces okay for that, or top heavy enough that they can fall over and can’t have the angle adjusted finely like a laptop?
I terms of installation they are actually a PC. Just load your favorite distro on a USB stick and install it as you would on a Desktop. For me Ubuntu is working great on an older Surface Go, including touch. The keyboard cover is highly recommended of course.
Surface are basically a tablet (=all hardware and weight in the monitor). You can get them with a cover that contains a keyboard but it is still top heavy (think of a normal cover for a tablet, but slightly more sturdy because of the keyboard).
There’s also a surface book that more or lees is like a laptop - from the looks of it. The bottom part with the keyboard is heavier, but only contains the keyboard, an USB hub and additional batteries. It’s till top heavy with it, as you can “detach the screen” and still have a fully functional “PC tablet”.