Linux On Your Tablet PC

tyman writes "Michael Rolig has created a Debian-based linux package for your Tablet PC. The support for various tablet features is limited by the features on the tablet Rolig owns, such as the "half-working" pen button features. One important missing feature is the screen-swivel buttons common with most tablets. However this is a good start for the development of linux for Tablet PCs."

Comments

Negative comments

[gacott]

All the negative comments crack me up. It's projects like this that push invention, not just on the Linux side but also on the Microsoft side. So while the project might not be at 100% usability, it's certainly enough to get others involved, excited ect, and turn the development process from one of just development into one of hyper-development.

I'm cynical

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm feeling cynical about so much news of Linux stuff maybe happening. Starting. Beginning. Someone is working on X. We'll soon have Y

Even some of the better distros at hardware detection like SuSE, Mandrake and Yellowdog have community forums filled with regulars who love using the OS, yet still don't have everything working. USB2 controllers only working at 1.0 speeds, ethernet not working, many with no sound and most without accelerated graphics.

I love my linux computer, and I left Windows years ago... but when are we going to FINISH some of this stuff we started? I feel like I'm living in a world of workarounds.

Why own a Tablet PC?

[linders]

I never really saw any reason to own a Tablet PC, what does it have over a labtop?

Re:Why own a Tablet PC?

[Jeff DeMaagd]

It probably isn't for you. If you need to do a lot of sketching, layout, or if you need to enter data while walking, then tablets are ideal. I think a tablet would be a nice improvement over a conventional laptop's built-in pointing devices. I bought a Bluetooth mouse because I hated the finger wagger and the eraser in my laptop.

Oh, that's so great.

[Dink Paisy]

I recently got a tablet PC, and a Windows XP tablet is a very nice thing. There are three very huge problems with Linux support for tablet PC's, though.

First is the lack of hardware support. If you happen to have a TC1000 then this guy has the drivers for you. If you happen to have an M200 (like I do), then he doesn't have the drivers for you.

Second is the lack of handwriting recognition. That's essential for using a tablet in, you know, tablet mode. Without it, even choosing to visit www.slashdot.com is a chore, and you can forget about word processing or email in the comfortable tablet form factor while riding the bus.

Third is the lack of applications. There are a few well chosen applications that support handwriting as a first class input mechanism. When scratching and scribbling on things it is comforting to have circles and lines, and even my messy handwriting, be the same as I put them in.

It would be nice to have Linux working well on my tablet, but the tablet PC is a new hardware and software platform. Microsoft doesn't have a great and polished interface for it yet, only one that is good enough. Still, every little bit of that new platform that Microsoft and others provide for Windows XP on a tablet is a little bit that Linux doesn't have yet at all.

Re:Out of Date?

[MadMirko]

Yes, out of date. The bottom of the page says "Copyright 2003 Michael Rolig", and the TC1000 isn't bleeding edge either.

And I don't know if Windows users should be lured into Linux on the TabletPC. Unless you want to scare the off, that is. ATM you'd just lose what's making the Tablet special (handwritting, OneNote, and so on), and if that was your first meeting with Linux, you'd never come back.

Re:wtf?

[MemoryDragon]

Why do I want to run Linux on a tablet PC. It all comes down to being able to do what I want to do with my machine not being able to do what Microsoft wants me to do with it...