Dual-Booting PengPod Tablet Can Run Linux/Android

New submitter garbagechuteflyboy writes "The PengPod is the first dual-booting tablet; It's able to run both Linux and Android. Pengpod is now running the latest Plasma Active which gives this powerful Linux tablet features that were previously only available to iPad and Android tablets. PengPod is currently selling pre-orders on Indiegogo." garbagechuteflyboy adds links to articles about the dual-OS tablet at liliputing, at Ars Technica, and at PCWorld. "First dual-booting tablet" seems like a hard claim to back, but it's nice to see a tablet marketed with Plasma Active in mind.

Comments

Dual boot

[Anonymous Coward]

Dual boots linux and ... well ... linux.

First?

[Jethro]

Because I was dualbooting WebOS and Android on my touchpad a year ago.

Also, having never heard of this device before, I looked it up and... frankly... it seems pretty horrible.

you mean GNU and Android

[davydagger]

because both of them use linux as the kernel. So in this case it would be not just appriopriate, but important to seperate between GNU/Linux and Android/Linux.

This tablet runs GNU/Linux AND Android/Linux.

What will really impress me is if you can get a hybrid userland where you can run GNU on android.

Re:you mean GNU and Android

[davydagger]

Its important to make the distinction for two reasons.

1. Android/linux has a diffrent userland than gnu/linux. android is in fact %100 linux, but its not the "linux" most geeks want to use. They want their typical "linux user experiance", which means they want the rest of the programs that are bundled by most "linux" distributions. This user experiance has a name. Its called "GNU". Most importantly I assume that most geeks would want gcc, GNU make, glibc, etc..., so they can start compiling standard GNU/linux applications they enjoy on other platforms.

GNU here is the big keystone, because once you have GNU, to include GCC, glibc, gnu make, bash, etc..., then even if the thing didn't come with X11, and a widely used desktop, which it does(KDE), it'd make it a lot easier to port. It'd make it easier to port and run standard libraries.

So I'm just calling "standard linux stuff" by its proper name. "GNU"

2. Regardless of what you think of the man, Richard Stallman, and the FSF did/does put a considerable amount of effort into GNU, I'd say as much as Linus, and the kernel team does. Especially since the fact that gcc/gmake/glibc get used in to test new platforms, and are the crux of a good deal of linux software, to include the kernel.

Linus, and his kernel team get all the credit, while Stallman and the FSF who did/do put work in, get next to none. While I do hold Linus in high regard, the FSF deserves credit for GNU. Give it where its due.

Re:Resistive Screen

[Anonymous Coward]

I was about to sign up for one of these earlier this week, but the specs seem to indicate a resistive screen. After trying one of the cheap Chinese made Android tabs with a resistive screen, no thanks. I could deal with a bit less speed or memory, but the screen's got to be capacitive.

It has a capacitive screen

Dupe

[Narishma]

garbagechuteflyboy adds links to articles about the dual-OS tablet at liliputing, at Ars Technica, and at PCWorld.

How about a link to Slashdot's story a week ago.

I like Ubuntu's idea better

[caseih]

I'd rather run both Android and a Linux desktop at the same time. They both use a Linux kernel after all, so dual-booting seems a bit redundant. Why not run an android system (if not individual apps) as an app within, say, KDE plasma.

Actually, I'm surprised that MS and others haven't just implemented Android-compatible subsystems within their OS's and run Android apps natively. Need windows apps *and* Android apps? no problem. We support them both! Android isn't actually Linux after all; it's a Java environment and the kernel is irrelevant. I think BB 10 wanted to do this (QNX kernel), but I don't know if they ever did.

Re:Resistive Screen

[drachensun]

Its in the updates on the site: Q: Do the PengPods use a capacitive touch screen? A: YES, no resistive touch screens, only capacitive. I think some confusion has been caused by the fact that the A10 chip has a built in resistive touch screen controller. We are not using it, we are using an ft5x capacitive touch screen controller chip with 5 point multi-touch.

Re:Resistive Screen

[hobarrera]

Damn that, I would have gotten on if it had a resistive screen. I can't stand capacitive screens and it seems the entire market is flooded with those!

Re:Slashdot doing advertorials now?

[Noughmad]

Why not post the name of your table?

Bobby. Aren't all tables named Bobby?