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Canonical Reveals the BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Tablet (omgubuntu.co.uk)

LichtSpektren writes: Several tech sites have now broke the news that Canonical has revealed their BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Tablet. Joey-Elijah Sneddon builds the hype: "A stunning 10.1-inch IPS touch display powered a full HD 1920×1200 pixel resolution at 240 ppi. Inside is a 64-bit MediaTek MT8163A 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of internal memory. A micro SD memory card is included, adding storage expansion of up to 64GB. Furthermore, the converged slate includes an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and dual LED flash (and capable of recording in full 1080p), plus a front facing 3-megapixel camera for video chats, vlogs and selfies. Front facing Dolby Atmos speakers will provide a superior sound experience during movie playback. The M10 measure 246mm x 171mm x 8.2mm, weighs just 470 grams — lighter than the Apple iPad Air — and has a 7280 mAh battery to give up to 10 hours of use. ... Tablet mode offers a side stage for running two apps side-by-side, plus a full range of legacy desktop applications, mobile apps and scopes. LibreOffice, Mozilla Firefox, The GIMP and Gedit are among a 'curated collection of legacy apps' to ship pre-installed on the tablet. It will also be possible for developers and enthusiasts to install virtually any ARM compatible app available on Ubuntu using the familiar 'apt-get' command." A photo gallery can also be seen on his website here. The price is not yet announced, but the Android version of the same tablet is currently on sale for €229.

14 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Excellent! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Shut up and take my money!!1

    1. Re: Excellent! by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 2

      What tablet would have bought with a 64 bit ARM processor 2 years ago.

      iPad Air back in November of 2013.

  2. But does it run Linux? by future+assassin · · Score: 2

    Ducks....

    I don't care much about tablets but what's with always the small storage capacity and low ram? For power consumption?

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    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  3. SSD by blackomegax · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When I can get 128gb of flash for 40 bucks, 16GB onboard is an unforgivable sin and goes against their entire mission to make a true crossover device ala the Surface

    1. Re:SSD by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      It's okay for the price I suppose... Basically average mid range specs, memory is a bit low but it's a cheap device for the size. A Surface competitor this ain't, it's in another league spec wise.

      I think it's main problem will be competing with the many other similar tablets in this spec/price range, many of which can run Windows or Linux. Business will want Windows, consumers will want Windows or Android because they have never heard of Ubuntu or Linux... It's a reasonable device but a hard sell.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:SSD by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Search Amazon for "Windows tablet".

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    3. Re:SSD by farble1670 · · Score: 2

      that you're forced to use at work

      You need to get out of the basement a little more. The latest Surface devices have pretty much attained universal praise. This tablet isn't even in the same league spec-wise. And yes, like Ubuntu is the OS of choice for PCs these days, right? Okay, to be fair, 2016 could be the Year of the Linux Desktop.

  4. Ahh not a real ubuntu tablet but the "lite" toy by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Pass, I'll spend the same coin on a used surface pro 2 and install a full 64 bit ubuntu and get a dramatically better device.
    Or get one of the china celeron based $199 windows tablets and install ubuntu if I really have to go for a cheap throw away.

    I do not understand what they are after with a high price tablet running the mobile ubuntu.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  5. Re:24 days of suspend... by ilsaloving · · Score: 2

    Oh, I just came across this article that goes into some more usage details than what was included in the summary.

  6. Re:Please really make them available in the US by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 2

    Why? just get a google Nexus 4 and install the ubuntu phone image. that wy you can find what the rest of us have.... it sucks and then you re-flash back to android.

    LOL, between you and "Try it for free". by truck_soccer, I'll step lightly here thnx.

  7. Onboard with this idea by wjcofkc · · Score: 3, Interesting

    About a year and a half ago I bought one of those funky convertibles. I found the ability to fold it into a quasi tablet was actually pretty useless with Windows (tent mode did have advantages). So as with most computers that come into my possession it ended up running Linux. Not being in a mood to potentially have to fight it's strange hardware, I used Ubuntu. Before I go any further I need to state for the record that I hate Gnome 3 even for than I hate Unity. Which is to say I hate it a lot. No hate for users, just my person taste.

    I was kind of surprised when everything down to the touch screen and changing aspect with orientation worked great. Then it struck me: this thing would be fucking awesome with Gnome 3. Sure as shit it is. Every aspect of Gnome 3 almost seems intentionally designed for a tablet.I have made an effort to show it off to everyone from hackers to people who somehow believe that iOS is the internet and Steve Jobs made it. People are universally impressed. You can even use Google Now, albeit through a browser but even that seems insignificant to the overall experience. So I have been thinking for awhile now that perhaps there is no room for Linux to have a "year on the desktop" and perhaps that's not a bad thing. Perhaps it does not even matter. After all, I know very few people who have desktops and to lesser extent laptops these days.

    I think this has massive potential to................... fall flat on it's face. If this ships with not only having Unity as the default, which of course it will, but does not even have Gnome 3 as an option then the crowd the are targeting - everyone - won't give a shit. Canonical has always aimed their sites toward some sort of common consumer legitimacy, but when it comes down to it, they only ever preach to the choir.

    --
    Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
    1. Re:Onboard with this idea by wjcofkc · · Score: 2

      Dell Notebook i7347 13-Inch

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NJNEE3O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

      Note that it uses a hard drive. It appears that disassembling it is straightforward, but I've never done it.

      --
      Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
  8. Re:Please really make them available in the US by chmod+a+x+mojo · · Score: 3, Informative

    This.

    I tried out Ubuntu touch on my Nexus10. It was OK, and probably would have been decent if this was what tablets came out as, but it was just too different from any kind of UI that has been done up to now that it was overly jarring to user perception. No "home screen" with icons / app drawers, everything looks like it is in a file manager that has no options, and recommending being set up to use a pin for screen locking - and then never popping up the pin pad on the lock screen, forcing you to use the keyboard numbers to put in your pin where what the deal killer was for me.

    That and the "app store" was a horribly under-populated joke, and even if you installed "scopes" it was never really explained how / what to do to use them. it lasted about a day before I went back to stock rooted android.

    --
    To err is human; effective mayhem requires the root password!
  9. huh? by Type44Q · · Score: 2

    have now broke the news

    Surely they meant to say "broked."