The Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Tablet Now Available For Pre-Order

[phoronix]

Phoronix: The Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Tablet Now Available For Pre-Order

One month after announcing the Bq Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Tablet, the device is now available for pre-ordering...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-M10-Tablet-Pre-Order

[achaios]

Is Mediatek respecting the GPL yet?

[kaprikawn]

What are we looking at here? Can I only get the experience this offers by getting one of those tablets, or can I install that OS on a tablet I already own and get the same thing? Are they making that possible?

I recently got a Pixel C tablet for £300 which is likely much better hardware for only a little more money, can I install the OS on that for example?

[Stunts]

kaprikawn, here is a list of currently supported devices:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Devices

I don't think your pixel is listed...

I have to say that this tablet is quite interesting for me. My BQ 4.5 Ubuntu touch is the most hackable MID I have ever laid my hands on. The tablet will use pretty much the same OS so I might get one soon(ish).
The lack of apps is still an issue, since web-apps can only get you so far, feature wise.
Some of the platform restrictions (as far as the store apps go) are also cause for limitation, but the devs are learning from didn't work out so well, and constantly trying to solve these issues.
All in all I think the platform might have a Future. Not as a mainstream OS (at least in it's current form), but rather as an enthusiast thing, where there's also likely a lot of €€ to be made.

[Mez']

Pre-ordered the Full HD edition. Can't wait!

[makitso]

Despite the fact that I use a Nexus 10 a lot as a reader, it still frustrates me in that the Android OS, IMHO, is still not a full purpose OS. I also have had my eye on the Pixel C since the Nexus 10 has developed a annoying coffee stain in the middle of the display :-( The Aquaris table is interesting and I might buy it instead but, since I "could" install ubuntu on my Nexus 10.

> The lack of apps is still an issue, since web-apps can only get you so far, feature wise

This is a true statement for me. On a daily basis, I use 3 or 4 specific vendor supplied Android apps that really have no good replacement just using the web.

[kaprikawn]

Stunts Thanks, I have a Nexus 7, might try it on that.

[Stunts]

kaprikawn Np, just keep in mind that UTouch only works in the Nexus 7 2013 model.
I have a 2012 model, which seems to have been forgotten by everyone (and yes, it's a **very** slow fondleslab, at least ever since it got updated to android > 4.2).

[Cerberus]

What are we looking at here? Can I only get the experience this offers by getting one of those tablets, or can I install that OS on a tablet I already own and get the same thing? Are they making that possible?

I recently got a Pixel C tablet for £300 which is likely much better hardware for only a little more money, can I install the OS on that for example?

No, the problem being drivers, to port any OS to another device, including Ubuntu Touch, drivers must be ported and integrated which is not an easy task. Nexus 7 is supported I think and you can probably get one cheap now. When it comes to BQ Aquaris M10 I am torn whether to buy it or not, I already have BQ Ubuntu phone, but the issue is not whether I want it or not but the money, with the rumors of converged phone coming this year it is not easy for me to decide whether to buy the tablet or not. I want the phone more, but tablet would be nice to have, but what if I spend 300 EUR on it now and then in a few months I learn that converged phone will be out, costs 500 EUR and I dont have money for it That would really suck. I will probably wait a little bit more and see if I can scrounge up more money for backup when new phone is out, if I manage that I will buy the tablet, not sure if it makes sense for them to sell the 1280x800 tablet as it is only 40 EUR cheaper than full hd version, I dont think many will be interested in that one because there is a big difference between 1280x800 and full hd screen and the price is not significantly higher for the full hd tablet.

[Cerberus]

kaprikawn, here is a list of currently supported devices:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Touch/Devices

I don't think your pixel is listed...

I have to say that this tablet is quite interesting for me. My BQ 4.5 Ubuntu touch is the most hackable MID I have ever laid my hands on. The tablet will use pretty much the same OS so I might get one soon(ish).
The lack of apps is still an issue, since web-apps can only get you so far, feature wise.
Some of the platform restrictions (as far as the store apps go) are also cause for limitation, but the devs are learning from didn't work out so well, and constantly trying to solve these issues.
All in all I think the platform might have a Future. Not as a mainstream OS (at least in it's current form), but rather as an enthusiast thing, where there's also likely a lot of €€ to be made.

It all depends on what someone needs, I talked out few Android users from getting Ubuntu phone at this moment because it doesnt have the applications they need, Viber and WhatsApp being the most important ones, personally I would like to have Viber for audio and video calls but I can live without that at this moment, I persuaded friends and family to install Telegram and there is not much I lack now on Ubuntu Touch, but I never needed many applications on Android as well, browser, gallery, music player, file manager, messenger, maps and thats about it. Restrictions for applications are somewhat of an issue for more "advanced" applications, but that is a tradeoff, if we want maximum security and privacy on a phone we cant have applications with too much access like on Android, or at least we need to limit them in other ways. Ubuntu Touch is very restrictive but that also makes it more secure and way more private than Android. Example for those that never used Ubuntu phones-applications from the Ubuntu Store are confined and cannot access your address book, SD card or anything outside the folder where they are installed, ever. They can import some forms of content via media hub by asking the user to grant access to such and such file, it does not give them access to the content location, media hub does the transfer. Content sharing in applications via media hub is a nice way to share content without giving system wide access to any applications. But that does pose a problem for applications that need much more access to system services. Open Store is a solution for that, but it wont work on mass market, which is why when WhatsApp and Dropbox were hinted as coming to Ubuntu Touch it was said they will be integrated in the OS, only way to give them enough access to work but restrict them from touching anything but the bare necessities.