this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] [email protected] 86 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Seems like no stylus? If so it makes the starlite not very surface-like in my mind. Ain't a stylus the reason for something like this?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 year ago

Ah damn yeah, I was just thinking that this device might be something I'd consider blowing my budget for, if it can replace multiple devices. But the lack of stylus on a device like this is huge let down.

[–] dustyData 19 points 1 year ago (6 children)

How hard would it be to make it work with a third party stylus?

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (4 children)

It depends.

You can basically always use the crappy ones made for general touchscreens to replicate your finger. You can't use a real one with features like Apple Pencil/surface pen/wacom without an extra layer built into the screen to recognize them.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I have a surface and I love it. At the same time, I hardly use the stylus.

I'm sure it's the reason many get it, but I also think there's a large audience for a tablet without one.

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[–] [email protected] 47 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not sure on Starlab's background or people's stance on them, but I think this looks pretty nice.

Coreboot, 3:2 aspect ratio, magnetic keyboard, aluminium finish, I'd say makes this a pretty compelling alternative to a surface. Specs aren't super beefy, but I don't think they need to be in this form factor. Introductory price on this seems nice, too.

[–] woelkchen 14 points 1 year ago (9 children)

I’d say makes this a pretty compelling alternative to a surface.

And like a Surface, it puts a desktop OS onto a tablet, basically repeating Microsoft's mistake.

Specs aren’t super beefy, but I don’t think they need to be in this form factor.

There's a difference between "not beefy" and a super crappy 1.00GHz Intel N200. A hardware OEM just needs to go to AMD and pick off the shelf whatever is the closest thing to Steam Deck's CPU.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (12 children)

Desktop OS on a tablet is fine and even preferred depending on what you want it for.

I have a surface and don't mind using full windows that way.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Well the desktop OS is what made me choose a Surface Go 1 as my main computer. And now that I've switched to Linux (Fedora), I'm even more thankful that you could apply every tutorial you found on the web for that tablet.

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago

I am of the opinion that if we keep waiting for the “perfect” Linux tablet, it will never exist. The specs of this unit are head and shoulders above any other Linux-dedicated tablet thus far.

I plan on buying one once I see a product review, and if it’s as good as I hope it will be, I hope that Linux users will support it with their wallets so we get more and better devices like this.

[–] dabu 31 points 1 year ago

The best thing for me is that you can buy a battery for it on their site with instructions how to do the replacement. Nothing is glued together according to the manual (which probably makes it mory clunky than Surface but oh well). Coreboot is an icing on the cake.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It seems like Star Labs is pivoting away from making superheroes and finally decided to use their technology more responsibly!

[–] Lantern 6 points 1 year ago

Was looking for this comment.

[–] deafboy 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't need this, I don't need this, I so need this... I mean I don't... fuck!

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Always wanted to try a star labs product. What always stops me are the specs. Not enough ram or storage or CPU to justify the price. Even though I know the premium is there because they aren't just white labeled clevos like every other Linux focused PC company

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I see soo many people complain about the CPU but if your CPU use too much power, your battery is going to take a big hit on battery life, unless the tablet now start at much higher prices. So the 6W form factor makes a lot of sense.

People complaining about it not being AMD. AMD just doesn't make good 6W CPU (other then custom one but that would cost a fortune for such a little company). Intel has been really experienced in this market.

To the people scared about video decoding, Intel has really good HW decoding so 4K isn't an issue. It's better then AMD's one on Linux from my own experience.

Finally this is a $600 tablet, so don't expect a workstation to run Blender. Linux runs well on weaker CPU. My school computer runs KDE Plasma with a few apps open without much trouble and it has a Intel Celeron N5100 and 4GB of RAM.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago

I wish I would have known about this before buying the Pinetab2. I didn't realize (completely my fault) that the Pinetab2 was a development unit without working wifi, bluetooth, camera and other issues. Once again, my fault, not Pine64's.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Would absolutely get if it had a pen for drawing and notetaking, but otherwise I feel it's just a somewhat underpowered laptop in a neat form factor.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (9 children)

The point of a tablet is to be secure to use it with a touch interface. If you install just some vanilla Linux distro, that won't work. Is there any touch based interface for Linux that's worth using?

[–] dustyData 33 points 1 year ago

Gnome has a strong touch interface. You just don't see it when used in a desktop.

[–] art 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you install just some vanilla Linux distro, that won’t work.

My Surface 3 Pro with Debian Stable would disagree. The Gnome desktop does pretty good without a keyboard.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Very appealing for a travel device running a Linux kernel. On the product page, they also mention Open Warranty, which makes me believe it will be easily serviceable - this would be a big plus, especially for a travel tablet, being able to switch the disk easily.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Great RAM and SSD, but at the cost of a quad core processor at 1Ghz. Still, I'd consider it a bargain, especially at 500 with the keyboard, as it is right now.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

I didn't see anything in the article, but will it have stylus support?

[–] turkelton 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Does anyone have on-screen keyboard experience with Linux tablets?

GNOME Mobile should have a good one after purism started pushing it, right?

Any more info on this?

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


In the market for a new laptop or perhaps a Microsoft Surface-like tablet style system?

Well, Star Labs have turned their StarLite laptop into a tablet.

I have to admit, I love the form factor on this giving you the best of both worlds.

You get a sweet fully Linux supported tablet, and you can hook it up to a magnetic keyboard to get a full laptop experience too.

This is a proper Linux system too with open-source firmware powered by coreboot and edk II with updates via LVFS.

They support and test many different configurations, and you get a decent warranty with it too allowing you to to take your computer apart, replace parts, install an upgrade, and use any operating system and even your firmware, all without voiding the warranty.


I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

This is honestly quite interesting. I might get one, if only to play around with and see what cool stuff I can think of to do with it.

Also, their laptops look pretty sweet - I think it strikes a much better long-term balance between framework’s “plug-and-play” approach (which necessarily leads to a slightly clunkier and less sleek design) and Apple’s “inscrutable slab of electronics” approach.

Star’s approach requires more (dis)assembly time and care, but I think that’s fine. You can open up a Framework way more trivially, but well… how often do you honestly plan on disassembling your laptop? For me, it’s:

  • when I get it, to upgrade the RAM and SSD
  • if I want to upgrade later, but that typically happens years down the road, and sometimes not ever if it can do what I need it to do without issues
  • if something breaks and needs replacement… but that also typically happens years down the road

So, while I appreciate Framework’s approach… I’m honestly not going to crack the thing open more than 3 or 4 times, and hopefully only once or twice, so I am absolutely fine sacrificing super easy maintenance for an overall sleeker and more robust-feeling design.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Damn this might be an easy buy for $600

[–] woelkchen 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I support linking the original site as a general rule, but I don't think GamingOnLinux is blog spam. He curates information from a variety of places, provides a quick accessible summary, and very clearly links back to the article he's referencing.

In this specific case, his table of specs is far more readable and accessible than the obnoxious advertising product page is.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I feel like no desktop OS maker has nailed transition to touch screen devices, but I have only recently gotten my first x86 tablet and have only used windows on it, so my experience is limited and I'm only judging from screenshots I have seen online.

(I guess steam OS can count as decent enough, but it's not available yet outside of steam deck and it's gaming focused)

P.S. I honestly would be happy with an iPad if it were not so limited and more non-mobile games were available for it

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Wow, the price and openness of both the firmware and warranty make this a very enticing product. I've been casually looking for a new laptop, something to just watch youtube, browsing and manage my home lab with.

I checked out the actual product page, and it's a bit confusing in the configurator. Seems like the default power adaptor is non-us by default. Easy enough to change, no cost variance. But the keyboard section is confusing. Additional layout options for +~$110. Does that mean a secondary keyboard? What's the default?

EDIT: Any keyboard is not included, after finally finding the "what's in the box" in the specifications section. So, factor in an extra $100 in the price if ya need it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Looks like a dope little device but at that price I think I might be more interested in a Steam Deck.

[–] joel_feila 5 points 1 year ago

hmm interesting I might get this

[–] lynny 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Okay but the real question is does the keyboard use QMK? Mnt Reform has set the standard for open source laptops imo, if I can't program my keyboard then that is a massive downside.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Would be great for a plane!

[–] Jayb151 4 points 1 year ago

I'm running endeavour os on a Lenovo duet 3. It's fully functional including the gyroscope, which is super damn amazing. Windows basically wouldn't run, but I feel like a super user when in using endeavor on it. It's so good.

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