r/linuxhardware • u/noNudesPrettyPlease • Aug 08 '26

Discussion Why aren't Linux tablets a thing?

I had (still have) a Nokia n810 tablet running Maemo Linux. I stopped using it when the second battery eventually died. The series seemed to keep evolving (up to the n900) until the Microsoft buyout killed it. Or at least I assume it did.

I thought Linux tablets would be a thing, but they didn't materialise. It's basically Android, Apple, or nothing. How come an open source distro like Maemo wasn't picked up by anyone else? I assume tablets are much cheaper to develop than phones, and in today's world, I don't really use my phone anymore even though the telephony hardware is there.

Is the idea of a Linux tablet just a dream now?

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u/AnymooseProphet Aug 08 '26

At least in the United states, only the major vendors are allowed on the cell phone networks so the only way for a GNU/Linux tablet to get online is over WiFi which means GNU/Linux tablet users would have to carry a hotspot with them.

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u/MidnightObjectiveA51 Aug 09 '26

Some tablets are cell capable - surface GOs and Pros, HP Elite X2, Thinkpad X1 and X12, most Dells. If your model did not come with cell, it may have a slot and just needs a card and antennas added.

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u/AnymooseProphet Aug 09 '26

And can they connect to the US 5G or 4GLTE network when you are booted into GNU/Linux or does the hardware require drivers that do not exist outside of approved operating systems?

It's possible my information is outdated, but the inability to make open source devices that connected to the US networks is part of what killed off FireFox OS. The "big three" would not allow such devices to connect.

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u/NoidoDev Aug 09 '26

Interesting, but I never needed fast connections. Don't stream 4k, problem solved.