RosePDX

Tablet Linux



My daily driver laptop for nearly the past decade has been a Lenovo T430 thinkpad. The system came out in 2012 and has a CPU socket that can take some of the the first 4 core laptop processors Intel released in the consumer market. It also weighs as much as some desktops, and finding batteries that can keep the system going for longer than three hours has been an uphill battle for the past few years.

Desires

So, I decided it was time to upgrade. I wanted something that was:

• Used (less e-waste)
• Cheap (less than $350 USD
• Could do basic computation in linux
• Could be used as a ssh console, with full keyboard, to do more intense computing on my home server
• A wacom touchscreen for note taking
• 4+ hour battery life
• Thin and light and small enough to fit in my larger purses
• Reasonable build quality
• Hidpi screen
• Repairability

I realized pretty quickly getting all of these would be nearly impossible, but I searched for a long time trying to check as many boxes as possible. I found things that came close, and a number of projects that promise to soon (TM) check all of them if only they can deliver.

Michaelsoft!?



Then, one day, I came across the Surface Linux Project: https://github.com/linux-surface/linux-surface

At first, I was petrified. Using a Microsoft system!? I wouldn't dare! ... Unless.

I started thinking about how if I ran linux on it, then would I really that bad about using it? I've enjoyed playing Xbox before. Are other laptop companies really ethically better?

So, I started going through my actual list, and I quickly realized that, if the price was right, I could check every box aside from repairability.

I won't lie. Repairability sucks on these. You have to remove a glued on screen to replace the battery and ssd. Everything else is attached to the mainboard. However, the battery and the SSD are the two things I need to be upgradable. I am fairly handy with electronics, and I decided I would invest time in learning how to remove the screen. And since then, I have successfully reshelled two Steam Decks which required screen removal.

Purchasing



So, this just left the price. I started scouring various auction sites and used sales. I had settled on getting the Surface Pro 6 as it has full support from the Surface Linux project, and they are common on used sales. After a month of looking I found one in great condition, with the expensive keyboard cover, for $200. This left budget for a pen, which I found a highly rated third party one for $35. I also spent $20 on a micro sd card for expanded storage. Well under my total budget!

Software



Next it was time for the OS install. Following the detailed guides on the Surface Linux wiki I was able to get a fully featured Arch Linux setup running very well.

I tried out a few desktop environments.

Plasma Mobile seemed promising, but it didn't play well with the hidpi screen.

Gnome worked mostly, and with a few extensions even better. However, some QT based applications couldn't be dragged around the screen. One of these was the drawing app Krita, and this made it annoying to use in tablet mode (which is how I would be exclusively using it.

So, I tried KDE in wayland. This has been a minefield for me in the past, and I very much was hesitant to use it. However, with a few tweak, it works perfectly for me now aside from one bug (with auto-hiding panels when they are swiped on screen they can't be dismissed again via touch alone).










Verdict



Overall, I am very happy. To reiterate my needs and how this fulfills them:

• The system was used
• The system cost me about $250 ($100 under budget!)
• I can do basic linux tasks and everyday media consumption and communication easily
• I can flip the keyboard cover out and remote into my home server to do more intense tasks
• The touchscreen and pen support are fantastic and snappy
• At the brightness I like, I can get 5 hours watching video, and 7 hours reading. When suspended (cover closed) it lasts three days.
• The device is comparable to an iPad. Heavier than a phone, but easy to take around and hold.
• The build quality is right up there with the iPad
• The screen is hidpi
• Not super repairable. :(

Other pros I didn't expect include things like the device being passively cooled. There is no fan. Also, the audio is pretty great, and my model has a headphone jack too!

One con I did not anticipate was the charging being done by a proprietary adapter. However, I was able to find a $10 dongle that will allow it to be charged via USB-C.

Conclusion



So, this was my experience with a Surface Tablet. I am very very happy. As a girl who uses a computer more than her phone, having a computer that is as easy to use as a phone at hand is incredibly nice.

I hope this write-up/show and tell answered any questions you might have if you found yourself contemplating a similar solution.