If you have been dreaming of a way to make use of Ubuntu Linux operating system on a device other than a PC, your dream is now a reality.
The Aquaris M10, which is basically the first official tablet to run on Ubuntu Linux, is now available for preorders via BQ. The preorders are available for both variants of the Aquaris M10 – the HD model and Full HD model.
To get the HD variant, you’ll need to part with about $289 whereas the Full HD variant requires an additional $46 in order to get it. The good side of this tablet is that it has taken after the hybrid tablets that are already on the market, coming in with the capability to work as a desktop where one needs to attach a keyboard, mouse as well as an external display screen.
Both variants of the Aquaris M10 have a screen size of 10.1 inches and of course, the differences in the names are as a result of their different screens. The economical variant that features an HD screen comes with a rather lower resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels whereas the Full HD variant comes with a decent 1920 by 1200 pixels resolution. With both devices having the same screen size, the latter will definitely give sharper displays than the former.
It is not just the different quality of screens that result in the price variations of the Aquaris M10 HD variant and Full HD variant. The two also come with different processor speeds. The HD variant is equipped with a quad-core MediaTek CPU clocked at a speed of 1.3GHz whereas the Full HD variant comes with a quad-core MediaTek processor that clocks a speed of 1.5GHz. The device further packs a less-than-impressive RAM of 2GB and onboard storage of 16GB, which can be expanded using a microSD card. On the rear of the Aquaris M10 is an 8MP snapper while the front has a 5MP selfie camera.
Even though this BQ-made device is coming in as the first tablet to be powered by a full-blown version of Ubuntu Linux, it is just a modification of an existing tablet. The tablet has changed nothing much apart from coming in with Canonical’s open source software.
In 2012, Canonical released a public Ubuntu installer for Nexus 7. Even though a full-blown version has been coming, it has taken ages for it to finally show up. But of course, it’s better late than never.
If interested in any of the Aquaris M10 variants, you can make your preorders from here or here.