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?
this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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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.
They actually did add one about a week ago.
They do have a generic MPP active pen as a configuration option though
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.
I genuinely dont see the reason for a windows tablet without a stylus. Note-taking is nice with a stylus but for just holding it and watching videos or browsing a surface is honestly too unwieldly and the windows touch interface is also not great.
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.
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.
The problem is that tablets like this generally can't take advantage of the turbo boost on the CPU due to thermal throttling. I'll wait and see, but I expect it to perform worse than an N5100 laptop.
Wait and see
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
I think the issue with devices like this is that apps simply aren't optimized for use like this.
I have a Surface. Barely used it as a tablet really, there aren't a ton of uses and Windows in tablet mode is just awful.
With the keyboard it turns into a neat and portable mini laptop, which I love.
The Starlite seems neat, but with the current specs it feels like not quite a tablet yet not quite a laptop either.
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.
It seems like Star Labs is pivoting away from making superheroes and finally decided to use their technology more responsibly!
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.
I didn't see anything in the article, but will it have stylus support?
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.
Y'know what? I may just sell my iPad for this.
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.
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.
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.
Desktop OS on a tablet is fine and even preferred depending on what you want it for.
If the use case is to use a tablet as a tablet, then a desktop OS is not fine. Source: Me and my Surface Pro 7 which is unusable without the type cover.
Gnome shell works well on my vivo as either a tablet or with the keyboard.
Looks like a dope little device but at that price I think I might be more interested in a Steam Deck.
Steam deck kinda sucks for media consumption as a handheld, and it's much heavier. But this thing isn't gonna game well 😅
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!
Finally a decent Linux tablet that can actually replace many laptops. Only thing is that it would've been great with an i3-N300.
Does the keyboard work while detached? When I travel, I like to plug the laptop into the TV and control it from across the room with a wireless keyboard and mouse. It would be nice not to have to pack a separate keyboard.
If it follows the Surface design, it doesn't. Surface's keyboard has no battery and no other connector than the proprietary surface pogo pins, so no way to make it work wirelessly.
Oh wow, I got an Eve V years ago because it could do that and thought it was a budget Surface, so I always figured the Surface could do that, too. Now Eve's out of the game and I'm looking to replace mine. Does anyone do that anymore?
...the iPad cover keyboard, maybe?
WiFi AC is interesting, mostly because AX has a lot of improvements for congestion
They are using older/more affordable chipsets
That's an incredible price for 16gb of memory and a 512 ssd. Would be an upgrade from my 14" laptop. I just hope I don't have to wait multiple years to get it.
Yeah, but at the cost of a quad core processor at 1Ghz
It boosts faster tho, so for average usage it might be fine. It just will have trouble with anything that requires sustained use, which for me would probably just be compiling code or games, things I wouldn't try to do on a tablet.
I like compiling Gentoo on tablets
Are you Immolo? If not, I'll write a comment about this on his latest video.
I'm not. But I installed Gentoo on a x86 tablet, it was fun.
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.
The important bit not mentioned here is that FW machines are both user serviceable and user upgradable. No need to eat the cost or create the waste of replacing a perfectly good chassis and display, and then sell off the replaced mainboard on the market.