DC160 Critique: PineTab tablet

Yousef Hegazi joins the show to help Tim Keirnan critique
Pine64's PineTab, a low-cost 10-inch tablet that uses Linux as
its operating system instead of iOS, Android, or Windows.
Pine64 provides "system on a chip" computing devices that run
free and open source software (FOSS) as their operating system
and applications. The PineTab follows earlier projects such as
the PineBook/PineBook Pro (a laptop), the PinePhone and PinePhone
Pro (a smartphone), and the PineTime (a smart watch). Projects
are shipped early to a community that can help with development
and, at some point, the project will be ready for regular
everyday users to buy and enjoy.
Unlike other tablets on the market such as the Apple iPad and the
Amazon Fire, the PineTab is not a closed ecosystem that sends
information back to its manufacturer about how customers use the
device.


NOTE: PINE64's website for ordering the PineTab did mention that
the operating system is "a work in progress". Our critique
balances our impressions of the device's UX with that admission.
At some point, though, the software needs to mature to be useful
and usable for regular consumers.


Check out the upcoming PineNote.


Here is the article Tim mentioned that explains how the dominant
tablet makers track users' activity on the devices and why. For
those not comfortable with such an arrangement, a Linux tablet
such as the PineTab may offer hope.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/31/21117217/amazon-kindle-tracking-page-turn-taps-e-reader-privacy-policy-security-whispersync