Your tablet is your computer with the Linux-powered BQ Aquaris M10, now available for pre-order

By Christian de Looper Published March 28, 2016

If you’re an Ubuntu Linux user who has been wanting to take the operating system away from the PC, or who has been wanting a PC replacement in general, then look no further. The first official Ubuntu tablet is now available for pre-order.

The tablet, called the Aquaris M10, is made by BQ and is available in either a HD or full HD version, costing $290 or $335 respectively.

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Ubuntu Linux is an open-source software made by Canonical, and one of its main draws as a tablet is that it allows you to switch between using a mobile device, or a desktop computer, when you plug in an external display, keyboard, and mouse.

BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Keyboard — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As you may have guessed, the two tablets are differentiated based on their display resolution. They both have a 10.1-inch screen, however the full HD version features a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel display, while the HD version has a resolution of 1,280 x 800.

Apart from the resolution, the tablets are the same. They offer 16GB of storage, of which 4.8GB is taken up by the operating system. However, however there is a microSD slot so you can increase the storage on your device.

Under the hood is a 1.5GHz MediaTek quad-core MT8163A processor, accompanied by 2GB of RAM. A rear-facing camera is found on the back of the device, coming in at 8MP, while a 5MP front-facing camera is present for video-chats and selfies.

Sure, the Aquaris M10 isn’t the most highly-specced device on the market, but it certainly has a lot to offer for the price. It might be just what you need if you’ve been looking for a Linux-based mobile device besides Android that can function as a fully-featured computer.

The new device is an important release for Canonical. The company has been talking about mobile-PC convergence for a while now, but we haven’t seen anything official until now. Hopefully this will serve as the first of many Ubuntu mobile devices.

Christian de Looper

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…

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