PineTab 2 is another try at a Linux-based tablet, without the supply shortage of 2020
PineTab 2 is another try at a Linux-based tablet, without the supply shortage of 2020
Enlarge / Inside a prototype PineTab 2, with battery and connectors far away hidden for possible replacement.
The PineTab 2 is a complete overhaul, claims Erecinski. It has a metal chassis that "is very sturdy yet easy to disassemble for upgrades, maintenance, and repairs." The tablet comes apart with snap tabs and Pine64 will offer replacement parts. The interior is also modular, with the eMMC storage, camera, daughterboard, battery and keyboard connector all removable "in less than 5 minutes". The 10.1-inch IPS screen, with "modern and reasonably thin bezels", should also be replaceable, but with more work.
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Pine64's video for their December update - details on the PineTab 2 start at 7:11.
On this easy-to-open chassis are two USB-C ports, one for USB 3.0 I/O and one for charging (or USB 2.0 if you choose). There's a dedicated micro-HDMI port and a 2-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera (not the kind of all-in-one media production machine Apple advertises, this tablet), a microSD slot, and a headphone jack. While a PCIe system is exposed inside the PineTab, most NVMe SSDs won't fit, according to Pine64. However, all of this is subject to change before final production.
As with the original PineTab, this model comes with a removable, backlit keyboard cover, included by default. This makes supporting a desktop operating system for the device much more viable, writes Erecinski. The firmware chipset is the same as in the PineBook Pro, which should help with that. No default operating system has yet been decided, according to Pine64.
The tablet is to come with two memory/storage variants: 4GB/64GB and 8GB/128GB. It is expected to ship "sometime after Chinese New Year" (Jan 22-Feb 5), although there is no firm date. No pricing has been announced, but "it will be affordable whichever version you install on."
Enlarge / Inside a prototype PineTab 2, with battery and connectors far away hidden for possible replacement.
The PineTab 2 is a complete overhaul, claims Erecinski. It has a metal chassis that "is very sturdy yet easy to disassemble for upgrades, maintenance, and repairs." The tablet comes apart with snap tabs and Pine64 will offer replacement parts. The interior is also modular, with the eMMC storage, camera, daughterboard, battery and keyboard connector all removable "in less than 5 minutes". The 10.1-inch IPS screen, with "modern and reasonably thin bezels", should also be replaceable, but with more work.
[embedded content]
Pine64's video for their December update - details on the PineTab 2 start at 7:11.
On this easy-to-open chassis are two USB-C ports, one for USB 3.0 I/O and one for charging (or USB 2.0 if you choose). There's a dedicated micro-HDMI port and a 2-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera (not the kind of all-in-one media production machine Apple advertises, this tablet), a microSD slot, and a headphone jack. While a PCIe system is exposed inside the PineTab, most NVMe SSDs won't fit, according to Pine64. However, all of this is subject to change before final production.
As with the original PineTab, this model comes with a removable, backlit keyboard cover, included by default. This makes supporting a desktop operating system for the device much more viable, writes Erecinski. The firmware chipset is the same as in the PineBook Pro, which should help with that. No default operating system has yet been decided, according to Pine64.
The tablet is to come with two memory/storage variants: 4GB/64GB and 8GB/128GB. It is expected to ship "sometime after Chinese New Year" (Jan 22-Feb 5), although there is no firm date. No pricing has been announced, but "it will be affordable whichever version you install on."
Enlarge / Inside a prototype PineTab 2, with battery and connectors far away hidden for possible replacement.
