I have the PineNote by Pine64. I really like it but there are a lot of caveats to consider, mostly related to the limitations of an e-ink display.

Pine64 states

The first batch of the PineNote will be great to write software for, but not great to write notes on. Wait for a later batch with better preinstalled software if you just want to use the device as an e-reader, e-note, or your everyday computing device.

What’s good?

Open source software and hardware, cool e-ink screen.

What’s not so good?

E-ink screen has many severe limitations. Any animations work terribly on it. Not just video but page scrolling, navigation, and banner ads are all painful. I often use a wireless keyboard and make ample use of various shortcuts. It is best used to look at static images such as text.

It also has phantom battery drain, losing around 15% per day while suspended.

What’s worth mentioning?

The price seems to have gone back to normal. For a bit they were going for over $600 but they should be around $460 with shipping. Speaking of, Pine64’s default shipping from Hong Kong is unbearably slow. You may want to consider express shipping.

The PineNote is not just not for everyone, it’s actually not for almost anyone. It’s a Linux-based (Debian <3 ) tablet with an e-ink display, which has a single-digit refresh rate and is only black-and-white. It uses only FOSS software and you’re expected to know how to customize it yourself.

If you are like me and that sounds amazing, then yes it is great. Just be sure that you know what you’re buying.

Final thought: the actual warranty is listed as only 30 days - that is ridiculously short. It’s hard to recommend the PineNote because it will be terrible for most people, but if you’re a Linux enthusiast who likes to use cutting edge tech which respects your privacy and freedoms then it is really great

Surface Pro 3 running Fedora

• The fact that it runs is good
• Gnome is not good
• The linux-surface kernel is a cool project, though I think I need to try a different distro