[Discuss] Fwd: Open Source IPad Recommendations

Rich Pieri richard.pieri at gmail.com
Sun Dec 18 17:27:52 EST 2022


On Sun, 18 Dec 2022 16:13:11 -0500
MC <boumanmcc at mykolab.com> wrote:

> What's the chance that there's an Ipad out there that supports an
> Open Source O/S?

Technically, iOS and iPadOS are partially open source. The XNU kernel
is Mach + FreeBSD and the user space is FreeBSD. What's closed is the
UI stuff on top.

> I need a new Ipad and don't want to be locked into an Apple or Dell
> that can't be upgraded. I also like cheap, so I can go legacy, as

If by "upgraded" you mean hardware? Nobody makes a tablet with hardware
upgrade capability. If you mean the OS, Apple are the best in the
space, typically supporting hardware for 5+ years. Most big name
Android vendors drop support within 1 to 2 years, and the cheap Chinese
manufacturers don't provide any support at all, and they don't comply
with the GPL's terms, and the build quality is garbage.

There's the Kindle Fire line but that stuff is designed around on-line
catalog sales and reading books and light video streaming.

-- 
\m/ (--) \m/


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