I need a tablet for uni and I want to run Linux on it. It doesn't need to be the fastest but it should be able to run Rnote and a web browser comfortably. It doesn't need to come with Linux, I am comfortable with installing and managing my system. I thought about buying a Microsoft Surface since they seem to be supported prettty well but I want to see what alternatives there are.
It needs to have a Stylus for writing. I have around 450€ to spend and would go a little higher. Also I will probably buy a used device
I recommend using pen and paper and then digitizing later, assuming this is for notes. It will help you internalize the lecture or reading better in the moment and the act of digitizing your notes will reinforce your knowledge and provide you with better material for tests.
I think the only digital option that could come close to this would be an e-ink tablet but those kind of suck. Better to spend $50 on paper and pens than $500 on a tablet that isn't as good for the purpose.
At work we have ~10 people using remarkables and every one of them loves it. They just released a color version too. Extremely good for notetaking according to them. You can write and then OCR the writing, getting the benefits of pen and paper and digital.
I have an older, second hand Thinkpad Yoga but it has served me really well with Fedora installed on it.
I also have a PineTab 2 but that has been a little bit of a rough start and still doesn't feel that great as a day to day device just yet
Honesyly I think I prefer the laptop form factor over tablet + smart cover. Even my old Android Asus Transformer I used almost exclusively in laptop mode to do anything productive.
I might recommend a 2-in-1 Thinkpad. I can’t speak for all models, but my 1st generation Surface Go brought me misery when running Debian Testing on it - power profiles weren’t supported quite right and the camera was hard to set up.
If you have the budget, the Star Lite seems pretty nice as a Linux tablet, although you should do your own research - I don’t own one. Personally, I have a Thinkpad E16 for college.
So... It's not without it's challenges and I obviously cannot speak to how long it will last (particularly the hinge seems like it might long term be an issue), but I really love my p8 mini laptop. It's a small 2 in 1 laptop that comes with a stylus, meets your price point and runs Linux pretty well. It has some quirkiness ... Like when you boot the login screen is a blank screen until you close the lid to suspend and reopen. But otherwise is fairly peppy, and the pen works great. I'm using endeavoros with plasma but have just switched to sway. The latter greatly improves battery life. My biggest complaint is the placement of Q and Tab as well as / and .
