Pine64s Linux E-ink Tablet Is Coming Back

Pine64 has released many different Linux-powered phones, tablets, development boards over the years. Now the company is planning to bring back the e-ink PineNote tablet with improved software and hardware.

The PineNote was first announced in 2021 as an e-ink tablet with an open hardware and software design, complete with a 10.1-inch display, stylus input support, ARM-based RK3566 chipset, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a USB Type-C port. It was eventually released as the PineNote Developer Edition for $399, with Pine64 explaining that it was “an experimental device” and “only suitable for experienced developers.” There wasn’t even a default operating system for the PineNote.

Pine64 has now announced that the PineNote is coming back with “plans formalized for a production run,” though there’s not a firm timeline yet. There has been extensive work on a Debian-based Linux distribution for the PineNote, allowing the tablet to function more like a standard tablet or e-reader. The announcement blog post shows off the tablet running the Gnome desktop, with some modifications that improve functionality on e-ink screens.

Pine64

The blog post explains, “Maximilian’s work in the background has pushed the envelope on this and resulted in not only a bare-bones capable OS but a genuinely daily-usable system that ‘just works’. This is excellent as it also moves the target audience from developers to every day users. You should be able to power on the device and drop into a working Gnome experience.”

The hardware is expected to remain mostly the same as the earlier Developer Edition, though Pine64 is swapping out the stylus pen for a passive stylus that doesn’t require charging. In addition to the Debian-based Linux operating system, there are also ports in development of Mobian and PostmarketOS.

Pine64 also announced three new development boards: the StarPro64, Oz64, and Quartz64-Zero. The first two devices are in the latter stages of hardware design, while the ARM-based Quartz64-Zero is available now for $15.

Source: Pine64