Anyone here tried using GrapheneOS on the Pixel Tablet as a laptop replacement?

Privacy Questions
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If so, how did it go? Wins? Shortcomings? Tips for use?

If you also use a Pixel Phone with GrapheneOS (or any other ROM, I suppose), did you feel like there was too much duplication of UI when using the tablet?

Thanks

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I have a pixel tablet with grapheneos but it really depends on what you’re trying to do. For me no, android tablet would ever be a replacement to a computer.

I use mine for just quick note taking and as a scratch pad.

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I use mine as a bigger version of my phone. It works for most things for me. Web browsing, email, Tubular, notes, podcasts, music all work just fine on the tablet. There’s a nice case that combines with a keyboard and touchpad which makes usability more seamless. I don’t use my laptop much anymore but still need it for a few things that don’t work on Android.

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[I don’t have an Android tablet, but having an iPad is somewhat similar so…]
You’re not going to get a desktop OS unlike on a laptop. You’re going to get mostly mobile-app-ish versions of your apps (ex. Chrome and Chromium browsers will not support extensions), which may have a sidebar or something to be able to adjust to the UI, but may not be feature-complete with desktop counterparts.

If you do any of the following, you may have a bad time :

  • Programming
  • PC gaming
  • Creative work applications that are just fundamentally better on the desktop (example, Photoshop) or do not have an Android version (example, DaVinci Resolve [this app does have an iPad version though])
  • Using Microsoft Office (there is a web version and there are mobile apps, however the desktop version is far more featureful in my experience)
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Thank you.

Has anyone used CLI/TUI packages/apps with the tablet? I’ve seen some videos of Emacs and Termux deployments on Android. Nix package manager is available. Unexpected Keyboard was originally designed for use with Termux.

ie -
I Used Termux in Emacs for Android
Set up Vim, Git, Emacs, nano for Android phone
Termux with Doom Emacs on Boox Max 3

On desktop Linux, I used Doom Emacs for a while and thought it was cool. For fun/variety, I’ve gone with Neovim on my current daily driver setup and I like it as well. I wonder what it might be like to use a terminal setup in portrait mode on the tablet. Anyone?

edit: grammar

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generally using any terminal stuff on a tablet is pain because no tactile keyboard. There is basically nothing you can’t do on a laptop that you can on a tablet, but certainly things you can’t do on a tablet that you can on pc.

Those keyboard docks for tablets are also tiny and suck.

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I didn’t really intend for it to become a laptop replacement but that’s exactly what it’s become. However, I always had 2 laptops.

One runs Fedora for everything I need to do online (communication, shopping, banking, research etc). The other runs Windows 10 for things which don’t -for me- require internet access (using Photoshop, Audacity for music editing, Sony Music Centre for my Walkman, MS Office etc). The Windows laptop has internet disabled for privacy.

So my Pixel tablet has replaced my Linux laptop but couldn’t realistically replace my Windows one.