PineTab Pro?
#1
The PineBook Pro seems to have a bit of power compared to the PineTab.  I'm wondering how hard it is to "upgrade" the PineTab to something more like the PineBook Pro, but in tablet format.  Or maybe just modify the PineBook Pro to be a tablet.

Or maybe Pine64 would be interested in selling a more powerful device?  With all the Chromebooks out there, it seems like touchscreen or slate-based Chromebooks are quite common, so it seems like a more powerful device with a touchscreen that can be used in vertical format would be an interesting next step. Any thoughts?
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#2
(03-25-2021, 12:24 AM)sdeneefe Wrote: The PineBook Pro seems to have a bit of power compared to the PineTab.  I'm wondering how hard it is to "upgrade" the PineTab to something more like the PineBook Pro, but in tablet format.  Or maybe just modify the PineBook Pro to be a tablet.

I too believe that the PineTabs CPU and RAM is a little starved, it's probably one of the largest flaws it has - especially a device that relies on a touch screen.

In theory, it should be possible for them to offer an upgrade motherboard (something I hope they already work on), a modified version of the PineBook Pro. It would require some significant re-working though - cooling, power delivery, etc, etc.

(03-25-2021, 12:24 AM)sdeneefe Wrote: Or maybe Pine64 would be interested in selling a more powerful device?  With all the Chromebooks out there, it seems like touchscreen or slate-based Chromebooks are quite common, so it seems like a more powerful device with a touchscreen that can be used in vertical format would be an interesting next step. Any thoughts?

I commented somewhere else that it could be a good idea for them to merge the PineBook and PineTab products - it would really just be a case of adding a touch screen to the PineBook and either making the hinge rotate further or making the keyboard detach. It seems clear to me that people expect PineBook-like performance from their PineTab anyway.
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#3
There's an issue with trying to use the rk3399 from the PBP in place of the a64 for the tab, that Pine has already gone through when trying to make a hardware upgrade path for the original pinebook: the rk3399 gets hot. the pbp is able to help manage dissipating this heat using the lower panel of the laptop body. The tab is plastic, it can't do the same thing as the pbp. A major reason pinebook users dont have an rk3399 upgrade option is bc Pine wasn't able to source a thin enough heat sink that could effectively cool the CPU and not cause damage to the plastic body.

in summary: don't hold your breath for an rk3399 pinetab, bc heat.

It also worth noting that Pine doesn't produce devices with the same mentality as large manufacturers. Pine focuses on hardware stability. So it may be another 2-3yrs before Pine deems another board worthy/capable for use in consumer-type devices.
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#4
(03-25-2021, 07:03 AM)tophneal Wrote: There's an issue with trying to use the rk3399 from the PBP in place of the a64 for the tab, that Pine has already gone through when trying to make a hardware upgrade path for the original pinebook: the rk3399 gets hot. the pbp is able to help manage dissipating this heat using the lower panel of the laptop body. The tab is plastic, it can't do the same thing as the pbp.

I think this should be addressable though? You would do the best you can with passive cooling and manage the rest with clock throttling. With the PineTab you could even create a new back cover design to accommodate a larger heat-sink.

But it's not just heat either, they would then need to adjust the power circuitry as well, the PineTab already discharges whilst on a charger when the CPU is under full load. And the charging time is also awfully slow.

(03-25-2021, 07:03 AM)tophneal Wrote: It also worth noting that Pine doesn't produce devices with the same mentality as large manufacturers. Pine focuses on hardware stability. So it may be another 2-3yrs before Pine deems another board worthy/capable for use in consumer-type devices.

Well I think they are also risk-adverse. The A64 to Pine is now very well understood, so much so that when they released the PineTab early-adopter edition I basically knew there would be very little problems due to their good understanding from the PinePhone device.
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#5
I would say the most likely upgrade path from A64 is the RK3566 used in the upcoming Quartz64 boards, especially for the phone and tab...
Come have a chat in the Pine IRC channel >>
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#6
(03-25-2021, 07:03 AM)tophneal Wrote: There's an issue with trying to use the rk3399 from the PBP in place of the a64 for the tab, that Pine has already gone through when trying to make a hardware upgrade path for the original pinebook: the rk3399 gets hot. the pbp is able to help manage dissipating this heat using the lower panel of the laptop body. The tab is plastic, it can't do the same thing as the pbp. A major reason pinebook users dont have an rk3399 upgrade option is bc Pine wasn't able to source a thin enough heat sink that could effectively cool the CPU and not cause damage to the plastic body.

in summary: don't hold your breath for an rk3399 pinetab, bc heat.

It also worth noting that Pine doesn't produce devices with the same mentality as large manufacturers. Pine focuses on hardware stability. So it may be another 2-3yrs before Pine deems another board worthy/capable for use in consumer-type devices.

why not make a Pinetab Pro with a metal back then?
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#7
(04-18-2021, 07:15 AM)dieselnutjob Wrote: why not make a Pinetab Pro with a metal back then?

It would mean that you can't open it due to the clam shell design. You would then need to switch to screws and the whole casing might need to be redesigned - including placement of PCBs/components.
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#8
(03-25-2021, 12:24 AM)sdeneefe Wrote: The PineBook Pro seems to have a bit of power compared to the PineTab.  I'm wondering how hard it is to "upgrade" the PineTab to something more like the PineBook Pro, but in tablet format.  Or maybe just modify the PineBook Pro to be a tablet.

Or maybe Pine64 would be interested in selling a more powerful device?  With all the Chromebooks out there, it seems like touchscreen or slate-based Chromebooks are quite common, so it seems like a more powerful device with a touchscreen that can be used in vertical format would be an interesting next step. Any thoughts?

I would totally buy a PineTab pro. I was looking for a tablet device, and a Pinetab pro would check all the boxes. I wish they were more open to new hardware, but mostly I wish the system at large was more open to the idea of os customization.
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#9
I need to eat some words reading back through this thread lol With the news of the pinephone pro and rk3399s, it looks like Pine pulled it off and the rk3399 is a possible upgrade option for the tab now.

@Renfrow i would say Pine is pretty open to new hardware, but there's still a BIG limitation in supply chains that make new hardware impossible to produce. Hopefully the Jan update post holds true, and we'll see Pine able to produce hardware again after CNY.
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