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Canonical and Spain's BQ team to put Ubuntu on a tablet

Tablet, schmablet, this is a converged experience. Or something

Canonical is hoping to put Ubuntu into the hands of slab-fondlers who want something that can double as a near-desktop.

It's doing so via a partnership with Spanish smartphone-maker BQ, whose 10.1-inch Aquaris M10 will run the Linux distro.

While the M10 is already available with a more conventional Android config at €229.90 (or €259.90 with higher-resolution cameras and other goodies), prices haven't yet been announced for the Ubuntu variant, which ships in March.

Since Ubuntu's been pitching an eight megapixel camera as part of its specs, it's using the more expensive of the two M10 configurations.

In tablet mode, the Ubuntu-powered M10 will join a host of competitors in a declining market, so Canonical's keen to highlight its ability to switch to a desktop interface.

If you connect a USB keyboard (and preferably a screen, if 10.1” isn't enough to work on), the Ubuntu M10 switches to a desktop layout, with floating, resizable windows.

That's similar to Microsoft's Windows 10 Continuum feature, but since Ubuntu first announced what it calls the Unity interface back in 2010, it's fair to say Canonical hasn't just imitated Redmond.

Other spec-snippets for the Aquaris M10 include a quad-core Mediatek processor, 1080p video support, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (about 11 GB available) and a Micro SD slot for up to 64 GB of external storage.

There's also 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, a micro HDMI port, and a 7,280 mAh battery. ®

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