Setting up a Linux distro on a Windows machine is a time-consuming process, even for experienced Linux users. This is especially true when dealing with Windows tablets like the Surface Pro. Now, Juno is promising a more convenient escape route with the Juno Tab 3—it runs Ubuntu out of the box, there’s no need to deal with obscure drivers or other nonsense.
TheJuno Tab 3is powered by a modest Intel N100 processor. It comes with 12GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of SSD storage in its $699 base configuration, though you can upgrade to 2TB of storage for just $100 more. Both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity are supported, and the tablet can endure 5 hours of consistent use.
Externally, Juno went with an all-metal chassis and a 12.1-inch 2K touchscreen. A detachable keyboard is included, and you’ll find a pair of USB-C 3.1 ports, a micro HDMI port, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack along the sides of the tablet. There’s also a 2MP webcam on the front of the Tab 3 and a 3.7MP camera on its rear.
I’d like to mention something that’s been brought up byOMG! Ubuntu,9to5Linux, and other publications—the Intel N100 processor is an unusual choice for a $699 tablet. We usually see this CPU in low-powered desktop machines like theBeelink Mini S12 Pro, a $200 mini PC that boasts 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 500GB of SSD storage. For those who specifically want an N100-powered Linux machine, the Juno Tab 3 is plainly “overpriced.”
However, the Juno Tab 3 isn’t a mini PC. It’s a tablet with a 2K display, a battery, and a detachable keyboard. Juno also provides software support for the tablet, so you don’t need to deal with the headaches of running Linux on a Surface Pro or some other Windows tablet (such as the N100-poweredCHUWI Hi10 Max). And, notably, the Juno Tab 3 is assembled in the United States—you’re paying for more than just the hardware.
I think that theJuno Tab 3is a reasonably priced tablet, especially for Linux newbies who wants something that’ll work straight out of the box. If you’re interested in buying a “headache-free” Linux machine but can’t get behind the Juno Tab 3’s N100 CPU, I suggest that you look intoJuno’s laptopsinstead.
