48 hrs with Ubuntu M10

Hey all,

here are my experiences with the new Ubuntu tablet... let me just say that I am not an IT or Linux pro... I am a Linux enthusiast, using it regularly since 2004... usually switching between ubuntu and mint...

What I need from a tablet is not much, I use it mostly for reading, while I do all my messaging and social stuff on my phone.

I need the following:

1. Working screen orientation
   One thing that REALLY aoy me is the screen orientation... I felt most of the time as if the tablet was trying to make me hate it by reorienting the screen of every app differently. I felt like I was rotating it for a full 360 every couple of minutes as I was using different apps. Why THE HECK don't scopes work in any other orientation than horizontal upside down? Unless I shake it like crazy, than it is horizontal normal?? The vertical orientation, which I believe is what most people hold their tablets like when reading (at least I do) is a no go for scopes.
2. Web browsing
   The built in browser works okay. It crashed a few times with no explanation but it works okay and "fluid enough" for regular surfing. Firefox has no keyboard ... and is a regular desktop firefox unoptimized for the small screen and touch interface. I REALLY REALLY miss Chrome, since I've lately switched from desktop Firefox to Chrome (stability, speed) and it has all my history, bookmarks, passwords etc... If there is some third party app like X-marks that can help here, please let me know about it.
3. reading offline content with Pocket app
   The Pocket web app is perfectly okay if you are in range of wifi signal... but it loses the basic functionality of pocket that is offline reading. Also, there is no simple "share to pocket" with just a web app. The replacement app PockIt seems promising - BUT it wouldn't let me login with my google auth (the actual confirmation opens in a new tab that never appears), and it seemed to have some glitches - some of my articles were synced just the subject and the text showed "null". It gives the option of offline reading and "share to pockit" though.
4. reading offline various ebook formats
   So far the Document viewer app works okay, and it really should be installed by default.
5. organization with Trello and Google Cal (or compatible) app.
   Trello web app works okay, but it is missing one key feature - long press on a task and dragging it to another board or archive bin. With long press you get a context menu!? Neither web, android, ios or chrome app behave like that. Even using a moust to drag in "desktop mode" works okay. Not a deal breaker but really aoying. Google calendar web app works okay, as expected.
6. File management with SMB, access to USB sticks and/or SD cards
   File manager should really be installed by default.
   Why THE HECK do I need to press Full access to be able to access my USB stick? And why doesn't the keyboard appear when I need to enter that password? Okay... closed file manager, reopened it full access again, and there keyboard is here now. So accessed the USB stick, clicked on the 720p video file, told it to open with media player, 5 min later the stick led light still blinking, tablet didn't do anything, and went to sleep mode. Tried "software eject" with file manager or the exteal device
   Tried copying the file over to the inteal memory I see the media player app starting and just staring at a black screen. So the movie playback is a no go... hrmmm.
   No matter how I tried to remove the device, it could never be removed because "it was busy"... I just yanked it out in the end (I know the manual stated that it should be removed by first powering down the tablet.... REALLY?!?? In 2016??) Didn't have any spare SD cards to test, but I assume behaviour is similar.

   SMB works... I can list all the files and folders on my LAN, (of course first submenu and allow full access!?). Most larger video files (.mkv) will not open via LAN... nothing happens (is it trying to copy the large file locally?) I can open images. Text files are inaccessible because there is no app to open them. I installed edIt from the store.... but it only works for .txt extension and there is no "open with" option...

   All in all, the file manager is deceptively friendly with familiar interface and icons, but lack of thumbnails and icons makes you feel on hostile territory pretty soon - i.e. there is no simple way to easily see if you can open a file with a certain extension or is it missing any app to open with - all the icons are the same.

7. access to cloud filesharing services (MEGA, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Onedrive).
   This is a horror show - yes you get web apps for some of them... Personally I use MEGA since it is the only one with Linux native client. The web access has no "preview" but offers to download the file locally, and than fails with "NetworkError: 301 - Protocol "filesystem" is unknown". The line of text above is filesystem:http://mega.nz..... so I guess there's the problem. Works fine on android. I would of course give you a copy/paste - but how?? It doesn't work in the built in browser window. I took a screenshot with both volume buttons depressed, heard the screenshot sound. Can't find the screenshot image.... :/ It's not in the Pictures/screenshots folder.
8. watching videos from my home LAN (plex media server)
   From file manager it is simply not working. As far as I see there is no plex or kodi app that I might setup for video streaming.
9. teamviewer and/or NoMachine NX protocol
   Nothing here to work with...
10. VPN access to work
    I see only OpenVPN protocol and I need MPPE .... anyone knows what to do here?
11. good battery
    Not sure yet... been toying a lot with it for testing, but with couple of hours of testing installing and removing stuff, I see something like 22 hrs of bat time.

This is also the priority list for me, anything else is a bonus - i.e. "Desktop mode". So far I can do all of the above on my android device, and some of it with iOS, but iOS always frustrates the hell out of me so I decided to give Ubuntu tablet a fair go to see if it can replace my Android...

Other

Having said all that, let me just say that I REALLY tried to love the ubuntu tablet, and I realise it is in it's really early stages, and I realise most of my dissatisfaction comes from lack of dedicated third-party apps, I think that there are some things that really require immediate attention:

1. screen orientation funky rotation is killing my love for this device, and I dont want to lock it in place manually.
2. scopes should work in vertical mode too
3. file management should just work, no special permission hidden in a side submenu should be required. Thumbnails. Initiated file transfers should work even in background or when screen goes to sleep. This stuff should also work perfectly as it should be one of the strong points having "convergance" in mind.
4. keyboard sometimes not appearing bug should be addressed
5. I think it would be more intuitive to be able to close an opened app by dragging it from the dock than long pressing for submenu and clicking close (it it's pied it should retu to it's place in the dock but closed). Or maybe a bubble icon with an X should appear where I could drag it so it closes - let's start thinking more in terms of mobile, touchscreen platforms.
6. there is no simple text editor preinstalled - I had to search and find edIt... but there is no "open with" option so anything that isn't .txt remained inaccessible. (.nfo, .srt..,...)
7. working in full desktop mode, sometimes the system would slow down with loads of opened apps... I guess I just got used to working on android and not closing down anything. A "close all" button on the dock would be useful.

I will add to this list and remove from it as I continue my love/hate relationship with M10 for as long as I can bear If anyone has any answers or solutions to some of my problems, please share!