# The Cube i7 hands-on review – the first Core-M tablet from China



## Jupit3r (Mar 4, 2015)

Cube is well-known for their cost-efficient Android tablets, which matched those market-leading flagship slates in terms of overall performance while having a much lower price. And last year, this Chinese company started to enter new areas such as the smart accessories as well as Windows tablets to compensate its shrinking Android tablet business. 

Cube's first-ever business-focused high-end tablet, the i7, is a superior system in every way. With a stunning, high-resolution screen and a wider range of connections, but it’s the upgrade to the extremely powerful Intel Core-M processor that is most telling. Also, with Windows 8.1 and the full range of applications at its disposal, the i7 feels like a stronger, more flexible device.

*Cube i7 main specs:*

•    OS: Windows 8.1 with Bing (64-bit)
•    Screen: 11.6-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
•    Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
•    CPU: Intel Broadwell Core-M 5Y10c
•    CPU Frequency: 0.8GHz (Base clock) – 2.0GHZ (Turbo clock)
•    GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5300
•    RAM / Storage: 4GB DDR3L / 128GB SSD
•    Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G, USB Host, HDMI
•    WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
•    GSM: band2, band3, band5, band8
•    TDS: band34, band39
•    WCDMA: band1, band5
•    TDD: band38, band39, band40, band41
•    FDD: band1, band3, band7
•    Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
•    Battery: 7.4V - 5,000mAh
•    Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB 3.0 Port, Micro SIM Card Slot, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, DC Charging Port
•    Size: 297*180*9.1mm, Weight: 840g


*Design*





Cube i7 (left), Acer W700 (right)

Android tablets and Apple iPads might be fighting it out for the thinnest, lightest tablet title, but Windows tablets normally are not competing that fiercely in this department. With its unusual 11.6-inch screen and rather big bezel, the Cube i7, which is 9.1mm thick and 840 grams in weight, is neither particularly svelte nor particularly light by tablet standards. It is as thick as the Microsoft Surface Pro3, which also measures at 9.1mm. 






But if we compare it to the older Windows tablet models, we found it a much more compact slate than products such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (13.5mm, 907g) and the Acer ICONIA W700 (11.9mm, 950g). The reason that the Cube i7 is much slimmer than most of its competitors is because it is fanless, and we will discuss this later in our review. With that said, it’s a little too heavy to use comfortably one-handed, and makes more sense if you have it resting on the arm of a chair or your lap while you tap away.






On the plus side, the relatively large bezel makes it very easy to grip, and you have to twist quite hard before there’s a hint of give where the corners meet the sliver metallic rim. 






The rear cover sports Cube and Intel Inside logos, while there’s a plastic piece at the top where the 5-megapixel camera pokes through.






The i7 is an incredibly promising tablet when it comes to connectivity. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Micro SD card slot, a Micro-HDMI port for an external display and – best of all – a micro USB 3.0 port as well as a Micro SIM card slot. With these two, it can connect to any USB 2.0 or 3.0 device that will run on Windows 8.1 and access the internet almost anywhere. Fortunately, the i7 is charging through an independent DC port, and I personally prefer this design rather than charging through the Micro USB 3.0 port because we often need to use the USB port to connect to other USB devices such as a mouse or external storages. What’s more, with Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, it couldn’t be better equipped for wireless connectivity. The only negative I could think of is that the Micro SD card slot featured on the i7 only supports cards up to 32GB, which could potentially be a pain in the ass in the time coming.






There are only two physical buttons – the power/standby key and the volume rocker, both hosted on the top edge of the tablet.











The Touch Windows Key is located on the front panel, below the display. And the front facing 2MP camera is in the middle of bezel above the screen.






Look at the bottom of the tablet and you’ll also spot another connector which connects its keyboard magnetically. Sadly, the keyboard cover, although already on sale as a standard accessory which is included in the retail package, isn’t available for test. That’s a shame. With a keyboard cover attached Cube i7 could rival the Surface Pro 2 as a convertible ultrabook-style device.






The Cube i7's build quality is solid - it has to be at this thickness to ensure rigidity - but not as altogether epic as the Surface Pro 3's look and feel. Cube's use of a blue metallic shell gives the tablet decent premium feel, but it doesn’t offer multi-color options like the Microsoft Surface does. 


*Screen and sound*






Cube understands well that 1920 x 1080 is the new baseline standard for a high-end tablet, despite the operating system it runs. So we get a full HD 1080p 11.6-inch screen on the i7. That’s tangibly larger than the screen on your average tablet, and 1-inch larger than the screen on the Surface Pro2. That’s bad news for pixel density, but good news if you plan to get some work done, as that little extra bit of screen real estate makes it easier to see what you’re doing if you’re working on Office documents, browsing complex web pages or using the Windows Snap split-screen view. With that said, I personally prefer the 12-inch display on the Surface Pro 3, the 3:2 screen aspect ratio makes better sense for business use, which is the ultimate selling point of Windows tablets.  






Quality of the i7’s display, meanwhile, is extremely good. Text still looks smooth and crisp, and while the display isn’t the brightest we’ve seen – particularly when you compared it to the ultra-bright panel on the Acer ICONIA W700 – it does have wide viewing angles and an impressive richness and depth of color to compensate. It’s an excellent screen for entertainment, but a good screen for productivity, as well.






Audio is a mixed bag. It’s clearer and much more detailed than you generally get from a tablet, with a wider stereo sound. Unfortunately it’s also a little thin, a little bit wearing and doesn’t offer much in the volume department, particularly if you’re playing music or watching some Action films. The Cube i7 is nowhere near what the Dolby enhanced Acer ICONIA W700 can do in terms of the volume of the speakers. 






As with the vast majority of tablets, we’d recommend headphones if you want decent sonic experience.


*Performance*






Cube has equipped the i7 with an Intel Core-M CPU, which has a base clock of 0.8-1.0GHZ and a Turbo clock of 2.0GHZ, Aided by the incredibly beefy Graphics HD 5300, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB Solid State Drive, it is surprisingly fleet of foot. For those who don’t know much about Intel’s Core-M processor, it is a new 14 nanometer processor which matches the horsepower of the Intel Core-i5 Haswell series CPU yet doesn’t need fan cooling!






As a standalone tablet, the i7 delivered, with good on-screen typing, an accelerometer that wasn't too sensitive. Volume controls on the top edge, along with Micro-USB and Micro-SD card slots make it reasonably easy to use this as a standalone device. Startup and application load times are swift, and the SSD is much faster than the eMMc drive we've encountered with budget Windows tablets. Sequential read and write speeds of 504MB/sec and 139MB/sec respectively in the AS SSD benchmark are respectable. To make it short, you won’t be needing any more performance if you use the i7 as a tablet, full stop.











Of course, for a more all-day experience, you'll want to add a keyboard and touch pad or mouse. Cube makes it easy, with a snap-on keyboard dock that transforms the combined system into a traditional clamshell laptop. Although our test unit doesn't come with the customized keyboard base, we had no problem connecting the i7 with different Bluetooth and Wireless keyboards.






Unlike the entry-level Atom Bay-trail powered Windows tablets, which normally struggle with heavier desktop applications. The Cube i7 is built for serious tasks, most of the heavy desktop apps worked brilliantly.






If you find benchmark testing more convincing, the i7 was returned some impressive scores by various benchmarks, beating similar devices such as the Acer ICONIA W700 in most of the benchmark tests.











In the Cinebench Release 10, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 8,616, which didn’t match the 9,324 notched by the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM), but trumped the Acer ICONIA W700 and those entry-level Windows tablets such as the ASUS A100T and Cube iWork 10.











OpenGL is not a strong suite of the Core-M series processor, yet the Cube i7 still managed to get a score close to the test results of those i5 powered tablets in the Cinebench Release 11.5’s OpenGL test. Its CPU performance, according to the Cinebench CPU test, is somewhere between the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM) and the Acer W700.











The Fritz Chess Benchmark returned a score of 3,877, which was indeed far behind the 4,899 by the Surface Pro 3, but still quite ahead of the 2,983 by the Acer W700.











The web browsing performance of the i7 was exceptionally good. In the Sunspider test, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 82.5ms, which was the best I have ever seen on a tablet.











However, in the more graphic-intense Peacekeeper test, the i7’s scored less than the Surface Pro 3 and the Acer ICONIA W700.











Ludashi benchmark focus on the overall performance of a PC, and the Cube i7 also got a decent score running this test.






The HD Graphics 5300 embedded in the Core-M Processor is a slightly more powerful GPU than the HD4000 or HD4200 embedded in the 3rd and 4th generation of i-series processors, and even beats some entry-level discrete graphics, however, it still doesn’t match the performance of the HD4600 and HD5200, both of which have a higher voltage. 






The i7 is clearly not a system designed for heavy 3D game lovers, although it is able to run most of the 3D games in acceptable frame rates. But as it is fanless, the heat could be overwhelming if you keep running graphic-intense games for a long period of time.






But if we are talking about business and everyday use, the Cube i7, when paired with a keyboard and a mouse, is a nearly perfect choice. I received the Cube i7 before the Chinese New Year break, and have done a lot of travelling since. I have been using my i7 to check emails, set up meetings and prepare business presentations. I have almost given up the desktop PC in my office because all the most updated business files and emails are now stored in my i7. I only need to connect it to a monitor when the 11.6-inch display feels too small for those complicated Excel sheets. 






Even though the Cube i7 is a little more business-focused, but let’s not underestimate its potential for entertainment use. My Samsung Galaxy Tab has also been left unbooted for days as I have been using the i7 to stream my favorite TV shows and entertainment news. With the Windows 8.1 OS, I don’t need to worry about codec support for different formats of video files, like I normally do with Android tablets and iPads. It is true that Android and iOS have more multimedia applications and games designed around a touchscreen, but the number of apps in the Windows 8 store is also growing fast. And neither Android nor OS comes anywhere near Windows 8.1 when it comes to the total number of applications.

Many readers might be concerned about the heat dissipation of the i7’s fanless design like I did upon receiving my unit. The truth is, the i7 does get a little warm after a few hours of consecutive use, but never to a point where you want to get your hands off it.

Overall the i7 excels as a workhorse Windows 8 slate tablet. It's got a lot more performance potential than those Atom BayTrail-equipped Windows 8 tablets. Plus, a detachable keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can turn the i7 into a full ultrabook. Therefore, the i7 can replace both your tablet and laptop. But if you only want a device for intense 3D gaming, it makes better sense to get a desktop PC with high-end discrete graphics and cooling fans. 


*Connectivity*






Like we mentioned earlier in the review, the i7 offers a great deal in connectivity. Besides the USB port, Micro SD card slot, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth we normally get from a Windows tablet. The i7 also includes a Micro SIM card slot which supports both 4G FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE data services.











Internet access via the 4G and 3G networks is swift. And the Bluetooth 4.0 on board means you don’t always need the OTG adapter if you want to connect your tablet with input devices or an external audio system. With an SSD inside the shell, data transmission through the Micro USB 3.0 port is several times faster than through a USB 2.0 port on a laptop with HDD storage.  

*Keyboard Base*






The keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can easily be attached to the i7 through the magnetic connectors, instantly turning the i7 into a full laptop. Sadly, the base can only make the i7 stand with a fixed angle, which can be uncomfortable for the users sometimes. 






Here, the keys aren't as squished as the ones on the Microsoft Surface Type Cover. The i7’s keyboard is more expansive, with no shrunken or undersized keys. It didn’t take me long before I was typing at my usual brisk pace. 






The keys offer decent press depth, with every keystroke, I make a loud "clack," letting anyone around me know I'm getting stuff done. Just so you know, I'm typing this sentence from the i7. The thing is sitting on my lap, even. And you know what? I'm doing quite alright. This isn't my favorite keyboard, but I do feel comfortable enough. Also, the i7’s keyboard base is not as flimsy as the Surface Type Cover, Instead it is as sturdy and comfortable as most laptop keyboards. 






The Cube i7’s keyboard base brings a touchpad as well, and that's a good thing, because the latest Windows 8.1 update made the OS much more mouse-and-keyboard friendly. Even though the touchpad is pretty precise and responsive, it's still many steps behind the sort of glass touchpad you'd find on the MacBook Air or many Windows Ultrabooks. It sometimes takes multiple tries to get two-finger scrolling to work. Ditto for clicking and dragging windows and other objects around the screen. Other times, I accidentally navigated backward out of a web page when I was really trying to do some other sort of gesture. If you intend the i7 to be your daily driver, you are better off with a wireless or Bluetooth mouse.






Besides the standard functions a keyboard is meant to offer, the i7’s keyboard base also provides the users with two additional full-sized USB ports, making it easier to connect the i7 to a mouse and storage devices while saving you from the burden of always carrying the OTG adapter.



*Battery Life*






What's funny about the Cube i7 is that it has a chipset which produces as much horsepower as most of the ultrabook systems, along with a 1080p touchscreen -- precisely the sort of thing that would normally suck the life out of a battery. And yet, the 7.4V, 5,000mAh battery lasts several hours longer than bigger touchscreen Windows 8 systems with similar internals. Specifically, we got 9 hours and 13 minutes of runtime after looping a video off the local disk with Wi-Fi off and the brightness fixed at 50 percent.






The i7 looks even more impressive when you compare it to lighter-weight, ARM-powered tablets. You wouldn't expect that to be the case -- this really isn't a fair fight -- but in fact the difference in battery life isn't as drastic as you'd imagine, especially if you take into account tablets that offer merely average endurance. The, for instance, the Xiaomi Pad lasts only about half an hour longer than the Cube i7; and most of the Android tablets we tested before were beaten by the i7.

We'll admit, the iPads or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S offer more longevity in the battery front. But here's the thing: we don't know of any Core-i5 tablets that can even come close. Take the Dell Venue 11 Pro for instance: it merely lasted 6 hours in the same battery run-down test, and also the Acer ICONIA W700, which I have used for more than 2 years, offered an average of 5.5 hours screen time on a charge. Compared to that, the Cube i7's battery life would seem much more exceptional. After all, those are the real competitions of the i7, at least as far as key specs go. It's incredible, then, that the i7's battery life is more typical of a low-powered ARM device.


*Cameras*










Photos taken by the rear camera

Like most of the tablets on the market, the i7 has dual cameras. The front-facing 2MP camera is decent enough for video-conferences on Skype, but you wouldn’t want to use it for selfie. The rear-facing 5MP camera is arguably the worst 5MP camera we have encountered. Even with decent lighting, it still cannot shoot photos clear enough for Instagram updates. With that said, who would actually use an 11.6-inch tablet to take pictures? 


*The Competition*






We get what Cube was going for here and really, it's an intriguing proposition: a hybrid that can be used as a standalone tablet, but is powerful enough to be your next laptop. As we said, it's fast and offers awesomely long battery life, however, let's not forget the cost: with a connectable keyboard, the i7 is priced at RMB3,599 ($574.4), which is pretty aggressive pricing for a tablet with a Chinese brand attached to it. We suppose you'd feel more comfortable researching a few similar options before shelling out 600 bucks.

We mentioned the Surface Pro 3, which has already been on sale for a few months. It starts at $699 for the i3, 64GB model, with the Touch/Type Cover keyboard sold separately. All versions of the Surface Pro 3 support pen input, which the Cube i7 doesn't. For only $489.99, you can get a Dell Venue 11 Pro with a 10.8-inch display, a Core i5-4210Y processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD; for $723, you can get the more updated version of the Dell Venue 11 Pro, the Venue 11 Pro 7000, which features the same Core-M 5Y10, 4GB RAM and 128GB SDD as the Cube i7 does and, if money is less of an issue and you want an even more future-proof tablet, you can get the most advanced Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 with an even more powerful Core-M 5Y71 processor, 8GB of DDR3L RAM and 256GB of SDD. However, whichever Dell Venue 11 Pro you choose, you will need to spend another tad of money for Dell’s keyboard.

If we take a look at Cube’s fellow Chinese competition, there are also a few options. One of them is the RAMOS M12, which made its debut appearance at CES, 2015, features a more powerful Core-M 5Y70 processor, an 11.6-inch 1080P display and 4GB RAM and, most of all, an adjustable stand as well as a full USB3.0 port. Another one is the PIPO K2, which is powered by the same hardware as the Cube i7 is and also includes a Micro USB 3.0 port. However, neither the RAMOS M12 nor the PIPO K2 is available now, even worse, their prices and release dates are still unknown.


*Wrap-up*

Upon unboxing the Cube i7, I instantly fell in love with this slate a lot. After a few weeks spent with it, I still do, and I think you might too, but you'll have to get past some surface flaws in order to truly appreciate it. The i7 is heavy, even for a tablet with a capable Core-M processor, and though it's slim and solidly built, it has a plain look that can be off-putting. The good news is that it's fast, even among Windows 8 PCs, and offers surprisingly long runtime. If I am being honest, after my experience with the Acer ICONIA W700, which consistently disappointed me on the battery life front, I didn’t expect much longevity from a tablet with so much horsepower under the hood, so it's impressive that the i7 succeeds in being powerful while still lasting eight-plus hours on a charge. Most Core i-series tablets don't have that going for them.

The problem, though, is that the Cube i7’s overall design doesn't make the best sense. The inclusion of an adjustable stand would have been a more versatile solution, as you could be able make it stand when you use it as a standalone tablet. And the fact that it only has one Micro USB 3.0 port means that you need to remember bringing the OTG adapter whenever you decide to take the Cube i7 as your travelling company.

The Cube i7 may not have surpassed the Surface Pro 3 in terms of quality, design and performance just yet. But it is among the highest ranks of enterprise-ready tablets. If you want something designed specifically for the business user (as opposed to the consumer-focused iPad Air 2), but you don't want to spend $500 extra bucks on the Surface Pro 3 and its keyboard, then you can't go wrong with the Cube i7.


*The good:*

Well-constructed metallic body which feels not only solid, but also premium.
The 11.6-inch 1080P IPS display is excellent for both productivity and entertainment.
Solid performance powered by the impeccable Core-M processor.
Fanless, the Cube i7 is quiet, I tested this device for many days and never heard a peep.
An average of 8 hours’ battery life.

*The bad:*

The Micro SD card slot only supports cards up to 32GB.
It normally takes minutes to reboot the tablet, even without the system upgrade.
The i7 tablet doesn’t have a kickstand.


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## Jupit3r (Mar 9, 2015)

No one is interested in this tablet?


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## ShizukoZ (Mar 11, 2015)

It's too expensive,  :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest. 

I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.


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## Jupit3r (Mar 12, 2015)

ShizukoZ said:


> It's too expensive,  :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest.
> 
> 
> 
> I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.

Click to collapse





I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.


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## ShizukoZ (Mar 12, 2015)

jupiter2012 said:


> I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.

Click to collapse



Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
and we all know Pipo have good quality products


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## Jupit3r (Mar 13, 2015)

ShizukoZ said:


> Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
> 
> and we all know Pipo have good quality products

Click to collapse









The $400 tab isn't the PIPO K2, but another tablet with only 64GB eMMc storage, which is clearly no match for the 128GB SSD used in the Cube i7. Also, the PIPO tablet comes without a keyboard, but the i7's retail price covers the keyboard base. For the storage alone I wont even consider buying the PIPO tablet.


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## Jupit3r (Mar 23, 2015)

There have been other Core-M powered tablets announced.


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## treahuggs (Apr 7, 2015)

Thank you for the review. I seen this tablet and wanted to see if it really is worth while. Its funny seeing people say "I'd rather get a SP3" because they seem to forget that you have to be over $1k for the SP3 that competes with this tablet.


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## kr8r (Apr 8, 2015)

*the Ubuntu variant*

Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.


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## Jerome! (Apr 22, 2015)

*Driver pack*

Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.


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## scstubbs (Apr 23, 2015)

*Drivers*

I also need the wireless drivers. Any ideas?



Jerome! said:


> Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.

Click to collapse


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## DerDave (Apr 24, 2015)

*Windows/ Linux Drivers*

And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
Not only the Windows drivers but also the Linux drivers.
Thanks a lot in advance!

P.S.: I also contacted Cube and two different shops on Alibaba. In case I get a useful answer, I'll let you guys know!

---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------

Ah guys I found at least the windows drivers: http://techtablets.com/downloads-drivers-roms/
Techtablets definitely are good guys and hosted them! Find them under Cube - > i7.  (Not Cube -> Cube i7).
So it looks like i'll go back to the Windows10 Tech Preview now and put Linux on my main laptop.

But still: If anyone orders the Ubuntu version of this tablet, please extract the drivers!
My shop actually asked me, if I want Windows or Ubuntu preinstalled. I figured, "yeah sure, I won't say no to a free Windows licence. I can put on Linux myself..."
Unfortunately it's just the Windows installation without a demo and now I don't have Linux drivers.


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## Jerome! (Apr 26, 2015)

DerDave said:


> And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
> I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
> So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
> So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
> ...

Click to collapse



Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support  and they came with this link:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB  I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date. 
Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7 

Has anyone experience with the Cube keyboard? Is it really fix as it looks? Not foldable I mean? Are there alternative keyboards that suit this model, for instance the Onda V116w?


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## Hendrickson (Apr 30, 2015)

Jerome! said:


> Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support  and they came with this link:
> http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB  I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date.
> Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
> http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7
> ...

Click to collapse



Those drivers are a dump using doubledriver from my Cube i7 64gb model. I did a fresh Windows 8.1 install and restored using those drivers so I can confirm it works. Do you have a Cube support email or contact ? Can you please PM me their details? 

I have an issue with the USB 3.0 port, I wondered if yours is the same? I can't get anything over max usb 2.0 speeds from it. I planned to run usb 3 hubs and even a usb 3.0 displaylink docking station, but I can't. 

Please use any usb 3.0 drive or memory stick and see if you can get over 40mbs read or writes.

As for the keyboard it's both good and bad, the fix one position, non foldable is at a perfect angle for a desk. And the bad part, is the the touchpad (If you can call it that!) is worthless. It's the worse touchpad I've seen I think. Lucky for me I always use a wireless mouse, but for touchpad people, its best avoided.  The keyboard does fit down nicely into the keyboard for travel etc.


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## Hendrickson (Apr 30, 2015)

I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute. 

https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo

It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.


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## Jerome! (May 1, 2015)

Thanks for the heads up on the keyboard. Will see what alternatives I can find.
About the USB 3.0 all my USB disks that I have laying around are all USB 2.0 ones, so sorry, cant put them to the test.

---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 PM ----------

There are new drivers uploaded dated 24-04, maybe this will address the issue with USB? 
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTj7Wwf


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## Jerome! (May 7, 2015)

Another new set of drivers for the I7
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1jG3nvWq
Update drivers from 08-05 http://pan.baidu.com/s/1nt1LvZF now available


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## Jupit3r (May 11, 2015)

kr8r said:


> Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.

Click to collapse



Cube did provide the Ubuntu ROM on their official forum.


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## Jupit3r (May 11, 2015)

Hendrickson said:


> I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute.
> 
> https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo
> 
> It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.

Click to collapse



How come, mine works perfectly fine with portable hard drives. And with the keyboard you get 3 USB3 ports in total.


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## BPM (May 13, 2015)

*dualboot*

is it possible to dualboot windows and ubuntu (or some other linux) on this device?

first i did not like the cube i7 because it has no real usb-ports. but i saw in this thread that there are usb3 ports on the keyboard.
i think i will order this one instead if the teclast x1 pro (which is not available atm)


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## DerDave (May 15, 2015)

*Ubuntu Rom*



jupiter2012 said:


> Cube did provide the Ubuntu ROM on their official forum.

Click to collapse



Do you have a link? Can't seem to find it. Thanks in advance!


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## dtamish (May 19, 2015)

*Hey,*

Is anyone here can recommand on any alternative keybaord case for the tablet? i'm looking for something high quality that will make this tablet compareable to a laptop. don't see why not, with great processor and 4g ram.

the official is nice, but the tiny trackpad is problem. maybe the iwork keyboard? or the onda v116w?


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## BPM (May 19, 2015)

dtamish said:


> Is anyone here can recommand on any alternative keybaord case for the tablet? i'm looking for something high quality that will make this tablet compareable to a laptop. don't see why not, with great processor and 4g ram.
> 
> the official is nice, but the tiny trackpad is problem. maybe the iwork keyboard? or the onda v116w?

Click to collapse



i would not recommend to use another keyboard because you will loose the 2 usb-ports on the back of the keyboard.
you could use something like this instead http://www.lovesummertrue.com/touchmousepointer/en-us/

i am still waiting for my cube but i hope that this thread will come a bit more popular until then.


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## dtamish (May 19, 2015)

another problem is where to find it. in most of the sites you cant buy it with the official keyboard, and its a shame.


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## BPM (May 19, 2015)

dtamish said:


> another problem is where to find it. in most of the sites you cant buy it with the official keyboard, and its a shame.

Click to collapse



i bought this one http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/6668957604.html?orderId=67271959778245 from "Shenzhen OKQI Electronics Mall" at aliexpress and asked Anna Feng to include the original keyboard.
its not cheap, but for additional 70$ you get the keyboard included


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## dtamish (May 19, 2015)

I realy think that ordering from aliexpress product in 600$ isn't smart move. i would prefer to buy it from a shop that i can trust to give me real warranty and good customer service. aliexpress are horrible when it come to this things.


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## BPM (May 19, 2015)

dtamish said:


> I realy think that ordering from aliexpress product in 600$ isn't smart move. i would prefer to buy it from a shop that i can trust to give me real warranty and good customer service. aliexpress are horrible when it come to this things.

Click to collapse



Anna Feng normaly has a really good customer service. bought my teclast x98 from her.
aliexpress is ok because the seller did not get the money until YOU confirm that everything is ok with the product


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## yeahman45 (May 30, 2015)

nice review!

what app is this?:


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## dizzyman44 (Jun 3, 2015)

A video player called "sohu" that can play almost all formats, rmvb, mkv, avi, etc.


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## BPM (Jun 3, 2015)

my cube will arrive today.
i am planing to multiboot this OS:
Win8.1 (10)
Ubuntu
http://consoleos.com/
http://www.hackintosh.com/

do you think this is possible?


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## benc2010 (Jun 12, 2015)

Hi,


Yes, it is possible, I install Lubuntu 14.02 LTS on it, but the thing lack linux driver, mainly the Wifi and bluetooth (uses the RTL8723B, but I couldn't get it to work with drivers on the internet).  So wait and see if cube or someone comes up with a working driver. 

Bench


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## BPM (Jun 12, 2015)

benc2010 said:


> Hi,
> 
> 
> Yes, it is possible, I install Lubuntu 14.02 LTS on it, but the thing lack linux driver, mainly the Wifi and bluetooth (uses the RTL8723B, but I couldn't get it to work with drivers on the internet).  So wait and see if cube or someone comes up with a working driver.
> ...

Click to collapse



you can order the device with ubuntu preinstalled. so it should be possible to get working drivers.


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## benc2010 (Jun 17, 2015)

I know they do, but I don't think they release the image for it or I couldn't find it. Trust me I tried, on Google and Baidu, and if anyone knows where to find it, pls. do share.  I end up buying a usb ethernet (which work out of the box) and a usb wireless (which still is WIP, not as reliable as the ethernet). But I am sure it will be available some time, some day.

Bench


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## BPM (Jun 18, 2015)

my linux skills are very limited.
did you try this: http://askubuntu.com/questions/139632/wireless-card-realtek-rtl8723ae-bt-is-not-recognized
found here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=144223

did you get the 3g modem working?

i just booted the live image of chakra-linux. 
touchscreen, keyboard, touchpad are working out of the box. if we could get 3g and/or wifi running it would be really cool.

i saw a bluetooth symbol in the bottom right corner, but did not test if it is really working.


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## Jupit3r (Jun 26, 2015)

yeahman45 said:


> nice review!
> 
> what app is this?:

Click to collapse



Sohu Video, but i think their copyright is only limited to Mainland China


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## noone606 (Jul 7, 2015)

So has anyone got the 128gb version with 4g modem actually working with linux? Asked a couple of resellers on aliexpress and none seem to think it will


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## Inpw (Jul 11, 2015)

hi everyone,
I am very interesting by this tablet I have found the CUBE i7 Stylus (Support WACOM Stylus).
Someone has already tested?

It's praticaly the same but with 64 gb ssd and 10.6" screen (Electromagnetic screen+ Multi-touch IPS capacitive touch screen)


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## ottopilot (Jul 24, 2015)

*Ordered 2*

Just found the 64GB model with keyboard for $139.23 US and ordered 2.  I'll keep one for a baseline and one to experiment on.  maybe attempt upgrading the SATA3 SSD.

Does anyone know if the screen material is shatter-resistant?  I'm thinking "no" considering bells/whistles and retail pricing.


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## p3rand0r (Jul 24, 2015)

BPM said:


> you can order the device with ubuntu preinstalled. so it should be possible to get working drivers.

Click to collapse



Can you please give me a link where i can buy Cube i7 stylus with ubuntu pre-installed?

---------- Post added at 04:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:32 PM ----------




ottopilot said:


> Just found the 64GB model with keyboard for $139.23 US and ordered 2.  I'll keep one for a baseline and one to experiment on.  maybe attempt upgrading the SATA3 SSD.
> 
> Does anyone know if the screen material is shatter-resistant?  I'm thinking "no" considering bells/whistles and retail pricing.

Click to collapse



Sorry to ask, but where did you get it for such a low price? Can you give me a link?


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## devinger (Jul 25, 2015)

p3rand0r said:


> Can you please give me a link where i can buy Cube i7 stylus with ubuntu pre-installed?
> 
> ---------- Post added at 04:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:32 PM ----------
> 
> ...

Click to collapse



I would also really like to know. Could you please post or send the link?


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## Hendrickson (Jul 25, 2015)

ottopilot said:


> Just found the 64GB model with keyboard for $139.23 US and ordered 2.  I'll keep one for a baseline and one to experiment on.  maybe attempt upgrading the SATA3 SSD.
> 
> Does anyone know if the screen material is shatter-resistant?  I'm thinking "no" considering bells/whistles and retail pricing.

Click to collapse



Hope you didn't pay, that sounds like a scam to me. They couldn't make it for that price I think.


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## ottopilot (Jul 28, 2015)

devinger said:


> I would also really like to know. Could you please post or send the link?

Click to collapse



Sorry, but they sold out.  It was on ebay and they only had 33.  I somehow stumbled on it ...now the other side of the story hasn't played out.  The seller has been active and in good standing for several years, but claims to be shipping from Australia to US.  So who knows what will be in the boxes if anything arrives.  I'm optimist.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

---------- Post added at 01:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 PM ----------




Hendrickson said:


> Hope you didn't pay, that sounds like a scam to me. They couldn't make it for that price I think.

Click to collapse



it does seem too good to be true.  regarding cost to manufacture, China just had a significant market crash and some of the smaller wholesellers began dumping inventory.  The recovery was said to be artificial and we may see degrees of this throughout the market.  so i either got a great deal or i got ripped off.  I haven't seen anything bad about the seller on either ebay or PayPal.  we'll wait and see.


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## MisiekFoxx (Jul 30, 2015)

I'm a little confused about the screen sizes this tables comes in. Does it come in 10.6, 11.6 or both options? On banggood.com they show both....


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## grande25 (Aug 3, 2015)

*Help Me Understand*

Please help me understand.  I'm interested in a tablet because of things like google play game apps.  I'm really interested in a fun game experience when playing those apps.  But this device has a Windows OS so I'm restricted to the Windows OS apps which is still early in development.  This probably wouldn't work for me then and I would want to go with the Cube I7 that has android OS on it?  

It's getting weird with Windows OS getting onto tablets.  It's weird to compare it to an android or apple OS because they are really different things.


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## Jupit3r (Aug 3, 2015)

MisiekFoxx said:


> I'm a little confused about the screen sizes this tables comes in. Does it come in 10.6, 11.6 or both options? On banggood.com they show both....

Click to collapse



There are currently 4 versions of the Cube i7:

1. Cube i7: 11.6-inch display, Windows 8.1, Core-M, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM
2. Cube i7 Stylus: 10.6-inch display, Windows 8.1, Core-M, 64GB SSD, 4GB RAM (support Wacom pen)
3. Cube i7 CM: 11.6-inch display, Ubuntu, Core-M, 64GB SSD, 4GB RAM (Although it is compatible with Windows, the tablet doesn't include licensed Windows 8.1, the users have to pay for the license.)
4. Cube i7 Remix: 11.6-inch display, Remix OS (based on Android 4.4), Intel Z3735F, 32GB eMMc, 2GB RAM

Hope this answers your question.


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## Jupit3r (Aug 3, 2015)

grande25 said:


> Please help me understand.  I'm interested in a tablet because of things like google play game apps.  I'm really interested in a fun game experience when playing those apps.  But this device has a Windows OS so I'm restricted to the Windows OS apps which is still early in development.  This probably wouldn't work for me then and I would want to go with the Cube I7 that has android OS on it?
> 
> It's getting weird with Windows OS getting onto tablets.  It's weird to compare it to an android or apple OS because they are really different things.

Click to collapse



Then get the Cube I7 Remix, one of the best Android tablets currently on sale, below is the link to the review:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/cube-i7-remix-review-tablet-true-t3149762


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## orditeck (Aug 18, 2015)

So does anyone have the Ubuntu drivers?


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## wching02 (Aug 19, 2015)

I am really interest in this tablet but I want to know did any one port the android to this tablet to make it dual boot?


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## tsg2513 (Aug 29, 2015)

Hendrickson said:


> Hope you didn't pay, that sounds like a scam to me. They couldn't make it for that price I think.

Click to collapse



Definitely was a SCAM! I ordered the Remix version from this low-life who never shipped it, never responded to my emails and no longer has any listings on eBay. Good thing eBay gave me a refund.


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## javlada (Sep 2, 2015)

orditeck said:


> So does anyone have the Ubuntu drivers?

Click to collapse



Ubuntu has all the drivers inside. But someone has to boot it from USB and try if everything (WiFi, BT, Stylus etc.) works. If the drivers are not included in Linux kernel then it is very difficult to install them and they probably won't exist anyway.


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## jualom (Sep 7, 2015)

javlada said:


> Ubuntu has all the drivers inside. But someone has to boot it from USB and try if everything (WiFi, BT, Stylus etc.) works. If the drivers are not included in Linux kernel then it is very difficult to install them and they probably won't exist anyway.

Click to collapse



Hi,
i7 stylus works in ubuntu?
Thanks


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## javlada (Sep 8, 2015)

jualom said:


> Hi,
> i7 stylus works in ubuntu?
> Thanks

Click to collapse



I don't know. I don't own this tablet. But I will buy it if somebody finds how to make it work with Ubuntu. There is a discussion regarding WiFi and BT drivers which do not work. So far nobody has found any solution.


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## devinger (Sep 18, 2015)

javlada said:


> I don't know. I don't own this tablet. But I will buy it if somebody finds how to make it work with Ubuntu. There is a discussion regarding WiFi and BT drivers which do not work. So far nobody has found any solution.

Click to collapse



Well, than I have good news for you. icsoft wrote a guide on how to do intsall linux. See this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/win...-i7-stylus-t3151563/post62752007#post62752007


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## javlada (Sep 21, 2015)

devinger said:


> Well, than I have good news for you. icsoft wrote a guide on how to do intsall linux. See this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/win...-i7-stylus-t3151563/post62752007#post62752007

Click to collapse



Thanks a lot. This is a great news that i works. I think it is a great device and if it can run Kubuntu, I will get it. I hope a solution for the wacom driver will be found too.


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## BPM (Oct 6, 2015)

are the drivers for the cube i7 stylus the same as for our i7 (without stylus)


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## devinger (Oct 6, 2015)

BPM said:


> are the drivers for the cube i7 stylus the same as for our i7 (without stylus)

Click to collapse



I am not sure, but you can find the windows drivers here


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## BPM (Oct 6, 2015)

thx. i know this drivers.
but i was looking for the linux drivers and i was wondering if the drivers from this thread are working on our device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wind...7#post62752007


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## devinger (Oct 6, 2015)

BPM said:


> thx. i know this drivers.
> but i was looking for the linux drivers and i was wondering if the drivers from this thread are working on our device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wind...7#post62752007

Click to collapse



If you fix the link, I will take a look for you.


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## BPM (Oct 6, 2015)

http://forum.xda-developers.com/win...-i7-stylus-t3151563/post62752007#post62752007


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## devinger (Oct 6, 2015)

BPM said:


> http://forum.xda-developers.com/win...-i7-stylus-t3151563/post62752007#post62752007

Click to collapse



Thanks,

The i7 uses the  RTL8723(BU) adapter for wifi and bt. They should be the same.  The grapics card is a Intel 5300 which should work too. I am not 100% sure about the sound card. It is a Realtek too so the chance is quite big you can find the right drivers if they aren't the same.


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## marco_79 (Jan 25, 2016)

Have anyone this tablet with UBUNTU??

I was thinking buying one but only with UBUNTU.


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## jdmark (Feb 16, 2016)

Is it possible to upgrade the RAM or SSD? Is the RAM soldered to the motherboard? Can a MicroSD card larger than 64GB be used?

As far as accessories go. Does anyone know of a high quality case that fits a good quality (preferably back-lit) USB or Bluetooth keyboard?


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## BPM (Feb 17, 2016)

marco_79 said:


> Have anyone this tablet with UBUNTU??
> 
> I was thinking buying one but only with UBUNTU.

Click to collapse



did you tried it? i was not able to get all drivers running in linux (bluetooth, wifi and 3g not working)


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## marco_79 (Feb 17, 2016)

BPM said:


> did you tried it? i was not able to get all drivers running in linux (bluetooth, wifi and 3g not working)

Click to collapse



No. I'm waiting for news...


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## evlo (Nov 15, 2016)

It is again available for 400usd. 
Is the usb3 issue fixed?
Is the screen 100% like on cell phones or is it silver, super Reflective, one like on cheap tablets?


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## peterl30 (Jan 25, 2017)

It is now available for less than 300 EUR!!
Bought it for Christmas as my present 
Installed triple boot WIN 10 with Mint Mate 18.1 and RemixOS 3.0
From Desktop I can boot to WIN 10 and RemixOS via Icon. (although not using Win )
Default OS is Mint Mate. (All EFI)
Everything runs fine. Except in RemixOS I have high CPU on system_server. So far I could not find out which service is making trouble. Touchscreen needs to be "started manually" in RemixOS. I do not know why. Still investigating. Apart from that all seems to be running fine. But MintMate got some minor "tablet" problems. I sent bug reports and hope they will change some things so that Mate becomes a really nice tablet OS.

Boot time to full desktop: around 5 sec. (Changed the internal Foresea to Transcend 256 GB) 
Cooling Pad on CPU for better thermal results. Makes a difference.

The virtual keyboard is small but usable. Wifi stable and touchscreen working nicely. Zooming with two fingers not working. Right click menu not working too. But these are missing features so far. I do not know if Ubuntu got that in the tablet image. RemixOS has advantages here. All these tablet features run great in RemixOS.

If in need you can add an USB hub for mouse, keyboard and USB Stick for  19 EUR.  Works perfectly. All hardware connected same time. 

Maybe s.o. already found a solution (Mint Mate) to the two finger zooming problem in firefox? Or the right click popup menu problem? Thats would be really great if that could be fixed!!


----------

