[kwlug-disc] Apple Rocks! No linux tablets?

[Insurance Squared Inc.]

I just bought an  Apple Ipad, and my son put the Apple sticker on the 
back bumper of his ATV.  So I guess I'm kicked out of this group now too 
(sigh.  kicked out of ANOTHER group).

The Ipad is seriously cool, and has some stuff I love.  There's a 
billion apps.  1980's Galaga and Pac Man.  I'd have bought it just for 
that.  Webmail that works way better than my blackberry.  Point it at 
the sky and it'll show you the star map directly in your line  of sight  
behind the ipad (this is seriously cool).  And I've been trying to get 
the globe and mail delivered in New hamburg for 5 years to no avail - 
now I get it on my ipad every day with breakfast.  I'm buying apps by 
the bucket.  I was a sceptic (I'm not an early adopter) but now I'm a fan.

But now I owe my soul to the company store - Steve Job's corporate 
Itunes app store.  $1.99 here, $4.99 there.  (though in their defence, 
they're doing a super job despite being entirely closed with no 
competition).

Is there nothing out yet at this level of tablet computers for linux?  I 
know I read somewhere that there's some sort of tablet based linux OS 
but nothing in common use?  This technology seems perfect for linux.   
Opensource apps, possibilty of OSS developers making some money, private 
app stores competing for business, the fact that linux's front end is 
discrete from the backend, so it should be relatively easy to get a 
tablet version into production.  It's screaming for an open platform.  
Really - who the heck provides a computer with 32gigs, charges $800 for 
it and won't even let you upgrade?

But nothing for linux?  Anything coming down the pipes?  Or is this 
still a fizzle like it is for MS so far? Am I going to be able to make 
my next tablet computer a linux machine that's as cool as my ipad?