Re: Obvious questions that will be asked
Exactly. Although it's not a matter of the hardware being "good" or "bad", but rather it using known components for which there's already a compatible, or nearly-compatible, Linux driver. The cheaper a PC is, the more likely it is to use tried-and-true parts, and so the more likely it is to have Linux support (this is why Chromebooks make such easy Linux conversions)
The only problem with running Linux on previous Surface (Intel) devices was that there wasn't Linux support for some of the hardware. Booting and installing Linux on every previous Intel-based Surface was the same as on any other PC: make the USB image, plug it in, reboot the system, let it boot off the stick.
Where the "dream" fell down was that the system would boot, but not all the features worked. Same as installing Linux on a Mac, really...
Personally, I don't see the point in paying Surface prices and then replacing the OS with one that can't use the all of the hardware's features. And as this is the PC market, there are many other makers who offer similar specced hardware, and some (like Dell) contribute to Linux driver support for that hardware too.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
