While Intel is no longer interested in progressing its Atom CPU series, there are still a variety of products still being sold in the market powered by the low voltage processor. Perhaps the most notable of those currently available is Microsoft"s own Surface 3 tablet.
While the vast majority of Surface 3 owners would keep Windows on their Surface 3, those who have wanted to switch to Linux have had to accept a loss or degradation in functionality, particularly when it has come to proper touchscreen support.
Fortunately, that will now be a thing of the past with the recent release of Linux Kernel 4.8. Aside from a change of the documentation format, the bulk of the release ships updated drivers, including a driver for the Surface 3 touchscreen controller, along with architectural fixes and improvements to a variety of "generic code".
The delivery of Linux Kernel 4.8 signals the commencement of development for 4.9 with the merge window for the new release now open.
While touchscreen support in the latest Linux kernel is highly unlikely to tempt Surface 3 owners to switch operating systems, it may make the Surface 3 a more attractive option for Linux fans in terms of economy, capability and portability.
Source: Betanews