And isn't the point of Open Source that if someone distributes tweaked binaries, you can always demand the source code - do they not do that?
But this was kinda my point - I'm aware and resigned to the fact that to run linux, I will need to do a bit of work myself. I would hope that the "premium price point" products of the original post would guarantee to do the heavy lifting for me.
And if I'm honest, I'm part of the target market that likes a reason to tinker every so often. But I appreciate the heads-up.
[1]: https://support.planetcom.co.uk/index.php/Linux_for_Cosmo
In today's market, I genuinely prefer a little Bluetooth keyboard with a dock for propping up a tablet or phone. If I need it, it's way better than the membrane garbage on these things, and if I don't need it, it isn't unnecessarily bulking up the phone in my pocket.