Openness of their component parts was a key goal. Reusing a legacy keyboard and using a super-closed platform like an iPad to get a display going seems really counterproductive in that regard.

Additionally, how would you link the iPad display linked to an i.MX board in the first place? Some kind of remote desktop app? Sounds like a terrible solution to me...

Amazon sellers have replacement iPad screens going for less than $50.

Open source display adapters do exist: https://hackaday.com/2014/03/12/an-open-source-ipad-display-...

Someone in the comments linked a cheaper alternative: http://abusemark.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&...

Seems that the firmware for this cheaper alternative is not open source but from what I gather it doesn't need any proprietary drivers on Linux. Since it interfaces over Display Port and USB I don't think it should be able to do anything nasty so the closed firmware doesn't matter much IMO.

It's not clear to me whether either of the one you linked and the one I linked has touch support.

Yea, too bad the Vivaldi tablet project died.

how come the motherboard isn't a small desktop form factor such as mini-itx?