Re: [PLUG] Linux Laptop

On Fri, Oct 14, 2016 at 5:22 PM, Steve Litt <slitt@troubleshooters.com> wrote:

On Thu, 18 Jun 2015 16:52:05 -0400
Anthony Martin <anthony.j.martin142@gmail.com> wrote:

> I was wondering what everyone's opinion on a laptop specifically for
> linux. I know of system76 and the laptop we got my father-in-law from
> there is a nice machine but I wanted to know what options there were.

My opinion of system76 is you pay $400 for a good Linux machine, $100
for guaranteed Linux, and $200-$500" for feelgood that you "kept it in
the family."

I walked into Costco today, and they're selling a laptop with an AMD
quad processor with 12GB of RAM for $399. Costco's guarantee is you can
return the thing within 90 days, pretty much no questions asked. So if
you can't load Linux on it, you can return it.

In order to get tech support on a laptop that came with Windows, you
need it running Windows, so you can either dual boot (difficult these
days) or swap in 512GB SSD and keep the original disk in case you need
to jump through tech support's hoops with Windows diagnostics. An SSD
drive improves the computer's speed on disk-bound processes, and uses
less power for longer battery life and lower temperature operation.
Don't forget to use the fstrim command often.

When the laptop goes out of warranty, you can use the original disk
wherever you need a disk like that.

When it becomes impossible to turn off secure boot on hardware,
system76 will have some relevance for those willing to spend a few
hundred dollars to guarantee use of their favorite "non-standard"
Linux (Void, Alpine, PCLinuxOS, etc). And even this assumes that
system76 gives a computer capable of disabling secure boot rather than
just using an Ubuntu certificate.

Until then, in my opinion, buying system76 is giving to a private
company and thinking you're giving to a cause.
Here's a 512 SSD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE2X48460

SteveT

Steve Litt
September 2016 featured book: Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting
http://www.troubleshooters.com/28

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