[kwlug-disc] laptops with Linux preinstalled

[Ron Singh]

Yeah, I rocked the trackpad since about 2000 to 2005, until a good friend
heard me complaining about random cursor movement due to my palms touching
the trackpad. He suggested that I give the trackpad a shot over the course
of a weekend to see how I felt about using the trackpoint. I demurred for
many a month until frustration with the pad signalled it was time. Less
than 24 hours later, I was head over heels.

My entire clan uses TPs and they all have the trackpad turned off in the
BIOS, pretty strong feelings about the trackpoint:-)


Thanks,

Ron S.



On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 7:13 PM Jason Eckert <jason.eckert at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'll echo that too - I actually prefer the trackpoint myself.
> It took me a while to get used to it, but once I did, I realized what the
> big deal was....
>
> On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 4:01 PM Ron Singh <ronsingh149 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Some interesting feedback on 2 Linux laptops from a Jason Evangelo of
>> Forbes, a 5-min listen --
>>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RizvGLIVGQQ
>>
>> Note his comments on the quality of the IPS display of the System76.
>>
>> These are gorgeous systems, but the lack of a trackpoint is a dealbreaker
>> for me.
>>
>> A good channel he has, worth the sub.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Ron S.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 5, 2020 at 10:50 AM Chris Irwin <chris at chrisirwin.ca> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, Jun 04, 2020 at 12:34:57PM -0400, Doug Moen wrote:
>>> >
>>> >Nowadays, there are many options for buying laptops with Linux
>>> >preinstalled and officially supported by the laptop manufacturer.
>>>
>>> Another option is Purism.
>>>
>>> https://puri.sm/
>>>
>>> Their laptops are *slightly* aged (seventh-generation Intel vs 10th is
>>> just coming out), but they went through considerable effort to create an
>>> attractive product. They tried to ensure every piece of hardware
>>> respects user freedom.
>>>
>>> * Physical hardware kill switch for webcam + Mic (not just a shutter)
>>> * Physical hardware kill switch for Wireless (Wifi + Bluetooth)
>>> * Coreboot, so no big/closed BIOS or UEFI code
>>> * Lobotomized Intel's IME
>>>
>>> That said, their products do include a significant price premium for all
>>> those benefits.
>>>
>>> They have a USB token that helps you verify your laptop hasn't been
>>> tampered with at boot time:
>>>
>>>
>>> I believe they'll sell you a pre-encrypted laptop, and ship the
>>> encryption keys/tokens to a different address using a different shipping
>>> method, use tamper-evident tape on packaging, put glitter nail polish on
>>> all screws, and send you PGP-encrypted photos of everything before it
>>> ships to help detect package interdiction/tampering... So if you're
>>> extremely paranoid about getting a trusted device, I'm not sure there is
>>> any other option :)
>>>
>>> Personally, I'm using an used T460 I picked up off kijiji. I've got
>>> years of muscle memory using a trackpoint, and my threat model skews
>>> more toward "stolen laptop" vs "black helicopters out to get me".
>>>
>>> That said, Purism are also working on a phone, which is also very
>>> interesting.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Chris Irwin
>>>
>>> email:   chris at chrisirwin.ca
>>>   xmpp:   chris at chrisirwin.ca
>>>    web: https://chrisirwin.ca
>>>
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>>> kwlug-disc mailing list
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>>>
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