Coreboot computers from NovaCustom
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Not everybody will jump directly from a typical 'modern' laptop to a fully free one. Some companies offer computers which are not fully free but much more free alternatives than these typical laptops. Some of these are System 76, Librem and Starlab. Recently I found NovaCustom's computers on configuelaptop.eu
Like the others listed here, they offer fairly recent laptops running coreboot.
I have only found one review of the company and its computer (it was positive).
Does anyone here know about them, and/or have good ideas of how to figure out if it is a legit company?
Not everybody will jump directly from a typical 'modern' laptop to a fully free one.
If that laptop has an Intel GPU (what is fairly "typical"), her owner can acquire a Wi-Fi adapter with an AR9271 chipset (search "AR9271" on ebay for instance) and enjoy a perfectly-functioning Trisquel system for US$ 10 or so. (Bluetooth may be a problem though; I have no idea: I never use it.)
If she is willing to help freedom-respecting companies, she can buy (at a higher price) the Wi-Fi adapter from https://ryf.fsf.org/index.php/categories/wireless-adapters
ThinkPenguin in particular ought to be considered. Its CEO, Christopher Waid, is the one who convinced Qualcomm to liberate the firmware for the AR9271 chipset! Also, ThinkPenguin was (still is?) donating to the Trisquel project for every purchase made using the link http://libre.thinkpenguin.com
her owner can [] enjoy a perfectly-functioning Trisquel system for US$ 10 or so
10$ + about 1000$ that is! But still...
Thanks. I will look at Thinkpenquin's.
10$ + about 1000$ that is!
Why? In your scenario, the user already owns a modern laptop. I added the condition that it includes an intel GPU. If so, only the Wi-Fi (and maybe the Bluetooth) is a problem that the 10$ adapter solves.
Obviously my original post was not clear enough:
The scenario is that if someone would be looking for a fairly free and fairly 'modern' computer, they could look to one of the listed companies. Their computers cost something in the neighbourhood of 1000$.
As stated, I have recently "found NovaCustom's computers on configuelaptop.eu" and ask here, if anyone "know about them, and/or have good ideas of how to figure out if it is a legit company?"
Thanks you the useful info on modem and gpu, but my question is: Is this a trustworthy company?
Is this a trustworthy company?
I do not remember reading complaints about ThinkPenguin. Chris used to be a very active contributor of this forum (7-11 years ago): https://trisquel.info/users/chris
What makes you think I do not trust Chris' company?
You asked "Is this a trustworthy company?", didn't you?
I did, but with what I thought to be a clear reference to NovaCustom (@ configurelaptop.eu)
OPRecently I found NovaCustom's computers on configu[r]elaptop.eu
Like the others listed [above], they offer fairly recent laptops running coreboot.
I have only found one review of the company and its computer (it was positive).
Does anyone here know about them, and/or have good ideas of how to figure out if it is a legit company?
#4As stated, I have recently "found NovaCustom's computers on configuelaptop.eu" and ask here, if anyone "know about them, and/or have good ideas of how to figure out if it is a legit company?"
Thanks you the useful info on modem and gpu, but my question is: Is this a trustworthy company?
Anyway, it's just a minor misunderstanding. Thanks for responding anyway.
By the way, does that mean *any* intel GPU?
These machins have an Intel Xe integrated graphics Video Controller GPU.
There indeed used to be support issues with GPUs that were integrated to Intel processors but, as far as I remember, manufactured by Iris rather than Intel. I see that the recent Xe graphics use the brand Iris. I do not know if they raise troubles. Anybody here using Xe or Xe 2 graphics?
Edit: the URL is https://configurelaptop.eu/
(I forgot an 'r')
"Not everybody will jump directly from a typical 'modern' laptop to a fully free one"
Considering even old school Libreboot laptops have closed source firmware baked into the hardware I would revise that statement in the future. Next to no systems are fully free. One thing I agree with the FSF on is that freedom is a ladder. You can climb the rungs with trade offs along the way.
As for Nova Custom I haven't dealth with them personally. I have them bookmarked as I like the config options on their store. Having the option for 144hz screens is nice and you can stick with the Intel GPU if you want to use distros like Trisquel.
+ they have a privacy option of striping out camera and mic, should someone want that. The engraving options are pretty neat too, though I probably wouldn't use them myself.
The question is if this is a company you can trust?
After some further searching, I found this blogpost:
https://blog.josefsson.org/2022/12/10/trisquel-11-on-nv41pz-first-impressions
It's a guy who has actually bought one of the computers from NovaCustom and successfully runs Trisquel 11 on it.
I will probably give this company a try soon.
(They even responded to the blog authors post about wifi and bluetooth not working with fully free softẃare, i.e. Trisquel).
That's a very cool blog, I'm bookmarking it. Glad that he's spending time exploring Trisquel and Guix like that.
Indeed.
Did you notice prospero's post: https://trisquel.info/en/forum/simon-josefsson-are-you-here#comment-171053
The author is member of our forum.
Oh really? Well then, we must troll him.
Which you are very good at. I am looking forward to see your trolling of him... (unfortunately I am a lousy troller myself but I enjoy good troller's trolling)
@jas is a Gnome user. @prospero will probably have a delightful time trolling him about Gnome. I'm just an amateur next to a trolling giant like @prospero.
In the latest news letter from NovaCustom's they wrote: Also, we are testing a blob free WiFi + Bluetooth card. It's quite an old WiFi + Bluetooth card, but might still be good enough for most of us. The WiFi card we are testing is the Qualcomm Atheros ACNFA222. The test phase is still in progress. Thanks to the community for asking for this!
It seems they take freedom and privacy seriously.
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