"Best" computer with libreboot?
I find it difficult to figure out, which librebooted computer would have the "best" specs. Though it might require some reconfiguration, which configuration of which model would (probably) be the most powerfull computer with libreboot?
have a look here: https://libreboot.org/docs/hcl/
As for configuration, it's as good as you can afford.
Thanks. I have (of course) looked at that list, but - probably due to my lack of knowledge - I can't figure out from that, which machine/configuration is most powerful.
I found a list of all configurations of all Thinkpads ever produced (apparently) but there are literally hundreds of configurations and I don't have the overview.
Can one say generally that T60, X60, T400 or T500 is 'stronger' than others?
Have a look at this then:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001380.htm
Most likely, the X or T60 are less powerful than the others (older CPUs mainly).
Thanks. That was quite a nice overview.
Still I imagine(d) that someone for sure has an idea - or rather knowledge - about which machine would be the 'best'.
T500 is the most powerful: https://tehnoetic.com/tet-t500
I am a member!
Disclaimer: I work for Tehnoetic.
I second that opinion. If you manage to get one with a good screen (1920x1200), with a T9600 processor and with a good quality SSD, this one is a fairly modern laptop. Or maybe workstation, considering the weight.
If weight is a concern, the T400 is also a very good choice.
If you haven't tried one yet, I highly advise you buying an SSD - it totally transforms the experience. Firefox opens in an instant. Compilers run like crazy. The battery lasts longer. It's about 5 times more shock resilient than an HDD.
Thanks for the answers. They pretty much express what I kind of 'felt' or 'figured out'.
At this moment I'm looking at a chance to by a T500 with a t9400 processor. It's not the best, but maybe it comes in second. I am still waiting for owner to answer which graphics card it hold and the screen resolution.
I am going to use a a stationary computer. Hence battery capacity is not a crucial issue at this point.
It only comes with 4GB of RAM but thats what I have in my x200 and it works very well with ordinary office applications. In my x200 I have a ssd. It works well, so I'll probably buy one for my future t4/500 too.
I'll probably be able to buy this machine for less than €100 - with a local keyboard. It seems to be a fair price if it's in good shape.
Do you have suggestions for further information I could/should obtain before deciding about buying it?
I am a member!
They are pretty sturdily built, so you should be ok. Ask what HDD it has (you'll probably use that until you get your SSD). Ask if it can write DVD's - not very important, but it can serve you as a lever in price negotiation. Ask about screen resolution - the screens vary a lot.
Once you meet the guy and the laptop - check for cracks in the case, make sure the screen dimms as it should (sometimes the invertor breaks on CCFL backlighted screens - make sure it dimms down uniformly). Look at the USB ports, they sometimes get damaged. The inverter stuff is not a deal-breaker - it can be changed pretty easily.
After you get it, get some thermal compound, a brush, isopropyl alcohol - clean it, flash it, assemble it back, and enjoy :)
Thanks.
The latter part, I'll leave to Tehnoetic!
I am a translator!
>It only comes with 4GB of RAM but thats what I have in my x200 and it works very well with ordinary office applications.
So, I just opened all of this:
mousepad, claws mail, evince, TorBB, gimp, goldendict, inkscape, libreoffice writer, links2, mirage, pidgin, poedit, qmmp, ricochet, seamonkey, smplayer, transmission, vlc, mpsyt, newsbeuter, bitmask, gnote, rtv.
RAM usage: 856 mb
Can someone remind me please why are people buying laptops with 8 gb? And above all, why do people think 4 gb is "only" 4 gb?
Can someone remind me please why are people buying laptops with 8 gb? And above all, why do people think 4 gb is "only" 4 gb?
i.e. relative to maximum
So, I just opened all of this:
mousepad, claws mail, evince, TorBB, gimp, goldendict, inkscape, libreoffice writer, links2, mirage, pidgin, poedit, qmmp, ricochet, seamonkey, smplayer, transmission, vlc, mpsyt, newsbeuter, bitmask, gnote, rtv.
RAM usage: 856 mb
Thanks for useful info
PS: Why are the redish/yellowish rectangle split?
Space between lines. Remove them and it will disappear (though the text will lose the line spacing obviously).
Can someone remind me please why are people buying laptops with 8 gb?
That really depends. For example, I work a lot with software development and video editing, so I'd like 8GB, but I can survive with 4GB running Plasma 5.
I'll have to rewrite what I said a bit.
People use free software for different reasons.
- Not having arbitrary limitations is one.
- privacy from companies and from governments in case they start going insane, like in Turkey.
And in all this, some need more power, in order to compute as they did with proprietary software. Most likely, they'll ave to make some degree of concessions, else have another computer for work, and really separate both.
So the best machine (in performance) for free software and PRIVACY as the focus in my case (with Libreboot, or at least with a computer where AMT/ME and the like is too complicated to setup, thus with a non-free BIOS) most likely costs either lots of money or lots of time.
But it most likely would be something like the latest supported Libreboot Thinkpad for a laptop, and that super mobo (something something 16, check the Libreboot wiki for the details).
I spent so much time (and still a decent amount of cash setting up free machines... It's the opposite of efficiency.
Plus the whole education on privacy is bits here and there, and again a whole lot of work.
This has ZERO chances to work that way.
That's why for now, I'd invest in EOMA68-based cards (with Debian, insisting on not allowing non-free repos), and suggest that for personal use, and any other machine for work, if it's a necessity.
Hopefully one day, we will have super powered EOMA68-based cards, but I somehow doubt it because you have to take heat into account. More power means more heat, right? It's still a good solution for normal computing. And maybe it's possible to build stuff with fans/heatsinks around the card, so, the sky's the limit, in theory.
Of course, GPU compatibility is probably out of question. That would require some external PCI-E adapter.
That's for the hardware and software. Sure, most people want a Mac, or a monster gaming tower (which are horrible in terms of privacy and general software freedom), because:
- it's trendy (no comment...)
- it's beautiful out of the box (can't argue with that, thought beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and trisquel is not so bad out of the box. Maybe Faenza icons would be better ;) ).
- it's easy to use (drag and drop install and delete maybe, but mostly no ERRORS all the time (though it happens, but still much less than both Win and OSX)
So yeah, plenty of bugs. Well, pro support and perfect hardware integration does that, I suppose. Also lots of automated stuff, but again, for the same reasons.
Though the bugs happen when you want to tweak the system. A standard Trisquel install has bugs, but not that much. They're still hugely annoying from a normal user's point of view.
For education about data protection, this is complicated. The wiki is good, but both incomplete and too complex.
For example, about the browser addons: how many are really needed, how to configure them, why aren't they pre-configured, etc...
I tried to write here a down and dirty guide to privacy, but it has too many approximations due to my lack of knowledge.
But I really think something like that is needed.
End of the rant.
The most powerful would be the opteron workstation actually. But that is a desktop.As for the laptops you might also want to consider the EOMA68 3D printed laptop. It may not be fast now, but as the EOMA68 cards are upgraded all you need to upgrade is the card not the whole laptop (pretty genius)
I do not know about the best Libreboot computer, but an iMac 5,2 flashed with Libreboot can make for a nice, cheap computer without proprietary software.
Are you running a such?