Why are there no Librebooted desktops?

8 respuestas [Último envío]
Trisk Spellian
Desconectado/a
se unió: 03/20/2015

I really want a 100% freed computer. The problem is I can't stand these old laptops. I don't like their little knobs in the middle of the keyboard. The touchpads are weak. The buttons are pitiful. Plus, I've always been a desktop person. Never owned a laptop and I'm not about to make my first a laptop with 15 year old technology.

I don't care that the CPU is old or that the innards are inferior to today's standards. I don't use any programs that require intense state of the art hardware. 8 GB of RAM and 1 TB would be plenty for me.

If there were a librebooted desktop I could still have my nice mouse, keyboard, big monitor, etc.

Is there a specific reason why no librebooted desktop exists?

jxself
Desconectado/a
se unió: 09/13/2010

Libreboot already supports computers for your desk. Both the Asus KFSN4-DRE and KGPE-D16 motherboards will go into a standard EEB tower case like the attached.

Also, I https://raptorengineeringinc.com/coreboot/kcma-d8-status.php that this is supposed to be go into Libreboot soon. It uses an ATX case.

Minifree sells the KGPE-D16 motherboard but it's somewhat spendy. I found the KFSN4-DRE on eBay for $75 which included two CPUs.

But in all cases, these boards are perfectly fine sitting on a desk. See picture for an example of a compatible case.

case.jpeg
suitsmeveryfine
Desconectado/a
se unió: 08/15/2014

Is there a specific reason why no librebooted desktop exists?

It is by coincidence, I believe, that it has been easier to free a lot of laptop computers.

Never owned a laptop and I'm not about to make my first a laptop with 15 year old technology.

You don't need to (as jxself explained above).

Personally I like laptops, but if I wanted a libreboot desktop machine I would just use a thinkpad with a docking station, an external monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Джордж
Desconectado/a
se unió: 11/28/2015

"(...)I would just use a thinkpad with a docking station, an external monitor, keyboard and mouse."

That's what I am doing. I like laptops and I am quite the opposite of what Trisk Spellian is writing about. I don't think that these old laptops are weak or pitiful. I like it that you can upgrade old thinkpads pretty easily and depending on the model make them really powerful. Unfortunately only a few of them can be librebooted.

My T400 has 8GB of RAM and about 1,5 TB on 2 SSDs. I also have the dockingstation and a wireless keyboard & mouse making it easy to connect it to my external monitor with FHD resolution. This is my alternative to a desktop. It's also very quiet.

I don't mind my laptops being clunky (compared to nowadays) as long as you can add stuff easily and it doesn't die at the first little bump.

lembas
Desconectado/a
se unió: 05/13/2010

And you can plug keyboards, mice and monitors to a laptop as well. The monitor's connector though might give you trouble, dunno. A laptop eats a lot less power than a desktop. I was a desktop person for a long time but now I have to admit I enjoy lugging my old laptop all around the house.

lembas
Desconectado/a
se unió: 05/13/2010

> I've still got an excessive number of project computers

:D Glad to hear I'm not alone!

davidnotcoulthard (no verificado)
davidnotcoulthard

Bacause unlike laptops motherboards are replaceable on dekstops - it's the motherboard that's important in this case.

alimiracle
Desconectado/a
se unió: 01/18/2014

for me I said farewell to desktops in 2006