Is a Starlab laptop Open Source enough?

"Is a Starlab laptop Open Source enough?"

Not for me. No current Intel or AMD machine can be. Compared to the older laptops supported by libreboot Starlab laptops has the same problems with the nonfree software in the embedded controller and on the hard disk or SSD. This is shared with the librebooted ThinkPads. But the Starlab laptop also contains (still) some of the Intel firmware blob in order to boot so it actually contains more nonfree software than the older models have. Sure it's newer, which might be appealing from a purely practical point of view, but from the view of our software freedom, going in the direction of getting more nonfree software over time in which newer models keep needing ever more nonfree software than the older models isn't a sustainable course for us to be on.

Rather, it's time to abandon Intel and AMD: https://jxself.org/titanic.shtml

I have been purchasing Starlab's laptops for a few years (a total of 4 units). Jxself is correct that firmware is not open source but, I install Trisquel on the units and they work great. Secondly, I don't think their M.2 NVMe are open source, they over-clock the NVMe the chips on this board. Hopefully they will move away and create an open source firmware. Oh, I did have to swap out the Wifi.

Really the true question is whether they are open source enough for you. Anyone who attempts to answer your question is really saying what their personal standards are because there is no real objective answer. If you want maximum software freedom from blobs and closed source bits then a Star Labs laptop will be less free then a Libreboot laptop but what if you can't make do with the older hardware ? If a Libreboot option works for you then great but if not then Star Labs would still be a better choice than an off the shelf laptop preinstalled with Windows that has totally closed source BIOS. Coreboot is better than nothing. I would be looking at Purism, if you wanted Coreboot, because I think privacy kill switches are awesome but that's my personal opinion.

On the desktop side a Raptor system is a fantastic choice in terms of freedom but as you can imagine for most people dropping $8000 on a desktop isn't a viable option. I want one but know that it will take 3-4 years of saving to get it. A Librem Mini is much easier to acquire and Coreboot is still better than fully closed source so for me it would be a good stopgap to replace my clsoed source BIOS desktop I have. What about a Libreboot D16 ? Well from what I hear even installing a GPU means running an experimental version of the BIOS which doesn't seem appealing to me.

Wise words I once heard were "perfect is the enemy of good". Then again so were "the branch that doesn't bend breaks but bend too far and you're already broken". Only you can find your sweet spot for what works for you.