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Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

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Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#41

What CPU is it running? Because last time I checked the Intel microcode wasn't open source

an i7, which while proprietary doesn't necessarily have to be bundled with the typical Intel AMT, which the FSF dislikes[1].

Besides the CPU, it contains proprietary nVidia chips. Another company which doesn't have too stellar of a 'open' record.

[1]: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/active-management-techno...

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#42
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a bit outdated - Stallman's now using a ThinkPad X60: https://stallman.org/stallman-computing.html OT, but an amusing line from that page: > I never pay for anything on the Web. Anything on the net that requires payment, I don't do. Or more succintly: > Out, out, damned Spotify! Flick off, Netflix!

It would be pretty hard to run netflix in emacs anyway

don't say things like that out loud. the emacs repos are already too crowded. we'll have a netflix-mode by sun-up.

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#43

A truly philosophically pure laptop would, among other things, guarantee absolutely no involvement of slave labor/abusive practices in its supply chain. Everyone from the mines to the assembly plant to the retail store would have secure, middle-class employment. Revenue would not fund political corruption or violence related to labor, natural resources, or environmental impact. But it would not contain binary blobs e…

Depends what philosophy you're talking about.

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#45

A truly philosophically pure laptop would, among other things, guarantee absolutely no involvement of slave labor/abusive practices in its supply chain. Everyone from the mines to the assembly plant to the retail store would have secure, middle-class employment. Revenue would not fund political corruption or violence related to labor, natural resources, or environmental impact. But it would not contain binary blobs e…

Depends what philosophy you're talking about.

[deleted]

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#46

This appears to be similar to the open source hardware Novena laptop ( https://www.crowdsupply.com/kosagi/novena-open-laptop ), but closed source hardware. From the Purism crowdfunding campaign: "The Librem 15 is the first high-end laptop where you are in control and have complete visibility into the kernel, the operating system, and all software." It seems like the Novena came first and is substantially more free/op…

I'm interested if anyone has any insight into why there is a such a push for "Free" software (for example by the FSF, Richard Stallman), but not also "Free" hardware.

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#47
post #46

This appears to be similar to the open source hardware Novena laptop ( https://www.crowdsupply.com/kosagi/novena-open-laptop ), but closed source hardware. From the Purism crowdfunding campaign: "The Librem 15 is the first high-end laptop where you are in control and have complete visibility into the kernel, the operating system, and all software." It seems like the Novena came first and is substantially more free/op…

I'm interested if anyone has any insight into why there is a such a push for "Free" software (for example by the FSF, Richard Stallman), but not also "Free" hardware.

It probably has a lot to do with the difficulty of modifying existing hardware. (That is: people don't often think about modifying their hardware, so they simply don't pay much attention to its design.)

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#48

A truly philosophically pure laptop would, among other things, guarantee absolutely no involvement of slave labor/abusive practices in its supply chain. Everyone from the mines to the assembly plant to the retail store would have secure, middle-class employment. Revenue would not fund political corruption or violence related to labor, natural resources, or environmental impact. But it would not contain binary blobs e…

That may be your philosophy. I care more about open computer systems than making everyone middle class (which doesn't even make sense; by the well-ordering principle, there will always be a lower class). I think that open computers are more important for the long-term improvement of the human race than the pursuit of presently unrealizable economic goals.

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#49
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No need to travel to China for that. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-New-arrival-Free-shippin... But yes, the few European vendors have no stock and on Aliexpress this is the single result.

There's no way I would spend $100 on something on aliexpress, last time I used them I was shipped an empty bag.

well, my anecdotal experience with a chinese vendor was ok; the device i ordered was as they described it.

Ymmv.

Re: Purism Aims to Build a Philosophically Pure Laptop

#50
post #48

A truly philosophically pure laptop would, among other things, guarantee absolutely no involvement of slave labor/abusive practices in its supply chain. Everyone from the mines to the assembly plant to the retail store would have secure, middle-class employment. Revenue would not fund political corruption or violence related to labor, natural resources, or environmental impact. But it would not contain binary blobs e…

That may be your philosophy. I care more about open computer systems than making everyone middle class (which doesn't even make sense; by the well-ordering principle, there will always be a lower class). I think that open computers are more important for the long-term improvement of the human race than the pursuit of presently unrealizable economic goals.

> I care more about open computer systems than making everyone middle class

The parent speaks about slave labour or something very close to it not about living in the suburbs.

> there will always be a lower class

That is your opinion and it may be true. Even so, the "lower class" could live without the worry of basic necessities. A lot of people do not currently have that luxury.

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