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Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

geohot.github.io

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Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just run Linux in a VM on macOS. What exactly is Apple not permitting you to do? High performance GPU for VMs, for starters. And the amount of crap that even a bare-bones macOS needs to load (and that consequently hog resources like RAM and CPU time) is a goddamn joke.

You cannot uninstall Apple Music. That alone is alienating.

You cannot uninstall Music.app indeed. There is one toggle that hides all of Apple Music. It completely hides it, to the point that a link online to the service will error out.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#22
Honestly if you actually need high end specs then you should just build a PC.

"16 core Zen 5 CPU, 40 core RDNA 3.5 GPU. 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM @ 256 GB/s + stunning OLED" - Easily done as a pc build.

In a world where you can get this laptop with Linux, there's a new set of trade-offs -

- be prepared for a LOT of things not working because the size of the market for extremely expensive configurations with high end CPU + GPU + RAM + Monitor + Linux is practically zero.

- when closing the lid and walking to the coffee shop will the battery be dead before you finish your coffee? probably

- will a new GPU/GPU architecture be a headache for the first X years...yes, and if you want to replace every 2 years, I guess you will have a permanent headache.

- will updating graphics drivers be a problem? yes

- is the text in your "stunning oled" going to be rendered correctly in linux? probably not

- will the wifi chip work in linux? maybe

- will all the ports work/behave? probably not

- will your machine perform worse than a high end PC that cost 1/2 as much from 3 years ago... yes.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#23

the whole pc laptop industry really is an embarrassment right now. It has been 5 years since the M1 Macbook release, and there is no real equivalent. I'm on a thinkpad x9, which might be the closest I've seen, but the cpu performance just isn't as good.

Starlabs is pretty close IMO

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#24

Honestly if you actually need high end specs then you should just build a PC. "16 core Zen 5 CPU, 40 core RDNA 3.5 GPU. 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM @ 256 GB/s + stunning OLED" - Easily done as a pc build. In a world where you can get this laptop with Linux, there's a new set of trade-offs - - be prepared for a LOT of things not working because the size of the market for extremely expensive configurations with high end CPU +…

I think the point of him making his own laptop is that he would fix all those software problems.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#25

the whole pc laptop industry really is an embarrassment right now. It has been 5 years since the M1 Macbook release, and there is no real equivalent. I'm on a thinkpad x9, which might be the closest I've seen, but the cpu performance just isn't as good.

Starlabs is pretty close IMO

Have you bought one?

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#26

the whole pc laptop industry really is an embarrassment right now. It has been 5 years since the M1 Macbook release, and there is no real equivalent. I'm on a thinkpad x9, which might be the closest I've seen, but the cpu performance just isn't as good.

It has always been an embarrassment. Vizio made a good laptop once and then they just existed the computer industry. They had a vision of high quality approachable laptops, desktops and pro platforms and their first gen was a good attempt, but they just didn’t follow on.

I think it was fine 20 odd years ago. I had a Thinkpad T41p in 2004 and it was a great laptop. Even my Sony Vaio Z was nice in 2008 compared to the competition (although it had serious issues with the screen flexibility causing it to fail multiple times).

Since 2012 I've had 3 Macs, a 2012 Air, a 2020 M1 (this was a massive upgrade and the nicest laptop I ever used, even compared to my relatively new work thinkpad). I just cracked the screen on my M1 so bought a discounted M4 air on black friday. I can't tell the difference other than I like having magsafe back and only miss the touch bar slightly.

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#28

the whole pc laptop industry really is an embarrassment right now. It has been 5 years since the M1 Macbook release, and there is no real equivalent. I'm on a thinkpad x9, which might be the closest I've seen, but the cpu performance just isn't as good.

Ryzen AI 370 is a pretty badass mobile x86 chip. Enjoying my gpd win max 2 just fine, apple would have to make a 10" M4 to compete :)

Re: Bikeshedding, or why I want to build a laptop

#29
post #15

I wonder why ThinkPads are not mentioned. It's not like I recommend them (I mean, I use one, but it's not like I've tried most laptops out there, so who I am to judge), but I was under the impression it's still a de-facto Linux laptop standard.

How’s the battery life?
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