You guys did a good thing by interviewing the Arubix CEO. You should do the same with some 3D printer manufacturers. That’s an industry that could use a dose of reality.
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The only issue i have with system76 is that (I dont know if they still do or not) but they used to have a deal with the company Sager for laptops and what they would do is take a sager machine, drop a couple things (Less ram smaller HDD) and actually charge more for it.
After years of hearing of the so called “microsoft tax” (for those new to the linux community that was one of the heavily used buzzwords years ago) System76 went ahead and disproved that pretty easily and made it clear as far as OEMs go there’s actually a Linux tax. I dont know if this is still the case but it definitely turned me off of buying a laptop. Not spending more for less on the promise that linux works great.
As to the arubix review ill just leave this here. http://www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/gflex
Flexible displays really are old news guys
You are comparing a standard laptop to an ultrabook. Not even remotely close, not at all.
A standard size laptop from pretty much any manufacturer will cost less than the system 76 equivalent. They are not competitive in price at all and they dont really have to be as they fill a niche market but dont make bunk comparisons to prove a point you cant possibly actually prove.
System76 say on their Galago page itself, “Don’t call it an Ultrabook. The Galago UltraPro rocks twice the processing and four times the graphics power compared to a standard i7 Ultrabook.” The Ultrabook definition says that laptops should be less than 0.8" thick, and the Galago is 0.75". Now, you might not like their laptops, but describing two roughly-equivalently powerful, roughly-equivalently thin, roughly-equivalently supportive of Ubuntu machines as “not even remotely close” seems to be inaccurate to me. That System76 in the past may have been more expensive and less creative in their laptop designs does not speak to what they’re like today.
It does look much larger in pictures than the quoted height and i remain skeptical that its accurate. How can you fit a spinning drive and stay that thin?
Actually compare the devices they are still not comparable. The dell comes standard with a touch screen, 8GB of ram and an SSD the system76 comes with half that much ram and a spinning drive, no touch screen. Once you add the ram and an SSD the galago ends up being more expensive then the dell.
You clearly cherry picked your examples to make a point, maybe next time you cherry pick some examples make sure they are actually equivalent first.
As to them being “less creative” in the past you need to actually understand THEY DO NOT CREATE ANYTHING. They STILL just buy Sager machines gimp the speccs then charge more. When he said “he works with upstream OEMs to design” That was crap. Its been what they do since they started. The guy came on your show and lied his butt off about all the design questions, plain and simple.
http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.php?page=product_info&model_name=NP2740
There is your Galago pro before its gimped by System76. Just like they used to do, take a sager machine cut the ram and HDD space in half and charge the same or more.
That is why i do not like system76. You can cherry pick machines all day to make them look better but the reality is EVERY machine they make can be had at less cost through other OEMs, period.
It really is starting to feel like what i call the “Linux action show effect” Once someone sponsors the show they can do no wrong.
I’m just not sure why I should buy them over Lenovo. I imagine a Lenovo being more bullet proof. Also, Ubuntu is not my cup of tea. I wish they had some other options.
Actually here’s a thing I would buy:
A fully customized pen testing box. It would have a powerful wifi antenna, and lots of GPU power for password cracking. It would come pre-installed with kali and tails.
I think you’re confusing “pick a System76 laptop that I looked at six months ago because it comes with Ubuntu, and pick a Dell laptop which also comes with Ubuntu” for “cherry picking” – I do wish that there were a million different laptops which were all sold with Ubuntu on in order that I could cherry pick examples, but there are not.
You seem to be relying quite heavily on the rhetorical device of “well they say it’s that thin but I don’t think it is, so it isn’t”. If you honestly believe that their website description is a flat out lie, I’d like to see some evidence for it.
Still, maybe you’re right, in which case I shall apologise, so I’ve just done some checking to see if my contention that “System76’s prices are actually pretty reasonable” holds water when compared with the Dell Sputnik. I tried to spec them equivalently.
CPU: Dell Core i5-4210U, System76 Core i7-4760HQ
RAM: 8GB each (standard on the Dell, paid upgrade on the System76)
Graphics: Dell Intel HD Graphics 4400, System76 Intel Iris Pro 5200
SSD: Dell 128GB (standard), System76 120GB (paid upgrade)
Screen: Dell 13.3" touchscreen, System76 14" non-touch screen
Price: Dell $1199, System76 $1213
So, the Dell has a touchscreen (nice), and 8GB more disc; the System76 has a core i7 rather than a core i5, better graphics, and a larger screen; and they are fourteen dollars apart in price. Those, to me, seem pretty equivalent; if the fourteen bucks is bothering you, I can loan you it if need be.
Look. You obviously don’t like System76’s stuff, and that’s fine; don’t buy it. But I think that them directly supporting Ubuntu is a worthy cause – buying from some OEM and installing myself is costly in my time, if nothing else, and System76 do put in at least some effort to making sure that drivers and customisations are both written and then make it upstream to core Ubuntu and further up to upstream projects. They are selling a machine which I think is roughly equivalent to Dell, one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world, at almost exactly the same price, and they’re doing it to and for Ubuntu users. I like that, which is why I think it’s a good idea, even if I don’t have one of their machines. And I find it pretty bloody offensive that because you don’t like their stuff you are of the opinion that the only reason I do is that I must have been bribed.
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Still comparing these 2? Compare it to the HP envy series or the lenovo Y series…
Also the official word from Sager is it is .83" so yes the .75 number on the System76 is an exaggeration.
You will be astounded that the NP2740 can fit all of its powerful technology into a notebook that
checks in at only 0.83 inch thin and a weight of just 4.2 pounds. The
stylish design with brushed silver surfaces offers a generous 14” screen
in a package that is pleasing to the eye and highly mobile for the user
on the go.
Not an ultrabook by the definition given by intel either. Intel sets pretty strict guidelines on machines to be marketed as ultrabooks and this machine does not meet that criteria either.
I understand that its bloody offensive but when you take that machine and compare it to something completely different to defend your latest sponsor what other conclusion is there for one to draw? You are the one that cherry picked a comparison of a laptop vs a pretty expensive ultrabook. May as well just compare it to the macbook air to make your case.
Like i said compare it to things that are actually comparable and it looks really bad for system76. The Lenovo y40 for example you can get that with a similar i7 processor 8GB ram, 1080P display DEDICATED GRAPHICS same storage for $699 only difference is smaller battery but everything else is better. Dedicated graphics and similar speccs for over $300 less…
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y40/
I mean seriously just look at the XPS13 and its pretty obvious its not even in the same class as the System76 machine. Its much thinner made with carbon fiber, backlit keyboard etc. How are people not supposed to think you are being a shill when you go right to the top shelf to compare to a mid level machine? Like i said at that point why not cut the shit and compare it to the macbook air?
The day when the company will sell me one of those with Ubuntu on it, I’ll happily compare them! I’d really like that. Similarly with the Macbook Air, which also can’t be bought with Linux on (so I do not understand why you’ve asked about it twice). I am interested in buying computers with Ubuntu on them (or, at a push, with no OS at all, but I’d much prefer Ubuntu.) There are not many manufacturers that offer that, and I’ve chosen two high-profile models that do. (Again, above I think I demonstrated that the XPS and the Galago are pretty much equivalent in both hardware specs and price; you seem to not think that, because you’ve described them as “completely different”, and one as “the top shelf” and the other as “a midlevel machine” despite their virtually identical hardware specs, so I think we’ll just have to agree to differ on that; I think they’re similar, you don’t, other readers can make up their own minds.)
Your argument seems to be that System76 laptops are rubbish because you can get an equivalent Lenovo for much less money. I think that’s a perfectly reasonable argument, but it applies to Dell as well! So why not apply it to them? You’ve now switched to saying that the XPS13 is better built and therefore is “not even in the same class”; that is, you started by saying that the XPS13 and the Galago were not comparable on hardware specs, and now it’s about build quality. Fine: the XPS13 looks prettier to me too. I can’t speak to actual build quality on either; I’ve heard of a bunch of niggling problems with both, but that’s just hearsay. So, perhaps we should agree that the XPS13 and the Galago are both overpriced but are basically the only game in town for purchasing machines with Linux preinstalled? And maybe also agree that it would be nicer if these cheaper manufacturers were to actually sell machines with Linux on?
Just came here primarily to say I really loved the System76 Interview.
I have the “generic” Sager version of what was the System 76 Gazelle from early 2011. Spec’d it out pretty good - and rejected System76 at the time because for the same specs it was going to be about $200 more, and I was already overshooting my supposed budget by about that amount in the first place.
Point being - I don’t regret that purchase, BUT the next time around, I will go with System 76 if I possibly can, just because I was so moved by Carl’s clearly emotional and passionate views regarding his product and regarding Linux.
Carl completely sold me on the idea that he has thought profoundly about how to make his customers happy and is seeking continuous improvement. I liked his demeanor, his comments, his general personality, and his down to earth nature.
And unless I hear elsewhere that he’s just a gigantic jerk, I don’t even care if he was pouring it on a little bit as a PR move - he made me feel good about the idea of spending my money with System76, he gave the impression of sincerity, and if I can reasonbly justify it, that’s where my next purchase will be.
(Also love my Kobo Glo - no epub support kills the Kindle for me, but it does sound like a great reader based on Jeremy’s review.)
Has anyone have the Cirrus7 PC’s? They look really nice and can load Ubuntu on them.
As an update: it appears that Google is now projecting that Loon may bring in more revenue than YouTube.
–jeremy
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