Star Labs have announced their latest Linux laptop refresh with the Star Lite Mk III 11-inch now available to order.
Not long after their recent Star LabTop Mk IV 13-inch release, this smaller model is just as mighty looking. I'm happy to see more vendors do proper matte displays too, as glare is a huge nuisance with laptops. Star Labs say it has 'both a 21% Haze and a hard coat which boasts both durability and glare-free viewing'.
Here's a easy readout of the specifications:
Chasis |
Type II Matte Black Anodised Aluminium - Finish: Bead blasted |
Display |
11.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit matte display with IPS technology 1920x1080 resolution at 190 pixels per inch 16:9 aspect ratio |
Processor |
1.1GHz quad-core Intel® Pentium® Silver N5000 Burst up to 2.7GHz, with 4MB Cache |
Storage |
240GB Over-Provisioned SATA SSD Configurable to: 960GB Over-Provisioned SATA SSD |
Memory |
8GB of 2400MHz LPDDR4 onboard memory |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 605 |
Thanks to LVFS you can expect the BIOS, Embedded Controller and SSD to receive automatic firmware updates too. You can also disable the the Intel Management Engine, the Wireless and the Webcam if you wish.
Star Labs test and certify quite a lot of different Linux distributions too including: Manjaro, Ubuntu, MX Linux, Linux Mint, elementary OS and Zorin. Check out the Star Lite page on Star Labs if interested. Shipping is expected in two batches mid and late September.
Additionally, I spoke to Star Labs recently who confirmed they're rolling out the option of getting Coreboot, with TianoCore, to the LabTop Mk IV. It won't be available to order with but as an option to download and enable after a purchase. They said to expect it in early-August. They're also expecting to do the same for the Lite but didn't give a timescale to us on that.
Last edited by Maokei on 14 July 2020 at 10:06 am UTC
Nice machine and i like the backlit keyboard but a bit expensive for a netbook ( I haven't checked netbook prices for years).
Actually for these specs and Linux support just 400£ is a steal.
I'm happy to see more vendors do proper matte displays too, as glare is a huge nuisance with laptops.
I also can't stand it. The only place where it would not be a problem to me is a room without natural light. Any window with even indirect sunlight causes huge reflections. Some people are not even aware of it unless I point it out, which shows the average user are not aware of anything unless the screens turn off or the computer is on fire...
In any case, there is some matte adesive coating you can buy for glossy screens. Last time I checked they weren't expensive either.
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