If you're in the market for new hardware, perhaps the new Star Labs StarBook 7 might be what you should be looking at. Their 7th generation has a number of nice upgrades and changes compared to what came before.
Naturally, it comes properly tested with full Linux support. With a choice between many different Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Manjaro, MX Linux, Zorin and even Windows 11 if you wish.
You can grab it with either the 1GHz 4-core Intel Processor N200 (Intel UHD Graphics) or the 1.40GHz 16-core Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 165H (Intel Arc graphics). Both models come with a 14-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit matte display with IPS technology (16:9 3840x2160). You also get 512GB Gen3 PCIe SSD as standard, 8GB of 3200MHz DDR4 memory, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210, Bluetooth 5.3, a 65-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery they claim has up to 14 hours battery life and plenty of ports available:
Left
- HDMI
- USB Type A
- Ultra 7:
- 2x Thunderbolt 4.0 with Power Delivery 3.0
- N200:
- 2x USB Type C with Power Delivery 3.0
Right
- Micro SD Memory Card Reader
- USB 3.0
- USB 2.0
- 3.5mm Combination Jack
You can also have it with coreboot and firmware updates easily via LVFS.
Nice to see a UK hardware vendor doing well, as we don't have too many of them, a lot of Linux hardware is often pretty centered around the USA.
See more on the Star Labs website. Pricing starts at £597 right now during pre-production for early-bird savings, but after it will go up to £753.
QuoteWe don't - not until AMD improve their support for open-source projects.
So I asked them if they could elaborate. To their credit they replied very quickly, but with another short response lacking in detail:
QuoteThey just don't work with them and have zero interest in doing so; it doesn't look like it'll change any time soon especially as Google ended their agreement.
Shame. My experience with AMD on Linux has been almost entirely positive and I even switched to AMD GPUs due to their move to open source drivers & increasing open source support, so I'm not sure why Star Labs are claiming AMD's support is so lacking.
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