Image description:
Shopping for a laptop as a Linux user:
Screenshot from the Simpsons where Otto is talking to Marge and Homer standing next to a window in their house with a caption “Oh wow, windows!.. I don’t think I can afford this place.”
It would be cheaper also
For them. They would just widen the margin and charge you just as much.
That wasn’t my experience buying a laptop, but it could be possible
I had 2 (actully much more) options when buying my laptop. Good laptop with windows or a liitle better laptop without windows for 200€ less.
It’s sad when you figure out why most people are broke.
I would say “install unregistered windows, run MAS,” but unfortunately we can’t expect that to be common knowledge. And, if it were common knowledge, MAS probably wouldn’t exist anymore either.
What’s MAS?
Microsoft Activation Script, iirc. It’ll “authenticate” a copy of windows or office suite by spoofing the information needed by windows/office to identify itself as legitimate. You should be able to find it by googling “MAS windows” or “massgrave.dev”
Friend: “What’s your system specs?”
Me: “12-core Ryzen CPU, 64GB RAM, 3080ti GPU”
F: “Nice. What games do you play?”
M: “Games…? Is that what else people do with these things?”
These days it’s not uncommon to have a powerful GPU just for AI acceleration.
Or for photo editing. Or video editing. Or CAD work. Or a lot more stuff.
Are modern iGPUs not powerful enough for these tasks? The UHD 770 is pretty powerful, especially for video encoding/decoding (it can transcode 8+ 4K streams simultaneously)
iGPUs are pretty useless for the most part.
- Shared memory. Regular DDR is high latency high throuput. GDDR is low latency low throuput. Not only you’re sharing memory with other apps, you’re also penalising yourself in terms of performance.
- iGPUs are very slow at computation. Yes, they have codecs built-in, but if you want to run custom math they are not much better than running it on CPU.
- CUDA is not available. OpenCL is, but some apps are locked to CUDA.
- Old GTX 1080 is 5.5 times faster than brand new Iris Xe at computation. RTX 4080 is like 3x times faster than GTX 1080. That’s an order of magnitude difference between modern GPU and modern iGPU.
That makes sense. Thanks.
Could be a matter of CUDA-specific optimisations in the software. Also, an iGPU will share ram with the CPU so while it looks good on paper, memory access and (availability) will vary
For photo editing, I suspect it should be more than enough. For video editing, a beefy graphics card can make the render/encode significantly faster, though as I don’t dabble with that, I can’t tell how much of a speed improvement it’d be from an integrated intel vs. anything equivalent or stronger than a GTX1650
“Your laptop’s sticker price already includes windows license fee. You’re welcome!”
– Microsoft
Don’t normal countries rebate the fee when you ask for a systemless PC?
Get a Framework. You won’t be disappointed.
it’s way too expensive for me
Framework is selling their previous gen over production b-stock at $500 now.
But they have been good so far providing upgradability in their first gen products to the 2nd gen.
You can save a heap of money when it’s time to upgrade.
buy from the official website, you can select “no operating system” there. (did that last time from Lenovo’s site)
They only offer that option for some models. For everything else, you have to select the Windows version with no added cost, and just eat the loss of the baked-in Windows tax.
please share how I can configure a T14 AMD Gen 4 with “no operating system”
cuz I have never seen “no operating system” on Lenovo’s site and I’ve bought three thinkpads from them in the past four years!
I couldn’t find that either. I did find this page for Linux options but only has one laptop. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/d/linux-laptops-desktops/?visibleDatas=857%3A14" - 14.9"%2C15" - 16.9"
is it a region locked thing, i can select it from the german site: “Schau mal hier Junge” https://www.lenovo.com/de/de/configurator/cto/index.html?bundleId=21K3CTO1WWDE2
The US store only has Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro.
You could try getting a Chromebook and installing whatever distro you want on there? I know it doesn’t avoid the pre-installed spyware, but at least it’s free so you’re not loosing money paying for a license. And Chromebooks these days are made in a wide range from very inexpensive to sorta-premium.
eBay!
Microsoft is not dominating the PC market like you think they are. Nowadays, if you’re in school, and the school tells you to use a computer, it’s probably going to be a Chromebook. Google has made it much cheaper for enterprises and schools to afford chromebooks, by giving them deals and building protocols that would specifically be useful in a school or work environment, and in some cases, forcing students/parents to buy Chromebooks specifically. And more rarely, requiring people to use them at work.
Also, I feel like this whole post completely disregards the existence of Chromebooks in general. They’re Linux computers. And they’re what most of the next generation are learning to use at school, and therefore, what most of them will probably buy when they buy a laptop. You know, assuming they didn’t think it was awful.
Nobody is forcing you to buy a computer with Windows pre-installed on it. People just enjoy hating on Windows. You basically can’t use Linux without having enough know-how to install it yourself anyway. Just delete Windows. Or is the Linux gang really just looking for every little thing to complain about? I think that’s what it is. You guys should spend more time pointing out why Linux should be the status quo, instead of complaining about the current status quo. It gets you nowhere with people who use Windows, and the Apple people laugh at you. So you’re essentially just circle jerking your favorite penguin. Why? Windows didn’t steal your girl. It’s an alternative. Buy a laptop that doesn’t have an operating system on it, if you’re so upset about it. They exist. It took me less than a minute to Google it. Want Linux on it? Buy a Chromebook. The world already conforms to you, and yet you still complain.
Way to completely miss the point there…
There’s literally a Chromebook section at Best Buy. The point couldn’t be more wrong. Quit complaining about non-existent problems just so you can make anti-Windows propaganda. It’s shameful.
Do you think everyone lives in the US?
Then install Linux FOR FREE on a Windows PC and stop whining. I used Best Buy as an example. I highly doubt Chromebooks aren’t available in your area. This is a list of every place that Chromebooks are sold, according to Google: "North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Rest of Europe, Asia Pacific, China, S Korea, Japan, India, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Rest of APAC.
You just wanted to complain and you know it. Educate yourself and stop spreading propaganda for Linux. Linux doesn’t need your help.
Buy used ThinkPad.
Have two already, need something new, can’t be used. Please read the other comments before commenting, this is like the 7th one saying the same thing.
Even new Lenovo laptops can usually be bought direct without Windows
A lot of the time you aren’t actually paying for the license afaik. If you look at a pre built and spec it out on PC part picker, the pre built can often come at a lower price bc the PC is subsidized with payment from the bloatware that is pre installed (think McAfee). Microsoft also sells the licenses in bulk to the store for huge discounts. Windows business model is a lot more about selling you 365 and your data than the operating system.
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Penguin t4 starts at $799.00.
https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-linux/penguin-t4-gnulinux-laptop
Lenovo has official support for Ubuntu on all laptops which translates very well to other distros. IMO the Thinkbook gen 6 having fully upgradable ram and decent specs is a really good deal for a Linux laptop *when on sale
And AFAIK they offer the option to customize your laptop and there is also an OS option. Was there where I ordered mine. Had the choice of 2 Linux distros I believe or just no OS at all which was my choice.
Yet they don’t sell laptops without windows in my country.
Buy a second hand machine, try before buying, choose a ThinkPad. Mine is going strong 5 years now, daily work driver.
I already have a used ThinkPad and have been using it for many years. I’m trying to get a second laptop, but for reasons I can’t choose a used one. Only new machines and in a low price bracket. There’s just nothing that comes without preinstalled Windows and associated tax.
EDIT: Why is this getting downvoted?
Maybe find a Chromebook you can install Linux on?
That’s a cool project, but I need something with a little more power than a Chromebook.
I see, well you’ll probably have to either eat the cost or contact a small seller directly and see if he can do a device without Windows for lower price. Worst case scenario you’ll get denied.
Check out TUXEDO
Microsoft would make more from continued Windows usage (between selling data and products like Office) then that license key sold in volume to the OEM.
