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Comment by dfgdghdf | Hacker News Reader

Reading down the proposed spec sheet, I'm starting to see how crappy the competition is!

* Apple MacBook - Nothing configurable. Expensive and not build to be repaired.

* Microsoft Surface - Much the same, but with Windows

* Lenovo Thinkpad - A little more configurable than a MacBook, and much better value, but still difficult to repair. Missing premium features like an Aluminium case.

* Dell XPS 13 - Much like the Lenovo, but the Linux option is nice.

If they pull this off, developers are going to love it. I really wish them the best.

My advice? Make sure it works _flawlessly_ with the top 3 Linux distributions.

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> * Lenovo Thinkpad - A little more configurable than a MacBook, and much better value, but still difficult to repair. Missing premium features like an Aluminium case.

difficult to repair? They're super easy to repair! My T430 even came with a bay to access the RAM and hard drive without opening the case up.

Also replacing things like keyboard usually is only 2 screws even on the newer models.

All screws are standard philips too.

Lenovo also published comprehensive repair guides for all their thinkpad laptops.

I think that model is discontinued. You need to compare with the X1 Carbon models.

Dell XPS 13/15/17 are super repairable, too. Unlike the macbooks, the battery is replaceable. On 15"/17" models the RAM is socketed. The SSD drives are all standard socketed. And nothing is glued, everything is screwed in with a good replacement parts market available after about a year of the laptop coming out. I've just gotten the XPS 9310 and 9700 and they are very repairable.

Only things missing are the RAM on a 13" version and wifi cards being soldered in (but you can theoretically use a different wi-fi card on a 17" as it has a spare M.2 slot).

Before that I've performed upgrades from XPS 15 9550 to 9560 and 9570 by swapping the motherboard and couple other parts. So it's not like Apple _at all_. It's more like the opposite of Apple

My advice? Make sure it works _flawlessly_ with the top 3 Linux distributions.

May sure it works flawlessly with one of the BSD distributions and you know the Linux experience will be flawless.

> Missing premium features like an Aluminium case.

Magnesium is a different type of premium for some.

Its extremely light. I initially thought it was plastic until I tapped and scraped my fingernail along the vents.

My first thought on it was that I love it and I want one, my second thought was that its really sad they don't have a thinkpad-like rubberized alloy case but only a subpar mac-like shell available. Tastes differ, I guess.

Is the thinkpad better value than the MacBook?

The i7 16GB ram / 512GB ssd Thinkpad X1 Carbon is $1900 and you don't even get a nice display. The M1 16GB/512GB ssd Macbook Pro is only $1700 and you get a best-in-class display along with that.

The XPS 13 and Surface are similarly priced. Macbooks are very price competitive and have been for a long time.

> I'm starting to see how crappy the competition is!

What about this laptop? https://puri.sm/products/librem-14

Intel processors are done in the laptop market. I'll stick with fast, silent, ARM based machines like the M1 MacBooks.

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