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Comment by makeitdouble | Hacker News Reader

Linux requires you give up on cutting edge hardware.

Basically there's no alternative to the Surface Pro or the Asus' Z13 (or even X13), or Lenovo's dual screen or tablet lines that works with Linux.

Incidentally these form factors also doesn't come to macs either.

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I've used a SP (7) with Linux. It works as a PC, but is not the move. Notes:

  - Needed a custom kernel to get the pen (or was it touch) working?
  - No good note taking applications (eg OneNote competitor)
  - Notably latency on the pen.
  - The first distro I attempted to install didn't work. (Manjaro?)

What's preventing you from installing Linux on a surface pro or Z13?

Surface Pro: missing support for MIPI cameras

Z13: until very recently, BIOS bug that made Linux not recognize the sound chip

Linux doesn't require cutting edge hardware.

I've been using a Linux desktop workstation for like a decade. Never got on the laptop revolution, don't really understand it, seems like you're just setting yourself up for some savage RSI.

For laptops, there are no alternative to Apple silicon anyway, and macos is still unix, so I don’t mind. For desktops, sky is the limit.

Apple Silicon means no discrete graphics card and no CUDA, no DirectX. It seems fine for machine learning, it falls short for other intensive applications.

Apple Silicon has the power envelope advantage, Intel and AMD chips remain faster for those who can deal with the power consumption (under lock when longer battery is really needed, and either be plugged or have a backup battery when going full throttle)

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