Hi everyone,
I am currently using a Macbook Air that I love: it’s super thin and light, it’s fast enough for all I do (no gaming, almost no video editing, some power needed but nothing crazy). And it runs macOS which i have been using and hardening for a long time. No intention to change right now.
However, it will die eventually and I might drop it any day, so i want to think about a replacement.
Since I am interested in moving away from the Apple ecosystem and to Linux (I have an old Dell running SecureBlue on the side to test run), I am looking at PCs.
I really like the Framework philosophy and their Framework 13 seems decently priced (around $1000-1200 max is feasible, less is better). But it also seems thick and bulky.
I checked the Dell Latitude 13" Ultralight, but it is close to $2000 and that’s just not reasonable.
Finally, if I can avoid Lenovo or other Chinese brands, I am all the happier for it. Call me prejudiced but I like democracy and I would rather support companies operating in developing countries. I know most things are made in China and I can’t control this; the brand I can. It’s a way to vote with my money.
Thanks. I am quite interested in SecureBlue with all its hardening, esp as i am new to Linux – i like the fact that there is a community supporting this hardening that I do not master. But it/Fedora isn’t compatible with an intel-based macbook, right?
From my understanding is intel macs can run fedora, so secureblue could be an option. I know some of the old macs struggle with wifi from broadcom in Fedora but the drives should be easy enough to obtain if needed.
I know you want to avoid Lenovo, but have you thought about buying a refurbished or used Thinkpad T14 or X1 Carbon models? Purchasing them secondhand would prevent you from supporting Lenovo directly AND reduce e-waste.
All this is because you seem to prefer build quality and portability quite a lot. While this has gone down in recent years, you won’t get this level of durability and quality from other manufacturers.
Otherwise, the Framework 13 is probably the best bet for you unless you want to purchase a 2019 Intel Mac and install Linux on it.
Have you looked into the Framework 12? It’s smaller and less expensive than the 13 and a bit less powerful, and it converts to a tablet. The Framework 13 is by no means bulky though.
True, but I would most likely stay on macos while i have this macbook air and only daily drive linux when i change laptop, at which point a macbook would most likely not be intel-based.
Points well taken for the Framework not being bulky. It just seemed noticeably thicker than what I am used to. If i am mistaken, then it can indeed be a good option.
It is a bit thicker than the Air, I just wouldn’t call it bulky. This article is in Chinese but it has good photos for comparison and lists the weight of each as well: 对比一下 Macbook Air 和 Framework 13 | 歌词经理
This is good for any product Apple or Lenovo. Also, the advantage of 2nd hand is that at least you would know any issues beforehand due to a previous owner. Plus refurbished laptops may have had some updated such as swapping a hard drive to ssd or an extra stick of ram added in.