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Four year plus owner of a Gazelle here. The only thing that is 'wrong' with it is the battery (dead). Since I use the laptop on power exclusively this doesn't b
by Freak_NL 10y ago
Four year plus owner of a Gazelle here. The only thing that is 'wrong' with it is the battery (dead). Since I use the laptop on power exclusively this doesn't bother me. I could have replaced it though. All in all it is a very powerful and very nice laptop.
Every time I look at a future replacement for this one I get stuck with this dilemma:
System76.com:
+ I know that the laptop I buy will work with Linux; no painstaking research needed
+ configuring the laptop the way I want it is a breeze. 32GiB RAM? No problem
- Import tariffs and shipping costs (I live in the EU)
- So-so build quality
Dell:
+ Local representation, no tariffs
+ Easier to get support here in the EU
- Minimal configurability
- Actually finding an XPS with Ubuntu in their shop
This last point seems trivial, but I just can't figure out why Dell's website is so completely unusable and stuck in the nineties! Searching for the XPS with Ubuntu gives me a list of XPS laptops that differ in subtle ways. Some I can configure bits of, some are a fixed configuration. There is no simple way to filter their offerings, and on-line I find references to XPS configurations that mysteriously aren't available in the Netherlands — what a mess.
Compare that with System76 to see the huge disparity there.
- 2bluesc 10y ago> - Actually finding an XPS with Ubuntu in their shop Problem is that you're looking for XPS, I think they only do XPS + Ubuntu under their Sputnik program. If you look-up the Precision line, Ubuntu 16.04 from the factory is an option with a $101.50 discount over Win10 Pro. [0] [0] http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=xctop5520hwus&model_id=precision-15-5520-laptop&c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04 http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=xctop5...
- windexh8er 10y agoNot true: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-laptop?c=us&l=en&s=biz http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-lapt...
- brudgers 10y agoWhat is offered online probably varies by country. But the Precisions are supported on Linux in the US.
- mrweasel 10y ago>- So-so build quality That's really sad, because I think most of us who want to buy Linux/BSD capable laptops also want excellent build quality (and honestly don't mind paying for it).
- Freak_NL 10y agoCertainly. I do think that this metal-body Galago will be fairly sturdy though; System76 is simply getting better at it. This too is part of my dilemma; I want to support a company that simply sells me a GNU/Linux laptop. There is always the alternative of spending days browsing reviews and anecdotes from people who bought some laptop with Windows on it and then installed Linux to find out if all the hardware works. It's a waste of time, and not necessary if I can buy a laptop that comes with Linux out of the box.
- db48x 10y agoMy Gazelle has also worked out really well. I do need another new battery for it though.