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The Librem laptop are not an option because they use Intel chips. Buying Intel products supports and finances their current way. They did not even address the g

by madez 9y ago

The Librem laptop are not an option because they use Intel chips. Buying Intel products supports and finances their current way. They did not even address the grave accusations. There is no way I can give them money.

em3rgent0rdr 9y ago
When Librem was first announced, I had grave concerns too, and I stuck with my Libreboot computers. However, it was just this past month when they showed proof of concept for their Purism phone running KDE plasma on an ARM board without any firmware/driver blob concerns and also showed how they isolated and disabled the Intel ME that I took them seriously, at which point I ordered a labtop and have been very happy. The amount of money that Intel gets off these chips can't be significant because they are currently over two years old anyways (Q3'15).
- madez 9y ago
  I don't get how their work on the Purism phone makes their laptop any better. Care to explain the relation? That one can maybe fix a hardware backdoor in Intel chips does not make buying them any better. Intel does not get my money but should instead get clear-worded, sanctioned letter from the authorities. I think they should be banned from trading and selling their backdoored stuff. I will not buy even old products of them. They messed up big time and don't even explain themselves.
  - em3rgent0rdr 9y ago
    "how their work on the Purism phone makes their laptop any better" So you are obviously right that proof of concept of fully FLOSS ARM phone doesn't directly translate to x86. But it does show that they know how and want to build fully FLOSS systems. Whether they don't quite succeed 100% with the x86 system (as the management engine is still in my computer, albeit isolated and disabled), they have been making great strides in getting close to %100 and I am willing to reward them for that. Regarding the morality of buying Intel chips, I do share the reluctance to support Intel. I hadn't bought a new Intel computer or CPU since 2007 with Core2Duo for that reason. But sometimes morality decision can't be made in a binary all or nothing manner. In this case I am aware of the damage done by purchasing an x86 system, but it makes up for in being able to have a productive labtop which I can more effectively work to make FLOSS applications with.

by madez 9y ago

em3rgent0rdr 9y ago

When Librem was first announced, I had grave concerns too, and I stuck with my Libreboot computers. However, it was just this past month when they showed proof of concept for their Purism phone running KDE plasma on an ARM board without any firmware/driver blob concerns and also showed how they isolated and disabled the Intel ME that I took them seriously, at which point I ordered a labtop and have been very happy. The amount of money that Intel gets off these chips can't be significant because they are currently over two years old anyways (Q3'15).

madez 9y ago
I don't get how their work on the Purism phone makes their laptop any better. Care to explain the relation? That one can maybe fix a hardware backdoor in Intel chips does not make buying them any better. Intel does not get my money but should instead get clear-worded, sanctioned letter from the authorities. I think they should be banned from trading and selling their backdoored stuff. I will not buy even old products of them. They messed up big time and don't even explain themselves.
- em3rgent0rdr 9y ago
  "how their work on the Purism phone makes their laptop any better" So you are obviously right that proof of concept of fully FLOSS ARM phone doesn't directly translate to x86. But it does show that they know how and want to build fully FLOSS systems. Whether they don't quite succeed 100% with the x86 system (as the management engine is still in my computer, albeit isolated and disabled), they have been making great strides in getting close to %100 and I am willing to reward them for that. Regarding the morality of buying Intel chips, I do share the reluctance to support Intel. I hadn't bought a new Intel computer or CPU since 2007 with Core2Duo for that reason. But sometimes morality decision can't be made in a binary all or nothing manner. In this case I am aware of the damage done by purchasing an x86 system, but it makes up for in being able to have a productive labtop which I can more effectively work to make FLOSS applications with.