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Good publicity? Are there so many people buying laptops with Linux as a “requirement” that this is a thing? Iirc, Sputh Korea dumped government use of Windows

Good publicity? Are there so many people buying laptops with Linux as a “requirement” that this is a thing? Iirc, Sputh Korea dumped government use of Windows, so I could see a reason for a mfg to support Linux like that but in terms of just “publicity”?

modo_mario 6y ago
Of course it is. Devs, sysadmins, etc using Linux and such don't like it when they have to fiddle around because they need to fiddle to get bluetooth working because some producer was an ass or whatnot. These are also the people that get turned to when the uncle or friend needs a recomendation for a new laptop, etc. It's uncommon enough among major vendors that it's good publicity (and it's uncommon because of shady anticompetitive Microsoft deals)
- SirLotsaLocks 6y ago
  exactly, buying a PC and putting Linux on it is one thing, but laptops nowadays are very locked down and hard to modify. if you want a laptop with Linux, you better hope the hardware works out if the box because otherwise you are in for days of pain and suffering trying to fix it, at least in my experience as a non Linux expert. personally I look for laptops with Linux either preinstalled or commonly installed. if I'm looking at laptops and I see that they offer Fedora out of the box that's a major point even if I don't run Fedora because I know the support is there.
nine_k 6y ago
I bet any governments or large corporations install their-own-flavored distro, and won't accept a distro from a laptop vendor, just for reasons of unification.
- SlowRobotAhead 6y ago
  Truth, but as someone else said it’s a least an indication on compatibility. Lenovo doesn’t need to use the Realtek audio that isn’t supported in Linux if they also have an option that is supported. It’s an implication not a guarantee.
phkahler 6y ago
>> Are there so many people buying laptops with Linux as a “requirement” that this is a thing? That's an interesting question. Linux laptops are a small segment of the market. But if you openly support it, you stand to capture a lot of that segment. 1 to 2 percent of the entire laptop market is a big beal to a company that only has say 10 percent of the laptop market. Just example numbers I have no idea that the real numbers are. For a car example I use the PT Cruiser from Chrysler. I didnt like it, not my thing. But I loved that they made it. It had some very retro design element that were nothing like any other vehicle on the market. I'm sure they grabbed 100 percent of the buyers who were into that look.
- SlowRobotAhead 6y ago
  Ok, fair points! It’s a small market but they can grab more of it for basically very little work. On the PT, I was at Chrysler before the launch of that thing (visiting). It was originally marketed to teens exclusively. It was supposed to replace Neon that was directed at teens but was moving to lower income adults. It failed specularly at teens. But became super popular with older drivers. A success, but completely wrong initial target. The Chevy HHR later looks nearly identical and in fact is designed by the same guy.
  - bdcravens 6y ago
    Scion had the same problems https://www.autoevolution.com/news/scion-xb-built-for-teens-drove-by-elderly-regular-car-reviews-79974.html https://www.autoevolution.com/news/scion-xb-built-for-teens-...

modo_mario 6y ago

Of course it is. Devs, sysadmins, etc using Linux and such don't like it when they have to fiddle around because they need to fiddle to get bluetooth working because some producer was an ass or whatnot. These are also the people that get turned to when the uncle or friend needs a recomendation for a new laptop, etc. It's uncommon enough among major vendors that it's good publicity (and it's uncommon because of shady anticompetitive Microsoft deals)

SirLotsaLocks 6y ago
exactly, buying a PC and putting Linux on it is one thing, but laptops nowadays are very locked down and hard to modify. if you want a laptop with Linux, you better hope the hardware works out if the box because otherwise you are in for days of pain and suffering trying to fix it, at least in my experience as a non Linux expert. personally I look for laptops with Linux either preinstalled or commonly installed. if I'm looking at laptops and I see that they offer Fedora out of the box that's a major point even if I don't run Fedora because I know the support is there.

nine_k 6y ago

I bet any governments or large corporations install their-own-flavored distro, and won't accept a distro from a laptop vendor, just for reasons of unification.

SlowRobotAhead 6y ago
Truth, but as someone else said it’s a least an indication on compatibility. Lenovo doesn’t need to use the Realtek audio that isn’t supported in Linux if they also have an option that is supported. It’s an implication not a guarantee.

phkahler 6y ago

>> Are there so many people buying laptops with Linux as a “requirement” that this is a thing? That's an interesting question. Linux laptops are a small segment of the market. But if you openly support it, you stand to capture a lot of that segment. 1 to 2 percent of the entire laptop market is a big beal to a company that only has say 10 percent of the laptop market. Just example numbers I have no idea that the real numbers are. For a car example I use the PT Cruiser from Chrysler. I didnt like it, not my thing. But I loved that they made it. It had some very retro design element that were nothing like any other vehicle on the market. I'm sure they grabbed 100 percent of the buyers who were into that look.

SlowRobotAhead 6y ago
Ok, fair points! It’s a small market but they can grab more of it for basically very little work. On the PT, I was at Chrysler before the launch of that thing (visiting). It was originally marketed to teens exclusively. It was supposed to replace Neon that was directed at teens but was moving to lower income adults. It failed specularly at teens. But became super popular with older drivers. A success, but completely wrong initial target. The Chevy HHR later looks nearly identical and in fact is designed by the same guy.
- bdcravens 6y ago
  Scion had the same problems https://www.autoevolution.com/news/scion-xb-built-for-teens-drove-by-elderly-regular-car-reviews-79974.html https://www.autoevolution.com/news/scion-xb-built-for-teens-...