16 ms·

Tuxedo Book BA15: AMD-only and Linux-preinstalled laptop

318 points by jrepinc 6y ago

aae42 6y ago
now with 16:10 and ryzen 4000 series
ThreeFx 6y ago
Comes with an Intel wifi card if I'm not mistaken. Maybe update the title?
- 4cao 6y ago
  It's optional.
corty 6y ago
Nice, except for the screen. FullHD is the new "barely adequate". But at least it is non-glare, not "bathroom-mirror" finish. The latter would be unacceptable due to workplace regulations here.
- mamon 6y ago
  In my country workplace regulations forbid working on laptop screen anyway - if a worker is supposed to work on computer for more than, iirc, 4 hours a day, then external screen is mandatory. And it's not really about a screen size, it's more that you are not supposed to be looking down, so the external screen top border must be at the same height as your eyes.
- thinkloop 6y ago
  What regulations advise screen reflectivity?
  - helldritch 6y ago
    Not the OP, but one example (UK specific but guided by European law) is The health and safety (display screen equipment) regulations 1992, as amended by the health and safety (miscellaneous amendments) regulations 2002 [1] Under the heading Requirements for Work Stations (Reg 3. and schedule): 24 Regulation 3 requires workstations to meet the requirements of the Schedule, (subject to the proviso outlined below), which sets out minimum requirements for the display screen, keyboard, desk, chair, work environment (including working space, lighting, reflection and glare, noise, heat and humidity), task requirements and software. Requirements are set out in fairly general terms, eg "The seat shall be adjustable in height". The Schedule does not contain technical detail. Paragraph 32 states that anti-glare filters must be provided by workplaces which use DSE (display screen equipment) which are capable of projecting glare. [1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/200-299/oc202_1.htm https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/200-299/oc202_1.h...
  - corty 6y ago
    helldritch already answered for the UK. In Germany there is the Arbeitsstättenverordnung, the appendix requires non-reflective desktop and laptop screens (6.3 (2) 3 and 6.4 (2) 1): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbst_ttv_2004/anhang.html https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbst_ttv_2004/anhang.htm... There is also a similar European Union directive, however, that does not apply to laptops if they are used only infrequently (annex 1b): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:01990L0270-20070627 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:01... So while the rest of the world might differ, in the EU non-glare screens are usually required if you intend to sell to business customers.
- wegs 6y ago
  That's the make-or-break for me. Without 4k, I'll move along. With 4k, it'd probably be my next laptop. With 4k and touch or pen, it'd definitely be my next laptop.
crypt1d 6y ago
I really appreciate how descriptive they are in the specs. ` Battery life: (with our optimizations) about 25 hours at min. display-brightness, without Wifi & Bluetooth, without keyboard backlit, in idle mode about 13 hours at medium brightness with Wifi, at office work We're testing battery time always in idle mode, at minimal display brightness, with keyboard backlight deactivated, WIFI & Bluetooth disabled and without any further connected devices (USB, LAN, HDMI, VGA etc. unplugged!). This way you get an information of maximal possible battery life. Starting from this you can manage your individual battery life depending on your demands and to influence it e.g. is keyboard backlight unnecessary during daylight. Bluetooth is also only needed to be turned on, if there's a Bluetooth device connected. Full display brightness as well is hardly always necessary. ` or their disclaimer about the display panel: ` Modern displays with IPS panels have bright areas along the frame as a normal characteristic. This has hardly any influence on everyday operation, not least because the displays are optimized for daylight operation. It can only be minimized, but not completely avoided, regardless of the manufacturer and for manufacturing reasons. `
btwotch 6y ago
no trackpoint available :-(
- iagovar 6y ago
  Feel you mate
jotm 6y ago
I hate myself for saying this, but guys, just get someone to fix up the English around the website. It can't be that difficult. Looks like a great product, aimed at a specific niche, I think details matter
- josteink 6y ago
  > Looks like a great product, aimed at a specific niche, I think details matter Maybe you should fix up your own English first. ;) There’s at least a misplaced comma there and two missing dots.
  - jotm 6y ago
    Because of the weird phrasing of some sentences, my first thought was "hmm, something interesting from China?". Then I saw the price is in Euros, then I found that it's a German company. What I mean is, it's a sales page, in English, presumably for English speakers. Appearances matter, and this one's easy to fix. Some people like feedback, although I admit my comment was poorly written. English is not my first language, either, and I like when people point out my mistakes.
- weinzierl 6y ago
  It's a small shop in a mid-sized town in southern German - just give them some slack...
  - DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
    I bought hardware from them. they don't deserve slack (sadly)
  - jotm 6y ago
    I mean, I could rewrite the whole website in a couple of hours at most... I buy from AliExpress and it always baffles me why most listings are so poorly written. I've even offered to rewrite them properly but got no replies :D Sales copy matters when someone views your website, it can increase conversion by a noticeable margin. And it's easy to fix, just get some American or British writer, maybe give them a discount on a new machine, I dunno :)
LeonM 6y ago
Just ran the configurator, the price is _really_ good IMO. With memory maxed out (32GB), a 1TB SSD and WiFi 6 it's only 1099 EUR. Too bad it's not offered with a 4K display. And personally I would have preferred a TB3 port over all the I/O that this machine has build-in. When on-the-go I'm using wireless connectivity anyway, and at my desk I like to use a TB3 dock with PD as an all-in-one docking solution. Not supporting charging trough USB-PD is also missed opportunity.
- Already__Taken 6y ago
  Weird pricing trade offs though in there. 250 to 500GB m.2 drive is +25, adding a second 250GB drive is +95 Upping the wifi to 6 is only +10? Why bother even offering that. I don't mind the display but not being USB-C Charging is really disappointing.
  - Sebb767 6y ago
    > 250 to 500GB m.2 drive is +25, adding a second 250GB drive is +95 That's because the base price includes the 250GB SSD. You can remove it for a 75 Euro price reduction. The second SSD is also a bit more expensive since there's no M.2/SATA option on the second slot. If you select the 970 EVO Plus (250GB) you'll have to add 20 Euro, which matches the price in the second slot.
    - benibela 6y ago
      Perhaps it would be cheaper to buy the SSD separately and add it yourself?
  - zamadatix 6y ago
    They've got a pile of 3168s they want to get rid of or acquired for free/near free. There is no reason to buy that card new in 2020, it wasn't even a good option for the price when it launched in 2016. +10 is a touch over the full per unit price on bulk orders of the ax200 (I just bought a couple hundred recently) so they are saying they save nothing by keeping a 3168 on hand. WiFi cards have this happen a lot since they are one of the few things that are still modular in laptops and most people wouldn't even notice (well in this case they might since the 3168 is only 1x1 and the ax200 is 2x2). That being said if you're planning on running Linux do know for the ax200 you'll want to be on/backported from 5.4+ and grab the latest microcode or it could be a bumpy ride.
Already__Taken 6y ago
Isn't only 1 stick of RAM leaving a lot of perf on the table with these APU's not having dual channels?
jacek 6y ago
This is a rebranded laptop from an ODM [1]. It is also available from Schenker [2] and was reviewed by the Notebookcheck [3]. It looks really good, but I would love a few things to be fixed/updated: better 16:10 screen, Ryzen 4000, more USB-C ports, USB-C charging and dual-channel memory. ___________ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_design_manufacturer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_design_manufacturer [2] https://www.schenker-tech.de/en/schenker-via-15-en https://www.schenker-tech.de/en/schenker-via-15-en [3] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Schenker-VIA-15-Laptop-Review-a-lightweight-AMD-notebook.460698.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Schenker-VIA-15-Laptop-Review-...
- I_am_tiberius 6y ago
  I noticed that system 76 uses the same models as Schenker and Tuxedo.
  - bcrosby95 6y ago
    Last I looked System76 gets their laptops from Clevo. Not sure if Schenker does the same.
    - scns 6y ago
      They are from clevo
      - baybal2 6y ago
        I doubt, Clevo has no 4* Ryzens yet
        simlevesque 6y ago
        All of the System76 laptops only have Intel processors. https://system76.com/laptops https://system76.com/laptops I wish System76 had ryzen 4000 and an amd GPU...
        scns 6y ago
openplatypus 6y ago
> 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Typ-C (DisplayPort: no; Power Delivery: no) So close. Why would you release laptop like this in 2020?
Sebb767 6y ago
I've bought a Tuxedo as work laptop for my parents and they couldn't be happier. The hardware looks and works great and Tuxedo Linux runs effortless and does automatic updates. I'd definitely recommend it.
- pmontra 6y ago
  How does Tuxedo Linux differ from vanilla Ubuntu?
  - Sebb767 6y ago
    It's pretty much a reskin only, with relevant software (i.e. modem) installed. It might be a different WM as well (I don't use Ubuntu Desktop so I can't compare) , but it's nothing too unusual.
clarry 6y ago
Dang. This looks like something that could replace my aging T460s (which has a garbage trackpad, and cost over 2000 eur with all its 8GB of RAM; Linux keeps OOMing and freezing all the time[1]). Ryzen 4000 series would be nice. 17" would be nice. But 3000 series Ryzen and 15.6" screen is already a decent upgrade over my Thinkpad with i7-6600U.. I'm feeling conflicted because it's obviously not a dream-come-true laptop, but the price point seems very very reasonable (and if I wait for the perfect laptop, I might have to wait forever). [1] https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/8/4/15 https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/8/4/15 Just this morning I found my laptop non-responsive and spinning the fan at full speed. I cut the power. It's probably been thrashing all night. In my case, "this little crisis" never lasts for just a few minutes, it'll last as long as I care to wait (I've waited hours and it never recovered). EDIT: Specs say there's a 9-in-1 card reader, but in photos I only see a micro SD slot.. what am I missing?
- throwaway2048 6y ago
  not that its anything more than a bandaide, but I have found earlyoom to be immensely useful in cases like that. https://github.com/rfjakob/earlyoom https://github.com/rfjakob/earlyoom
- srazzaque 6y ago
  Odd, I've had nothing but positive experiences with Linux on Thinkpads for 3 machines running (t61p, x220, now an x260). Not sure what distro you're using, but from what I hear, a lot of the Fedora devs use Thinkpads, so if you're on a thinkpad, Fedora workstation is likely to be your best bet (which is what I've been using for quite a while now). For me right now, the upcoming T14 is the thing to beat, even for a Linux laptop. Given its got a 4k screen and my anecdotally positive experience with the Linux/Thinkpad combo. So I don't know if I'll jump onto Tuxedo or System76.
  - rxhernandez 6y ago
    I have a P50 and on: - Ubuntu 18.04, I couldn't get the screen back after docking - Fedora 31, it would crash at least every other time I brought it up from sleep. Also crashed after being on Zoom for more than an hour. Just switched to Arch last night and so far so good (well after disabling hybrid graphics that is).
FunnyLookinHat 6y ago
Getting a 500... anyone have a mirror?
mikelward 6y ago
Looks great. Hope they have a Ryzen 4000 model soon. They say their US keyboard is ISO (tall Enter), not ANSI (wide Enter). Hopefully that's just a typo. Emailed them to ask. https://support.getfreewrite.com/article/44-freewrites-physical-keyboard-layouts-ansi-vs-iso https://support.getfreewrite.com/article/44-freewrites-physi...
- XelNika 6y ago
  It is probably not a typo, they are aware of the difference. Just read their support page. [0] > Unless otherwise stated, TUXEDO always uses ISO standard keyboards. Other standards, such as ANSI, are available depending on the model, but are also marked as such. Browsing from the EU, I am not seeing an ANSI option on the linked 15" or either of the 14" models. It seems they're not capitalising on the enthusiast developer segment. [0] https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/Help-Support/Frequently-asked-questions/Keyboards-Layouts_1.tuxedo https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/Help-Support/Freque...
  - mikelward 6y ago
    Darn. Yeah, they confirmed the "US" layout is ISO.
makerofthings 6y ago
I have a Tuxedo Infinitybook pro 14 v4, fully maxed out. I love it. It's dirt cheap and everything works out of the box. I was a little concerned about moving from Mac to Linux but I can sync my phone, I can print, I can connect to all my bluetooth devices, external displays work nicely, it sleeps properly, battery life is Ok...
JimmyRuska 6y ago
Ended up getting an e595 thinkpad with ryzen several months ago, flashed it with pop-os. Originally there was all kinds of problems; opening chrome would completely freeze the computer, the computer would not come out of suspend mode so I had to shut it down, battery life is probably less than 4 hours. With the latest pop-os everything is fine now. If I were to do it again I would probably get an intel cpu for any laptop just because good battery life ended up being much more important than any cpu power gain for me. I definitely would have spent a little more on getting one pre-installed with linux just knowing it would have good hardware support. Older laptops seem to always work great, but anything new always has a chance of having some hardware issues.
- mikelward 6y ago
  Ryzen 4000 laptops promise to improve battery life to match Intel. https://www.anandtech.com/show/15624/amd-details-renoir-the-ryzen-mobile-4000-series-7nm-apu-uncovered/3 https://www.anandtech.com/show/15624/amd-details-renoir-the-...
  - ben-schaaf 6y ago
    If you normalize for performance the ryzen 4000 laptops should have considerably better battery life than comparable intel models, at least while under load if not idle.
    - analognoise 6y ago
      ... Who would do that? Most people want to know how long it lasts on a charge. If it lasted 30 minutes but was the cheapest, literally nobody would say "If you normalize for cost, it lasts the longest".
      - ben-schaaf 6y ago
        How long it lasts on a charge obviously depends on what you're doing with it. Normalizing for performance gives you the efficiency of the system for getting work done. Compiling/testing software is part of my job, so whether a laptop can complete 200 compiles on battery power or 500 is something I care about. If you only care about how long a laptop can idle for under battery you might as well take a screenshot, print it out and you've got yourself a couple thousand years of 'battery life'.
tontonius 6y ago
2020 might be The Year of the linux desktop
- analognoise 6y ago
  The year of the Linux Desktop will be when Microsoft offers transparent support for it with WSL.
illuminated 6y ago
Id need a sim card slot implemented in order to consider thinking about buying this laptop. I'm a Thinkpad user and my last and my current laptop are equipped with one and it's such a convenience to have connectivity on demand without sacrificing the phone's battery. In order to actually buy this laptop, I'd really need it to have the trackpoint. Implemented not like HP does it sometimes, or Dell, but like Lenovo does it. The response and overall feel of the trackpad is the best among the options I have tried so far. Other present specs are more than fine.
throwaway743 6y ago
For $100 more you could get a laptop with a solid gpu and dual boot it.
AmosLightnin 6y ago
I purchased a Tuxedo laptop last summmer in order to support Linux only hardware vendors, but sadly it's been one of the worst computers - with the worst customer service - I've ever used. Sending it back for repairs doesn't help - they ignore the issues and fail to resolve them. At one point I didn't get a response for weeks. I'm not sure how their trustpilot score recently improved from fair / bad to great, but I'm suspicious that they could make such a turnaround so quickly. Read the bad reviews and they're quite consistent. https://au.trustpilot.com/review/tuxedocomputers.com https://au.trustpilot.com/review/tuxedocomputers.com
- neltnerb 6y ago
  Thanks, I really appreciate the review. It looked good but a little pricey to me, I noticed Acer and others have ryzen 3 and 5 laptops now so I think there are a lot of options. I'm skeptical that the market for users who want Linux preinstalled is significant... is it easy enough now to use that installing it is hard in comparison? I feel like if you can use it you can probably install it fine if pointed at a distro. Maybe a link to Rufus to write the USB boot disk.
  - mcpeepants 6y ago
    I agree that there is probably a limited market for preinstalled Linux. Perhaps it's an option for folks who want/need Linux and don't want to deal with any of the complications that often exist for desktop use. I figure part of the allure is also that the machine is then inherently optimally compatible with Linux to begin with. I'm not sure how much that matters in practice these days though since there seems to be very few commonly used components that have poor support.
    - neltnerb 6y ago
      True, I suppose some mismatched or buggy hardware is a bigger issue in laptops. Like it's a pretty big problem if the wifi driver on my laptop is buggy in Linux, though nowadays that likely means it's buggy in Windows anyway. The last laptop I purchased would literally BSOD only when connected to certain manufacturer (Cisco) access points under unclear conditions. It was a known bug. HP never bothered to release an installable patch and the one provided by Intel made the computer unbootable. But I suppose there's likely still a market for people buying enough computers at a time that the risk of a hardware issue is not worth the premium.
forty 6y ago
How are you supposed to plug 2 screens? Graphic card description says it should be possible, but there is only one HDMI port for video output
- gvjddbnvdrbv 6y ago
  USB-C?
  - LeoPanthera 6y ago
    The USB-C ports do not support DisplayPort.
- neogodless 6y ago
  Yeah that's a good question. The integrated video card supporting it isn't going to matter without ports. The USB Type-C port specifies that it does not support DisplayPort.
blacksmith_tb 6y ago
Hmm, seems a bit steep, price-wise. I am writing this on a cheap ($500ish USD) Asus VivoBook w/ a Ryzen 7 3700U and Vega 10 gfx, it runs Ubuntu 20.04 without any problems. The display is a bit dim, and it really ought to do usb-c pd, but it was a bargain, so I can't complain too much.
baybal2 6y ago
I very much suspect this is a relabeled Qinghua Tongfang machine. Almost all OEM laptops with 4* Ryzens are made by them.
nlstitch 6y ago
I bought a tuxedo laptop for my work but the experience has been very bad. I WOULD NOT recommend them. They overturned the screws of the cooling fans with the cooling upgrade I ordered, and ordering spareparts is a hassle (Takes very long, sending constant reminders and getting sarcastic responses). Tried to be smart guy and support FOSS suppliers in the process, but now I get laughed at at work for having the most ghetto laptop in the office.
__roland__ 6y ago
Just as an anecdotal counterpoint to all the negative reviews here: I have a 2015 Tuxedo notebook that is still going strong, and never had any issue with it. There is quite a bit of fan noise, which I don't hear as I'm typically using a noise-cancelling headset anyway. The keyboard is rather flimsy and the build quality is definitely not on par with Dell XPS or a T-series Lenovo, at least for this model: in my use case (using external keyboard and monitor 99% of the time) this is not an issue, so I'm (still) quite happy with it. As others have already said, the pricing is hard to beat and its Ubuntu setups are well configured. I also had very positive interactions with their support staff; very friendly and knowledgeable. I have yet to see a piece of Tuxedo hardware fail, and know several people who are using their hardware (both laptops and workstations, which are even nicer and have a much better build quality IMO).
pmontra 6y ago
Compared to my HP ZBook from 2014: Pro: - No number pad, I really love this. I could finally align the center the laptop with my body. - Smaller footprint, same screen size. Nice to have. - Half the weight. Good. - Much better battery. Nice to have. - Lower price for the same configuration (32 GB / 2 TB.) Good. Cons: - No physical touchpad buttons. I really hate this. - Generally awful reviews of the company in the other comments here. Probably a deal breaker. I didn't investigate the self serviceability of the hardware and the availability of spare parts. The ZBook is great about that. I'm also used to next business day on site repairs from HP for the first 3 years. The last time the package cost about 100 Euro. That's important. I've got an old spare computer but I can't do everything there.
- lucb1e 6y ago
  > Generally awful reviews of the company in the other comments here. Probably a deal breaker. There are also good reviews in the thread. I'm sure we can find similar reviews about any other random laptop brand, except that there you pay the Microsoft tax and they aren't merely showing little love for techies' issues but instead never even heard of the word Linux and require that you reproduce issues on "a normal system like Windows" before they accept it could be their hardware that's faulty. I don't have experience with Tuxedo Computers, but this is Germany. The EU warranty and 'remote purchase' laws ("koop op afstand", not sure how to translate) are quite excellent (even if the Dutch are better). It might be a headache to get issues fixed depending on how stubborn they are, but rotten apple stories about support is not something I'd generally reject European hardware for. (I once had a drone from a company that was beyond stubborn, and while I wouldn't wish that experience upon anyone, I learned a lesson or two and now feel a lot more confident in dealing with companies unresponsive to warranty claims: they really don't have many options when you send them registered snailmail stating your claim and subsequent steps if they don't fulfill or refute the claim. If someone had told me to start doing that earlier instead of trusting promises to fix it or call me back or whatever, I'd have saved a lot of time, but I eventually realized how the game was to be played.)
  - gurkendoktor 6y ago
    > The EU warranty and 'remote purchase' laws [...] are quite excellent There is a large difference between buying as a consumer and business/freelancer, though. If the laptop is outright terrible, but not technically _broken_, then there's not much you can do but eat the cost. Even selling it on eBay becomes complicated because now you have to follow EU law if a consumer buys it. Written on a MacBook that I wish I could have returned...
barbecue_sauce 6y ago
Can anyone describe how a magnesium chassis compares to an aluminum chassis?
- mcguire 6y ago
  (Since no one else has answered...) It's more fun to set on fire? (https://chem.rutgers.edu/cldf-demos/1016-cldf-demo-burning-magnesium https://chem.rutgers.edu/cldf-demos/1016-cldf-demo-burning-m...)
lucb1e 6y ago
Wow, from the EU (no hassle with expensive shipping, either initially or for warranty) and 830 euros for a laptop that would usually cost me ~1000 because manufacturers usually force Microsoft tax, a GPU, and a new SSD on you (I don't want a dedicated GPU but they always have one when the CPU is reasonable; and I don't want an SSD because I already have my own). This is pretty neat indeed! The only nitpicks are: - a keyboard with a short left shift which doesn't work as well for my hands (I worked with it every day for 6 months while writing PHP, i.e. constant stretching to get to the $ symbol, but couldn't get used to it) and no numpad despite being a 15" laptop, and - the battery can't be taken out. My current laptop (2 years old) has the same issue and it already lost 25% capacity because I use it as a desktop much of the time and it's charged at 100% capacity all day long. With my 2012 laptop I'd just pop out the battery at ~40-70% charge: it takes 4 seconds (I didn't need to look or turn it over) and after 5 years of use the battery reported having lost 3% capacity. I don't trust that number, that's too good to be true with 2012 battery tech, but the runtime from 100%-0% was still about half of what it was originally (and I used the battery daily, either for standby mode between classes or on the train where I would, of course, have a deeper discharge cycle than when near a power source). But compare that to all the plus points that I see that many other reasonably-priced (<1200 euro) laptops don't always have: + No new SSD, a GPU, or Microsoft tax forced on you (as mentioned) + WiFi 6 + reasonably-priced 16 or 32GB RAM option + RJ45 connector without needing an adapter + No Intel + Big battery + The up/down arrow keys are not shoved into a single (split) key! I don't know who ever thought that was a good idea + Pgup/dn/home/end are nicely reachable. Though I noticed it's actually not a big deal to have them under Fn+arrow keys, I remember how much I got used to my Asus EEE 1215n having this layout. While using that laptop, I'd miss the layout even on a desktop keyboard where the keys are further away. ~ Screen brightness is specified (most of the time, you just have to hope that the screen is readable in sunlight, though I used to work outside more when I had a public transport route with switches so it's not very relevant for me now) ~ USB-C capabilities mentioned, even if both displayport and power delivery modes are a "no" it's good to know ~ earphones and microphone jack in one. Nice sometimes; super annoying when you want a separate mic or some other device that uses the mic jack. I should just find a splitter for that I guess, no getting around that anymore. All in all, this is a steal and I'm considering getting one just to be rid of my crappy Lenovo Ideapad (maybe I'll donate it to one of these organisations that provide kids with laptops for corona-related homeschooling), but I don't technically need it...
eecc 6y ago
Single channel RAM? What’s this nonsense
ksec 6y ago
Not sure if any representative from Tuxedo are reading. There are spelling mistakes; Another highlight of the TUXEDO Book BA15 is its elegant and durable chassis, which is partly made of magnesium allow (AZ91D) (display cover as well as baseunit), while aluminum is used on the bottom panel. Magnesium "Alloy", and "base unit". And in other places, "videostreaming", On another note, if AMD have sufficient capacity right at launch for AMD Ryzen 5 3500U to be used by so many ODM models suggests it might not be doing so well in the Top 5 laptop brand which represent 80% of the market. And if you exclude Apple, it is close to 90%.
- lhl 6y ago
  A bit confusing since the APUs are offset by a generation, by the 3500U is a 12nm GF Zen+ part that is over a year old at this point (the first models launched last spring). The new (significantly better) 7nm Zen2 APUs are the 4000 series, which have been trickling out in models since April.
  - ksec 6y ago
    Oh my bad. Yes I look at 3000 Series and immediately thought it was the 7nm Zen 2. Still wished AMD had not used this marketing naming.
analognoise 6y ago
I stopped buying Linux only computers after buying a System76. I'll never make that mistake again.
rixed 6y ago
A bit surprised by the amount of negative comments about the company in here, so I feel that I have to offer a different perspective: I ordered a 14" fanless linux laptop from them about one year ago and that's one of the best laptop I ever owned. It's fast, has a great mate screen of the right proportion, decent backlit keyboard with no crazy layout (which has become rare recently), better than average trackpad (although nothing like that of a Mac), good battery. Of course being fanless it is also 100% silent. And it runs Linux flawlessly (I've run debian and nixos on it). Only downsides I can think of are the specific charger cord (as opposed to USB) and its large-ish besel which makes it a bit too large for comfortable use in planes or trains. I also interacted with support at the time because I had not heard from UPS and I remember them as quite quick to answer and friendly. Overall, I'm afraid this thread might leave readers with an unfair impression on the company. Maybe not all of their laptop have the same quality? Mine is actually a Clevo, branded as "infinitybook 14".
Pmop 6y ago
I just wish laptop designers would stop copying Macbook form factor.
- Awelton 6y ago
  I'm with you. I don't want a knockoff macbook, I want a modernized T420 thinkpad with a huge battery and a good keyboard.
rolph 6y ago
>ATTENTION: To use our store you have to activate JavaScript and deactivate script blockers! Thank you for your understanding! < too bad i thought it would be a good place but not from this angle
AlphaGeekZulu 6y ago
I have to take up the cudgels on behalf of Tuxedo. Tuxedo is a small company, not far from Munich, Germany. They have specialized on assembling customized laptops that are guaranteed to work nicely with Linux. They are owned by Schenker. You can think of them as the Linux department of Schenker. I bought a Tuxedo XUX707 almost 4 years ago, which they built to my ridicolous specs: a desktop (!sic) i7-7700, GTX 1060, 32 GB RAM, 2x 2TB SSHD, 17" 4K monitor, 1x HDMI, 2x DP. I need a computer that has the performance of a desktop PC, but that I can take along once in a while if I have to. The cooling of the Tuxedo is superb, the screen is fantastic, sound is good, keyboard is ok, touchpad not so much. This "laptop" is bulky and heavy and makes only 3 hours on the battery and of course it is like this, because the cooling needs space - the CPU alone consumes up to 65 Watts. Who else would build you such an unreasonable device, Linux-ready, with a 4 year warranty (extra option)? I love this beast more than any computer I had before and the price is unbelievably cheap compared to a Dell or Lenovo or a MacBook with similar specs. I run a second 4K monitor connected to one of the 3 video outlets and have currently 16 USB devices connected. I later added a M.2-SSD-drive (there is space for one more). After two years I dropped the computer and the body cracked - not bad, the computer continued to run nicely. After three years the GPU developed issues - random black screen on boot, which disappeared after a couple of restarts. It took me some while to diagnose the problem and make sure that the NVIDIA card was the culprit. I contacted Tuxedo support. They answered within 24 hours, had me run a system report script (which I could inspect before), and sent me the stickers for free mailing of the device to their headquarter. I asked, if I could send the device without HDs and SSDs and they were happy with this and told me, that they make the tests with prepared SSDs of their own. The device was checked, they confirmed a damaged GPU and decided to replace it as guarantee item without costs. I asked them, if they would replace the cracked body parts in the process and that I would pay for this. They agreed. All communications was per email and with fast response times. Just a summary: they agreed to process my device with no storage devices, made no trouble because of the cracked body and quickly deciced to replace a GPU that had random issues. Try this with Apple! It got even better: when the device came back, I put in my storage devices and everything was working perfectly. The body was completely replaced (two parts) for 60,- Euro. No assembly costs. They noticed a Kensington adapter in the housing that I had forgotten about, removed it from the broken part and returned it in a separate bag. I had no idea that the M.2-slot could be connected to a dedicated heat pipe so I never installed a heatpad for it. They found, though - although I had removed all storage devices - from my system report, that I used to have a M.2 device built in (which was not part of the original computer) and put the missing heatpad in place. Finally, obviously because of all the nerdy stickers on my cover, they included a bag with more nerdy stickers and some Linux magazines. The service procedure was not fast: they check the problem at Tuxedos Headquarter in Augsburg, then send it to Schenker in Leipzig for the replacement and assembly, send it back to Augsburg for final quality control before they deliver the device back to the customer. For me this is not a big problem: if the computer is away for more than 24 hours, I have to switch to a backup computer anyway (in this case a Lenovo W520). Tuxedo does not have the size and logistics for super fast service. But the quality of the service, in my experience, was stunning.
Mikeb85 6y ago
Some bad reviews here, so I'd encourage people to look into some of the AMD APU laptops from Acer and others. I have an Acer Swift 3 with 2700u APU and it runs Linux (Ubuntu) flawlessly apart from the fingerprint reader. Suspend, function keys, everything works well, performance is absolutely unreal for the pricepoint (paid 900 something CAD when it came out).
t0ddbonzalez 6y ago
Hard to justify spending €860 on a no-name brand when I can buy a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with the same spec for €550. Ok, it comes with Windows 10 and it doesn't have a backlit keyboard but neither of those things are deal breakers if I'm saving €300.

318 points by jrepinc 6y ago

aae42 6y ago

now with 16:10 and ryzen 4000 series

ThreeFx 6y ago

Comes with an Intel wifi card if I'm not mistaken. Maybe update the title?

4cao 6y ago
It's optional.

corty 6y ago

Nice, except for the screen. FullHD is the new "barely adequate". But at least it is non-glare, not "bathroom-mirror" finish. The latter would be unacceptable due to workplace regulations here.

mamon 6y ago
In my country workplace regulations forbid working on laptop screen anyway - if a worker is supposed to work on computer for more than, iirc, 4 hours a day, then external screen is mandatory. And it's not really about a screen size, it's more that you are not supposed to be looking down, so the external screen top border must be at the same height as your eyes.
thinkloop 6y ago
What regulations advise screen reflectivity?
- helldritch 6y ago
  Not the OP, but one example (UK specific but guided by European law) is The health and safety (display screen equipment) regulations 1992, as amended by the health and safety (miscellaneous amendments) regulations 2002 [1] Under the heading Requirements for Work Stations (Reg 3. and schedule): 24 Regulation 3 requires workstations to meet the requirements of the Schedule, (subject to the proviso outlined below), which sets out minimum requirements for the display screen, keyboard, desk, chair, work environment (including working space, lighting, reflection and glare, noise, heat and humidity), task requirements and software. Requirements are set out in fairly general terms, eg "The seat shall be adjustable in height". The Schedule does not contain technical detail. Paragraph 32 states that anti-glare filters must be provided by workplaces which use DSE (display screen equipment) which are capable of projecting glare. [1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/200-299/oc202_1.htm https://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/ocs/200-299/oc202_1.h...
- corty 6y ago
  helldritch already answered for the UK. In Germany there is the Arbeitsstättenverordnung, the appendix requires non-reflective desktop and laptop screens (6.3 (2) 3 and 6.4 (2) 1): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbst_ttv_2004/anhang.html https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/arbst_ttv_2004/anhang.htm... There is also a similar European Union directive, however, that does not apply to laptops if they are used only infrequently (annex 1b): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:01990L0270-20070627 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:01... So while the rest of the world might differ, in the EU non-glare screens are usually required if you intend to sell to business customers.
wegs 6y ago
That's the make-or-break for me. Without 4k, I'll move along. With 4k, it'd probably be my next laptop. With 4k and touch or pen, it'd definitely be my next laptop.

crypt1d 6y ago

I really appreciate how descriptive they are in the specs. ` Battery life: (with our optimizations) about 25 hours at min. display-brightness, without Wifi & Bluetooth, without keyboard backlit, in idle mode about 13 hours at medium brightness with Wifi, at office work We're testing battery time always in idle mode, at minimal display brightness, with keyboard backlight deactivated, WIFI & Bluetooth disabled and without any further connected devices (USB, LAN, HDMI, VGA etc. unplugged!). This way you get an information of maximal possible battery life. Starting from this you can manage your individual battery life depending on your demands and to influence it e.g. is keyboard backlight unnecessary during daylight. Bluetooth is also only needed to be turned on, if there's a Bluetooth device connected. Full display brightness as well is hardly always necessary. ` or their disclaimer about the display panel: ` Modern displays with IPS panels have bright areas along the frame as a normal characteristic. This has hardly any influence on everyday operation, not least because the displays are optimized for daylight operation. It can only be minimized, but not completely avoided, regardless of the manufacturer and for manufacturing reasons. `

btwotch 6y ago

no trackpoint available :-(

iagovar 6y ago
Feel you mate

jotm 6y ago

I hate myself for saying this, but guys, just get someone to fix up the English around the website. It can't be that difficult. Looks like a great product, aimed at a specific niche, I think details matter

josteink 6y ago
> Looks like a great product, aimed at a specific niche, I think details matter Maybe you should fix up your own English first. ;) There’s at least a misplaced comma there and two missing dots.
- jotm 6y ago
  Because of the weird phrasing of some sentences, my first thought was "hmm, something interesting from China?". Then I saw the price is in Euros, then I found that it's a German company. What I mean is, it's a sales page, in English, presumably for English speakers. Appearances matter, and this one's easy to fix. Some people like feedback, although I admit my comment was poorly written. English is not my first language, either, and I like when people point out my mistakes.
weinzierl 6y ago
It's a small shop in a mid-sized town in southern German - just give them some slack...
- DyslexicAtheist 6y ago
  I bought hardware from them. they don't deserve slack (sadly)
- jotm 6y ago
  I mean, I could rewrite the whole website in a couple of hours at most... I buy from AliExpress and it always baffles me why most listings are so poorly written. I've even offered to rewrite them properly but got no replies :D Sales copy matters when someone views your website, it can increase conversion by a noticeable margin. And it's easy to fix, just get some American or British writer, maybe give them a discount on a new machine, I dunno :)

LeonM 6y ago

Just ran the configurator, the price is _really_ good IMO. With memory maxed out (32GB), a 1TB SSD and WiFi 6 it's only 1099 EUR. Too bad it's not offered with a 4K display. And personally I would have preferred a TB3 port over all the I/O that this machine has build-in. When on-the-go I'm using wireless connectivity anyway, and at my desk I like to use a TB3 dock with PD as an all-in-one docking solution. Not supporting charging trough USB-PD is also missed opportunity.

Already__Taken 6y ago
Weird pricing trade offs though in there. 250 to 500GB m.2 drive is +25, adding a second 250GB drive is +95 Upping the wifi to 6 is only +10? Why bother even offering that. I don't mind the display but not being USB-C Charging is really disappointing.
- Sebb767 6y ago
  > 250 to 500GB m.2 drive is +25, adding a second 250GB drive is +95 That's because the base price includes the 250GB SSD. You can remove it for a 75 Euro price reduction. The second SSD is also a bit more expensive since there's no M.2/SATA option on the second slot. If you select the 970 EVO Plus (250GB) you'll have to add 20 Euro, which matches the price in the second slot.
  - benibela 6y ago
    Perhaps it would be cheaper to buy the SSD separately and add it yourself?
- zamadatix 6y ago
  They've got a pile of 3168s they want to get rid of or acquired for free/near free. There is no reason to buy that card new in 2020, it wasn't even a good option for the price when it launched in 2016. +10 is a touch over the full per unit price on bulk orders of the ax200 (I just bought a couple hundred recently) so they are saying they save nothing by keeping a 3168 on hand. WiFi cards have this happen a lot since they are one of the few things that are still modular in laptops and most people wouldn't even notice (well in this case they might since the 3168 is only 1x1 and the ax200 is 2x2). That being said if you're planning on running Linux do know for the ax200 you'll want to be on/backported from 5.4+ and grab the latest microcode or it could be a bumpy ride.

Already__Taken 6y ago

Isn't only 1 stick of RAM leaving a lot of perf on the table with these APU's not having dual channels?

jacek 6y ago

This is a rebranded laptop from an ODM [1]. It is also available from Schenker [2] and was reviewed by the Notebookcheck [3]. It looks really good, but I would love a few things to be fixed/updated: better 16:10 screen, Ryzen 4000, more USB-C ports, USB-C charging and dual-channel memory. ___________ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_design_manufacturer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_design_manufacturer [2] https://www.schenker-tech.de/en/schenker-via-15-en https://www.schenker-tech.de/en/schenker-via-15-en [3] https://www.notebookcheck.net/Schenker-VIA-15-Laptop-Review-a-lightweight-AMD-notebook.460698.0.html https://www.notebookcheck.net/Schenker-VIA-15-Laptop-Review-...

I_am_tiberius 6y ago
I noticed that system 76 uses the same models as Schenker and Tuxedo.
- bcrosby95 6y ago
  Last I looked System76 gets their laptops from Clevo. Not sure if Schenker does the same.
  - scns 6y ago
    They are from clevo
    - baybal2 6y ago
      I doubt, Clevo has no 4* Ryzens yet
      - simlevesque 6y ago
        All of the System76 laptops only have Intel processors. https://system76.com/laptops https://system76.com/laptops I wish System76 had ryzen 4000 and an amd GPU...
      - scns 6y ago

openplatypus 6y ago

> 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Typ-C (DisplayPort: no; Power Delivery: no) So close. Why would you release laptop like this in 2020?

Sebb767 6y ago

I've bought a Tuxedo as work laptop for my parents and they couldn't be happier. The hardware looks and works great and Tuxedo Linux runs effortless and does automatic updates. I'd definitely recommend it.

pmontra 6y ago
How does Tuxedo Linux differ from vanilla Ubuntu?
- Sebb767 6y ago
  It's pretty much a reskin only, with relevant software (i.e. modem) installed. It might be a different WM as well (I don't use Ubuntu Desktop so I can't compare) , but it's nothing too unusual.

clarry 6y ago

Dang. This looks like something that could replace my aging T460s (which has a garbage trackpad, and cost over 2000 eur with all its 8GB of RAM; Linux keeps OOMing and freezing all the time[1]). Ryzen 4000 series would be nice. 17" would be nice. But 3000 series Ryzen and 15.6" screen is already a decent upgrade over my Thinkpad with i7-6600U.. I'm feeling conflicted because it's obviously not a dream-come-true laptop, but the price point seems very very reasonable (and if I wait for the perfect laptop, I might have to wait forever). [1] https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/8/4/15 https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/8/4/15 Just this morning I found my laptop non-responsive and spinning the fan at full speed. I cut the power. It's probably been thrashing all night. In my case, "this little crisis" never lasts for just a few minutes, it'll last as long as I care to wait (I've waited hours and it never recovered). EDIT: Specs say there's a 9-in-1 card reader, but in photos I only see a micro SD slot.. what am I missing?

throwaway2048 6y ago
not that its anything more than a bandaide, but I have found earlyoom to be immensely useful in cases like that. https://github.com/rfjakob/earlyoom https://github.com/rfjakob/earlyoom
srazzaque 6y ago
Odd, I've had nothing but positive experiences with Linux on Thinkpads for 3 machines running (t61p, x220, now an x260). Not sure what distro you're using, but from what I hear, a lot of the Fedora devs use Thinkpads, so if you're on a thinkpad, Fedora workstation is likely to be your best bet (which is what I've been using for quite a while now). For me right now, the upcoming T14 is the thing to beat, even for a Linux laptop. Given its got a 4k screen and my anecdotally positive experience with the Linux/Thinkpad combo. So I don't know if I'll jump onto Tuxedo or System76.
- rxhernandez 6y ago
  I have a P50 and on: - Ubuntu 18.04, I couldn't get the screen back after docking - Fedora 31, it would crash at least every other time I brought it up from sleep. Also crashed after being on Zoom for more than an hour. Just switched to Arch last night and so far so good (well after disabling hybrid graphics that is).

FunnyLookinHat 6y ago

Getting a 500... anyone have a mirror?

mikelward 6y ago

Looks great. Hope they have a Ryzen 4000 model soon. They say their US keyboard is ISO (tall Enter), not ANSI (wide Enter). Hopefully that's just a typo. Emailed them to ask. https://support.getfreewrite.com/article/44-freewrites-physical-keyboard-layouts-ansi-vs-iso https://support.getfreewrite.com/article/44-freewrites-physi...

XelNika 6y ago
It is probably not a typo, they are aware of the difference. Just read their support page. [0] > Unless otherwise stated, TUXEDO always uses ISO standard keyboards. Other standards, such as ANSI, are available depending on the model, but are also marked as such. Browsing from the EU, I am not seeing an ANSI option on the linked 15" or either of the 14" models. It seems they're not capitalising on the enthusiast developer segment. [0] https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/Help-Support/Frequently-asked-questions/Keyboards-Layouts_1.tuxedo https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Infos/Help-Support/Freque...
- mikelward 6y ago
  Darn. Yeah, they confirmed the "US" layout is ISO.

makerofthings 6y ago

I have a Tuxedo Infinitybook pro 14 v4, fully maxed out. I love it. It's dirt cheap and everything works out of the box. I was a little concerned about moving from Mac to Linux but I can sync my phone, I can print, I can connect to all my bluetooth devices, external displays work nicely, it sleeps properly, battery life is Ok...

JimmyRuska 6y ago

Ended up getting an e595 thinkpad with ryzen several months ago, flashed it with pop-os. Originally there was all kinds of problems; opening chrome would completely freeze the computer, the computer would not come out of suspend mode so I had to shut it down, battery life is probably less than 4 hours. With the latest pop-os everything is fine now. If I were to do it again I would probably get an intel cpu for any laptop just because good battery life ended up being much more important than any cpu power gain for me. I definitely would have spent a little more on getting one pre-installed with linux just knowing it would have good hardware support. Older laptops seem to always work great, but anything new always has a chance of having some hardware issues.

mikelward 6y ago
Ryzen 4000 laptops promise to improve battery life to match Intel. https://www.anandtech.com/show/15624/amd-details-renoir-the-ryzen-mobile-4000-series-7nm-apu-uncovered/3 https://www.anandtech.com/show/15624/amd-details-renoir-the-...
- ben-schaaf 6y ago
  If you normalize for performance the ryzen 4000 laptops should have considerably better battery life than comparable intel models, at least while under load if not idle.
  - analognoise 6y ago
    ... Who would do that? Most people want to know how long it lasts on a charge. If it lasted 30 minutes but was the cheapest, literally nobody would say "If you normalize for cost, it lasts the longest".
    - ben-schaaf 6y ago
      How long it lasts on a charge obviously depends on what you're doing with it. Normalizing for performance gives you the efficiency of the system for getting work done. Compiling/testing software is part of my job, so whether a laptop can complete 200 compiles on battery power or 500 is something I care about. If you only care about how long a laptop can idle for under battery you might as well take a screenshot, print it out and you've got yourself a couple thousand years of 'battery life'.

tontonius 6y ago

2020 might be The Year of the linux desktop

analognoise 6y ago
The year of the Linux Desktop will be when Microsoft offers transparent support for it with WSL.

illuminated 6y ago

Id need a sim card slot implemented in order to consider thinking about buying this laptop. I'm a Thinkpad user and my last and my current laptop are equipped with one and it's such a convenience to have connectivity on demand without sacrificing the phone's battery. In order to actually buy this laptop, I'd really need it to have the trackpoint. Implemented not like HP does it sometimes, or Dell, but like Lenovo does it. The response and overall feel of the trackpad is the best among the options I have tried so far. Other present specs are more than fine.

throwaway743 6y ago

For $100 more you could get a laptop with a solid gpu and dual boot it.

AmosLightnin 6y ago

I purchased a Tuxedo laptop last summmer in order to support Linux only hardware vendors, but sadly it's been one of the worst computers - with the worst customer service - I've ever used. Sending it back for repairs doesn't help - they ignore the issues and fail to resolve them. At one point I didn't get a response for weeks. I'm not sure how their trustpilot score recently improved from fair / bad to great, but I'm suspicious that they could make such a turnaround so quickly. Read the bad reviews and they're quite consistent. https://au.trustpilot.com/review/tuxedocomputers.com https://au.trustpilot.com/review/tuxedocomputers.com

neltnerb 6y ago
Thanks, I really appreciate the review. It looked good but a little pricey to me, I noticed Acer and others have ryzen 3 and 5 laptops now so I think there are a lot of options. I'm skeptical that the market for users who want Linux preinstalled is significant... is it easy enough now to use that installing it is hard in comparison? I feel like if you can use it you can probably install it fine if pointed at a distro. Maybe a link to Rufus to write the USB boot disk.
- mcpeepants 6y ago
  I agree that there is probably a limited market for preinstalled Linux. Perhaps it's an option for folks who want/need Linux and don't want to deal with any of the complications that often exist for desktop use. I figure part of the allure is also that the machine is then inherently optimally compatible with Linux to begin with. I'm not sure how much that matters in practice these days though since there seems to be very few commonly used components that have poor support.
  - neltnerb 6y ago
    True, I suppose some mismatched or buggy hardware is a bigger issue in laptops. Like it's a pretty big problem if the wifi driver on my laptop is buggy in Linux, though nowadays that likely means it's buggy in Windows anyway. The last laptop I purchased would literally BSOD only when connected to certain manufacturer (Cisco) access points under unclear conditions. It was a known bug. HP never bothered to release an installable patch and the one provided by Intel made the computer unbootable. But I suppose there's likely still a market for people buying enough computers at a time that the risk of a hardware issue is not worth the premium.

forty 6y ago

How are you supposed to plug 2 screens? Graphic card description says it should be possible, but there is only one HDMI port for video output

gvjddbnvdrbv 6y ago
USB-C?
- LeoPanthera 6y ago
  The USB-C ports do not support DisplayPort.
neogodless 6y ago
Yeah that's a good question. The integrated video card supporting it isn't going to matter without ports. The USB Type-C port specifies that it does not support DisplayPort.

blacksmith_tb 6y ago

Hmm, seems a bit steep, price-wise. I am writing this on a cheap ($500ish USD) Asus VivoBook w/ a Ryzen 7 3700U and Vega 10 gfx, it runs Ubuntu 20.04 without any problems. The display is a bit dim, and it really ought to do usb-c pd, but it was a bargain, so I can't complain too much.

baybal2 6y ago

I very much suspect this is a relabeled Qinghua Tongfang machine. Almost all OEM laptops with 4* Ryzens are made by them.

nlstitch 6y ago

I bought a tuxedo laptop for my work but the experience has been very bad. I WOULD NOT recommend them. They overturned the screws of the cooling fans with the cooling upgrade I ordered, and ordering spareparts is a hassle (Takes very long, sending constant reminders and getting sarcastic responses). Tried to be smart guy and support FOSS suppliers in the process, but now I get laughed at at work for having the most ghetto laptop in the office.

__roland__ 6y ago

Just as an anecdotal counterpoint to all the negative reviews here: I have a 2015 Tuxedo notebook that is still going strong, and never had any issue with it. There is quite a bit of fan noise, which I don't hear as I'm typically using a noise-cancelling headset anyway. The keyboard is rather flimsy and the build quality is definitely not on par with Dell XPS or a T-series Lenovo, at least for this model: in my use case (using external keyboard and monitor 99% of the time) this is not an issue, so I'm (still) quite happy with it. As others have already said, the pricing is hard to beat and its Ubuntu setups are well configured. I also had very positive interactions with their support staff; very friendly and knowledgeable. I have yet to see a piece of Tuxedo hardware fail, and know several people who are using their hardware (both laptops and workstations, which are even nicer and have a much better build quality IMO).

pmontra 6y ago

Compared to my HP ZBook from 2014: Pro: - No number pad, I really love this. I could finally align the center the laptop with my body. - Smaller footprint, same screen size. Nice to have. - Half the weight. Good. - Much better battery. Nice to have. - Lower price for the same configuration (32 GB / 2 TB.) Good. Cons: - No physical touchpad buttons. I really hate this. - Generally awful reviews of the company in the other comments here. Probably a deal breaker. I didn't investigate the self serviceability of the hardware and the availability of spare parts. The ZBook is great about that. I'm also used to next business day on site repairs from HP for the first 3 years. The last time the package cost about 100 Euro. That's important. I've got an old spare computer but I can't do everything there.

lucb1e 6y ago
> Generally awful reviews of the company in the other comments here. Probably a deal breaker. There are also good reviews in the thread. I'm sure we can find similar reviews about any other random laptop brand, except that there you pay the Microsoft tax and they aren't merely showing little love for techies' issues but instead never even heard of the word Linux and require that you reproduce issues on "a normal system like Windows" before they accept it could be their hardware that's faulty. I don't have experience with Tuxedo Computers, but this is Germany. The EU warranty and 'remote purchase' laws ("koop op afstand", not sure how to translate) are quite excellent (even if the Dutch are better). It might be a headache to get issues fixed depending on how stubborn they are, but rotten apple stories about support is not something I'd generally reject European hardware for. (I once had a drone from a company that was beyond stubborn, and while I wouldn't wish that experience upon anyone, I learned a lesson or two and now feel a lot more confident in dealing with companies unresponsive to warranty claims: they really don't have many options when you send them registered snailmail stating your claim and subsequent steps if they don't fulfill or refute the claim. If someone had told me to start doing that earlier instead of trusting promises to fix it or call me back or whatever, I'd have saved a lot of time, but I eventually realized how the game was to be played.)
- gurkendoktor 6y ago
  > The EU warranty and 'remote purchase' laws [...] are quite excellent There is a large difference between buying as a consumer and business/freelancer, though. If the laptop is outright terrible, but not technically _broken_, then there's not much you can do but eat the cost. Even selling it on eBay becomes complicated because now you have to follow EU law if a consumer buys it. Written on a MacBook that I wish I could have returned...

barbecue_sauce 6y ago

Can anyone describe how a magnesium chassis compares to an aluminum chassis?

mcguire 6y ago
(Since no one else has answered...) It's more fun to set on fire? (https://chem.rutgers.edu/cldf-demos/1016-cldf-demo-burning-magnesium https://chem.rutgers.edu/cldf-demos/1016-cldf-demo-burning-m...)

lucb1e 6y ago

Wow, from the EU (no hassle with expensive shipping, either initially or for warranty) and 830 euros for a laptop that would usually cost me ~1000 because manufacturers usually force Microsoft tax, a GPU, and a new SSD on you (I don't want a dedicated GPU but they always have one when the CPU is reasonable; and I don't want an SSD because I already have my own). This is pretty neat indeed! The only nitpicks are: - a keyboard with a short left shift which doesn't work as well for my hands (I worked with it every day for 6 months while writing PHP, i.e. constant stretching to get to the $ symbol, but couldn't get used to it) and no numpad despite being a 15" laptop, and - the battery can't be taken out. My current laptop (2 years old) has the same issue and it already lost 25% capacity because I use it as a desktop much of the time and it's charged at 100% capacity all day long. With my 2012 laptop I'd just pop out the battery at ~40-70% charge: it takes 4 seconds (I didn't need to look or turn it over) and after 5 years of use the battery reported having lost 3% capacity. I don't trust that number, that's too good to be true with 2012 battery tech, but the runtime from 100%-0% was still about half of what it was originally (and I used the battery daily, either for standby mode between classes or on the train where I would, of course, have a deeper discharge cycle than when near a power source). But compare that to all the plus points that I see that many other reasonably-priced (<1200 euro) laptops don't always have: + No new SSD, a GPU, or Microsoft tax forced on you (as mentioned) + WiFi 6 + reasonably-priced 16 or 32GB RAM option + RJ45 connector without needing an adapter + No Intel + Big battery + The up/down arrow keys are not shoved into a single (split) key! I don't know who ever thought that was a good idea + Pgup/dn/home/end are nicely reachable. Though I noticed it's actually not a big deal to have them under Fn+arrow keys, I remember how much I got used to my Asus EEE 1215n having this layout. While using that laptop, I'd miss the layout even on a desktop keyboard where the keys are further away. ~ Screen brightness is specified (most of the time, you just have to hope that the screen is readable in sunlight, though I used to work outside more when I had a public transport route with switches so it's not very relevant for me now) ~ USB-C capabilities mentioned, even if both displayport and power delivery modes are a "no" it's good to know ~ earphones and microphone jack in one. Nice sometimes; super annoying when you want a separate mic or some other device that uses the mic jack. I should just find a splitter for that I guess, no getting around that anymore. All in all, this is a steal and I'm considering getting one just to be rid of my crappy Lenovo Ideapad (maybe I'll donate it to one of these organisations that provide kids with laptops for corona-related homeschooling), but I don't technically need it...

eecc 6y ago

Single channel RAM? What’s this nonsense

ksec 6y ago

Not sure if any representative from Tuxedo are reading. There are spelling mistakes; Another highlight of the TUXEDO Book BA15 is its elegant and durable chassis, which is partly made of magnesium allow (AZ91D) (display cover as well as baseunit), while aluminum is used on the bottom panel. Magnesium "Alloy", and "base unit". And in other places, "videostreaming", On another note, if AMD have sufficient capacity right at launch for AMD Ryzen 5 3500U to be used by so many ODM models suggests it might not be doing so well in the Top 5 laptop brand which represent 80% of the market. And if you exclude Apple, it is close to 90%.

lhl 6y ago
A bit confusing since the APUs are offset by a generation, by the 3500U is a 12nm GF Zen+ part that is over a year old at this point (the first models launched last spring). The new (significantly better) 7nm Zen2 APUs are the 4000 series, which have been trickling out in models since April.
- ksec 6y ago
  Oh my bad. Yes I look at 3000 Series and immediately thought it was the 7nm Zen 2. Still wished AMD had not used this marketing naming.

analognoise 6y ago

I stopped buying Linux only computers after buying a System76. I'll never make that mistake again.

rixed 6y ago

A bit surprised by the amount of negative comments about the company in here, so I feel that I have to offer a different perspective: I ordered a 14" fanless linux laptop from them about one year ago and that's one of the best laptop I ever owned. It's fast, has a great mate screen of the right proportion, decent backlit keyboard with no crazy layout (which has become rare recently), better than average trackpad (although nothing like that of a Mac), good battery. Of course being fanless it is also 100% silent. And it runs Linux flawlessly (I've run debian and nixos on it). Only downsides I can think of are the specific charger cord (as opposed to USB) and its large-ish besel which makes it a bit too large for comfortable use in planes or trains. I also interacted with support at the time because I had not heard from UPS and I remember them as quite quick to answer and friendly. Overall, I'm afraid this thread might leave readers with an unfair impression on the company. Maybe not all of their laptop have the same quality? Mine is actually a Clevo, branded as "infinitybook 14".

Pmop 6y ago

I just wish laptop designers would stop copying Macbook form factor.

Awelton 6y ago
I'm with you. I don't want a knockoff macbook, I want a modernized T420 thinkpad with a huge battery and a good keyboard.

rolph 6y ago

>ATTENTION: To use our store you have to activate JavaScript and deactivate script blockers! Thank you for your understanding! < too bad i thought it would be a good place but not from this angle

AlphaGeekZulu 6y ago

I have to take up the cudgels on behalf of Tuxedo. Tuxedo is a small company, not far from Munich, Germany. They have specialized on assembling customized laptops that are guaranteed to work nicely with Linux. They are owned by Schenker. You can think of them as the Linux department of Schenker. I bought a Tuxedo XUX707 almost 4 years ago, which they built to my ridicolous specs: a desktop (!sic) i7-7700, GTX 1060, 32 GB RAM, 2x 2TB SSHD, 17" 4K monitor, 1x HDMI, 2x DP. I need a computer that has the performance of a desktop PC, but that I can take along once in a while if I have to. The cooling of the Tuxedo is superb, the screen is fantastic, sound is good, keyboard is ok, touchpad not so much. This "laptop" is bulky and heavy and makes only 3 hours on the battery and of course it is like this, because the cooling needs space - the CPU alone consumes up to 65 Watts. Who else would build you such an unreasonable device, Linux-ready, with a 4 year warranty (extra option)? I love this beast more than any computer I had before and the price is unbelievably cheap compared to a Dell or Lenovo or a MacBook with similar specs. I run a second 4K monitor connected to one of the 3 video outlets and have currently 16 USB devices connected. I later added a M.2-SSD-drive (there is space for one more). After two years I dropped the computer and the body cracked - not bad, the computer continued to run nicely. After three years the GPU developed issues - random black screen on boot, which disappeared after a couple of restarts. It took me some while to diagnose the problem and make sure that the NVIDIA card was the culprit. I contacted Tuxedo support. They answered within 24 hours, had me run a system report script (which I could inspect before), and sent me the stickers for free mailing of the device to their headquarter. I asked, if I could send the device without HDs and SSDs and they were happy with this and told me, that they make the tests with prepared SSDs of their own. The device was checked, they confirmed a damaged GPU and decided to replace it as guarantee item without costs. I asked them, if they would replace the cracked body parts in the process and that I would pay for this. They agreed. All communications was per email and with fast response times. Just a summary: they agreed to process my device with no storage devices, made no trouble because of the cracked body and quickly deciced to replace a GPU that had random issues. Try this with Apple! It got even better: when the device came back, I put in my storage devices and everything was working perfectly. The body was completely replaced (two parts) for 60,- Euro. No assembly costs. They noticed a Kensington adapter in the housing that I had forgotten about, removed it from the broken part and returned it in a separate bag. I had no idea that the M.2-slot could be connected to a dedicated heat pipe so I never installed a heatpad for it. They found, though - although I had removed all storage devices - from my system report, that I used to have a M.2 device built in (which was not part of the original computer) and put the missing heatpad in place. Finally, obviously because of all the nerdy stickers on my cover, they included a bag with more nerdy stickers and some Linux magazines. The service procedure was not fast: they check the problem at Tuxedos Headquarter in Augsburg, then send it to Schenker in Leipzig for the replacement and assembly, send it back to Augsburg for final quality control before they deliver the device back to the customer. For me this is not a big problem: if the computer is away for more than 24 hours, I have to switch to a backup computer anyway (in this case a Lenovo W520). Tuxedo does not have the size and logistics for super fast service. But the quality of the service, in my experience, was stunning.

Mikeb85 6y ago

Some bad reviews here, so I'd encourage people to look into some of the AMD APU laptops from Acer and others. I have an Acer Swift 3 with 2700u APU and it runs Linux (Ubuntu) flawlessly apart from the fingerprint reader. Suspend, function keys, everything works well, performance is absolutely unreal for the pricepoint (paid 900 something CAD when it came out).

t0ddbonzalez 6y ago

Hard to justify spending €860 on a no-name brand when I can buy a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 with the same spec for €550. Ok, it comes with Windows 10 and it doesn't have a backlit keyboard but neither of those things are deal breakers if I'm saving €300.