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Now that Framework is coming out with AMD models, I find myself suddenly less excited about Linux on laptops from all other vendors. Sure maybe this Thinkpad h

Now that Framework is coming out with AMD models, I find myself suddenly less excited about Linux on laptops from all other vendors. Sure maybe this Thinkpad has nice hardware, but this laptop has three major flaws all others do: 1: Too many sub-variant models: Did you get one with a Qualcomm wifi chip, or an Intel wifi chip? Linux users do not have the luxury of not caring. 2. The ODM's never design these laptops with Linux in mind. Often a simple BIOS update is enough to make or break that experience. 3: No safety in numbers, no network effect: Maybe a few hundred people buy this Thinkpad model/variant to run Linux. The numbers simply are not enough for Lenovo and friends to financially care. There will likely never be enough eyes on this machine to make it a first rate experience.

csdvrx 4y ago
> Too many sub-variant models This is a strength: many parts you can swap (or install later: put that empty WWAN port to a good use!) > a simple BIOS update is enough to make or break that experience In my experience, not with Lenovo, but personally I rarely update the BIOS. In fact, I prefer very old BIOSes, hoping for a bug that'll lead to interesting work or exploits: I don't want say the keyboard microcode holes plugged by marking the flash regions read only: that'd lock me out of exploiting them later, say to alter the keycodes! > No safety in numbers, no network effect: This is a very VERY wrong take: thinkpads are what linux hackers use the most, on both end of the spectrum: When they are brand new, you have highly technical people and companies doing fixes or original work (ex: linaro work on the MHI driver for the LTE/5G chip). That's expensive, and likely outside the reach of Framework. Then when they're old, you've got students, hobbyist etc who find new ways to teach old dogs new tricks: like motherboard swaps (X62, X210 etc) The framework is interesting, and 10 years from now, maybe it'll be the right choice. Not now, not in the next 5 years. It's at best a niche choice for people who don't want to tinker too much, and prefer something "average": you won't get bad surprises, but you won't get good ones either. I like foldable OLED, nice hardware and all that you won't find in a framework now. Maybe later, which is why I really hope they'll be successful!
- davidy123 4y ago
  > Then when they're old, you've got students, hobbyist etc who find new ways to teach old dogs new tricks: like motherboard swaps (X62, X210 etc) Yup. I'm going to break a few taboos here and post this: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/338007901_6072044896165933_3527237163519858246_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=itPZzT_WkDYAX-eBc58&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoyVrPJI9Obicx0Wy1_QDpDU7mSL6FlXj5Xgd6ayI7JA&oe=64296686 https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/338007901...
  - mablopoule 4y ago
    The window XP. The ricing, the stickers, the business / quirky users, everything is so on point. I'm saving this, thanks you.
    - bitwize 4y ago
      The programming socks...
  - csdvrx 4y ago
    Plot twist: it's the same person (Top comment from reddit a few days ago)
  - bitwize 4y ago
    Trans, furry, plural... sounds about right. It's missing a Rust crab sticker.
- zamnos 4y ago
  > Not now, not in the next 5 years. I wonder how long it'll actually take Framework. ThinkPads are built on experience going back to the first one by IBM Japan in 1992 and have certainly evolved through the years. The modularity of the Framework means that they can sell things in batches, so newer hardware becomes available as they make them. The question is how much time/money/effort they'll put into iterating the frame itself. Since they don't have to wait for a generation to elapse, the laptop frame team can just keep iterating as often as they're allowed to. A physical case issue with a gen 1 X1C Thinkpad had to wait until the gen two X1C were ready. The framework just has to wait for a factory to have available capacity and to have the funds to pay for it, decoupling the laptop's frame from the hardware inside of it.
echelon 4y ago
I own both the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Framework 13. Removing technical specs from the equation, the Framework is cool, but the Thinkpad is generations ahead in terms of its build quality, tactile feel, and overall ergonomics. And it's not by a small margin - it's immediately palpable. This is for several reasons: they're two different classes of notebooks with two different budgets; Lenovo has a lot more experience building laptops; Lenovo has access to a more sophisticated design, supply chain, and assembly process which they leverage to shape and mold the overall form better. I'm hoping Framework catches up. I really like what they're trying to accomplish. But for now, theirs is not the laptop I slide into my backpack.
- pimterry 4y ago
  > the Framework is cool, but the Thinkpad is generations ahead in terms of its build quality, tactile feel, and overall ergonomics I also own both, and I feel the opposite. The Framework feels far better physically to me, especially the keyboard & larger touchpad. The rubberized texture on Thinkpad feels cheaper than the aluminium frame imo, the feet on the bottom of my Thinkpad all broke off within 6 months and the paint has all come off round the corners remarkably quickly (it gets carried in a backpack for 20 minutes most days plus a few flights, but nothing crazy). There's rough parts on the Framework too that they're still improving (I agree the hinges are a touch flimsy, though in my 12th gen at least not problematically so) but overall it's been a notable improvement.
  - echelon 4y ago
    We all see the world differently! :) The Thinkpad X1 Carbon's "rubberized texture" is a valid comment. It's not rubber - it's an expensive carbon composite shell that makes the machine light as a feather. It's an acquired taste, but I like it and definitely appreciate how lightweight it makes the machine. It's not as sturdy as aluminum, but it's a fraction of the weight and not cold to the touch. It does feel expensive though. Like aerospace carbon fiber. The Thinkpad's paint (textured finish) does wear and smooth out over time. That's a valid point. You will see darker worn regions around the palms and keys. If you're really handling the device, there's a chance that over years of use the dye at the corners begins to lighten. I've only seen that after five years of very heavy use, and it's only the very edge corners. Less than millimeters. You can probably Google and find example photos. The Thinkpad's ever so slight departure from the standard keyboard layouts feels better to me. The keypress mechanics themselves feel more premium. Again, different stokes. I did enjoy replacing the Framework's keyboard for one of my choosing, though. The Framework touchpad is a cheap knockoff of a Mac haptic touchpad. The depressed click feels gross. I'm hoping they improve this. I really don't like it. I've never worn off the rubber feet of an X1 Carbon, but I have on other laptop models. You've given me a new fear as that's one of my biggest pet peeves. :P I guess my biggest endorsement for the X1 is that I've owned two X1 Carbons (2016 and 2022) and plan to buy a third in five or six years, whenever my current one begins to show its age. I'll probably try the new and upcoming Framework 16 at some point, but I won't get one this year and probably not for some time.
goosedragons 4y ago
For ThinkPads they care a lot more. For example my P14s Gen 2 AMD lets you set the sleep state to S3 in the BIOS. This is labeled as "Linux". My W520 lets you disable the discrete Nvidia card in the BIOS when other laptops of the same time period would not and would assume you're using Windows and it's driver to disable the card. When graphics switching laptops first launched Linux support was super flakey and having the Nvidia card on all the time was a huge power draw. Even getting the card turned off was a chore on my Asus which lacked a BIOS toggle. No they aren't perfect at Linux support but ThinkPads are generally much better than the other big vendors including Lenovo themselves.
maven29 4y ago
There are plenty of enterprises that run linux in server farms as well as workstations. You have to remember that Lenovo has plenty of experience with linux this way. They have official ISOs and their metapackages are delivered with distro installers. Lenovo, Dell et al gets their devices certified with Canonical and Red Hat. OEMs usually work really closely with them. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht511743-how-to-download-the-linux-image-from-the-e-support-page https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht511743-how-to-d... https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/technical-board/2020-January/002478.html https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/technical-board/2020-Janua... https://ubuntu.com/certified/202206-30347 https://ubuntu.com/certified/202206-30347 There is a caveat to all of this - you will only ever be able to run the LTS version for the lifecycle. With framework, you just hope that they follow intel/AMD reference design to the dot and that intel/AMD gets all the bugs out of the way.
- sp0ck 4y ago
  Last time I checked finger print reader and camera user authentication (hello equivalent) wasn't working. Has it changed ?
  - eptcyka 4y ago
    Hello auth is Windows only by design. Fingerprint readers work just fine.
    - martiuk 4y ago
      You can use howdy: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Howdy https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Howdy
  - gcr 4y ago
    Arch wiki claims the laptop mentioned in this article supports the fingerprint reader out of the box with `fprintd`. You do have to be careful about purchasing the variant with the proper webcam (e.g. don't go for the 2.8k OLED model), because only one of the two variants works. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carbon_(Gen_10) https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carbon_(...
lofaszvanitt 4y ago
My main problem with framework is that it's ugly.
- oblio 4y ago
  From what I see it's just a basic, clean, laptop.
  - lofaszvanitt 4y ago
    Yeah, but it looks ugly. That's the only thing that keeps me from getting one.
    - fsflover 4y ago
      Do you consider Purism Librem 14 looking nice?
      - bitwize 4y ago
        There's only one laptop that's universally regarded as beautiful: Apple MacBook Pro/Air. Also the most powerful and durable laptop, with the longest battery life.
        fsflover 4y ago
        > universally regarded I disagree.
        oblio 4y ago
        > Apple MacBook Pro Notchville? :-)))
        lofaszvanitt 4y ago
        Yeah it's one of the best. Sadly the M1/M2 chip is problematic for me.
      - lofaszvanitt 4y ago
ajdlinux 4y ago
> Maybe a few hundred people buy this Thinkpad model/variant to run Linux My employer alone would be responsible for several hundred X1 Gen 10s running Linux across various parts of our company, I suspect.
- knorker 4y ago
  My employer easily thousands. Maybe tens of thousands.
  - trelane 4y ago
    Now imagine if all that money went to a vendor that actually cared
    - knorker 4y ago
      It's capitalism. Nobody actually cares. I'm very happy with my personal X1 Carbon, too. I'm very much NOT happy with the Librem laptop.
      - trelane 4y ago
        I personally am glad to live in the days when Linux is an option and will be quite annoyed if it goes away again due to others' short-sightedness. > NOT happy with the Librem laptop. Then choose a different one? > It's capitalism. Nobody actually cares. Right, for Leovo anyway. So long as you continue to give them your money in exchange for lackluster Linux support, you will continue to get lackluster Linux support.
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        knorker 4y ago
        I get orders of magnitude better support from Lenovo than Librem. And that's just from the company. And the community is also much better for Lenovo, support wise. >> NOT happy with the Librem laptop. > Then choose a different one? I did. Lenovo. I don't have a problem. > I personally am glad to live in the days when Linux is an option and will be quite annoyed if it goes away again due to others' short-sightedness. Lenovo's Linux market is huge. It's not going away. People buy them because they work great with Linux.
davidy123 4y ago
I think you underestimate the Thinkpad commitment to Linux, and the effect the community has. I'd like to know officially, but since they target workstations there are probably a low but countable % of users that run Linux. They officially support it for many models, and sell a few models with it installed. Their people are passionate about it, give presentations etc. I've never experienced the hardware switcharoo for low level hardware like wifi chip, they do that for storage and display panels, but that doesn't matter for Linux compatibility.
- ghaff 4y ago
  For example, where I work (Red Hat), Thinkpads are the standard laptop for Linux. (Not sure what % overall run Linux but it's a very non-trivial number.)
  - csdvrx 4y ago
    By any chance, would you have some arch users? I'm preparing a custom archiso and I'd love some testers with easy access to different configurations
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I doubt there are many. People who are actually developing for RHEL locally obviously run RHEL. Most everyone else running Linux runs Fedora, whether self-supported or, now, company-supported--or CentOS Stream.
      - csdvrx 4y ago
        Nevermind then! I thought given the large volume there could be a few.
- trelane 4y ago
  "No updates unless you use Windows" and broken hardware don't sound like "commitment to Linux"
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
criddell 4y ago
I think if Asahi Linux delivers, Apple laptops will take over the Linux laptop market. Good performance per watt, fewer models that sell in great numbers, great displays, and they aren't shitty plastic boxes that flex and creak. If you have a hardware problem, reload macOS and you can get it fixed in the Apple Store across town.
- officeplant 4y ago
  My main problem is a dead laptop if the storage dies. (I still own a M1 Air anyway) Really wish I could run MacOS off of an external drive as a backup option but it is extremely picky(I've tried multiple drives, USB3.2 and TB3). Eventually being able to boot Asahi off of an external would be ideal, but if the SSD dies there will be no booting with how apple has done things. This is becoming a harder pill to swallow with how long I'm trying to keep machines. Which sucks because Apple has put out the only ARM chip worth a damn for daily driver computing. I even tried convincing myself to live off of a Microsoft Dev Kit just so I could have replaceable storage that doesn't brick the machine on death, but dear lord Qualcomm needs to put out some reliable drivers for windows, let alone linux.

csdvrx 4y ago

> Too many sub-variant models This is a strength: many parts you can swap (or install later: put that empty WWAN port to a good use!) > a simple BIOS update is enough to make or break that experience In my experience, not with Lenovo, but personally I rarely update the BIOS. In fact, I prefer very old BIOSes, hoping for a bug that'll lead to interesting work or exploits: I don't want say the keyboard microcode holes plugged by marking the flash regions read only: that'd lock me out of exploiting them later, say to alter the keycodes! > No safety in numbers, no network effect: This is a very VERY wrong take: thinkpads are what linux hackers use the most, on both end of the spectrum: When they are brand new, you have highly technical people and companies doing fixes or original work (ex: linaro work on the MHI driver for the LTE/5G chip). That's expensive, and likely outside the reach of Framework. Then when they're old, you've got students, hobbyist etc who find new ways to teach old dogs new tricks: like motherboard swaps (X62, X210 etc) The framework is interesting, and 10 years from now, maybe it'll be the right choice. Not now, not in the next 5 years. It's at best a niche choice for people who don't want to tinker too much, and prefer something "average": you won't get bad surprises, but you won't get good ones either. I like foldable OLED, nice hardware and all that you won't find in a framework now. Maybe later, which is why I really hope they'll be successful!

davidy123 4y ago
> Then when they're old, you've got students, hobbyist etc who find new ways to teach old dogs new tricks: like motherboard swaps (X62, X210 etc) Yup. I'm going to break a few taboos here and post this: https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/338007901_6072044896165933_3527237163519858246_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=itPZzT_WkDYAX-eBc58&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDoyVrPJI9Obicx0Wy1_QDpDU7mSL6FlXj5Xgd6ayI7JA&oe=64296686 https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/338007901...
- mablopoule 4y ago
  The window XP. The ricing, the stickers, the business / quirky users, everything is so on point. I'm saving this, thanks you.
  - bitwize 4y ago
    The programming socks...
- csdvrx 4y ago
  Plot twist: it's the same person (Top comment from reddit a few days ago)
- bitwize 4y ago
  Trans, furry, plural... sounds about right. It's missing a Rust crab sticker.
zamnos 4y ago
> Not now, not in the next 5 years. I wonder how long it'll actually take Framework. ThinkPads are built on experience going back to the first one by IBM Japan in 1992 and have certainly evolved through the years. The modularity of the Framework means that they can sell things in batches, so newer hardware becomes available as they make them. The question is how much time/money/effort they'll put into iterating the frame itself. Since they don't have to wait for a generation to elapse, the laptop frame team can just keep iterating as often as they're allowed to. A physical case issue with a gen 1 X1C Thinkpad had to wait until the gen two X1C were ready. The framework just has to wait for a factory to have available capacity and to have the funds to pay for it, decoupling the laptop's frame from the hardware inside of it.

echelon 4y ago

I own both the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Framework 13. Removing technical specs from the equation, the Framework is cool, but the Thinkpad is generations ahead in terms of its build quality, tactile feel, and overall ergonomics. And it's not by a small margin - it's immediately palpable. This is for several reasons: they're two different classes of notebooks with two different budgets; Lenovo has a lot more experience building laptops; Lenovo has access to a more sophisticated design, supply chain, and assembly process which they leverage to shape and mold the overall form better. I'm hoping Framework catches up. I really like what they're trying to accomplish. But for now, theirs is not the laptop I slide into my backpack.

pimterry 4y ago
> the Framework is cool, but the Thinkpad is generations ahead in terms of its build quality, tactile feel, and overall ergonomics I also own both, and I feel the opposite. The Framework feels far better physically to me, especially the keyboard & larger touchpad. The rubberized texture on Thinkpad feels cheaper than the aluminium frame imo, the feet on the bottom of my Thinkpad all broke off within 6 months and the paint has all come off round the corners remarkably quickly (it gets carried in a backpack for 20 minutes most days plus a few flights, but nothing crazy). There's rough parts on the Framework too that they're still improving (I agree the hinges are a touch flimsy, though in my 12th gen at least not problematically so) but overall it's been a notable improvement.
- echelon 4y ago
  We all see the world differently! :) The Thinkpad X1 Carbon's "rubberized texture" is a valid comment. It's not rubber - it's an expensive carbon composite shell that makes the machine light as a feather. It's an acquired taste, but I like it and definitely appreciate how lightweight it makes the machine. It's not as sturdy as aluminum, but it's a fraction of the weight and not cold to the touch. It does feel expensive though. Like aerospace carbon fiber. The Thinkpad's paint (textured finish) does wear and smooth out over time. That's a valid point. You will see darker worn regions around the palms and keys. If you're really handling the device, there's a chance that over years of use the dye at the corners begins to lighten. I've only seen that after five years of very heavy use, and it's only the very edge corners. Less than millimeters. You can probably Google and find example photos. The Thinkpad's ever so slight departure from the standard keyboard layouts feels better to me. The keypress mechanics themselves feel more premium. Again, different stokes. I did enjoy replacing the Framework's keyboard for one of my choosing, though. The Framework touchpad is a cheap knockoff of a Mac haptic touchpad. The depressed click feels gross. I'm hoping they improve this. I really don't like it. I've never worn off the rubber feet of an X1 Carbon, but I have on other laptop models. You've given me a new fear as that's one of my biggest pet peeves. :P I guess my biggest endorsement for the X1 is that I've owned two X1 Carbons (2016 and 2022) and plan to buy a third in five or six years, whenever my current one begins to show its age. I'll probably try the new and upcoming Framework 16 at some point, but I won't get one this year and probably not for some time.

goosedragons 4y ago

For ThinkPads they care a lot more. For example my P14s Gen 2 AMD lets you set the sleep state to S3 in the BIOS. This is labeled as "Linux". My W520 lets you disable the discrete Nvidia card in the BIOS when other laptops of the same time period would not and would assume you're using Windows and it's driver to disable the card. When graphics switching laptops first launched Linux support was super flakey and having the Nvidia card on all the time was a huge power draw. Even getting the card turned off was a chore on my Asus which lacked a BIOS toggle. No they aren't perfect at Linux support but ThinkPads are generally much better than the other big vendors including Lenovo themselves.

maven29 4y ago

There are plenty of enterprises that run linux in server farms as well as workstations. You have to remember that Lenovo has plenty of experience with linux this way. They have official ISOs and their metapackages are delivered with distro installers. Lenovo, Dell et al gets their devices certified with Canonical and Red Hat. OEMs usually work really closely with them. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht511743-how-to-download-the-linux-image-from-the-e-support-page https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht511743-how-to-d... https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/technical-board/2020-January/002478.html https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/technical-board/2020-Janua... https://ubuntu.com/certified/202206-30347 https://ubuntu.com/certified/202206-30347 There is a caveat to all of this - you will only ever be able to run the LTS version for the lifecycle. With framework, you just hope that they follow intel/AMD reference design to the dot and that intel/AMD gets all the bugs out of the way.

sp0ck 4y ago
Last time I checked finger print reader and camera user authentication (hello equivalent) wasn't working. Has it changed ?
- eptcyka 4y ago
  Hello auth is Windows only by design. Fingerprint readers work just fine.
  - martiuk 4y ago
    You can use howdy: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Howdy https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Howdy
- gcr 4y ago
  Arch wiki claims the laptop mentioned in this article supports the fingerprint reader out of the box with `fprintd`. You do have to be careful about purchasing the variant with the proper webcam (e.g. don't go for the 2.8k OLED model), because only one of the two variants works. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carbon_(Gen_10) https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lenovo_ThinkPad_X1_Carbon_(...

lofaszvanitt 4y ago

My main problem with framework is that it's ugly.

oblio 4y ago
From what I see it's just a basic, clean, laptop.
- lofaszvanitt 4y ago
  Yeah, but it looks ugly. That's the only thing that keeps me from getting one.
  - fsflover 4y ago
    Do you consider Purism Librem 14 looking nice?
    - bitwize 4y ago
      There's only one laptop that's universally regarded as beautiful: Apple MacBook Pro/Air. Also the most powerful and durable laptop, with the longest battery life.
      - fsflover 4y ago
        > universally regarded I disagree.
      - oblio 4y ago
        > Apple MacBook Pro Notchville? :-)))
      - lofaszvanitt 4y ago
        Yeah it's one of the best. Sadly the M1/M2 chip is problematic for me.
    - lofaszvanitt 4y ago

ajdlinux 4y ago

> Maybe a few hundred people buy this Thinkpad model/variant to run Linux My employer alone would be responsible for several hundred X1 Gen 10s running Linux across various parts of our company, I suspect.

knorker 4y ago
My employer easily thousands. Maybe tens of thousands.
- trelane 4y ago
  Now imagine if all that money went to a vendor that actually cared
  - knorker 4y ago
    It's capitalism. Nobody actually cares. I'm very happy with my personal X1 Carbon, too. I'm very much NOT happy with the Librem laptop.
    - trelane 4y ago
      I personally am glad to live in the days when Linux is an option and will be quite annoyed if it goes away again due to others' short-sightedness. > NOT happy with the Librem laptop. Then choose a different one? > It's capitalism. Nobody actually cares. Right, for Leovo anyway. So long as you continue to give them your money in exchange for lackluster Linux support, you will continue to get lackluster Linux support.
      - deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
      - knorker 4y ago
        I get orders of magnitude better support from Lenovo than Librem. And that's just from the company. And the community is also much better for Lenovo, support wise. >> NOT happy with the Librem laptop. > Then choose a different one? I did. Lenovo. I don't have a problem. > I personally am glad to live in the days when Linux is an option and will be quite annoyed if it goes away again due to others' short-sightedness. Lenovo's Linux market is huge. It's not going away. People buy them because they work great with Linux.

davidy123 4y ago

I think you underestimate the Thinkpad commitment to Linux, and the effect the community has. I'd like to know officially, but since they target workstations there are probably a low but countable % of users that run Linux. They officially support it for many models, and sell a few models with it installed. Their people are passionate about it, give presentations etc. I've never experienced the hardware switcharoo for low level hardware like wifi chip, they do that for storage and display panels, but that doesn't matter for Linux compatibility.

ghaff 4y ago
For example, where I work (Red Hat), Thinkpads are the standard laptop for Linux. (Not sure what % overall run Linux but it's a very non-trivial number.)
- csdvrx 4y ago
  By any chance, would you have some arch users? I'm preparing a custom archiso and I'd love some testers with easy access to different configurations
  - ghaff 4y ago
    I doubt there are many. People who are actually developing for RHEL locally obviously run RHEL. Most everyone else running Linux runs Fedora, whether self-supported or, now, company-supported--or CentOS Stream.
    - csdvrx 4y ago
      Nevermind then! I thought given the large volume there could be a few.
trelane 4y ago
"No updates unless you use Windows" and broken hardware don't sound like "commitment to Linux"

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

criddell 4y ago

I think if Asahi Linux delivers, Apple laptops will take over the Linux laptop market. Good performance per watt, fewer models that sell in great numbers, great displays, and they aren't shitty plastic boxes that flex and creak. If you have a hardware problem, reload macOS and you can get it fixed in the Apple Store across town.

officeplant 4y ago
My main problem is a dead laptop if the storage dies. (I still own a M1 Air anyway) Really wish I could run MacOS off of an external drive as a backup option but it is extremely picky(I've tried multiple drives, USB3.2 and TB3). Eventually being able to boot Asahi off of an external would be ideal, but if the SSD dies there will be no booting with how apple has done things. This is becoming a harder pill to swallow with how long I'm trying to keep machines. Which sucks because Apple has put out the only ARM chip worth a damn for daily driver computing. I even tried convincing myself to live off of a Microsoft Dev Kit just so I could have replaceable storage that doesn't brick the machine on death, but dear lord Qualcomm needs to put out some reliable drivers for windows, let alone linux.