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Why are these Linux machines that appear on HN always sold at MBP price ranges? This one has a good reason -- the high-def screen, but OEMs like system76 stump

Why are these Linux machines that appear on HN always sold at MBP price ranges? This one has a good reason -- the high-def screen, but OEMs like system76 stump me with their over-the-top prices. I actually got an Ubuntu-certified Dell Inspiron N5050 from Dubai for about $450 (AED 1650 for the laptop + AED 50 for a RAM upgrade to be exact.) Its specs are; 8GB RAM, 320G HDD, 15" screen, Core i3-2370M 2.4GHz. It's really not that bad for the price. I should have gotten an i5 17-inch (Inspiron 17R), in retrospect, but oh well - this is still great. Forgot to mention, the Linux support on the Ubuntu-certified Dell _rocks_. Every little thing from the integrated webcam to the wifi/bluetooth drivers all work; which is really the main thing I was after in a laptop.

icebraining 14y ago
This is an ultrabook, you can't expect prices to be anywhere near those of a bulky 15".
oscilloscope 14y ago
The System76 Gazelle is $875 with a 1080p screen and Ivy Bridge 4-core i7. They offer a screen upgrade with wider color gamut for $50. Upgrade to 8GB RAM is $45. It's not that over-the-top, especially for a small OEM. But an ultrabook, it's not.
- winter_blue 14y ago
  You're right, this is quite good! I might consider buying this... The screen upgrade is $80 b.t.w. (not that big of a difference.) A lot of my work involves compiling AOSP code, which takes way too long (and AOSP's one shot makefile doesn't work for me for some reason); so even a faster processor would def make a difference in my productivity when building locally on my laptop... > But an ultrabook, it's not. It is indeed quite thick, and not per-se that visually appealing (they could do with some better design). I do want to check though, if there are any vents on the underside/bottom of the laptop. Some laptop designers stupidly put vents on the bottom breaking the very designation of "laptop" :-|

icebraining 14y ago

This is an ultrabook, you can't expect prices to be anywhere near those of a bulky 15".

oscilloscope 14y ago

The System76 Gazelle is $875 with a 1080p screen and Ivy Bridge 4-core i7. They offer a screen upgrade with wider color gamut for $50. Upgrade to 8GB RAM is $45. It's not that over-the-top, especially for a small OEM. But an ultrabook, it's not.

winter_blue 14y ago
You're right, this is quite good! I might consider buying this... The screen upgrade is $80 b.t.w. (not that big of a difference.) A lot of my work involves compiling AOSP code, which takes way too long (and AOSP's one shot makefile doesn't work for me for some reason); so even a faster processor would def make a difference in my productivity when building locally on my laptop... > But an ultrabook, it's not. It is indeed quite thick, and not per-se that visually appealing (they could do with some better design). I do want to check though, if there are any vents on the underside/bottom of the laptop. Some laptop designers stupidly put vents on the bottom breaking the very designation of "laptop" :-|