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System76 Linux Computer Maker Offers a Sneak Peek Into Its New Factory (betanews.com)
BrianFagioli shares a report from BetaNews: System76 has long been a Linux computer seller, but recently, it has transitioned into a Linux computer maker. What's the difference, you ask? Well, currently, the company doesn't really make its own computers. System76's laptops, for instance, are made by other manufacturers, which it re-brands as its own. No, System76 doesn't just slap its name on other company's laptops and ship them out the door. Actually, it works closely with the manufacturers, tweaks firmware, and verifies that both Ubuntu and its Ubuntu-based Pop!_OS will work well on the hardware. System76 then offers top-notch support too. In other words, the company isn't just selling a computer, but an experience too. Unfortunately, when you rely on other computer manufacturers, you don't fully control the experience. Ultimately, System76 cannot achieve its true vision without building its own laptops. And so, that is exactly what it is going to do! Yes, System76 will be building and selling the computers right here in the USA (Denver, Colorado to be exact). I mean, when your company supports open source ideology and takes pride in being "Made in America," how can you go wrong?
Many folks in the Linux community are excited to see the fruits of System76's labor, and today, we get a small peek. No, the company isn't sharing any of its computer designs, but it is showing off its new manufacturing facility. In a new blog post by System76 customer service all-star Emma, she shares several photos of the new factory. [T]he space is absolutely massive! It seems System76 has very lofty goals. Exactly when these new computers both designed and manufactured by System76 will become available for purchase is anyone's guess. Quite frankly, based on the System76's blog post, it seems they are still at very early stages. With that said, it will be interesting to see what is born inside that factory in Colorado. The Linux community is anxiously awaiting something special.
Many folks in the Linux community are excited to see the fruits of System76's labor, and today, we get a small peek. No, the company isn't sharing any of its computer designs, but it is showing off its new manufacturing facility. In a new blog post by System76 customer service all-star Emma, she shares several photos of the new factory. [T]he space is absolutely massive! It seems System76 has very lofty goals. Exactly when these new computers both designed and manufactured by System76 will become available for purchase is anyone's guess. Quite frankly, based on the System76's blog post, it seems they are still at very early stages. With that said, it will be interesting to see what is born inside that factory in Colorado. The Linux community is anxiously awaiting something special.
Someone I used to know worked in a warranty repair centre in the UK, for televisions. He said that the BOSE televisions were Panasonics, as in if you removed the BOSE bezel the original Panasonic bezel was still there underneath.
This would be six-eight years ago and I'm passing on anecdote rather than having hard proof, but yeah - badge-engineering has long been a thing. Car industry is notorious for it.
Especially when it comes to computers, "Made in America" is not really a mark of quality. I do not expect it to come with less spyware than a machine labelled "Made in China". "Made in Iceland" would probably be a far better deal.
Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
Most likely 'Assembled in an American factory'.
Where do all those parts and software components come from?
Of course they're getting their active and passive components from the same places everyone else does who builds to that architecture. If they do it right, building the motherboards and assembling/testing the units in the US will make possible a much tighter quality control and inspection process and greater feature-flexibility.
Naturally, the 'holy grail' relating in large part to security, openness, and freedom in the manufacturing of personal computers is making your own CPUs/GPUs/etc etc, but that takes enormous capital and R&D, not to mention overcoming huge regulatory and legal hurdles and burdens.
In today's US economic/taxation/financial/environmental landscape and regulatory environment an Intel, AMD, or even a MS or Apple could not make a successful start. The big players use the government's powers to pull up the ladder after themselves through laws, Acts, and regulations. That's a danger anytime the government is allowed to broaden it powers & scope, and extend it's control into more markets and technologies.
Strat
Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
Seriously, "Pop!_OS"? That's the dumbest name I've heard in a while...
Given how long the *NIX community been embarrassing themselves with build names, this is par for the course, and actually an improvement. At least the name doesn't immediately conjure visions of a development team consisting of 40-year old Bronies running around in Pokemon pajamas speaking Klingon all day.
Bang & Olufsen used to have a reputation for simply rebadging Philips TVs. Sure, they used Philips tubes, but that was because Philips was one of the best CRT makers in the business. Everything else was B&O designed and built.
However when it came to plasma TVs in particular, in some cases they literally took a Panasonic plasma display (meant for use with an external control box), glued aluminum trim to the front and supplied their own control box. And charged 5-10x as much for it as the exact same panel from Panasonic.
Eat the rich.
I recently bought a Gazelle with RAM upgrade. This came to about ~1000$, similar to my low-end gaming laptop from a well known name.
Delivery:
Arrived about 2 weeks after purchase.
Boxed fine.
SW:
It got stuck during installation, I had to hard reset.
Other than that it is typical Ubuntu. (I didn't get pop os)
HW:
Looks stylish
Plastic is flimsy, feels cheap and light.
I did my duty to Linux community and donated money to the cause. I will not buy again, I do not recommend either. I'd rather but another gaming laptop and install ubuntu myself.
I wouldn't write this comment but I am seeing so many ads and "good things" about System76, I had to get it out of me.
"In other words, the company isn't just selling a computer, but an experience too." ...seriously?
"how can you go wrong"
"customer service all-star"
Survivorship bias. The Macbooks may have dented edges, but the plastic laptops have cracked and have been taken out of circulation. You see the dented MBPs because they survived being dropped on the concrete floor by clumsy TSA agents ( /me examines dent on current MBP...).
I bought a Gazelle some 4-5 years ago - it has a 4000 series i7 inside and no dedicated graphics card.
I've installed Fedora and Ubuntu on it, I've run virtual machines, I've developed code, built stuff in Unity 3D, played a handful of games (on lower settings). Overall it has been a very solid laptop and I've not had any problems with it. The battery doesn't live like it used to, but that's always the case over years of use and abuse.
The plastic of the Clevo-built laptop does feel a bit flimsy, but I've never had anything break or crack. The screen still looks crisp and sharp. I've had HP, Toshiba and Dell laptops that basically self-destruct after 2-3 years. Overall, I'd buy System76 again, though next time around I'd get a dedicated graphics card built-in. Intel just doesn't have their act together when it comes to pushing polygons.
: Doesn't jump between network settings as easily as the MBP and only has about two hours of battery life.
Woah.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
What does the license of of the software have to do with what the software does?
Heck if I wanted to spy on somewhere a Linux System that comes preinstalled would be a good spot for this.
I have the source code, I can embed the spyware in a vital process (perhaps directly in the kernel itself) compile it and give the executable to be part of the base install. Sure GNU says that you should release the source for all your changes, but if you are going to spy on someone illegally, would the GPL really stop you?
Now you have spywhere on a system, where a number of people trust because it is open source. But they will not check the Complied code to the Source Given to make sure it matches up.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Just what the world needed!