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66 Comments
- Danryan1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+35Looks like a pretty generic laptop, only white.
- nixfu, on 10/12/2007, -4/+30Its got a WINDOWS KEY on the keyboard.... forget that man....make it a little penguin maybe, but no sale.
- rmerrick, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22Comparing this to a MacBook probably is not a good idea. Apple controls every aspect of their design. System76 can't even remove the Windows logo from the keyboard :(
A lot of people will just assume this is a beige box re-seller who sells Windows intended hardware with Linux hacked onto it. - Auzy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21Dunno.. Looks kind of overrated. Just looks like a macbook with much less features. The macbooks for instance have a webcam and have dvi capability. And seriously, the volume control on just about every other computer on the planet isn't that cheap. The MacBooks also have the magsafe power adapter which is awesome. It looks like this also uses a hook to close it, the macbooks close magnetically.
Finally, MacBook's come out of a good looking box. With this, you get a cheap cardboard box which is just brown.
Other then having a similar top case, its really nothing like a macbook.
"Ok this is lame" for me.. The only reason this article has gotten this far is because people just read the topic and thought it would be better then it really is. But really, its definately no killer. You HAVE to be joking me. Overall, other then the default ram, the specs (when looking at the extra stuff, putting aside all the CPU etc) all seem to be far worse then the macbook. And yes, Ubuntu works perfectly on the Macbooks too. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16What do you mean are USB ports useful under Linux?
Linux has supported USB since before USB even became a standard :) - secleinteer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11rmerrick:
The System76 laptops are guaranteed to work with Ubuntu, meaning that you can suspend/hibernate, the network card will work, etc. You don't have all the compatibility issues you do when you buy a laptop from Dell/HP/Sony, etc. and try to run Linux on it. - geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10"the only downside is the intel graphics card"
The upside is Open Source Graphics Drivers. Win some, lose some, support vendors with Open Source drivers. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Also, 3 USB ports on a laptop is fine for me. I don't know how many you were expecting...
- virtualball, on 10/12/2007, -9/+17Really sexy but, as much as I hate to say it, this is NOT a MacBook killer. I like Linux, about 40 times (give or take) more the Windows, but average people will not buy this laptop. It runs Linux, which from what normal people (lets call them "normies" for fun) know, Linux is hard to use, a command prompt, and for nerds. A MacBook killer would need to be made by HP/Dell/Vaio/etc. for the simple fact that it will need XP/VIsta on it.
:( - crazybrit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Virtualball: true, but a truly sexy laptop running Linux would encourage more people to use it, thereby helping to dispel those myths.
- jasmin888, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Did a cautious test of ubuntu 1 january in dual boot (xp, ubuntu). I've never used xp - used w2k up till now. I found ubuntu easier than xp - even with windows experience back to win 3.1. And the very kind ubuntu community has been extremely helpful. In ubuntu they have gone a long way to have it look and feel like windows.
And once you have tried the beryl 3d desktop windows (be it xp or vista) seems soooo last century.
Now I only use xp for a few things related to work that won't run in linux. - rmaus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Core Duo, 1.5GB RAM, 60GB HDD, 5 hours battery life - she's beautiful on the inside too.
- ajwinder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Um, as far as general purpose office applications go, Pages is quite frankly a terrible application. If I wanted to make a flyer for a bake sale, I'd use Pages, since the only thing to write home about with that app is the templates. However, the probability of me holding a bake sale is hovering around 0%, so theres that. Keynote has some pretty snazzy features though, but if I'm doing a paper for a course, theres no way I'd ever sit around in Pages. But if it's your cup of tea, thats fine, but, do realize you're the one whos crazy, not us ;P
Pages can do basic word processing. I could also brush my teeth with a sharp rusty piece of scrap metal. Just because I can doesn't mean its the best option out there. - Ademan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5VGA and S-Video dead? Yes because in fantasy land, everyone has HDTVs. What about teachers? At my college ALL of the projectors have VGA input, NONE (that I have seen) have DVI. S-Video dead too? Well i won't claim it's the best thing ever, but i have seen several tv's that support S-Video but neither composite nor DVI, which makes it useful.
- crazybrit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Pages and Keynote? I'll give you Keynote, but OpenOffice Writer and AbiWord are better than/comparable to Pages.
- neko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Yes, but it would give me a little thrill to see people buying a Made For Ubuntu Genuine Buntu Advantage laptop, and then going through hell trying to install windows vista on it, having to partition themselves, set up a dual boot config using that awful NTDLR boot manager, searching for drivers that work, and finally giving up proudly proclaiming windows isn't ready for the desktop.
Purely for the perversion. - etank, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Man I want one of these.
- crazybrit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If you'd RTFA, you'd know that it's under $1000 and has bluetooth. Other than that those are pretty good points; but considering it costs significantly less than a MacBook, it's not bad.
- jarvuss, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5or maybe it is...
this pic it looks like a 4:3 http://joey.ubuntu-rocks.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/00021.jpg
this pic it look like a wide screen http://joey.ubuntu-rocks.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/00001.jpg - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Are Macbooks actually in price ranges that reflect their components in the US now. Recently I bought a laptop and the first thing I looked at was the Macbook (bottom model £749) but the laptop I bought ran all over it in technical terms (I'll provide specs if anyone wants) and was only £569. As far as I'm concerned I saved around £400 by not buying an Apple machine, that's an unacceptable mark up.
It's a pity since OSX is interesting and I wouldn't have minded having a look at it legally (I've avoided hacking it) but it wouldn't be worth that much. - Polymira, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7No matter how much I love system76 and what they are doing....
But is it "mackbook killer" because it's white? Or because it's white AND runs linux? Because ASUS has some sexy white ones, I think Sony just might too....
My macbook is much thinner then that, doesn't have the stupid sticker, ugly mouse buttons, and legacy ports....
I have the webcam, 802.11n, my laptop sleeps when I shut it and is awake within a second of opening it......
I tripped over my macbook's power cord the day I got it ... yeah, would have been bad if it weren't for the power connector.
Only thing it has over my macbook is it has a 2nd mouse button (I just use 2 fingers on track pad with a click for right click), - wastern, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5is this just a "macbook killer" because its white? Nothing about this system is like the MacBook outside of the color
Why not just get a MacBook if thats what you're looking for.....it will run Linux, OS X, and Windows - Nevrast, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Are you guys serious? Look at the pictures and compare them to the MacBook pictures or one you've seen in real life. If you think this looks nearly as good as a MacBook you're out to lunch. Basically this is just a regular PC laptop painted white. This is exactly why PC companies can't match Apple's design - they don't get it beyond on a superficial level.
The mouse buttons - totally stupid plastic chrome look. Unattractive speaker placement. The official PC laptop random LEDs on the edge for no apparent reason. Oh, instead of a windows decal we have an ubuntu decal. Yes, Apple brands their laptops, but they do it in a cool sleek way instead of a little decal that's tiny with too much detail and mars the design. How about the side? Those fan vents look nice. Volume dial looks cheap just like any other PC laptop. The random moulded plastic is nowhere near as nice as the MacBook's clean edges and corners. DVD and RW logos on the DVD drive - just in case people weren't sure what that was.
Please, to even compare this to Apple's design shows that all you're thinking is "it's white! it's like a Mac!"
It's not just the colour that makes the design but rather it's the actual DESIGN. PC makers don't get this. - higi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I am so impressed. I would LOVE to have one of these laptops. In 3 months I have to buy one and I would love to buy a system76 one. Why having to buy a computer with Windows pre-installed while you know you wont use it?
The problem is that I live in Spain. Does anyone know if they have international shipping? - SubWolf, on 10/12/2007, -6/+9I was reminded of a MacBook when perusing the pics, she sure is a thing of beauty.
- raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@ secleinteer
Integration with the OS may be the only winner for this product. It still doesn't offer that much incentive as a hardware solution, at least, not yet.
I would like to see this company host something like the upcoming Ubuntu Studio on their hardware. This would put System 76 in direct competition against Apple, which, in addition to their hardware products, also sells an arsenal of multimedia suites.
Hopefully, Ubuntu Studio, like Mac OS X, will push for greater hardware integration and capability, which will force System 76 to step their game up a notch. - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Actually I think split USB ports are a good idea as well. Some on the back for things that go in and stay in (an optical mouse, screw touch pads that deserve death). Some on the side for things you want to pull in and out as you are using it (flash memory). Also I can guarantee that less than 1% of PCs (in the general meaning rather than IBM) use anything other than VGA.
- jasmin888, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2... and ubuntu runs quite a bit faster than xp loosely tested for same apps (that runs on both os'es - like openoffice)
- mtxe, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I know the Mac-Book has more features, and I'm not trying to defend the posted laptop, but I have to say two things:
1. who gives a crap about the box it is shipped in.
2. though the magnetic power cord is an awesome idea, I find magnetically closing as one of the few (very few, if not the only) negatives
oh and FYI some of system76's laptops have built in web cams - crazybrit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The article says under $1000. Christ Almighty...
- Quix, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8"she sure is a thing of beauty"
Bah. I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and in this case the beholder needs a pair of eyeglasses. ;)
This is a MacBook killer like the Zune is an iPod killer. In other words, not even close.
My week-old MacBook looks a decade ahead of this thing. Why in the world would anyone buy this over a MacBook? They wouldn't - not if they actually compared the two before laying down the cash. - t3hX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2btw - an intel Mac will also run Linux under Boot Camp too.
- raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe the desktop vendors need to think different (no pun intended, yet very well placed) from their competitors who are used to Windows being integrated into their products?
First off, the keyboard. If one looks through old pictures of desktop computers from the 80's, all of the makers had their own name-brand keyboard design, complemented by trademarked symbols such as the "Infinite Loop" or "Microswitch". If they don't want to follow the other PC makers, they have to make their own (at least not one that includes a Windows logo!).
Second, the design of the entire computer. It's supposed to be designed for a particular usage, whether its for education, multimedia, gaming, or what have you. It can't just stick to a generic, unfocused design like most big-name PC makers out there.
Finally, the central and graphics processor architectures in use. I know that they've only touched upon the idea in recent years due to increasing worry over the hardware OEM's increasing courtship of DRM, but the idea of free, open-source architectures may come into the play for Linux-centric hardware vendors once the GPLv3 is finalized. They're working on a number of open hardware components, most of which are finding usage in embedded devices at present; if these are expanded to a wider audience, these projects will also find usage in the desktop arena as well.
The FOSS advocates simply need to think differently from the previous standards of the last 30 years of computing history, as do the hardware vendors who actively court them. - raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Looks like an iBook more than a Macbook, and that's only judging from the picture of the laptop opened.
http://joey.ubuntu-rocks.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/00021.jpg
Compare to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IBook_G4.jpg
Furthermore, as others have said, this doesn't really shoot that far for a consumer laptop.
1) It still has the Windows "Start" key. Not an FOSS nazi, but that doesn't give off the right brand impression at all (particularly if you're a laptop OEM who seeks to carry a particular distribution).
2) I'd favour the completely flat bottom of Compaq's ultra-portables over this on any given day.
3) The way that they designed either side of the laptop gives the impression of disorganization.
This is by no means a Macbook competitor, and its not all that impressive, especially not because its so lily-white like an Apple product.
LAME.
Points for them trying, though. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"btw - an intel Mac will also run Linux under Boot Camp too."
"An intel mac will run *nix natively...."
Not just Intel a PPC mac will too, although it does look like Ubuntu is dropping support for PPC in the next version. Probably find an unofficially official version around though. - farbanti, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'm confused. Won't most PC laptops run Ubuntu? Won't an intel mac run Ubuntu through parallels? I know PPC Macs can run Ubuntu directly. Take a look at the system76 site and price out a computer with specs similar to macbook or a dell. The "under $1000" starting price jumps up quickly. They offer a 3 year limited warranty but will system76 still exist 3 years from now? Buy a laptop for the hardware first.
- GaffleSnipe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5Macbook Killer? why?
- vansouza, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4You wet yourself way too easy...
- GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It will offer a reasonable degree of integration which is why the Macbook tends to do well (or is the main argument in it's support). Everything will work removing the main argument against Linux.
- neko, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I wouldn't mind if they just made it look like a window (rather than the logo), and call it the "window management" key.
I use "that key" for practically all operations I do with Compiz. Except alt-grab and alt-resize, because I'm so used to it. - lateralus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2i would still rather buy a low-end macbook for $900 (student discount) than this for anywhere near $1k.
the only thing lacking would be the dvd burning capability, but oh well. - tikidude42, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Looks like it's available today...
http://shafetech.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=35 - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2You can run OSX on this if you aren't incompetent.
- DoubtfulSalmon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1An intel mac will run *nix natively.... I use rEFIt http://refit.sourceforge.net/ to triple-boot mine into OS X, Winders XP and Kubuntu... (kubuntu is about to get wiped out and replaced with something that isn't made by a bunch of *****' hypocrites though). Gentoo or FreeBSD or something probably
- mikev, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3It's nice, but really not worth the thousand bucks. Maybe ~$600 at most.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Because its white. Obviously anything thats white is trying to copy Apple.
- tophfisher, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4That looks REALLY nice... I love to see more pictures of the laptop!
-Chris - mickey4741, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Uhhh... It's a windows laptop loaded with ubuntu.
Just get a mac and load windows, os x, and ubuntu on it for $1099. - laut, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0@GMorgan. I know it's possible, but it's a hack and you can't be sure that the drivers work for everything. Most mac buyers aren't going to try to experiment with that.
Saying that this product will kill anything is a joke. - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2If you want to compare Linux to Windows then compare Azureus, an absolute pig on Windows but runs nicely on Linux. Then again in both cases we are talking Java and Windows doesn't have a particularly solid Java implementation given that it was designed originally to be Unix centric.
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