Lenovo is shipping laptops with Linux, which is a major win for the Linux community because it’s a major tier-1 OEM, and I’m personally thinking of getting a Lenovo for my next laptop. But what are the privacy implications of this since Lenovo hasn’t had that great of a privacy track record (superfish being a major stain), and being a Chinese company (not that American companies are any better, IMO). Assuming one wipes the default Linux installation and installs their own (though proprietary Lenovo drivers will probably still be required to take full advantage of the hardware), how well does that bode for user privacy and security compared to other OEMs offering full Linux compatibility, like Dell?
I do appreciate Lenovo laptops having a built-in webcam cover though. That really stood out to me when I was playing around with a Lenovo laptop in an electronics store.
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or just look for a normal laptop with good compatibility?
This is my second option, but I would prefer to have a laptop where the manufacturer directly supports Linux because then it most likely has all the necessary drivers to be stable and so I don’t have to dual boot Windows to do things like update the UEFI, cough Surface cough.
Lenovo and Dell also have laptop/tablet convertibles, which I prefer to regular laptops.
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I agree, although it is helpful to show support (and put money where your mouth is) for Linux to major OEMs like Lenovo.
I’d say if you were planning to buy a lenovo anyway, getting one with Linux pre-installed would at least save you some money, but if you’re just looking for something that’s relatively private, why not consider System76? They disable the Intel ME and provide coreboot on several laptops, which is better for your privacy than a Lenovo with proprietary BIOS and Intel ME enabled.
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