Librem, an Impressive Open Source Laptop
Ashley Allen / 10 years ago
If you’ve a spare $1,949 and are in the market for a new laptop, you could do worse than investing in a Librem, the new open source PC from San Francisco-based company, Purism.
Currently seeking crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, the Librem, advertised by Purism as a “Free and Open Source laptop that respects your essential freedoms,” runs almost entirely on open source software, the only exception being the proprietary firmware of its Intel processor. The 15.6-inch screened Librem is packing an Intel i7-4712MQ chipset, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, and a CD/DVD drive. Ports include USB 3.0, HDMI, an SDXC card slot, and an RJ-45 Ethernet port, plus an Atheros-based 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, a 720p webcam, HD audio, and a flashy backlit keyboard.
Purism said of their new laptop, proudly, “This is the first high-end laptop where you are in control and have complete visibility into the kernel, the operating system, and all software. Meticulously designed chip by chip to work with free and open source software, the Librem is the first laptop to reinstate your rights to freedom and privacy.”
The Librem ships with Purism’s own GNU/Linux Ubuntu derivative, featuring only free software, including Tor, installed and activated by default.
Source: Ars Technica
