Agree - love Mullvad!

An interesting McKinsey article on cost of AI. Basically it’s hard to predict, but the numbers here are staggering. And then there’s the “hidden cost” of environmental impact. All these data centers etc will add to CO2 emissions, which may worsen climate change and result in more climate disasters (drought, flooding, etc) that carry huge costs. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/the-cost-of-compute-a-7-trillion-dollar-race-to-scale-data-centers

You’re right - he likes to be provocative and makes some big generalizations. Not sure about the costs of AI…would need more info on that but he seems to suggest it’s an exception to the general rule in computing.

I like the prices! And europaweit lieferung - that works for me. :)

That was my first thought - but maybe this does a better job? Plus it can apparently be used for any device, so it might prolong the life of, say, noise-canceling headphones, book lights, and portable speakers.

That’s super helpful - I didn’t realize how big a difference there is between models. Thanks for clarifying. And yeah, by now I get the sense that LinuxPusher.dk is not for me. :)

Nice to hear - and yeah, their focus on hardware for Linux is really appealing. Also, supporting a company that offers an alternative to the big players in the Windows market…

Thanks for the link - and good tip about the timing!

Thanks! :)

Thanks - I’ll check it out!

You’re so right: perfection isn’t the goal. It sounds like you have a good sense of what aspects of digital life can be helpful and which can be harmful to you. And how to use hardware and apps to lead you to the moments that bring you joy - such as time with your friends and playing the guitar.

It is encouraging that we’re seeing more e-ink and other technology to counterbalance the potentially toxic rabbit-holes of modern tech. I hope for a future in which we rely on tech as true tools, not attention eaters. I love having a blender in my kitchen, but I don’t want to spend time with my blender beyond blending. Somehow computers have become more than computers.

Anyway, I’m happy to hear that you’re finding ways to address the parts of tech that make you feel bad. And I hope you continue to find ways to prioritize non-tech moments with friends and strangers and music and nature — all the things that humans loved before we invented computers and smartphones.

Well, I don’t want to have a bad time, that’s for sure…thanks for the warning. I’ll be cautious about Lenovo.

Interesting - and yet I read about many folks installing Linux on thinkpads, and those laptops even being recommended for Linux. Is it just cause so many have worked on making Lenovo be able to handle Linux?

Excellent point - guess I was just applying proprietary thinking to what Tuxedo offers, but of course it’s a different kettle of fish.

Aspire 15

Looks nice - and nice price too!

Libreboot looks very, very interesting - thanks for the tip!

Thanks for the tip - I’ll check out the AMD Acer laptops. You thinking of Nitros, in particular?

Looks like a nice selection. A sensible approach, and one I may end up taking: getting a Windows laptop for good value and then installing Linux myself.

Good points all round, thanks - and I did think the Linux installation cost seemed high. I might be willing to pay a premium for good support. I’ve heard good things about System76’s customer service (but they’re US-based). Installing a distro on an old laptop doesn’t scare me - I’ve done it before. It’s more the hardware/driver issues that might arise. And then I’d love to discover an “out of the box” solution that I could recommend to my friends and family, who have little appetite for tech tinkering. Maybe that’s where Tuxedo comes into the picture…

Can’t seem to find refurbs on their website - and judging from the original announcement, they may only be available in the US and Canada (I’m in the EU).