New Laptop Decision Tree

Laptop Decision Tree
graph created in GraphViz

The time had come to get a new laptop. My little Ubuntu-running Dell 10v just wasn’t cutting it, and Cassie wants her MacBook for her own stuff.

The following chart illustrates my journey.

Laptop Decision Tree
graph created in GraphViz

First question was what OS I wanted. I definitely don’t want Windows for obvious reasons. I currently run Ubuntu, but the little 10v wasn’t that great for running the full Ubuntu, so it was using Lubuntu instead. I don’t want to get mired in Apple products any more than necessary, so Linux it was. But did I want to install it over the top of something else? Did I want to pay the Microsoft OEM cost just to overwrite it? I know that someone managed to get a refund on Windows by not letting it start when they turned on their new computer, but I don’t have the moral fibre for that.

I wanted preinstalled as well, because there are still issues with some hardware, so it’s safer to get the vendor to set it all up. There are a couple of small vendors that make laptops like this, so after some reading of reviews and forum threads, I decided on System 76. I double-checked the features and prices, had a good chat with one of their sales team, and then bought a System76 Lemur Ultra 14″ laptop.

time passes…

I received my new laptop yesterday, and I actually made an unboxing video, which I was going to edit together using OpenShot (it can deal with Handycam MTS files, apparently) when I got the new machine going.

Unfortunately, when I peeled off the screen protector and switched the machine on, I saw that there was a huge 5″ crack across the bottom left corner of the screen. As it continued to boot, I could see that the right-hand half of the screen seemed OK, and it was displaying the desktop, telling me the wifi had been detected, and asking me to select my language. The left-hand side was totally busted up and broken and displaying psychedelic patterns. Pretty, but not what I was hoping for.

I raised a ticket with System76, and they are sending me a new machine. They’ve raised a ticket with UPS, who delivered it. The box didn’t show any damage though, so I’m not sure what will happen there. Anyway, I’ll get a new laptop, then send this one back to them. I’ll keep you posted.