Linux computer company System76 is updating its laptop lineup with its first two models to ship with 10th-gen Intel Core “Comet Lake” processors.
The new 14 inch Galago Pro and 15.6 inch Darter Pro laptops also ship with the open source Coreboot firmware rather than a proprietary BIOS.
As Phoronix points out, these laptops still have some Intel proprietary blobs, so it’s probably best to think of them as more open than most laptops rather than computers running 100-percent free and open source software.
Still, System76 is now just one of a handful of PC vendors shipping computers with Coreboot. Purism is another.
In terms of other specs and features, the new Galago Pro laptop has a starting price of $949 for a model with an Intel Core i5-10210U processor, 8GB of RAM, a 240GB SSD, and a 1920 x 1080 pixel matte display.
You can also configure the laptop with up to a Core i7-10510U processor, 32GB of RAM, and 6TB of storage… but a fully maxed out model will set you back nearly $3,000.
The laptop supports Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5,0 and has Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 Type-A ports, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI ports, an SD card reader, and a 35.3 Wh battery.
It measures 13″ x 8.7″ x 0.7″ and weighs 2.9 pounds.
The Darter Pro has a larger display, a bigger battery, a numeric keypad, and a starting price of $999.
This model measures 14.2″ x 9.6″ x 0.8″ and weighs 3.6 pounds, which is still pretty compact for a notebook with a 15.6 inch display.
For the most part this laptop has similar specs to the 14 inch model. It does have a larger battery (54.5 Wh), but like its smaller counterpart, it has a 1080p matte display and the laptop is available with up to a Core i7 quad-core processor and up to 32GB of RAM.
One interesting difference? The 14 inch model supports dual storage (an M.2 card and a 2.5 inch drive), while the 15.6 inch model has just the M.2 slot. So it tops out at 2TB of storage rather than 6TB.
Both laptops are set to ship in late October and both come with a choice of Ubuntu or System76’s own Pop!_OS.
"Will you be putting Coreboot on your laptops?” We have put Coreboot on our laptops. 😍 Pre-order your Galago Pro or Darter Pro laptop today–now with System76 Open Firmware! Shipping begins the last week of October. https://t.co/27joN7d9Gx pic.twitter.com/d6DWNCCDiQ
— System76 (@system76) October 10, 2019
Still based on ugly-as-f Clevo designs. I’d take Star Labs over them any day of the week if I wanted a dedicated Linux laptop.
I hope System76 becomes successful enough where they also target smaller devices. I guess that may require them to design/build their own hardware. Maybe their semi-custom desktop efforts can expand into portables at some point.