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How better to work on Open Source projects than to use a Libre computing device? But that's a hard goal to accomplish. If you're using a desktop computer, Libre software is easily achievable, though keeping your entire software stack free of closed source binary blobs might require a little extra work. But if you want a laptop, your options are few indeed. Lucky for us, there may be another device in the mix soon, because [Lukas Hartmann] has just about finalized the MNT Reform.
Since we started eagerly watching the Reform a couple years ago the hardware world has kept turning, and the Reform has improved accordingly. The i.MX6 series CPU is looking a little peaky now that it's approaching end of life, and the device has switched to a considerably more capable – but no less free – i.MX8M paired with 4 GB of DDR4 on a SODIMM-shaped System-On-Module. This particular SOM is notable because the manufacturer freely provides the module schematics, making it easy to upgrade or replace in the future. The screen has been bumped up to a 12.5″ 1080p panel and steps have been taken to make sure it can be driven without blobs in the graphics pipeline.
What has Soylentils' experience with open hardware been?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday January 22 2020, @03:29AM (10 children)
https://char.learnwebcoding.com/help/windows_system_requirements.html [learnwebcoding.com]
That is what they say. It might require a cut-down version [wikipedia.org], such as Windows 10 S or Windows 10 IoT, to get acceptable performance with it. But it should still run.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Common Joe on Wednesday January 22 2020, @04:40AM (9 children)
I had looked at the link you provided in the original post. And I did not mean what you said was laughable or misleading, but rather the requirements the link provided. Sorry if that was unclear.
I hadn't considered Windows S or IoT. Interesting observation. Although, I have to mention that minimum requirements given out Microsoft always meant extremely poor performance since at least Windows 95.
Having had the problems I did with 4 GB, I couldn't (and still can't) imagine 64-bit Win 10 on 2 GB.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Wednesday January 22 2020, @05:04AM (7 children)
Windows 10 IoT Core [windowscentral.com] in particular runs on Raspberry Pi 2 and 3, which both had 1 GB of RAM. This experience is so cut down that it is difficult to call it Windows 10.
2 GB of RAM will theoretically work, and it is still common to see deals for 4 GB systems today:
https://slickdeals.net/f/13735292 [slickdeals.net]
https://slickdeals.net/f/13700204 [slickdeals.net]
https://slickdeals.net/f/13732478 [slickdeals.net]
It's not going to be great, but the recommendation is not that different from Windows 7. Windows 7 was usable with 4 GB, but you wanted to have 8 GB. I helped upgrade a couple people to 8 GB back then. That remains true with Windows 10 a decade later, and overlaps with an ongoing ~7-year stagnation in DRAM pricing since 2012.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:45AM (6 children)
Interesting info, thanks -- I'll have to try that, just because.
Yeah, I was just noticing that there sure seem to be a lot of 4GB systems out there even today. I'm wondering if the OEM and Surface Pro versions of Win10 might be slicked up some, compared to the public ISO.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Thursday January 23 2020, @06:38AM (3 children)
It would be easier to not care if more of these systems were upgradeable. I would have no qualms with buying a $100 laptop and then slamming 32 GB of RAM in it for another $100, creating an unnatural $200 beast. But a lot of the RAM is soldered with no empty DIMM slots, or support is limited to 8 or 16 GB in a single empty DIMM, DIMMs take invasive surgery to access, etc. That's due to the pursuit of thinness.
You could reference blackviper.com to disable unnecessary components to improve system performance and RAM usage, but that's not really fair for a non-savvy user who picks up a low-end system.
There probably is some slicking up for Surface. And there is slightly customized AMD and Qualcomm hardware for Surface now.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Reziac on Thursday January 23 2020, @07:32AM (2 children)
Blackviper used to be my neighbor :) (Well, a few miles up the road. We've both since moved away.) Yeah, I've been meaning to check his latest service configs, but since my current hardware doesn't really notice all the crap running, I haven't been real motivated. And Win10's interface gives me hives, so I don't spend much time with it.
Agreed on the soldered/non-upgradable. Got nothin' against frankenputers. Don't like disposable much. My sister's office buys Surface Pros by the pallet to use in the field, says they have good performance... when I looked at the specs and innards, I was like.. this has got to be a specialized, slicked-up Win10, cuz otherwise that's just not enough machine. And lordy, overpriced for what's inside (and there's room for more, but it's not used). But business likes the convenience, and the size, and the support... and that's where all the real money is, not from us little users.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Friday January 24 2020, @08:12PM (1 child)
Still wanting a decent Linux tablet.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday January 24 2020, @09:19PM
Unfortunately not enough of a market for the big boys to pursue.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday January 28 2020, @03:17PM (1 child)
Looks like efforts are underway to get "real" Windows 10 ARM on Raspberry Pi 4B:
Windows 10 ARM on Raspberry Pi 4 is off to a good start [windowslatest.com]
But the real shock is that they are running it on the 1 GB version, as can be seen in this screenshot [windowslatest.com].
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday January 28 2020, @04:07PM
There exists a mod called "Windows 10 Lite" which uses about 1.1GB RAM, vs the 1.5GB used by default Win10, and this "Lite" was not notably absent of features. Not surprised that they've managed to shave off another couple hundred MB. Now I'm wondering just how low it could go.. .I vaguely recall someone managed to pare WinXP down to using a mere 8mb.)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Thursday January 23 2020, @05:42AM
I've told this story before, but it's silly enough to tell again... Win2K required a Pentium and (IIRC) 64mb RAM. Well, that's what it said on the tin. I had a 486 DX4-100 with 8mb RAM that I used as a HD tester, and one day I hooked the wrong HD to it... and found myself watching Win2K boot up. Took about five minutes to reach the desktop, but after that was perfectly usable, and only a little sluggish (including Office2k). And that was with no swapfile. I was amazed.
I knew a programmer who ran Win95 on a 16MHz 386 with 16mb RAM. He said it took 15 minutes to boot up, but was tolerable after that. (Not my definition of 'tolerable'!!)
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.