Ishayin

Interesting, and I hope so! I was just reading the Lilliputing article on this, and noticed there that compared to the 13.5 inch, the 16 inch variant drops the 3.5mm headphone jack, so that becomes an optional expansion port too: https://liliputing.com/framework-introduces-a-16-inch-modular-laptop-with-upgradeable-discrete-graphics-and-customizable-keyboard-and-input-options/ I also noticed there some other fun Framework related projects: https://liliputing.com/penks-mainboard-terminal-is-an-all-in-one-pc-that-stuffs-a-framework-mainboard-into-a-retro-inspired-body/ https://liliputing.com/you-can-transform-frameworks-modular-laptop-into-a-tablet-unofficially/ https://liliputing.com/cooler-master-case-turns-the-framework-mainboard-into-a-desktop-pc-for-39/

Thanks for the updates! I also think the new 16" model looks a lot more appealing, even just for the additional expansion port slots. I recently came across a nice overview of ethics ratings for different laptop manufacturers: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/flipbook/Issue199Preview/10/ https://digitalcourage.social/@aligyie/109142708047527532 I guess these things depend a lot on exactly what and how they measure. But interesting to see Framework coming second to Acer all the same... Also, anyone who feels like Framework isn't truly modular enough might like to have a look at MNT: https://mntre.com/ https://liliputing.com/mnt-pocket-reform-is-7-inch-mini-laptop-with-a-modular-open-hardware-design/ https://www.inverse.com/input/reviews/mnt-reform-review-your-diy-laptop-fantasy-is-here-at-last 😎

Oh wow, I really need to give an update on this. Maybe it helps to clarify matters if we first distinguish the different stages you might wish to consider when cleaning up your Android phone: Debloating by disabling pre-installed apps from Google, manufacturer and service provider via: (a) the standard app settings UI. (b) ADB or one of the apps debloating apps mentioned above for this for those apps that cannot be disabled from the settings menu. Disabling Google Play Store and replacing it with F-Droid (and optionally Aurora Store just for any remaining apps you really can't live without from the Google Play Store, or find replacements for from F-Droid.) Replacing any apps you use that do not conform to your values on ethics and privacy etc. with alternatives. Disconnecting any Google or other accounts from the phone to leave it account-free. Disabling Google Play services Removing some or all Google sub-systems from the OS. I would say everyone should really be aiming to do the first three of these. #1a I guess pretty much everyone does already (hopefully!). Some people might find 1(b) more intimidating and it is often fine to skip it and move on to the next steps. But it is straightforward to do it in an entirely risk free manner (see below) and can be very much worthwhile or even a basic requirement for some phones – particularly if you live in the US where service providers have been known to pre-install malware (I experienced this for myself with a second hand device originating from the US). #2 I would recommend simply because the Google Play Store is a bloated mess, and the F-Droid ecosystem is much more user friendly. It will also significantly increase the range of apps you have access to (and particularly with regard to more ethical options), which helps a lot with step #3. #3 is the most obvious and simply. You can easily try one little change or alternative app at a time without having to do it all in one go. #4 really comes down to your own preferences on privacy and whether you have any real need for connected accounts like email. The final two I would suggest only to people who are more technically inclined: #5 can be a bit of a pain. It is misleadingly named and rather than simply working with the Google Play Store to keep your apps updated as you might first assume, it also includes a whole range of other Google services that they combine all together into this single package: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play_Services https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Mobile_Services It is quite likely that you do not want or need many of them, but there is a high likelihood of there being something in there that trips you up or prevents some other app from working. #6 I believe can only be achieved by installing a custom ROM. Here might be a good place to start: https://openandroidinstaller.org/ The choice of options will depend on your device. /e/OS looked like the best choice for my needs, but I haven't tried it yet. For a good introduction see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNjnMEMWMLY and for their de-Googled credentials see: https://e.foundation/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/e-state-of-degooglisation.pdf https://doc.e.foundation/calls_to_google_servers _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I went through the first five steps later last year with a Samsung S7. For debloating phones I use ADB directly which I find to be very simple using the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 [PACKAGENAME] There are some guides you can look at for more details on this: https://www.xda-developers.com/disable-system-app-bloatware-android/ https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/ https://www.makeuseof.com/uninstall-android-app-adb-system-apps-bloatware/ I don't use any additional software as some of them suggest, so my approach is somewhat of a hybrid taking the simplest aspects of the above. Basically it's following the steps outlines in the second link above, except replacing the uninstall command to instead use the disable command from the first guide. I also make a combined disable command to disable all the packages I wish to in one step. I can explain it all in full if anyone would like. Here is the full list I ended up disabling on that device: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/help-thread-galaxy-s7-ask-any-question-noob-friendly.3341138/post-87571683 Make a backup first and don't disable anything if you don't know what it is. As you can see in that thread, my first attempt was too aggressive it seems as phone would not complete the boot cycle, but was easy enough in the end to recover with the right combination of button presses to reach the recovery menu to factory reset it. I forgot to measure the default boot time beforehand, but after doing this the device now boots up a whole lot faster compared to an S7 Active I have (which is basically the same hardware and has also been more basically debloated but still with Google Play Store and Google Play services in place – I will soon remove the former from that too, but might keep the latter in place). Keep in mind that if you ever factory reset the device all the disabled packages will be restored. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Finally (onto the fun part!) here are some of the alternative apps I recommend: F-Droid app store and Aurora front end for Google Play Store: https://f-droid.org/en/ https://auroraoss.com/ https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS/AuroraStore https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.aurora.store/ File send / sync – LocalSend & Syncthing (-fork) https://localsend.org/#/download https://f-droid.org/packages/org.localsend.localsend_app/ https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.github.catfriend1.syncthingandroid/ Keyboards – AnySoftKeyboard and FlorisBoard https://anysoftkeyboard.github.io/ https://f-droid.org/packages/com.menny.android.anysoftkeyboard/ https://github.com/florisboard/florisboard https://f-droid.org/packages/dev.patrickgold.florisboard/ I use ASK which is good once you've spent the time going through all the different configuration options in fine detail. But also keeping an eye on Florisboard (no word suggestions in that as yet but I like the default design). Internet Browser – Mull https://f-droid.org/packages/us.spotco.fennec_dos/ The clear winner for me, not just from the points mentioned in this comparison table: https://divestos.org/pages/browsers But also because I like the UI. The option to move the navigation bar to the bottom makes a lot of sense for phone ergonomics. I also tried Bromite but didn't like it as much and it seems to currently be behind with updates. Maps & Navigation – Organic Maps https://organicmaps.app/ Again, the clear winner for me out of a few different options around. Notes https://f-droid.org/packages/com.farmerbb.notepad/ Lots of different options in this space, but this one is my favourite for simplicity. File Manager – Amaze https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.amaze.filemanager/ System wide ad blocking – Rethink: DNS + Firewall https://f-droid.org/packages/com.celzero.bravedns/ There are a couple of other options which I haven't compared, but this is the one I use (in "DNS (battery saver)" mode) and it has been working well for me. Messaging apps / communications / social is a whole other thread really... 2FA* https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.beemdevelopment.aegis/ YouTube* https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.schabi.newpipe/ * – I don't use either of these final two types of service on phone myself, but these seem to be the most recommended options.

I guess not unfortunately if that means you have three fans in total: Important Notes 2 fans supported at the moment There is also an open issue about this here: https://github.com/djsubtronic/ClevoFanControl/issues/2 You could try chasing up on that. Though the project hasn't had any updates for a while so maybe it needs someone else to pick it up in the future (fingers crossed!)

If you do so I'll certainly be interested to hear how you get on. Especially regarding the state of WINE nowadays with e.g. Bottles etc. I'm also leaning that way myself, and learning more about Linux a little at a time. Though I'm in no particular rush as expect to get a good few more years out of my main Windows 8.1 machine yet.

Exactly, it's a stop gap measure at best.

I came across a nice guide on how to build your own household bicycle generator: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2022/03/how-to-build-bike-generator.html There are also a lot of other cool DIY projects worth a look on that website. And better still, if you click on the icon at top right you learn that even the website itself runs on a fully solar powered server: https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/power.html So if the website is unavailable, you can reasonably guess that the weather has been cloudy of late in Barcelona There is also a lot of interesting info on that page. E.g. their up time plummeted after they upgraded to a new Linux kernel which increased the average power usage of the server by 0.3 Watts (from 1.2 to 1.5 W). ...And solar panels are bloody expensive too; guess I'm just gonna have to start pedalling faster!

Does anyone have any experience with Windows 10 AME? It looks like an interesting project: https://ameliorated.info/ See both the build info and FAQ for more details: https://ameliorated.info/#modal_buildinfo https://wiki.ameliorated.info/doku.php?id=faq I'm not sure about using it as a main system – I would want the default user with admin privileges for sure, though I'm also not too concerned about not having the latest security updates, as I consider my own countermeasures to be by far the more significant factor. Though I think it could be nice for a secondary e.g. dedicated gaming machine. Actually, I remember now that that is how I first heard about it. Someone on YouTube happened to be using it for some Linux vs. Windows gaming performance comparisons and the Windows AME build showed a noticeable improvement in performance compared to the other version tested (I can't recall if it was vs. standard or LTSC, but I can probably dig out the video if anyone is interested).

I have to agree with a lot of what you have said in your posts. I've taken to leaving my phone switched off, and only switch it on maybe once a week or less if say I'm expecting a delivery, or need an SMS OTA code. It is Android 4, with perfectly working hardware and a battery I can very cheaply and quickly replace in a matter of seconds. The frustration is that an increasing number of apps are no longer supporting Android 4, and even those that claim to are becoming more buggy as they skimp on testing on it. So after getting my mother a new phone earlier this year I managed to inherit her old Android 8 device as part of the deal, and have been fixing it up to be (more or less) Google free. I have to say, that F-Droid is so much nicer to use than Google Play, and that change alone goes a lot of the way towards feeling like I actually own my phone (and anything you really need from the Play store you can get via the Aurora Store alternative front-end). I seriously considered installing /e/OS, and it looks like it has matured a lot over the past couple of years, but apart from losing the default camera app, the main concern I had with it was that it would upgrade me to an Android 10 base, which from hearing from others here I'm not sure is really an upgrade. When I (and most other people) do all the exact same tasks with my phone as I did 10 years ago, on hardware that was perfectly capable of the job then. I really can't understand why everyone feels the need to buy new devices so regularly. And the same goes for our larger computing devices too. To me it really highlights why we so badly need the longer term resilience of open standards along with open source software. On a personal level, I no longer have any desire to expend my limited lifespan towards either developing or learning proprietary systems which are inevitably destined to disappear for one stupid reason or another. I've just had yet another crucial piece of Windows software (that was also relied on by many others – geosetter.de), die on me because of a single developer's personal circumstances. I really feel for people in that position, but if you insist on keeping your babies to yourself, they will never flourish. Oh, this is supposed to be a Windows 11 thread... Ack, nobody cares about Windows 11!

Woahh – duuuude! I go and drop dead again for a couple of months only to return now and discover that in the meantime, you've created a new life, gone on a honeymoon, and picked up a little pocket souvenir along the way! Massive congratulations, I'm so happy for you! ❤️ It is similar for me for time since last desktop purchase; I think ~ 2006 (was AMD X2 + 7600GT). Funnily enough a good friend of mine also got himself a gaming desktop recently around the same time his child came along. I guess it makes for a nice break away from things. He is like you in enjoying a little RGB, though I would have to say I am more with @Papusanon that one and prefer everything to be clean and all black myself. 🙈 Your shopping list is also the perfect proof that I was right to buy my Clevo instead of a desktop when I did, since I knew if I got a desktop I wouldn't be able to resist spending a lot more on it, particularly with the monitor. But man, am I so jealous of that rig now lol. Do I dare ask what the final bill came to? I might have to start doing some calculations regarding the state of my rapidly dwindling savings, and how long more I really want to live for

Apologies for derailing this thread. Perhaps we should move these posts to a separate off-topic thread? I probably should have better said "fair" rather than "egalitarian". I agree that neither "equal opportunities", nor "equal outcomes" is quite the right target, given our different needs and preferences as you state, albeit "fair" may also struggle for being rather vague and subjective by comparison. We also need to be very careful in the conclusions we draw. E.g. it is not rare to encounter people using arguments over the imperfections of an ideal as an excuse to act in a selfish, prejudicial or insensitive manner, and then to claim that this is "natural". It rather seems most natural to me to give water to someone who is thirsty, rather than the absurdity of demanding that they first give you something in return for it. The point is not to aim for an idealised state born out of our imaginations – it will always bring unintended consequences, the more likely devastating the more significant the proposed change – but rather to avoid pitfalls and unnecessary suffering where we can. There are so many areas where we know we could do better, but simply fail to acknowledge out of an overly deontological mindset over how things "should" be. With any human endeavour, including developing a laptop say, the primary questions I first ask is "what are the values of the people behind it", and "what is their true motivation". So, e.g., are those people behind the Framework laptop truly driven by a passion for making the world a better place, simply by profit, a need or desire towards "achievement", something else, or some combination? Because in the end, I tend to find that it is the true underlying motivations that have much more impact over the end result than whatever people might say in public, or even to themselves. Very much agreed. The challenge is how to get people to reflect on their values more considerately within the existing societal framework that actively encourages selfish ambition. Ha! Sorry, I was only having a bit of fun there really. I meant Luddite more in the original sense of being opposed to the utilisation of technology in an exploitative and socially degrading manner, rather than how it is often used in the modern sense of simply being mindlessly opposed to all new technology. Another sad victory for "PR" there it seems. This is where matters get tricky. I don't support holding back technology, but neither do I believe in the myth of progress (i.e. "that civilization has moved, is moving, and will move in a desirable direction" – not to say it can't, or never does, just that it is not some kind of natural law that can be assumed). I agree that we need to better adapt our educational systems, but we also have to recognise that when technology becomes so complicated that no one individual can fully understand every aspect of it, then it becomes very difficult to determine if matters are going in a desirable direction or not. These abstracted systems we build around us take on a life of their own and we too easily find ourselves in servitude to them without a good understanding of what outcome we are actually working towards. And any outcome which involves "leaving people behind", doesn't sound like a good one to me, though it is hard to say for sure without knowing what that means in practice. Again I would say this comes back to our basic values and motivations. There's no point complaining about how corporate CEOs act, if you accept in your own life, and from those around you, to compromise on ethics in the name of convenience and personal gain. This behaviour is all around us in the services, products and people that we choose to support over others. To my mind, it is exactly the same behaviour, just on a different scale. Most people utilise conformity as a simple heuristic stand-in for "doing the right thing". This is "the banality of evil" (ref. Hannah Arendt) and one of those deep challenges of human psychology. The other important point here is to not get too wrapped up in modern preconceptions over how people are, but to look at the actual anthropological evidence (which often flies in the face of "common wisdom"), and wider historical context. Our species has been around for a quarter of a million years or so, and within that time we've managed to develop societies that appear to have been stable in certain regions for tens of thousands of years. It's only in that tiny scratch of history of the past 20,000 years that we've being trying out this newfangled agriculture and civilisation business. So far it's been a bit of a mess, but it's early days yet. And the basic psychology surrounding how we interact with each other hasn't changed much in that time. So I think we could do worse that consider what were the important factors that allowed people to live in peace and stability together for so long, and if we really cannot adapt some of these lessons for modern times. E.g. a common element found in stable societies is their suppression of ego, whereas in modern Western society we idolise it. In summary I would say that with all of these issues it is best to start with taking responsibility for working on yourself and your own psychology. It is a difficult enough challenge really that once you're really put the effort into it, it is difficult to be overly critical of other people's failings. And finally, don't take anything I say too fanatically. My interest always lies more in getting people to think more carefully rather than arguing for any given perspective.

From the way Notebookcheck reviews are written, I've always been under the impression that the PWM controller is a part of the screen itself: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Why-Pulse-Width-Modulation-PWM-is-such-a-headache.270240.0.html I had a quick look and found this thread which also seems to support this being the case: https://forums.tomsguide.com/threads/pwm-is-controlled-by-screen-or-motherboard.431490/

Looks like it's not really intended for regular desktop use, but still possible to use it as such if you'd particularly like to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYffFkbO14A

Thank you for raising this most fundamental point. The more complicated technology becomes, the less egalitarian it is liable to be in its deployment. If nobody can understand it outside of a few specialists, the more naturally it will become centralised and used to leverage power by the controlling few. To have a truly resilient society we require the sort of flexibility and adaptability that is founded on a degree of community self-sufficiency. So I'm not sure any technology can be considered ethical if it cannot be freely deployed and maintained by anyone with a need for it. Keeping things as simple as possible and avoiding any unnecessary excess or complexity would therefore seem to me to be a central value of importance. ...And yes, the older I get, the more of a Luddite I find myself becoming.

Any particular reason you need an integrated DVD drive, or might an external USB one suffice?

If it's intended as a gaming rig I'd be tempted to give Nobara a whirl: https://nobaraproject.org/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtY_KPgHCWE

A new CAPTCHA alternative: https://www.extremetech.com/internet/339949-cloudflare-announces-privacy-friendly-alternative-to-captcha https://blog.cloudflare.com/turnstile-private-captcha-alternative/

So basically a larger form factor Pockit? Sounds good to me. I suppose it makes sense to start small, but would certainly be great to see more expansive variants in the future.

https://www.pockit.ai/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3F9OtH2Xx4 For those of us who wanted something even more flexible than a Framework laptop 😃 Wasn't sure whether to put this here as a "gadget" or in General, or somewhere else.. so feel free to move this thread to a new home :)

Thanks for the update! The Code looks like a nice option if only distributed in the US so far.

No idea! There's been some kind of revolution it seems, and now I am as pure and free as a newborn child 💥💀👻😵😰🙈🙉🙊❤️😊😛

Yeah, Descent must have been the first 3D one for me too. Or maybe a racing game called "Big Red Racing" if anyone remembers that. Crazy fun! 😃

Indeed, looks like an interesting option for certain business use cases, or could be nice even for a HTPC like he mentioned in the vid.

No worries, but thanks anyway!

Note from the Github page in case it is of relevance: Important Notes ... NTPort library might give you an error message during the installation, but this can be ignored as the driver will still be installed