Librem 13v2 Four Years Later

Librem
#1

This is my note of thanks to the Purism team and those of you on this forum that keep folx like me running without interruption.

Four years ago, I bought a Librem 13 laptop. I’ve used it as my personal laptop for activities such as software development, getting my Ph.D. in Computer Science, writing books, editing cartoons, and general shenanigans. Overall, I have to report that I am incredibly pleased with the laptop and how well it has met my needs since getting it.

I carefully use my power charger, literally unplugging it at around 85% and plugging it back in around 40%. I have a little notification configured to tell me. According to upower, my battery health is still at 94% after many such sessions. My screen is A-OK, for what that’s worth. I never seemed to have the same WiFi problems that others had. I hate the keyboard, but have grown accustomed to it over the years. The trackpad is fine, but I don’t really use it all that much.

Most of my professional life has been spent on OpenBSD and Windows. While I’d played with some GNU/Linux distros over my life, I never really leaned into them, other than when I had to. But, I wanted some open hardware which led me to Purism and the Librem 13.

I ordered the laptop, a PureOS stick, and a Librem Key. I configured the laptop with stock RAM and storage, then separately ordered proper (fast and large) drives and memory sticks that I installed as soon as I had the laptop. A PureOS install later, I was up and running. I got i3 installed (because overlapping windows are silly for me), and customized the rest of my installation.

My first woe came about three months later. I was on an in-person contract about 1,500 miles away from home when the power adapter just stopped working. I sent an email to support and they sent a new adapter to me overnight to the office where I was working from. I was without my laptop for all of a couple of hours (because I powered it down at about 30%).

And, that was the only problem I’ve ever had with the laptop. The replacement power adapter that I received still faithfully works for me to this day.

I have thought about “upgrading” to a Librem 14. But, each time I put it into my cart, I don’t submit the order because my Librem 13 is such a nice little machine. I really like it. It’s almost as good as a ThinkPad I once had running OpenBSD back in the late '90s. (The ThinkPad had a better keyboard. :wink:)

I now run sway, in case anyone cares. :full_moon_with_face:

6 Likes
#2

Librem 14 it is the best GNU+Linux x86 machine up to date IMHO. I own one.

Purism :heart:

#3

@carlosgonz Thank you for that review. It might change my purchase decision next time I put a Librem 14 in my cart. It happens about once every six months. :sweat_smile:

1 Like
#4

Had mine for 4 years as well and have slowly worked up to almost exclusively using it.

Keyboard, though, yeesh. As a proper touch-typist, I get annoyed at smaller things that most wouldn’t notice. There is a modifier key lag that is probably about 50ms. For instance, if you hit shift, you have to wait 50ms to hit A to get a capital A; it’s something I’ve had to adapt to.

I would like to get another machine as a backup/upgrade but the Librem 14 lacks a right-side full-sized Shift key which would be intolerable.