Would love to hear some thoughts on the System 76 laptops. I'm tempted by the 15" Gazelle Pro, but haven't heard any first-hand accounts from real users.
It's fast and quiet, the keyboard and touchpad are decent, and the screen is mostly good. I don't know about new ones, but that version is SUPER easy to clean out: remove one panel and the fan comes out letting you clean the heatsink. It doesn't collect dust really, but it was handy because replacing the thermal paste made it run quieter after the original stuff dried out.
The only issues I've ever had with it are that small amounts of dust got behind the display panel but in front of the backlight, leaving fuzzy outlines visible. It's probably not an issue for most people though because I've taken this laptop camping in the desert...
The other problem is the battery has degraded over time. Originally I got 5+ hours of battery life, but right now it lasts maybe 40 minutes. Replacements can be had relatively cheaply, but I just never got around to getting one.
I like:
- All versions of Debian and Ubuntu work flawlessly (no pre-purchase research necessary)
- Sturdy (knock on wood)
- Easy to take apart (for cleaning or upgrades)
- Nice screen
- Keyboard with numeric keypad
I dislike:
- Very rarely (once in a month[1]), the touchpad acquires consciousness.
I am neutral:
- It's not silent but I did not expect silence when I purchased it with the latest i7 at the time.
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The Gazelle looks very much like what I have. I like it :) The price is fair too. Btw, I didn't know it came with a Matte option.
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Disclaimer: I'm a happy (would-be repeat) customer and have no ties to system76.
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[1] I contacted system76 support and they told me that either they could send me a replacement touchpad (to replace it myself) or I could ship it back to them for repairs under warranty. I decided not to bother with either.
I had been considering one of their laptops due to the apparent extensive Linux support and wonderful "unicorns and puppies" praise on some of the Jupiter Broadcasting podcasts (until it hit me that System 76 is a huge sponsor and so they wouldn't be saying anything negative about them) but the comments I just read caused me to strike them from my short list.
[0]: https://captnemo.in/blog/2014/07/04/galago-ultra-pro-review/