[Discuss] Linux on laptops

[Shirley Márquez Dúlcey]

Getting a working desktop computer for $0 or close to it is possible
if you are willing to settle for an old CRT monitor or if you use it
with your TV set. Older flat panel monitors can be inexpensive but are
rarely free, though I did make an excellent find at NEAR-fest last
spring: three 17" flat panels for $10 total. (But no stands or
cables.) Usable laptops aren't quite free but can certainly be had for
well under $100; under $50 if you are lucky.

On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 12:34 PM, Kent Borg <kentborg at borg.org> wrote:
> On 11/12/2015 12:08 PM, Steve Litt wrote:
>>
>> Are you serious? Somebody's soldering in hard drives (SSD or otherwise)?
>
>
> Calm down. I'm just jumping to scurrilous conclusions: everything gets
> soldered in these days.
>
> I figure Chromebooks use soldered eMMC, and a quick Googling suggests so.
>
> Apple? They don't want anyone doing field upgrades with discount parts, so
> they would have reason to solder in their flash. A quick Googling of
> "macbook air teardown" yields an ifixit.com hit from this year: "The flash
> memory is still PCIe-based, and remains, thankfully, removable—at least for
> now.". Seems ifixit.com fears Apple will start soldering any time now.
>
> Once you start building really small (tables, phones) soldering is cheaper,
> more reliable, works better at high frequencies, and is smaller than using
> sockets. These new in-between really thin notebooks? Some will start
> soldering any day now, if they haven't already.
>
>
> But no, circa 2015 I would still expect standard x86-type machines to use
> standard*, removable parts because that is the cheapest and most flexible
> way to do it.
>
>
> -kb
>
>
> * Standard used to be a socketed CPU, but they are getting soldered...
>
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