Ask HN: Replacing My Pinebook Pro – Recommendations?
I’m looking to replace my Pinebook Pro (old and failing, Pine64 has moved on) and would appreciate advice from anyone with experience using lightweight, Linux-centric laptops.
My main use is coding. I travel often (backpack only), so weight (no more than 1.5kg), size (12-14 inch screen) and durability are important. ARM is preferable but not required. Budget is ideally under $1200. I’d like good Linux compatibility (specifically Arch or Guix), at least a 1920x1080 resolution, decent touchpad, good Wi-Fi, and a couple of USB-C ports. Battery life can be modest—a few hours is fine.
Openness (Coreboot, modularity, open schematics) is a nice-to-have but not a dealbreaker. I’m open to any tradeoffs in weight, or vendor ideology compared to the Pinebook Pro. Performance-wise I don't need much, the PBP's RK3399.
Laptops I’m currently considering:
MNT Reform
OLIMEX TERES-I
StarLite Mk V
Purism Librem 14
Framework Laptop
Something crazy, like an M1 Macbbok with Asahi?
Would love to hear from anyone using these—or anything else that fits this niche. Interested in real-world experiences, reliability, and any gotchas.
It would be x86 based but I've found consistent good support from system76 and would add something of theirs to your list.