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Linux for Microsoft Surface devices. It is reality!
(upload.wikimedia.org)
I would like to share with you a very cool project that develops drivers for correct operation of Microsoft Surface devices on Linux. I myself use Surface Pro 6 with these drivers and everything works like a charm (battery life is good, cameras work, stylus, keyboard, touchscreen, screen). The developers are gods. From myself, I would recommend using Fedora Linux distribution, as I got the best battery life on it and didn't experience any additional bugs. If you don't like GNOME, you can try spins.
Lemmy community. tiddeR community
Links to project resources:
- Home Page.
- Table of supported features.
- Installation Guide.
- Page with known bugs and their solutions.
- Wiki.
Awesome additional resources:
- User experience from Michael Horn.
- Installation instructions (non-official): Link. Link.
I'm somehow really surprised by the linux community embracing the surface. It's a horrible piece of hardware. It's designed to be short lived. Hard to repair or upgrade. Limited connectivity. Etc. I've had user come back with their surface where the battery had pushed the screen out.
It's the best "laptop" I've ever owned. Overly expensive, but it's legitimately the first laptop I've had that hasn't died in a few years. It feels like Microsoft's response to the Mac-book.
It's exceptionally bad if one wishes to repair or upgrade, as you stated. Outside of that though - performance, reliability... it's been pretty good.
As I typed this I remembered that in the past year it's started hard locking seemingly at random requiring a full shutdown via holding the power button. So, not quite as consistent as a Mac-book.
I've supported over the last few years surface pro 4 and hp X2 G4. They are nightmarish devices. The surface pro had constant freeze issues where people had to force restart them, then after two years, the battery wouldn't last, but we couldn't change it, because I believe the screen was glued. We had also keyboard and touchpad issues.
Now the X2, same kind of system as the surface, but we have issues where machines become really, really hot. So hot that some have their heat sink burning the displays. We have issue where dust gets in between the display and webcam. Last but not least, your keyboard will die after two year of use, the small connector gets damaged bye folding the keyboard overtime. Making the machine unusable, overtime. Machines that are out of warranty can't have their keyboard replaced and new keyboard cost a fortune.
Now, if you take any professional grade laptop. Like a Lenovo T or some HP Elite book. You could keep machine in rotation for years after the warranty was over, we had 10+ years old laptop being used as loaner or for short assignments. Because we could upgrade the RAM, HDD->SSD, battery etc. Also don't get me started on the connector, a surface had 1 USB A one mini DP and a proprietary connector. The x2 3 usb-c port.
The surface are very expensive for what they offer.
IMO, hardware should be very important for the linux community, it must be as important as software!
I appreciate your perspective. Clearly handled a lot more devices than I have over the years. My experience is about 3 laptops, and then a Surface with the latter being my best experience.
When upgrading I'll look at your recommendations.
I have a microsoft laptop studio and I love it. I had the previous Surfacebook pro and they have solved everything with the studio.
I'm a huge Linux shill, but man I love the surface pro. It's just such a sexy device lmao. I'll mainly run Windows on it, because I at least need one Windows device for my work. The surface pro 9 has and easily replaceable battery which is a huge draw for me.
I cannot say I agree.
I am a road warrior, a linux admin and a salesman. I have my SP9 ARM and while ARM on Windows has been a disappointment, the hardware is top notch and does everything I need.
Plus I work in very dirty environments, so it is nice to be able to buy a new keyboard when needed
No good alternatives. Very convenient. That's it.
There are hundreds of better alternatives, to a MS surface. For linux enthusiasts, hardware should be very important, as important as the software, OS your running.
In similar format? Which?
Like I said, the format to me is the problem, any similar format will have glued or soldered component. It's highly anti DIY by design.
In a portable computer, I want 14inch screen, Replaceable RAM, SSD and battery, HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, a SIM slot. Maybe SD card and ethernet. I want a laptop format because it's much more comfortable to work on the go. My work PC is a HP X360 1040 G8. It's a pretty solide machine it's not heavy. But HP has soldered the RAM on the motherboard, it has no Network connector and no SD card reader.
HP has also removed the possibility to swap keyboard layouts in their professional range, which is very annoying!
But as people buy into Apple and MS bullshit. Other manufacturers will follow into making computer as unrepairable or upgradable as possible.
So ergo, no real alternatives. People like the 2-in-1 form factor enough for MS to keep on selling them, and that's why there are people who want to run Linux on them.
I agree that we shouldn't support such an unrepairable devices. But it is too good not to use it. Sorry. My principles went away here ๐