Finally a Linux "Chrome book"! Pine64 (single board computer maker) in the very near future will release a laptop with their top of line single board computer embedded into it. The laptop will offer Android, Ubuntu (Mate), Arch Linux (XFCE) and Debian (Jessie), and Windows (IOT) Distro's /OS. You'll have a choice between 11.6' ($89) or 14' screen ($99) lapt tops, here are the specs. What's also cool, you can expand the PineBook storage to 256 via a mini SD card. This laptop possibly could be an option of those who've been curious about Linux but unwilling to invest a couple of hundred dollars into a computer without any prior experience or understanding of the OS.

I ordered a 14' model and if you can wait, I'll tell if its any good. As with all new tech these days... give or take 18 months, Pine will probably come out with a greatly improved PineBook. This is just the nature of the beast, so if you don't want to purchase twice and can delay instant gratification... I'd wait a couple of months after the PineBook's formal release. Here's a link, pic, and specs below.

PineBook

CPU :

RAM :

Flash:

Wireless :

USB 2.0 Port :

MicroSD Card Slot :

Mini HDMI :

Headphone Jack :

Microphone :

Keyboard :

Touch-pad :

Power :

Battery :

Display :

Front Camera :

Dimension :

Weight :

64-Bit Quad-Core ARM Cortex A53

2 GB LPDDR3 RAM Memory

16 GB eMMC 5.0

WiFi 802.11bgn + Bluetooth 4.0

2

1

1

1

Built-in

Full Size Keyboard

Large Multi-Touch Touchpad

Input: 100~240V, Output: 5V3A

Lithium Polymer Battery (10000mAH)

11.6" or 14" IPS LCD (1280 x 720)

1.2 Megapixels

352mm x 233mm x 18mm (WxDxH)

1.2 kg (2.65 lbs)

Apple Macbook Pro

Pros: Great hardware, excellent display, top of the line touchpad... nobody does better than Apple in this area.

Cons: Way OVER priced ( the hardware is 4 years old for Christ Sake!) for its performance, Single USB Type-C port frustrating, accessories expensive, Shallow key travel makes for uncomfortable typing.

If you've purchased a MacBook Pro in the past 4/5 years, if it works smoothly... I'd advise you to keep it. Because all you are doing is purchasing the same damn computer you purchased 4 years ago for a couple of hundred / thousands dollars more. Throw in the facts the computer can only be maxed out to 16GB RAM ( because anything higher would have compromised battery usage) the processor is a generation old... you'd be a sucker to purchase one. Point blank if you need a MAC purchase a refurbished one. I'm done with Apple, they basically built a machine that looks good and sacrificed form over function. The Macbook Pro's are a bitch to take apart and to put back together again, they'll cost if you need anything repaired. Buy as much RAM as you'll think you'll need because won't be able to upgrade, RAM is soldered in.

If you have a 2011 -2014 MacBook Pro: Upgrade your RAM (you can max out to 16GB and purchase a 500 /1TB SSD Samsung hard drive. Your computer will fly... save your bucks for something else.

Open Sources Cloud software.

If you are interested in paying for Cloud storage have trust issues (and your should) with other securing your data on company cloud severs, here's an option: Nextcloud Box, Nextcloud is a fork OWNcloud (opensoruce) ... basically Next wanted to make some money, while OWN depends on donations. This is an easy option for a pre-configured cloud system that will get you own your way withing minutes. Apple and Android an apple in their stores so you can access your data from your Next Box that's connected to your router. At this time Next doesn't appear to br charging a sub fee for people who use their software for personal use... those who choose Nextcloud in the enterprise will be charged.

You can play all those retro games from Nintendo and Sega via a Raspberry Pi 2 / 3: The OS is called Lakka and now there's a game controller that is compatible with Raspi Pi. So if you missed out on the new retro Nintendo boxes you can get basically get the same thing with this set-up and a controller that works.

Backdoor in Chinese Made Smartphone.

If you happen to own an Android Smart-phone made by Coolpad, guess what? Cooldpad phones are sending all your data back to China. Surprise, surprise... more details here.

...that laptop is an interesting development - so it's not an Intel chip???!! That's quite unusual! ....excellent, excellent, the more Linux boxen that come out, the better - Will any ever make their way to India...? ....and will we ever know what happened to KoolEaze's Linux adventures..??

domainator2010 said:

...that laptop is an interesting development - so it's not an Intel chip???!! That's quite unusual! ....excellent, excellent, the more Linux boxen that come out, the better - Will any ever make their way to India...? ....and will we ever know what happened to KoolEaze's Linux adventures..??

Nope, all Pine is doing is putting their top fo the line SBC into a laptop. This one, Pine A64 Board, 2GB

I'll assume Pine will have to make some engineering modifications to the Pine64 board... its basically the Linux version of Google Chrome book. For those interested in media ,I don't think it willl run Kodi... just as Chromes don't but I'm not for sure. I read somewhere Pine folks viollated the GPL agreement so Kodi won't touch them with a ten foot pole. Be that as it may, this could be a game changer in introducing Linux Platform to children as well as many adults who still don't know what Linux is. I see no reason why Pinebook wouldn't be sold in India.

...OK, for anyone who's interested, the Korora Project has released a new version (this thing should play songs n videos out the box!):

https://kororaproject.org/

...now if you've grown fond of Linux, then why're you in the market for a Mac...?

...Hey, you do video editing - you're a movie maker?? COOL! What do you work on?