Attractive enough to be openly displayed: System76 launches Thelio line of open source, US-built desktop computers

[BillG]

https://liliputing.com/2018/11/syst...0_4JZpoY3yayGKMwL5CFz6a7OOFZJUIsI8kOeWaLF9SlM

 

[Sal1950]

Kool, I wish them well.
I wonder the size of the available market for such a product?
The numbers of serious desktop computer users has shrunk enormously over the last decade.
High end sales are AFAIK largely a gamer market.
Gaming on a Linux OS can be very challenging.
I spent near a decade in the development and marketing of a Linux distro and know very well the challenges it faces in the desktop market.
What am I missing here?

 

[Blumlein 88]

I don't get it. I use a Lenovo home server box. It is very inexpensive. Has lots of space for HD's and plenty of nice features for 10% the cost of these. I drop my favorite Linux on it and in under an hour away you go. If you need higher performance, the same line of home servers goes on up to the Xeon line of processors for very serious server use or high performance home desktop use. What is the big money getting you other than the appearance?

Then as Sal is saying, the market for home desktop machines has plummeted. I can't see business use for this type of product at those prices. Maybe they know more than I do, but this looks like a complete non-starter to me. If the pricing was much lower it might find a niche. But in a shrinking market I don't see this as going anywhere.

Open source is about high performance, low cost, and abundant choice. These are nothing special in performance, high cost and in one sense seem to limit your choices.

 

[Sal1950]

Open source is about high performance, low cost, and abundant choice.

Something more like this? $435.00
https://chimpbox.us/cart/store/?pID=44

 

[BillG]

I don't get it. I use a Lenovo home server box. It is very inexpensive. Has lots of space for HD's and plenty of nice features for 10% the cost of these. I drop my favorite Linux on it and in under an hour away you go. If you need higher performance, the same line of home servers goes on up to the Xeon line of processors for very serious server use or high performance home desktop use. What is the big money getting you other than the appearance?

Then as Sal is saying, the market for home desktop machines has plummeted. I can't see business use for this type of product at those prices. Maybe they know more than I do, but this looks like a complete non-starter to me. If the pricing was much lower it might find a niche. But in a shrinking market I don't see this as going anywhere.

Open source is about high performance, low cost, and abundant choice. These are nothing special in performance, high cost and in one sense seem to limit your choices.

Appearances are everything, dahling. Go back to playing in the shed...

 

[BillG]

https://system76.com/desktops

 

[Grave]

So, overpriced pre-made PC's? Build your own instead.

 

[maxxevv]

https://system76.com/desktops

The aesthetics (as with all things being subjective), just isn't to my tastes. Good luck with pushing the business model though.

 

[BillG]

So, overpriced pre-made PC's? Build your own instead.

I've built scores of PC's in my lifetime, and at this stage in my career as a software engineer, my time is valued at several hundred dollars per hour.

So, I'm going to relax for the reminder of my days and let others do the work I no longer wish to, as I find it boring. But, good luck in the shed...

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Some will buy it, after all on Computer Audiophile there are scores of people buying very expensive computer to perform a mundane task ( Audio is mundane!!).... In the here and now , I wish them well but am not seeing them making a big splash on the market. There is not much to differentiate these, not even the aesthetics which is a step in a different direction but hardly anything to notice.

 

[Thomas savage]

I bet @Blumlein 88 shed is a hoot, not sure about @Grave shed but I’d much rather hang out in Dennis shed than buy some fancy fake furniture looking pc.

 

[Sal1950]

after all on Computer Audiophile there are scores of people buying very expensive computer

Oh man, don't bring up that group. If you don't spend $10k on the box and at least half a dozen widgets, doggels, noise reduction products, grounding boxes, etc, etc; your not with the in-crowd.
All for a job easily accomplished on a NUC. LOL

 

[garbulky]

This seems to be for a specific audience.
The obvious thing is that you can get a nice windows computer for less than what they are charging. Just the CPU alone no monitor they are asking a grand for the cheapest one. And if you are just trying to browse the internet you can get windows machines for a whole lot less! You can get laptops for a lot less!

However these machines seem to have some really nice specs. For me, these would be for gaming or video editing stuff.
Unfortunately Linux for gaming. Sure you can, but do you really want to over Windows?
Video editing yes. But their add on slow-joe moving HDD drives are quite pricey. Their base model with no large HDD included is still too expensive and inadequate for video editing. So clearly the base model with no add ons is not meant for video editing.

What I can deduce is this is a machine for somebody who likes Linux and who wants it premade, looks good, and knows they are getting pretty fast stuff and doesn't care about the cost. This is just not a high value option

 

[Sal1950]

What I can deduce is this is a machine for somebody who likes Linux and who wants it premade, looks good, and knows they are getting pretty fast stuff and doesn't care about the cost.

But doesn't sound much like a "linux" guy.
Just sayin

 

[Blumlein 88]

Oh man, don't bring up that group. If you don't spend $10k on the box and at least half a dozen widgets, doggels, noise reduction products, grounding boxes, etc, etc; your not with the in-crowd.
All for a job easily accomplished on a NUC. LOL

Couldn't you spend $10K on Paul Pang cables inside the computer? That is before you purchase reclockers, retimers, cleaners, and de-evilizers for the USB connection. Each of which need specialized linear power supplies. And even when done with all that, sound quality varies within bit identical files somehow.

 

[Sal1950]

And even when done with all that, sound quality varies within bit identical files somehow.

It's the mystery of digital reproduction, the magic dust that floats upon and within the data stream. The addition of a invisible sub-code that modulates one and zeros in a way that is not yet measurable. but is VERY audible in long term sighted listening sessions. Blah blah blah

 

[BillG]

Whatever. Your mother and I will enjoy looking at it when she cums over later... ;-)

 

[Thomas savage]

Whatever. Your mother and I will enjoy looking at it when she cums over later... ;-)

Come on old chap you’ve been a bit defensive in this thread, I’m sensing a great butt hurt in the force. These guys are famously cheap and they put a vertebrae out just looking at needlessly expensive items like this.

Sounds like your doing ok for yourself, maybe you can pay thier chiropractor bill.

We are all friends here, the ‘ ya mama’ jokes have to be used with care lol

 

[watchnerd]

Appearances are everything, dahling. Go back to playing in the shed...

Sure, but it doesn't look that good.

 

[Sal1950]

Whatever. Your mother and I will enjoy looking at it when she cums over later... ;-)

A bit over the top and uncalled for don't ya think?