| ThinkPad T420 | Pinebook Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream kernel | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open BIOS | ✓1 | ✓ |
| Sane bootloader | BIOS | uBoot |
| Open display firmware | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open wireless firmware | ✗ | ✗ |
| Wireless kill switch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth 5.0 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Storage | 500G | 64G |
| Upgradable storage | ✓ | ✓ |
| RAM | 16G | 4G |
| Upgradable memory | ✓ | ✗ |
| Weight | 2.2kg | 1.3kg |
| Battery life | 3.5-5.8 hours | 6-8 hours |
| Replacable battery | ✓ | requires screwdriver |
| User-serviceable parts | ✓ | some |
| HD video playback | ✓ | good luck |
| Usable web browsing | ✓ | good luck |
| Price | $150 (eBay) | $200 (Pine store) |
| Release year | 2011 | 20192 |
The Pinebook Pro is a decent laptop. It is lightweight, has a good display, and a good battery life. I am happy with Pine64 as a company and think that it is a good product. There is a place for it in my life. Pine64 has their heart in the right place and I support them and buy their products because I want them to succeed.
But, is this the best the modern laptop industry can come up with? As a workstation, it doesn't compete. The performance of the ARM CPU is absolutely put to shame by the 8 year old T420, even for basic tasks. Is this 8 years of advancement in the state of the art?
Get your shit together, laptop vendors. Fuck's sake.
1: Aftermarket via coreboot
2: Limited release, full release in 2020