Re: Star Lite Linux laptop

Stephane Tougard <[email protected]> wrote:

> ["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.hardware.]
Ignored since I read it in alt.comp.hardware.  Original Newsgroups
header restored.

>> Tiger Taurus <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Has anyone tried one of these? Any good?
>>> https://starlabs.systems/pages/lite-mk-iii
>
> Beside that, I guess nobody has tried one of those because they are on
> Pre-order only. But I'm curious to get some feedback as well.

web.archive.org lists the first instance of this web page was recorded
back on June 22, 2020, and it was on pre-order back then (for $421).  3
months later it is still available only via pre-order.  If you want to
see their production schedule, see:

https://support.starlabs.systems/status

Guess delivery depends on when you enlisted in their pre-order sales.
From "Mk IV's are on their way to us" hints that someone else is making
their laptops and they just slap their sticker to brand them as theirs.
From https://starlabs.systems/pages/about-us, I got a grin from the
comments on "pub" and "pints".  They say they started with Clevo
(https://www.clevo.com.tw/) as their supplier, but have tooled up to
make their laptops themselves.  Okay, they why does their product status
mention they are still waiting for shipments?

Back then, they listed Pentium Silver N5030 as the CPU.  Now they're
listing the Pentium Silver N5000 as the CPU.  The differences between
then and now, and for the SAME model, are:

		Then		Now
Price:		$421		$431
Processor:	N5030 CPU	N5000 CPU
Faster:		34% @ 3.1GHz 	29% @ 2.7GHz	(burst, not sustained)
Charger:	65W		60W		(different units)
Open warranty:	Not mentioned	Yes
Preinstalled OS:5 listed	6 listed	(MX Linux added)

They claim "faster", "lighter", and other superlatives but never
actually expose against what they are comparing.  Faster than what?
Lighter than what?  They're even crappier Mk I or II models?  They don't
say.  They have asterisked some specs, but no matching note for the
asterisked comments.  Guess you're supposed to visit their Compare page,
where they compare against their notebook with a larger screen (13")
hence the obvious reason why the MK III is lighter (11").  The Compare
page was available for their current product page.  web.archive.org
didn't have their Compare page archived back on Jun-22-2020.  There are
other comparisons they deliberately omitted, like the MK III has a 480p
camera versus the 720p in their 13" model.

The MK III has the same 7-hour battery up-time as the 13" comparison
model; however, another reason besides the smaller screen for their
claim of weight reduction is that the comparison model has a bigger
battery for use with the bigger screen.  So, the MK III gives you a
smaller screen and smaller battery to reduce weight but with a 2"
smaller screen and definitely less robust CPU.

Have to wonder how they can claim their MK III is faster than their 13"
model.  The MK III has a 1.1GHz quad-core N5000, 2.7GHz burst, 4MB cache
versus their 13" which has a 2.1GHz dual-core i3, 4.1GHz burst, 4MB
cache.  Two extra cores will look good in benchmarking, not in actual
use.  The same 2400MHz DDR memory is listed for both yet they claim
their MK III has 33% faster memory.  In their product description, they
omit noting the MK III uses the UHD 605 integrated controller versus the
UHD 620 in the 13" comparison model.  A comparison of them is noted at
https://tinyurl.com/y6j4r8cs.  I also saw reviews noting the MK III had
problems rendering web pages at Facebook which many users expect to
visit.

The MK III reminds me of my first smartphone.  That was before I knew
much about smarphones and based my purchase on brand (Samsung),
marketing, misleading model numbering, and price.  Boy, was I sorry I
got that one.  Way too slow.  For example, I was at the dentist office,
wanted to check my schedule, and after 2 minutes gave up waiting for my
phone to come up and told them to just go ahead and make the
appointment.  The MK III looks like a very low entry level netbook, but
perhaps sufficient for low-level Linux demands.  The OP never revealed
how he expects to use a laptop and only Linux.