Ciao,
vi segnalo questo articolo che mi lascia un po' perlesso.
Non ho verificato le fonti.
saluti
matteo
matteo marchesi
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*Feed:* It's F.O.S.S.
*Posted on:* Monday, March 06, 2017 10:38 PM
*Author:* Abhishek Prakash
*Subject:* Here Is An elementary OS Powered Linux Laptop BUT…
Year of the Linux desktop might not have arrived, but the year of Linux
laptop is certainly here.
Only a few weeks back we saw a dedicated laptop specially tweaked for KDE
Neon <https://itsfoss.com/slimbook-kde/>. Today we have got a new laptop
series running elementary OS by default.
elementary OS is a Linux distribution mostly focused on the design element.
This aesthetic OS is often considered the best Linux distribution that
looks like MacOS <https://itsfoss.com/macos-like-linux-distros/>.
To cash on the beauty of elementary OS, a new, rather unknown company has
revealed a Chromebook like laptop series: Litebook. It is basically a 14″
laptop running on elemnetary OS. The hardware configuration is in the range
of entry level Chromebooks and so is the price tag ($249).
Litebook specification
[image: Litebook elementary OS]
- Litebook boasts of the following configuration:
- 14.1-inch Full HD (1920×1080)
- Intel Quad-Core processor running at 1.6 GHz
- Graphics: Intel HD 400
- 4GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 512GB HDD (can be upgraded to SSD for additional price)
- 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0
- 2 USB 3.0 ports
- 1 HDMI port
- 1 Ethernet port
- MicroSD card reader
- 720px webcam
- 1.3 KG weight
- 9 hours battery claimed
- Price starts from $249, shipping extra
Litebook also claims to have modified elementary OS to make it more
compatible with Litebook hardware. It also claims that “come without
performance hogging bloatware” and at the same time Skype, Spotify and
bunch of other software are installed by default.
[image: Bloatware on LiteBook]
Read this before you buy Litebook
Usually, I am generous with new small companies trying to build a business
around Linux and Open Source. I even covered Novatio gaming console that
has claimed to run Windows games on Linux
<https://itsfoss.com/project-novatio-linux-console/>.
But there are way too many red flags with Litebook here that I just cannot
ignore it and encourage you to buy it.
A company has no name or address!
First thing, there is simply no mention of the company and its people. The
best you know is that it is called Alpha and perhaps based in Florida
(guessing from its terms of service
<https://litebook.store/terms-of-service/>). There is no office address, no
telephone number etc. At least, I couldn’t find it.
There is no whois data available for the domain. The so-called company
exists only through a website. There is no social media presence (not that
it brings trust) except a Reddit account
<https://www.reddit.com/user/LitebookTeam>.
Using ‘fake’ images of the product
What is even worse that the images shared on the website are actually stock
images lifted from the internet and the screenshot of elementary OS has
been photoshopped on it. As a Reddit user noticed <http://imgur.com/a/iaw9V>
it:
[image: Litebook is a scam]
This image is taken from this website
<http://www.kantu.com/ST10415I471641605794.html>. What is disturbing is
that the Litebook deliberately ignored this question in the Reddit thread
<https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/5wkwcl/we_are_launching_a_laptop_that_runs_elementary_os/#bottom-comments>
.
It is a bulk order of cheap laptop from Chinese retail Alibaba
[image: Litebook bulk order from China]
As a lover of detective fiction, I put my little gray cells to use and
found something interesting on Alibaba <https://www.alibaba.com>. Alibaba
is an online portal from where you can bulk order inexpensive stuff from
China.
What I found here is that it is a product supplied in bulk from BBEN
<http://en.bben.com/index.html>. The website of Litebook even shares the same
images that are displayed on Alibaba
<https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Cheap-Chinese-Laptops-14-inch-Notebook_60508703107.html?spm=a2700.7724838.0.0.hKoQCW>
.
Windows laptop of same configuration available for $150 on Alibaba for
orders above 300 units.
So basically it is a bulk purchase from China and then a custom build of
elementary OS is installed on it. It’s not illegitimate at all but then it
does raise questions about why a legitimate business is not using real
pictures, leave aside videos.
elementary is not associated with Litebook
Now, the only reason why you might buy Litebook is for your love of
elementary OS. You may think that elementary OS might be associated with it
and get some part of the sales generated by Litebook.
Well, Litebook says that it will give $2-3 per sale to elementary OS’ bug
bounty program
<https://bugs.launchpad.net/elementary/+bugs?orderby=-importance&field.status%3Alist=CONFIRMED&field.status%3Alist=TRIAGED&field.tag=bounty&field.omit_dupes=on&field.has_branches=on&field.has_no_branches=on&field.has_blueprints=on&field.has_no_blueprints=on&search=Search>
.
But when I contacted elementary OS on Twitter, I was told that while they
are ‘kind of’ aware of Litebook, they are not associated with it.
@itsfoss <https://twitter.com/itsfoss> we're loosely aware of its existence
but we have no involvement
— elementary (@elementary) March 6, 2017
<https://twitter.com/elementary/status/838833868266319872>
elementary also told me that they might release an official statement on it
since it is being sold as elementary laptops.
Is Litebook a scam?
Bulk order from China and then selling it by installing elementary OS
doesn’t qualify as a scam. But then, the company has no face, no physical
address, nothing. And that’s what worries me.
These days when even a concept is launched with videos among other details,
Litebook doesn’t have a single video to show to Linux users. Forget video,
I think there are no real pictures of the product itself.
*Update*: I finally found a video on their YouTube channel
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OffCSaAPaT0>.
In the Reddit Q&A, Litebook deliberately dodged questions about its
authenticity and usage of fake images.
See, I don’t want to discourage the people behind Litebook but I would like
to see more transparency here. The entire thing is being run as an amateur,
not as a professional business.
Until more details emerge, I would NOT advise you to place an order.
Meanwhile, you can surely surf Litebook website for some details:
Litebook <https://litebook.store>
Will You Buy A Litebook?
( )
Yes
( )
No
ResultsVote
View article... <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ItsFoss/~3/fV7XU_-eZx0/>
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