[Trisquel-users] How much x86 power are we excluded from?

[janeandreas]

I know that only a subset of the x86 architecture is fully open, so what are  
we missing out on by using Linux , not to mention Linux-libre as a kernel?

Another question I have is do you think software or hardware is more  
important? I am involved with Qi-hardware, who makes copyleft hardware but so  
far I cannot do what I want with those projects. I can, however, if I use the  
normal gnu/linux-libre on a laptop with non-free hardware (but that does work  
by accident with Free software). The question for me is why persist so long  
using a system that will not release all its details or features to us as  
hackers? The tyranny of x86 is alive and well and I feel tethered to it  
because I can't do decent animation or graphics design without an x86  
machine. However, maybe that tyranny is lessened by the fact that I use Libre  
software on the x86 hardware? Still, the fact that I have to use the chip at  
all annoys me deeply. The only other architecture that MAY work acceptibly is  
ARM, but I think there are similar freedom issues there ie it's just as  
secret. Plus there aren't many ARM laptops out there...

Perhaps you all here think that once you have Free Software all is solved  
though because spy and anti-features cannot be activated, not as easy to  
track, etc.