SDF Chatter

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/165736

At least in the U.S. and Canada, that is.

This was brought to my attention thanks to a Reddit post where a user (presumably a resident of Canada), had posted how Lenovo was shipping laptops with Fedora and Ubuntu at a cheaper price compared to their Windows-equipped counterparts.

Others then chimed in, saying that Lenovo has been doing this since at least 2020 and that the big price difference shows how ridiculous Windows' pricing is.

Cutting the Windows Tax

When I dug in further, I found out that the US and Canadian websites for Lenovo offered U.S. $140 and CAD $211 off on the same ThinkPad X1 Carbon model when choosing any one of the Linux-based alternatives.

US pricing on left, Canadian pricing on right.

Interestingly, while the difference in pricing is noticeable, your mileage may vary if you are looking for such laptops on the official website. Not all models from their laptop lineup, like ThinkPad, Yoga, Legion, LOQ, etc., feature an option to get Linux pre-installed during the checkout process.

Luckily, there is an easy way to filter through the numerous laptops. Just go to the laptops section (U.S.) on the Lenovo website and turn on the "Operating System" filter under the Filter by specs sidebar menu.

Yes, it's as simple as that. You can do the same for the various official online regional storefronts that Lenovo runs to see whether Linux-based operating systems are being offered on their laptops in your country.

Closing Thoughts

It is good to see that Lenovo is offering Linux in its laptops. In fact, there is another big-name laptop manufacturer, Dell, who also does something similar with its Ubuntu-certified laptops, but both have the same constraint of having limited options for buyers.

Also, as far as I know, Dell doesn't reduce the pricing if you choose Linux instead of Windows. Correct me if I am wrong in the comments.

Nonetheless, I think these manufacturers could do a better job in marketing these Linux-based alternative operating systems to general consumers, showing them how they can save big when opting for these instead of the pricey and bloated Windows.

Otherwise, we might have to start observing Windows Refund Day again.

💬 Your take on this? Would mainstream users benefit from having Linux pre-installed on their laptops?

From It's FOSS News via this RSS feed

Republicans were, though, more likely to believe Russian disinformation claims than their Democratic counterparts, with 57.6% falling for at least one Russian disinformation claim, compared with just 17.9% of Democrats and 29.5% of people who didn't identify with one particular party.

https://www.instagram.com/perviscomics

Title is a little sensational but this is a cool project for non-technical folks who may need a mini-internet or data archive for a wide variety of reasons:

"PrepperDisk is a mini internet box that comes preloaded with offline backups of Wikipedia, street maps, survivalist information, 90,000 WikiHow guides, iFixit repair guides, government website backups (including FEMA guides and National Institutes of Health backups), TED Talks about farming and survivalism, 60,000 ebooks and various other content. It’s part external hard drive, part local hotspot antenna—the box runs on a Raspberry Pi that allows up to 20 devices to connect to it over wifi or wired connections, and can store and run additional content that users store on it. It doesn't store a lot of content (either 256GB or 512GB), but what makes it different from buying any external hard drive is that it comes preloaded with content for the apocalypse."

Source: https://bsky.app/profile/beetlemoses.bsky.social

Does anyone know who the original creator is?

Beijing has called on the US to “completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures” if it wants trade talks, in some of China’s strongest comments yet on the impasse between the world’s two economic superpowers.

“The unilateral tariff measures were initiated by the US,” said He Yadong, a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson. “If the US truly wants to solve the problem, it should . . . completely cancel all unilateral tariff measures against China and find a way to resolve differences through equal dialogue.”

Beijing has maintained that the US must make the first move to de-escalate the crisis, which is threatening to spark a hard decoupling between the two countries’ economies.

Chinese analysts argue that the US imposition of high tariffs make it difficult for Beijing to find a way to defuse the crisis.

China’s President Xi Jinping would find it difficult to engage personally with Trump on the trade war unless this was preceded by extensive negotiations to hammer out a deal, they say.

Archive link

Someone toss his ass in prison already!

This executive order makes sweeping changes to Civil Rights. This is the document that the EO is referencing 28 C.F.R. 42.104

Things that the regime hopes to do:

1. Centralize Power by Eliminating Checks and Balances

   • Meritocracy as a Smokescreen:
     • By framing the order as "restoring meritocracy," the regime could dismantle diversity initiatives that promote independent oversight (e.g., civil rights offices, diversity committees).
     • This weakens institutional resistance to authoritarianism by removing advocates for accountability.
   • Loyalty Over Competence:
     • In practice, "merit" could be redefined to prioritize political loyalty rather than objective qualifications.
     • Federal agencies could be purged of dissenting voices and replaced with loyalists, as seen in historical fascist regimes (e.g., Nazi Germany’s Gleichschaltung—coordination of institutions under party control).

2. Suppress Opposition and Marginalized Groups

   • Roll Back Protections for Minorities:
     • By eliminating race or gender-conscious policies, the regime could systematically exclude minority groups from federal employment and contracting.
     • This aligns with fascist tactics of scapegoating certain demographics (e.g., Jews in Nazi Germany, immigrants in other regimes).
   • Legalizing Discrimination:
     • The changes to 28 CFR § 42.104 could make it harder to challenge discriminatory practices in court, as "affirmative action" remedies are restricted.
     • This creates a legal veneer for exclusionary policies.

3. Control the Bureaucracy and Economy

   • Patronage Networks:
     • A fascist regime thrives on patronage—rewarding loyalists with jobs and contracts.
     • By removing diversity requirements, the government could funnel contracts to politically connected allies (e.g., corporate supporters of the regime).
   • Weaken Labor Protections:
     • Merit-based hiring could be used to break unions or activist groups by labeling them as "non-merit" influences.
     • This mirrors historical fascist suppression of labor movements (e.g., Mussolini’s corporatist state).

4. Propaganda and Ideological Control

   • Manufacture a "Pure" National Identity:
     • Fascist regimes often promote myths of national purity (e.g., Nazi "Aryan supremacy").
     • The executive order could be spun as "ending divisive identity politics" and promoting a homogenized national workforce.
   • Scapegoating "Elites" and "Diversity Advocates":
     • The regime might frame diversity initiatives as corrupt or anti-American, rallying supporters against perceived enemies.
     • This is a classic fascist tactic (e.g., Hitler’s attacks on "cultural Marxists").

5. Legal and Institutional Erosion

   • Undermine the Rule of Law:
     • The changes to 28 CFR § 42.104 weaken legal tools to fight discrimination, making it harder to prove systemic bias in court.
     • By altering regulations like 28 CFR § 42.104, the regime could normalize executive overreach—gradually eroding legal protections.
     • This paves the way for more extreme measures (e.g., suspending elections, militarizing law enforcement).
   • Preventing Future Resistance:
     • A workforce stripped of diversity and dissent is easier to control.
     • This aligns with historical fascist strategies of eliminating opposition within institutions (e.g., Nazi purges of "disloyal" civil servants).

Comparison to Historical Fascist Regimes

• Nazi Germany (1930s):
  • Hitler’s Civil Service Law (1933) banned Jews and political opponents from government jobs, framing it as "restoring professionalism."
  • The Enabling Act (1933) allowed Hitler to bypass the legislature—similar to how executive orders can bypass Congress.
• Mussolini’s Italy (1920s-30s):
  • The fascist syndicates replaced independent unions, ensuring loyalty to the state.
  • The Acerbo Law (1923) rigged elections to guarantee fascist dominance.