When comparing Samsung Notebook 9 Pro vs System 76 Lemur, the Slant community recommends Samsung Notebook 9 Pro for most people. In the question“What are the best laptops for programmers who travel/digital nomads?” Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is ranked 7th while System 76 Lemur is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Samsung Notebook 9 Pro is:
With a bit of preparation, such as turning off fastboot and making sure Bios are fully update, installing Linux is not that difficult. Once installed even the touchscreen works, as long as the latest Kernel is installed.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Plays nice with Linux
With a bit of preparation, such as turning off fastboot and making sure Bios are fully update, installing Linux is not that difficult. Once installed even the touchscreen works, as long as the latest Kernel is installed.
Pro Well spaced keyboard
Being that the device has a large body a full sized keyboard is able to fit without any compromises. While the device itself is shallow the keys have a good bit of travel to them.
Pro Beautiful design with great build quality
With a black aluminum body not only is the device a pleasure to look at but is also has a strong build quality.
Pro Very solid full metal case
Pro Ubuntu just works out of the box
System76 machines come with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS pre-installed with all drivers and necessary software ready to go. For Ubuntu users there's no need to install their distro of choice from scratch.
Pro Choice of version of Ubuntu
System 76 allows the user to choose between the LTS release of Ubuntu and the latest release as the installed OS of the shipped device.. While installing a new version of the OS is done easily at home, it is convenient to see that System 76 will do it for you.
Pro Base model is pretty cheap
For $599 this is the cheapest model System 76 sells, who are one of the few companies that sell laptops with Linux installed by default.
Pro Portable
At about 3.6lbs, it's a relatively lightweight laptop that can be easily carried around.
Pro Comes with free lifetime software support
Officially System76 provides free lifetime support for Ubuntu. And they will also try to provide unofficial support for other distros to the best of their abilities.
Pro Great performance
The "medium" build of Lemur (8GB of RAM, i7 CPU) can do most activities just fine. Whether that activity is developing Android applications, writing documents, or editing a 4K video with Kdenlive, the Lemur will not have any problems with lag or overheating.
Cons
Con Trackpad sticks
While being large and mostly accurate the trackpad does stick some.
Con Poor build quality
Like with most System76 products, the build quality for the Lemur is rather poor, especially when you compare it with other laptops at this price point. The plastic feels a bit cheap and flimsy and is not as durable as other laptops.
Con Terrible battery life
Even when just web browsing, the battery will last five hours tops.
Con Screen brightness doesn't go low
Even at minimal brightness, the screen is too bright to comfortably use at night.
Con Limited hinge angle
The hinge only opens to around 120 degrees. This is suitable for desk work. However, on a lap, it could be limiting.
Con US keyboards only
System76 only manufactures laptops with US (American English) keyboard layout. As most other language specific keyboard layouts use a larger number of keys, this is a clear disadvantage to customers from other countries.