System76
System76 is an American computer manufacturer headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company designs, builds, and sells Linux‑based laptops, desktops, and servers, and it develops its own Ubuntu‑derived operating system, Pop!_OS.
History
- 2005 – System76 was founded by Carl Richell and Kirk McDonald with the goal of providing high‑quality computers pre‑installed with Linux.
- 2007–2010 – Early product lines focused on desktop towers and small form‑factor PCs, all shipped with Ubuntu.
- 2012 – Introduced the first laptop line, the Lemur, featuring solid‑state storage and long battery life.
- 2015 – Launched the Serval and Oryx Pro laptop families, expanding into high‑performance and workstation markets.
- 2017 – Announced the Pop!_Linux (later renamed Pop!_OS) distribution, tailored for System76 hardware.
- 2020 – Released the Meerkat and Galago Pro laptops, emphasizing gaming and creator workflows.
- 2022‑present – Continued growth with new models (e.g., Adder, Bonobo, Pangolin) and expanded server offerings.
Products
Laptops
- Oryx Pro – High‑performance laptop with NVIDIA RTX graphics, up to 64 GB RAM.
- Adder – Thin‑and‑light ultrabook with Intel Evo platform.
- Bonobo – Mid‑range laptop aimed at developers and students.
- Pangolin – Gaming‑oriented laptop with dedicated GPU and high‑refresh display.
Desktops & Workstations
- Thelio series – Modular desktop chassis (Thelio, Thelio Major, Thelio Mega) with customizable components.
- Thelio Edge – Compact workstation for space‑constrained environments.
Servers
- Thelio Server – Rack‑mountable and tower server options, supporting up to dual Xeon CPUs and extensive storage configurations.
Accessories
- Monitors, keyboards, mice, docking stations, and custom‑branded bags designed to complement System76 hardware.
Software
Pop!_OS
Pop!_OS is a free, open‑source Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTS releases. It includes:
- A customized GNOME desktop with tiling window manager support.
- Optimized drivers for NVIDIA and AMD GPUs.
- System76 firmware and power‑management tools.
- Pre‑installed development tools and scientific packages.
Pop!_OS receives regular updates and is also offered as a download for non‑System76 hardware.
Firmware & Drivers
System76 provides proprietary firmware updates through the firmware utility, ensuring seamless hardware‑software integration and security patches.
Business Model & Philosophy
- **Open source first** – All hardware specifications, drivers, and firmware are released under permissive licenses where possible.
- **Privacy‑focused** – No telemetry is collected without explicit user consent.
- **Community‑driven** – The company maintains active forums, Discord, and GitHub repositories where users can contribute code, report bugs, and request features.
Reception & Impact
System76 is frequently praised for:
- Robust Linux compatibility out‑of‑the‑box.
- High build quality and customer support.
- Pioneering the “Linux‑first” hardware market, encouraging other manufacturers to adopt similar practices.
Critiques often point to higher price points compared to mainstream Windows laptops, though many users consider the added value of native Linux support worthwhile.