You should always reinstall the OS anyways. No reason not to really.
Comment on The picture isn't even of my yard
snorkbubs@fedia.io 11 months ago
PSA: Lenovo has gotten in trouble for hidden Chinese malware on their laptops, multiple times. Careful with their hardware.
lud@lemm.ee 11 months ago
mark3748@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
It was firmware-level, and installed itself. Reinstalling the OS was not a solution.
SlikPikker@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Seems Linux would be immune
seaQueue@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Lots of OEMs now ship Dolby software and drivers preinstalled but without download packages available so you can’t do a clean install without losing features you paid for. ASUS is guilty of this one as well as having other software tied to the factory install ID. It’s always a good idea to take a factory condition backup or the machine before paving it over with a clean windows install.
lud@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Seems like a manufacturer that one shouldn’t support.
seaQueue@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You’re not wrong. Personally I take a backup of the drive in its factory state and then install Linux - I’m over Windows in general.
Nougat@kbin.social 11 months ago
I think you're referring to IBM. Lenovo has always been suspicious.
TexMexBazooka@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Wait til you hear where Lenovo came from
Nougat@kbin.social 11 months ago
Oh please tell me, Secret Squirrel.
snorkbubs@fedia.io 11 months ago
As another commenter hinted at, "Thinkpad" used to mean IBM laptop; Lenovo bought the name (and PC division of IBM) for that reason, and they don't mind if people think they're still IBM, because OG Thinkpads were the bomb. This is what I was getting at.
It's bananas that the association is just gone now, because the name was huge in the 90s. Sometimes a fella can really feel old.
Nougat@kbin.social 11 months ago
That's why I was confused - nobody said anything in this particular thread about Thinkpads, and you said "Wait till you hear where Lenovo came from after I'd mentioned IBM.
If you were saying "Guess what, Lenovo came from IBM," I'd essentially just said that.
snorkbubs@fedia.io 7 months ago
Apologies for the confusion, and the late reply. I see what you mean; my comment could have been worded far better.
Exactly because of stuff like the above, I'm just returning from a long break from social media. I'll do better. Thanks for highlighting the issue, take care.
0xC4aE1e5@lemmy.zip 10 months ago
That makes me more wary.
Even when using LTSC 2019, the drivers still install a few UWP apps. And some of them just reinstall themselves immediately after deleting them, it’s just hilarious.
But at least they’re UWP apps so they can’t see your files (hopefully, UWP apps are sandboxed).
hackitfast@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Lenovo is shit. They really aren’t worth a damn anymore.
I’ve had fingerprint driver issues with my expensive Lenovo Yoga, and AHCI driver issues with a ln expensive Lenovo ThinkPad. Support is non existent, and if you do manage to find any help through their channels, they don’t help and don’t care.
My next laptop will be with Framework or some other company that doesn’t try to screw me.
dan@upvote.au 11 months ago
Which brands are actually good these days, apart from Framework? I already avoid HP and Acer.
snorkbubs@fedia.io 11 months ago
Everyone is suggesting Dell, and I agree, with one caveat:
Order from their business division. Those machines are designed not to be a hassle, because they want return business customers. Dell business machines have no bloat, and consumer-grade extras often come as standard features on business machines. Just better all-around, even the designs.
Only catch is, you need a business license to order this way, or a friend with one.
Confused_Emus@lemmy.world 11 months ago
In high school I got my laptop replaced under warranty. Whatever they sent me, the service ID tag apparently had the number for a business machine or something because I always got routed to the business support techs after that. They always seemed a little confused when they found out I wasn’t a business owner/user, but supported me anyway since that’s where the service ID for my machine got me. Support was infinitely better. Actual techs who clearly were not reading from a script. Based out of the US or Canada so no frustrating language barrier caused by your support base speaking a completely different language from your user base and having apparently the minimal amount of training in English. I could just tell them I’d already run diagnostics and had an error code for them, and they’d take it from there without wasting my time repeating the same troubleshooting I’d already done. The contrast between the two levels of support is astounding. Dell clearly gives zero shits about supporting home users.
dan@upvote.au 11 months ago
I don’t have my own business, but my workplace allows us to buy personal products through some of their suppliers like Zones and CDW, using our corporate discount (but paying with our own personal credit card). I wonder if that’d be sufficent to order a Dell business laptop.
0xC4aE1e5@lemmy.zip 10 months ago
Are you sure you need a license to order them? Searching “dell latitude” on Amazon shows business Dells.
SlikPikker@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
System76
hackitfast@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Dell XPS might be good but I’m not sure, somehow I doubt it.
Macs of course will work properly, at the expense of having to use macOS.
My trio used to be Apple, Dell and Lenovo. But now it’s Framework and Apple.
emberwit@feddit.de 11 months ago
What is not to trust about Dell?
can@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Since when can macs only run macOS?
DudeDudenson@lemmings.world 11 months ago
Most companies in my country use dells, they’re pretty nice in general
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 11 months ago
Toshiba is technically still around but they make a bunch or random electronics for appliances and servers