Understanding the advantages of hardware optimized for Manjaro

Non-technical Questions
1

Hi,

I’m interested in purchasing Manjaro hardware, like the Tuxedo S 14, although I was thinking of holding out and seeing if a refreshed version with Tiger Lake might come in the next couple months.

I’m certain that there are some advantages to buying the version of this laptop optimized for Manjaro, but I was hoping that someone could help explain a little bit more about what they are. For instance, the same laptop seems to be slightly cheaper in the non-Manjaro edition, and the same base laptop (I forget whether it was a Clevo or Tongfeng) is available from other Linux vendors at different prices.

So basically, what are the optimizations done, what do they mean for me as a user, are they available on all manjarocomputer.eu devices and Tuxedo devices with Manjaro edition? What about other vendors that offer to pre-install Manjaro as an option among several distros, like Slimbook or LaptoponLinux? Are these not optimized in the same way as Tuxedo and manjarocomputer.eu?

Also, I assume it would be simpler to buy a device optimized for Manjaro vs. buying a device from a mainstream vendor like Lenovo or Dell that still has good Linux support, right? And the same goes for installing a Manjaro-optimized device vs. a device optimized for Ubuntu and then just installing Manjaro, like a System76?

I suppose that Manjaro will run quite well on any of the above devices because of the hardware being well suited for Linux. But it should run even better or run with some at least slight performance improvements when optimized for Manjaro, right?

Also, if it’s not too much to ask after already posing a long question, has anyone gotten a chance to write up a review of some of these Manjaro-optimized devices? I could only find reviews of the non-Manjaro versions on Duck Duck Go. And, of course, I know it is likely impossible to say anything for sure, but would it be possible to give me a heads up if Tiger Lake versions of Manjaro hardware are in the pipeline for the next couple months? I was thinking that the upcoming refreshed Schenker Via 14 seems to basically be the same device as the Tuxedo S 14, so I thought hopefully that is a sign it’s coming to Tuxedo soon too and ultimately in a Manjaro edition.

Thanks in advance

2

I think this is to cover the cost of paying Manjaro when people buy the laptop. I do not think there is anything different in the hardware itself or in Manjaro that is installed on the laptop as any packages are in Manjaro already and can be installed on any laptop.

3

The competition among resellers of computer hardware can be tough and margins are quite small. Some - like the resellers Manjaro works with is targeting a different segment and thus are priced differently - it all depends on their business strategy.

Ensuring continuous Linux support for hardware can be time consuming and Microsoft are giving away Windows licenses so when your bargain with a vendor - it is almost impossible to get the hardware at a lower cost if you don’t want Windows to go with it. When I did a little Manjaro supported hardware - the Yepo was $10 cheaper without Windows - and the ABook - it came with Window - there was no choice.

I don’t know anything about the current Tuxedo models - but I know that for the low budget Yepo and Abook offered a couple of years ago we had special packages and tweaks to make sure those laptops worked as expected.

So there may be packages in the repo - exclusively for specific models - packages where settings, etc has been tweaked to fit the exact model.

Maybe Tuxedo is providing a repo for those packages - I don’t know - just guessing.

4

Is there information about the Tuxedo repositories anywhere? It would be interesting to see what packages are available and to see their source code to see how they are different to Manjaro.

5

Thanks for both your responses. I guess I may have read a bit more into what goes into the Manjaro version. In any case, it seems like Tuxedo does a good job of ensuring compatibility and performance in general regardless whether you choose the Manjaro version. It’s still kind of cool to have Manjaro branding on it though…

6

I didn’t say there was any - just guessing …

It is just guess work as I don’t know.