Device Specifications
Device will be a Lenovo Thinkpad T14
COLOR OF LAPTOP:
Black
SPECIFICATIONS:
- 14″ FHD screen (measured from top left corner to bottom right corner)
- Minimum Intel Core i5 or AMD equivalent
- Minimum 16 GB DDR4 RAM
- Minimum 256 GB SSD
- Built-in Webcam
- Ports: Ethernet, 2 x USB-A, 2 x USB-C, HDMI, Headphone/mic combo, Smart card reader, MicroSD card reader, Kensington lock slot
- Weight: approximately 3 lbs
- Dimensions: 12.9″ x 8.9″ x 0.70″
OPERATING SYSTEMS:
Zorin OS is designed to be easy, so you don’t need to learn anything to get started. The Zorin Appearance app lets you change the desktop layout to feel like the environment you’re familiar with, whether it’s Windows, macOS, or Linux.
ZorinOS doesn’t collect personal data, so advertisers and governments can’t spy on your activity. Zorin OS is Open Source, so anyone can audit its source code to verify its privacy.
To learn everything that the Pro version of Zorin has to offer, we highly recommend you visit their website via the link above that has complete documentation.
Some quick highlights:
- Zorin OS is designed to be easy, so you don’t need to learn anything to get started!
- The Zorin OS Pro Appearance app lets you change the desktop layout to feel like the environment you’re familiar with, whether it’s Windows, macOS, or Linux
- Zorin OS does not collect personal data, so advertisers and governments can’t spy on your activity.
- Zorin OS is Open Source, so anyone can audit its source code to verify its privacy.
- Zorin OS Pro comes preinstalled with a Creative Suite and Advanced Productivity Tools.
Note: We can install other flavors of Linux upon request, however we believe Zorin is the most user friendly for the 95% of us that simply need something that works. After ordering, give us a shout at [email protected] to discuss what other flavor of Linux you would prefer to have installed should you desire something different.
PRE-INSTALLED APPS:
Brave + Libre Office Suite + Mullvad VPN
Loading additional apps is as simple as opening the Zorin App Store, searching for what you want, and installing!
Questions & Resources
Q: What is Linux?
Linux = Freedom from BigTech!
Linux is an open source operating system designed to run on laptops and desktops that has been around since the mid 1990’s. Most all enterprise servers run on Linux and the marketplace for consumer devices running on Linux is currently exploding.
Linux based operating systems are designed to give YOU back control of your device and prevent unwanted companies and applications from running in the background of your computer doing things you don’t want or need them doing. For more details, please read through → https://www.linux.com/what-is-linux/
Q: Will my Current Microsoft or Apple Applications Work?
There is no easy answer to this, as it greatly depends on what specific applications you are using and how you use them.
Some accounting software, such as Quicken for example, do not have an available NON-Windows or MacOS option. Microsoft Office will not run on the device without a custom Windows “emulator” of sorts called WINE.
In both cases, however, there are open source or paid software alternatives that either DO work in a Linux environment or via a web based Software as a Service (SaaS) model which makes the operating system you’re using not essential.
If you have questions about specific software working or not, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we’ll let you know what options are available.
Q: Can you Configure a Dual Boot (Windows + Zorin or Zorin Pro)?
We recommend leveraging an entirely separate device if you “need” to run Windows specific applications because most non tech savvy customers who try to leverage these dual boot devices end up having more issues and headaches than it’s worth.
This being said, for an added premium and on a case/case basis, we CAN setup the laptop so that you have an option of booting into Windows or Zorin when you turn the device on.
A dual-boot Windows / Linux environment is a setup where two operating systems, Windows and Linux, are installed on the same computer, but only one is active at a time. Each OS has its own partition on the hard drive, and a boot loader determines which OS to load when the computer starts. This allows users to choose between Windows and Linux as their primary operating system, depending on their needs and preferences. By installing Linux alongside Windows, users can explore open-source software and develop skills in Linux-based systems without having to compromising their primary Windows setup.
Please reach out to [email protected] if this is in fact an option you want and feel you are comfortable with supporting.
Q: What Security Programs Should I Use?
One needs to re-learn what they think they know about digital security when using a Linux operating system vs Windows or MacOS.
This is primarily due to the transparent nature of open source operating systems which prevent the vast majority of unwanted applications from either working at all on a Linux device or attempting to run without you giving it permissions to do so.
We HIGHLY recommend giving this quick video a watch to learn the why and how related to Linux security → Should Linux Users Run Anti-Virus?
Q: Will I be Un-trackable Using This Device?
The short answer is that individuals (or agencies) with enough means and motive can find creative ways to “hack” into your devices despite all of our best efforts. This is the equivalent to an individual trying to stay safe and protected while still operating in the world, with the best security and body guards available, when an army or intelligence agency is throwing their full weight behind your capture or assassination.
This being said, using Linux alone pulls the vast majority of the blatant spyware from Google, Apple and Microsoft off of the device. Though not a silver bullet solution, it is a gigantic step in the right direction.
Leveraging the suite of VPN, browser and related tools and services that we cover in our Healthy Alternatives to BigTech post will take you even further!
For a more detailed and nuanced answer to this question, please consider reading our article “Can we Really Go Ghost with our Devices?”
Q: Do your Laptops Run Coreboot?
They do not. Our opinion at this time, is that unless you’re a super-spook or high valued target for government or private interests, the gained value of using Coreboot vs the existing proprietary BIOS or UEFI system for the added expense just isn’t there… yet. To learn more about what Coreboot actually is and if it is essential for a private and secure laptop running Linux, please read our post HERE.
I Need More Help Deciding What to do…
Not a worry. Escaping “the Matrix” of the digital surveillance state we live in today can be daunting. Feel free to schedule a free 15-30 minute consultation with our team HERE or simply send an email to [email protected] with any questions you may have outstanding for a quicker response.
- Digital Privacy 101: No More Excuses
The Digital Privacy Bootcamp is the core to the live training we offer to groups across the country.
- Start Here --> Your Digital Privacy Journey Roadmap
The Privacy Roadmap is designed to help you navigate your personal journey toward digital privacy and security in a world increasingly hostile to both.
- Ghost Laptop: Migration & General Navigation Guide
This guide walks you through setting up your Ghost Laptop and using Zorin OS, an intuitive, stable, and high-performance Linux operating system designed to work seamlessly on almost any computer.
- Ghost Laptop: ZorinOS & Linux Troubleshooting
A complete updated list of the most common trouble shooting questions related to the Ghost Laptop
- Safe Email Alternatives and How to Setup or Migrate Successfully
Learn what exactly email is, a few vetted email alternatives worth considering, and how to safely migrate your current email to a new provider.
- Healthy Alternatives to BigTech Devices, Software and Platforms
A consolidated list of the ever growing and evolving BigTech alternatives that we have vetted and do support.
- A Guide to Auditing Your Digital Footprint
A simple step-by-step guide that will help you start your journey toward a more private and secure digital life.
- The Apple Privacy Illusion: Marketing vs. Reality
If you've watched any Apple marketing over the past decade, you've undoubtedly seen their carefully crafted image as the tech company that actually cares about your privacy. But this entire narrative is built on marketing sleight of hand rather than technical reality.
- Updating Your Device(s) is Now a Good Thing: Learn Why and How
Learn why updating our device(s) is now a GOOD thing and no longer something to be feared.
- Helpful Digital Privacy Focused Interviews, Articles and Videos
A complete list of available podcasts, radio shows, articles and videos online that encourage you to ditch BigTech once and for all.
- A Quick Guide to Coreboot
What is Coreboot and is it absolutely essential to have for a private and secure laptop / desktop running Linux?
- Is Going Ghost and Digital Privacy a Myth?
Is "Going Ghost" really even possible while still using smart phones and laptops and living in the surveillance state that we have now?
SHIPPING:
Although our inventory is constantly in flux, devices ordered usually ship within 3-7 business days from being received. Worst case scenario, it may be 10 business days from receipt as we await new shipments of devices from our suppliers. Should we see that your order may take longer than 10 business days we will reach out ahead of time to give you a heads up.
This clearance product is sold AS-IS.
No warranty is available and no returns will be accepted. We have meticulously checked the device to ensure full functionality and reduced the price according to its condition, as noted above.