zlacker

Ummm, so first you state that "PC is too damn crufty and complicated" and then suggest that going full-Stallman would improve that, when RMS is using X60, which is essentially a regular x86 laptop? Granted, it doesn't have the IME crap and runs libreboot, but otherwise it's still regular x86 machine. Also, I doubt RMS is after freedom in the first place - it likely improves security (no binary blobs etc.), but it certainly doesn't fix the issue.

FWIW I don't think you've answered the "What to use instead, then?" question. I agree there are platforms that are much tighter on security compared to x86 (say, iphones seem to fare quite well), but I don't see how I could use that for my "regular" work. For that, I think Qubes is "reasonably secure" but hopefully it'll get better.

Of course, if your threat model includes guys from NSA/FBI/Mosad, then perhaps it's not enough. But then again, iphone may not be enough either.

>>pgaddi+(OP)
> FWIW I don't think you've answered the "What to use instead, then?" question.

If you need a workstation that is hardened against the big boys, I doubt such a thing exists, and it never will if people keep putting all of their hope in the next band-aid. It is also a damn shame, since it's not like this is a problem that needs two more generations of pure science to solve.

Hell, the B5000[0] was safer than the things we run today, and people didn't stop having better ideas about computing in 1961.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burroughs_large_systems