HP’s latest Linux laptop sees the computer maker team up with former competitor (or at least another Linux laptop maker) System76. It seems like an odd combination, given that System76 makes its own competing laptops, but the collaboration works.
The Dev One is a very nice Linux machine that packs enough punch for developers or creatives without hitting top-tier laptop prices. Even more impressive is the work HP and System76 have put into making Linux work perfectly with the AMD chipset.
Combining HP’s hardware capabilities and industry experience with System76’s Pop!_OS desktop has produced the best all-around Linux laptop you can buy right now.
HP hardware
In a refreshing change from how most laptops are sold these days, there is only one model of the Dev One. Another nice detail is that it gets a dedicated website, which makes it easy to order. Dell, are you listening?
The Dev One costs $1,100, which gets you a 14-inch laptop with a 1,000-nit 1080p display, an AMD Ryzen 7 5850 chip, integrated Radeon graphics, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and a 1-terabyte NVMe M.2 2280 SSD . RAM and SSD can be upgraded by the user (RAM support caps at 64 gigabytes). Getting into the components is easy. There are only five screws between you and any upgrades you want to make. The closest Windows version of the same laptop scores a 9 out of 10 on iFixit’s repairability scale.
As the name suggests, the Dev One is aimed at the developer audience, just like Dell’s XPS 13 Developer Edition. Despite the names, these are really just laptops with Linux pre-installed. Dev One will work well for almost any task, developer-related or otherwise. Don’t let the word “developer” in the name put you off if you’re not one.
That said, I put the Dev One through some developer-type tasks. I set up a Python development environment, which was no problem thanks to the extensive repositories Pop!_OS provides, and I ran benchmark tests aimed at developer tasks (ie CPU and RAM intensive tasks). Dev One worked well for all of these things. Editing 4K video was no slouch either, thanks to that AMD chip. If benchmarks are your thing, take a look at the tests put out by Phoronix at OpenBenchmarking.org. The results are impressive. Dev One runs circles around many of its Intel-based competitors.
Photo: HP
I’ll be honest – when the Dev One first arrived I wasn’t immediately impressed. The design is conservative, which I suppose suits the developer audience. It’s not unattractive, it just doesn’t stand out. This is no XPS 13 (8/10, WIRED recommends) when it comes to design. Still the Dev One feels very well built and is very portable at 3.24 pounds. It’s thicker than the slimmer options out there, but one thing I love is how easy it is to open. There’s nothing worse than a laptop you’ve pryed open with a fingernail, but the Dev One has plenty of room thanks to its slanted front edge.