System76 tech support here. An important part of comparing prices between two products is to make sure to make apples to apples comparisons. Our pricing includes a couple of value-adds that our competitor's do not.
First, all of our computers come with lifetime technical support. Me and my team are readily accessible both via the phone and our support system, for as long as you own the product. We not only support the Ubuntu and Pop! operating systems, and all of their software components, but we also help with printers, installed software, hardware issues, network configuration, and everything that comes our way. Few competitors will teach and educate and help in the ways that we do.
Next, all of our products also support our engineering efforts in the Linux community. Many desktop bugs and issues that we discover and fix affect every Linux user. For instance, NVMe drives had been around for a few years, but it was our engineer that found the GRUB install bug that prevented automatic installation on those drives due to a regex error with handing /dev/sda vs. /dev/nvme0n1. That fix was incorporated in Debian, Red Hat, and every other version of Linux that used the GRUB bootloader. The work we put into our operating system benefits all users in many cases. Buying our products means that when we discover bugs in the operating system, we can get them addressed quickly and effectively without waiting to deliver patches.
System76 support here. One of the important final steps to the firmware update is that 'load setup defaults' needs to be issued manually in the BIOS. The hardware has a limitation that even after we apply the new firmware, the settings have to applied by a manual step. This is written out in the firmware flashing steps, but it's still easy to miss! Please 'load setup defaults' in the exit tab of the BIOS (F2 on boot), at which time the Intel Management Engine will be fully disabled, and future firmware prompts will cease. If you are still getting the prompt, please reach out at support.system76.com and we will help further!
System76 tech support here. One of our primary principles is empowerment and enablement. I strive to teach, support, and educate individuals on Linux and hardware maintenance. We tend to have individuals handle minor repairs, as shipping a whole laptop is time consuming and exposes the hardware to the additional possibility of shipping damage or other loss. At any point in time, we are more than happy to bring a computer in and do the repair work. Unless otherwise requested, keeping a computer with an individual tends to be the best, as it allows the computer to continue to be used until the replacement part arrives.
System76 employee here. Sorry to hear about the continued issue with your computer. I've started up the conversation again in the existing ticket. We will get to the bottom of this problem, and get your system working again.
First, all of our computers come with lifetime technical support. Me and my team are readily accessible both via the phone and our support system, for as long as you own the product. We not only support the Ubuntu and Pop! operating systems, and all of their software components, but we also help with printers, installed software, hardware issues, network configuration, and everything that comes our way. Few competitors will teach and educate and help in the ways that we do.
Next, all of our products also support our engineering efforts in the Linux community. Many desktop bugs and issues that we discover and fix affect every Linux user. For instance, NVMe drives had been around for a few years, but it was our engineer that found the GRUB install bug that prevented automatic installation on those drives due to a regex error with handing /dev/sda vs. /dev/nvme0n1. That fix was incorporated in Debian, Red Hat, and every other version of Linux that used the GRUB bootloader. The work we put into our operating system benefits all users in many cases. Buying our products means that when we discover bugs in the operating system, we can get them addressed quickly and effectively without waiting to deliver patches.