I need to get myself a new laptop. My existing one is from 2017 and was already then not the most powerful one.

It recently started to shut itself off when running on battery and during the two most recent curl up meetings it has proven itself to be rather sluggish and unable to save a live camera-recording while also streaming it, without stuttering or having other problems.

I plan to get a new 13″ one from Framework, and a semi-beefy one from there runs at about 2,500 USD. I’m looking at roughly this configuration.

The curl fund pays

For the first time ever, the curl fund is going to help pay for this. The curl fund is all donations and sponsorships gathered. Money we only spend to improve curl and curl related activities. All my machines I have ever used to develop curl on up until now have been paid for by me personally.

You can help!

For this special occasion, we have created a small “crowd-source” like effort. You can help sponsor me this device and we have special little collectors pool for it here:

https://opencollective.com/curl/contribute/laptop-90642

If we get more than 1,000 USD donated to this, I can upgrade my laptop config. More CPU, more memory, more storage perhaps.

If this effort gets less than 1,000 donated, then I will stick to with the original “base” setup.

For everyone who donate 200 USD (or more) I offer space on the laptop cover for the donor to decide exactly what I should put there (in terms of stickers etc).

This program will run for a week as a start.

A developer’s device

I do my main curl development on a desktop PC in my home office. I use my laptop primarily when away, on travels and on vacations. I bring it to talks (10-15 a year) where I typically talk about curl or curl adjacent topics. I occasionally use it to live-stream with, like from our annual curl up meetings.

I have decided to go with Framework because I like their concept and I hear good things about them.

I run Linux. I prefer Debian. That is what I intend to use on this one as well.

The fund

We have a few regular gracious sponsors of the curl project that donates money to us on a regular basis. Their money is what pays for this if nobody else wants to participate.

Updates

It took nine minutes after I published this to get the first 200 USD donation.

We reached 1,000 USD already within the first hour. I am looking at upgrading the setup. Starting probably with the CPU.

90 minutes in “A friendly golem” changed the game when they donated 1,750 USD in one go and we are at a total of 3,770 USD! I think I can max up the config now.

Thanks

Thank you everyone for chipping in. Truly amazing. I will keep you posted on the thing and follow up with some photos and a review later.