privsecfoss

Don't know if it's a good deal.

As others here I will recommend also looking at other brands. I think that you get the best deal by buying used business laptops. They are cheap, good quality, built to last and often repairable.

Brand-wise I think Dell is OK, while Lenovo Thinkpads series T, X, W and carbon are even better choices, IMO.

EDIT: Spelling.

Someone mentioned that M365 is properly not legal. Guess what, it isn't.

The EDPS (European Data Protection Supervisor) investgated the EU-Commissions' use of M365 and found it to be illegal in march 2024. EPDS gave the Commission until December 2024 to, among other things, stop transfers of Personal Information to third countries in M365 outside the EU. Which of course made the Commission sue the EDPS. And MS to do the same..

So M365 is NOT legal to use for any Public Institution in the EU. Unless the Controller make Microsoft change their DPA, contract etc. Kinda like MS did for the Dutch government after the dutch firm Privacy Company made an in depth analysis of M365 and found numerous illegal processing etc.

Fun how Microsoft was made aware of how they acted illegal, and changed it - only for the Dutch Government...!! The rest of their Customers still have the illegal DPA, terms etc... Also fun how it is Common knowledge and IT-departments still choose to use M365, and move as much as possible there from more privacy and security oriented services.

EDPS investigation into the Commissions use of M365: https://www.edps.europa.eu/press-publications/press-news/press-releases/2024/european-commissions-use-microsoft-365-infringes-data-protection-law-eu-institutions-and-bodies_en

My point? EU-Linux is a fantastic idea! 🙂

I think bluetooth or 2.4 mhz is better than IR. Coming to think of it mine is a china something with keyboard on the side and remote on the other using 2.4 mhz. So point of line is not needed which is nice.

+1 Kodi. Been running it for ages on an old laptop with a infared remote with USB dongle. Kodi is set to autostart. Pretty hands off and can stream to it from local sources using Kore for android.

EDIT: Can stream from local AND online sources using Kore ex Newpipe (Youtube).

Monopolies

+1 Bron/Broen. I am a big fan of Scandinavian series, and can also recommend:

• Follow the Money (Bedrag/Deception)
• The Killing (Forbrydelsen)
• Trapped
• Exit

Nice. Upgraded a Thinkpad, installed Linux Mint and gave it to my dad. I have not heard anything from him about it for a couple of months. Was reminded of it with your post.

So wrote him right now and asked how it was going, and he replied that he loved it and uses it every day.

And that he had not had any problems he could not solve on his own. He's 70 and a windows only heavy user - until now 🙂

As you said. Compelety painless.

I don't where you live. But almost all of bigtech US cloud is problematic (Read: Illegal to use) for storing or processing of Personal information according to the GDPR if you're based in the EU. Don't know about HIPPA and other non-EU legislation. But almost all cloudservices use US bigtech as a subprocessor under the hood. Which means that the use of AI and cloud is most likely not GDPR-complaint. Which you could mention to the right people and hope they listen.

Edit: It's illegal to use for the processing of the patients PII, because of transfer to insecure third countries and because bigtech uses the data for their own purposes without any legal basis.

Edit 2: The same is the case with your, and your colleagues PII.

In my opinion privacy and GDPR is the same in this case. I think most public authorities is required to have a DPO, fx hospitals or the relevant health authority. The DPO can help answer your and your bosses questions on the mentioned questions.

Hope you figure it out.

Duplicati runs om Windows AFAIK.

Hetzner storage box

Often thought of the same thing. So leaving this comment here in case someone got a good solution that don't involve big tech.

When I get the time my plan is to read up on big techs solutions, fx Google and Apple, who as I understand can give your family access under certain conditions if your've passed.

EDIT: And replicate their solution using FOSS / self hosting.

He made the world a better place.