System76 launches Lemur Pro, its lightest Linux laptop

System76 has been manufacturing Linux-based PCs for over a decade, and the company continues to pump out new systems for those who prefer the "alternative" operating system to Windows hegemony. With its new Lemur Pro laptop, the company adds to its already formidable lineup of notebooks, desktops, and servers.

At just 2.2 pounds (and a mere 0.61 inches thick), the Lemur Pro is System76's lightest laptop to date. Between the slim form factor and the latest Intel processors -- not to mention the 73 Whr battery -- the Lemur Pro promises great battery life, though the company is only providing claims in a cheeky fashion (10 hours to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy, 16 hours for reading Wikipedia, 21 hours for coding with VIM). 

The Lemur Pro becomes the third System76 laptop to make use of 10th-generation (or Comet Lake) 14nm CPUs, joining the Galago Pro and Darter Pro models in offering either the Core i5-10210U or the Core i7-10510U. It supports up 40GB of RAM and, with a pair of M.2 SSD slots, up to 4TB of storage. It also features a 14.1-inch full HD 1,920x1,080 display, along with a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a USB 3.1 Type-C port with charging capabilities.

Like other System76 systems, the Lemur Pro ships with either Ubuntu or its own Pop!_OS installed. Among its other advantages, the company's OS flavor encrypts its installation and offers full-disk encryption. Like the Galago Pro and Darter Pro, the laptop also ships with open-source Coreboot firmware to replace the company's own BIOS.

System76 is promising an early April arrival for the Lemur Pro, with a starting price tag of $1,099. You can provide your contact info on the company's website to have a chance at first dibs on the new laptop.