For manufacturers
Send a laptop, get a real Linux review
Most review sites run Windows and mention Linux in a sentence, if at all. We test for Linux first: every laptop goes through the same per-component checks across the major distros, and the result is a permanent, structured page buyers actually use to decide. If you make a laptop that runs Linux well, we want to put it on the bench.
Why a Linux-specific review
Linux laptop buyers are a small, high-intent audience that the mainstream press underserves. They do not want a star rating; they want to know whether suspend survives a night in a bag, whether the webcam works without a kernel patch, and which distro to install. That is the gap we fill, and it is the only thing we do. A unit you send gets read by exactly the people deciding whether to buy it for Linux.
What you get
- A hands-on Linux test of the six things that decide day-to-day happiness: WiFi, Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, webcam, audio, and suspend/resume, graded per distro (Ubuntu LTS, Fedora, and others as relevant).
- A Linux Readiness Score, computed by a public formula from that per-component table, so the number is defensible and reproducible, never a vibe.
- A permanent, indexed model page with the full spec table, the per-distro report, and the things only hands-on use reveals: thermals, fan noise, keyboard and trackpad feel, real battery life.
- Placement where buyers look: the comparison tool, the finder quiz, the Linux compatibility hub, and any relevant buying guide, not a single post that scrolls away.
- A "Reviewed" byline with the test date and the OS, kernel, and distro stated, our highest-credibility tier.
- Re-testing as Linux moves. Support shifts with every kernel, so we revisit, which is why a longer loan or a keep is worth more to both of us than a two-week turnaround.
How we test
The method is written down and public: the seven category scores, the exact Linux Readiness Score weights, and what separates a Reviewed page from a Compiled one all live on the how we rate page. Same data in, same number out. You can check our arithmetic, and so can your engineers.
Our rules, stated up front
- The score is not for sale. A provided unit never buys a higher number. If the suspend is broken, the page says so.
- We disclose the loan. Any review of a unit you send is marked as such on the page, per EU and FTC rules. See the disclosure page.
- We honour embargoes. Agree a date and we hold to it.
- Loans come back. A loaned unit is returned in working order when you ask; a keep is disclosed as a keep. Your call.
- No copy approval. You can correct a factual error with evidence; you cannot edit the verdict.
What we need from you
A review unit of the model, its spec sheet, and any Linux-relevant firmware notes (a BIOS toggle, a known fix, a target kernel). Tell us whether it is a loan or a keep and whether there is an embargo date. We will reply with a shipping address and a realistic timeline.
Email us about a review unit Other ways to reach us
The essentials
- Site
- LaptopCompass, an independent laptop recommender with a Linux focus
- Operated by
- ClockwiseIT (eenmanszaak), KvK 71214364, Netherlands
- Focus
- Per-component Linux compatibility, scored by public formula
- Audience data
- Current reach shared privately on request
- Contact
- review enquiries