Purism Librem 13

It’s expensive, but do the security features make this impressive Linux Ultrabook worth the extra cost? Christian Cawley finds out.

- Christian Cawley

Resulting from a successful crowdfunding campaign, the Librem 13 was first released in 2016 (along with the higher-spec Librem 15), promising the most secure Ultrabook experience to date. Manufacturer Purism has continued to develop the lightweight notebook, with this Librem 13 v3 being released in late 2018.

Arriving with Purism’s own PureOS preinstalled, the USPs of the Librem range are security and privacy. From the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to the custom BIOS firmware, hardware kill switches and fully open-source Linux experience, the Librem range is aimed at anyone concerned about online security and privacy. Along with these features, the Librem 13 packs good hardware options. But is this enough for daily use, or do the security features result in an unbalanced experience?

Good hardware

We reviewed the basic build of the Librem 13, with its Core i7 7500U Skylake CPU and 4GB of DDR4 RAM (16GB max). A modest Intel HD Graphics 620 GPU looks after the graphics, via a striking 13.3-inch matte IPS display, but the most surprising thing about the computer is its weight.

Officially 1.4kg, it’s easily the lightest bag of sugar you’ll ever hold. This is due to the weight distribution and shape, important aspects of laptop design that many manufacturers tend to overlook. Not only is the Librem 13 light, it’s an attractive, slimline piece of kit. While the chassis doesn’t have any form of emblem on display, this doesn’t really matter as it would probably spoil the black anodized-aluminum finish. This makes the notebook easy to hold, although it does attract finger grease.