An exciting future with the Librem 16
Jonathon Hall
Latest posts by Jonathon Hall (see all)
- An exciting future with the Librem 16 - July 9, 2026
- PureOS Crimson Development Report: November 2024 - December 16, 2024
- Purism’s PureBoot is Not Affected by UEFI Key Leaks (Again) - July 29, 2024
With the recent launch of the Librem 16, I’m excited. Clearly I’m excited to share this product with you, but that’s just the beginning. I’m excited for the future of technology. In a world where technology is increasingly designed to squeeze value out of users, it’s exciting to release a product that empowers us instead.
Darkest before the dawn
If you’re surprised that I’m excited about technology right now, that’s easy to understand. The trends are clear: for most companies, the sale of a device to you is only the beginning of the value extraction. Your attention is a commodity, one sold at market to the highest bidder.
Having control over your own tools inhibits that value extraction, so that’s going away too. Want to log in to your computer? You have to ask other peoples’ computers in a far-off data center if that’s OK. Want to send a picture to a friend? Hopefully the corporate oversight team has approved that app. Want to start a business and share your app with your family? You’ll need permission for that too, and take care not to impinge on the billionaires’ value extraction tools.
Get excited
At Purism, we refuse all of those trends. I don’t want my devices selling my attention, or my kids’ attention, on the market. I don’t want to make those devices either. We will be more successful by empowering our customers than by abusing them, because customers will choose empowerment.
We designed the Librem 16 from top to bottom to empower our customers. There are no distractions here, no ads competing for your attention, and no compulsion to “trust us” for your security.
Focus on what matters
Your attention isn’t a commodity. Your time, like mine, is precious, and you should spend it on the things most important to you.
The Librem 16 lets you drive, without yanking on the steering wheel to divert you. There aren’t any ads thinly veiled as “news stories” on the lock screen, taskbar, or app menu. Nothing pops up that you didn’t ask for. We include an ad blocker by default, to give back your precious attention when you browse the Web. The blank space on our desktop is not for sale.
Connect, or disconnect
The Librem 16 includes lots of connectivity for your productivity. Two fully-featured USB-C ports provide high-speed data, high-power charging, and high-resolution display output. Alongside those, there are many additional ports, so there’s no need to fumble for dongles and adapters. HDMI provides another high-resolution display output. Two USB-A ports ensure you always have the right port at hand no matter what you need to plug in. Gigabit Ethernet offers you another way to network when you want to stay radio-silent. Finally, the 3.5 mm headset jack lets you talk to friends or just listen quietly.
With all this connectivity, it’s up to you how you use it. If you want to disconnect for a while, the Librem 16 features two hardware kill switches.
Flip the left switch, and both camera and microphone shut off. Flip the right switch to turn off WiFi and Bluetooth. There’s no need for tape over your webcam on this laptop – these switches are final, and nothing can override them.
Secured for you
The Librem 16 is secured for you, not from you. You do not need to ask permission to change the software on your laptop or to share something you’ve made. Purism doesn’t get a copy of your encryption keys, and we don’t want them. I can’t pull data from your laptop any more than I can pull a jumbo jet down the runway with my teeth.
You are in control of the software on your Librem 16, and if you need it, use a Librem Key with PureBoot to secure your laptop against tampering. PureBoot is not vulnerable to Secure Boot exploits. PureBoot will never lock you out of your own computer.
In for the long haul
I’m excited for the future. With the abuses of technology becoming so overt, we have choices that empower us. Purism is in this business for the long haul, and there is a reason that we won’t become abusive as the competition has.
Purism’s biggest strength is also our promise: we’re powered by free and open source software. We publish the source code for all software we build, so you’re never locked out. You, or anyone, is free to study it, improve it, and pass that freedom on to future generations. Because of that, there is no built-in obsolescence. If PureOS ever stops serving you or your needs, you aren’t stuck. You are free to change course and get your software from the greater community. That’s our ethos, not a marketing line. It’s built into how we operate: practical, transparent, and designed to protect your freedom and privacy, not to leave it at the mercy of business executives.
The Librem 16 is built from edge to edge, from hardware to firmware to software, to empower you. We’re excited to share it with you, and we’re eager to see what you make with it.
Purism Products and Availability Chart
| Model | Status | Lead Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Librem Key (Made in USA) | In Stock ($59+) | 10 business days | |
 | Liberty Phone (Made in USA Electronics) | Available on backorder ($1,999+) 4GB/128GB | < 4 weeks | |
| Librem 5 | In Stock ($799+) 3GB/32GB | 10 business days | |
 | Librem 11 | Out of stock | New Version in Development | |
 | Librem 14 | Out of stock | New Version in Development | |
 | Librem 16 | In Stock ($2,899+) (up to 64GB/16TB) | 10 business days | |
 | Librem Mini | Out of stock | New Version in Development | |
 | Librem Server | In Stock ($2,999+) | 45 business days | |
 | Librem PQC Encryptor | Available Now, contact sales@puri.sm | 90 business days | |
 | Librem PQC Comms Server | Available Now, contact sales@puri.sm | 90 business days |
Recent Posts
Related Content
- An exciting future with the Librem 16
- Purism Announces Launch of Its Librem 16 Laptop, the World’s Most Private and Secure Workstation
