T400 with GNU/Linux

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Why it's cool: The T400 is a popular laptop for running GNU/Linux because of how well-suited it is to work and play. Now you can get it completely free, with these RYF certified options.

Setting up a fully free system is easier than it used to be, but can still seem daunting—especially if you've never done it before. Luckily, you can now get a new-to-you laptop that's ready to go out of the box.

Technoethical also has a T400s available.

• Runs the FSF-endorsed Trisquel operating system and libreboot firmware.
• Durable hardware is meant to last and be easy to repair.
• Created by small businesses that replace all restrictive components from a stock laptop.
• Whether you purchase from Minifree or Technoethical, your T400 will be Respects your Freedom certified.

Stay away from: Microsoft Windows

• Runs on proprietary software that profits from treating the user as a product—forces users to consent to data collection for purposes including "targeted advertising."
• Mandatory Windows updates force users to test potentially unstable new versions. Read more about Windows's abuses.
• You can find Windows on computers like the Dell Inspiron, HP EliteBook, and Lenovo Ideapad.
• Looking at a computer that includes an Intel CPU? Intel comes with Management Engine, a hardware-based backdoor that gives Intel a permanent backdoor into your computer.

X200 with GNU/Linux

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Why it's cool: Take it to the office, take it to the cafe, take it to class, take it home and set it up on the counter so you can rock out while you cook. Do all of this the easy way.

This machine is made to go everywhere with you and thanks to our friends who make RYF products, you can have your mobility and your freedom too.

• Runs the FSF-endorsed Trisquel operating system with libreboot firmware. The X200 sold by Libiquity is also certified to Respect Your Freedom.
• Durable hardware is meant to last and is easy to repair.
• Created by a small business that replaces all restrictive components from a stock laptop.

Stay away from: Apple

• Runs on proprietary software that restricts the user's freedoms.
• Apple has been opposing the Right to Repair for years.
• Comes crawling with spyware.
• Avoid: MacBook Air (and MacBook Pro)

X200t with GNU/Linux

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Why it's cool: Use it as a laptop or as a tablet with a built-in stylus. It may not be a brand-new concept, but it'll always feel a little futuristic.

Enjoy all the portability of a tablet, without having to hunt-and-peck every letter when it comes time to do some work. It's versatile, multi-purpose, and stylish, and fits smoothly into every environment in your life (without pummeling you with the abuses of proprietary software).

• Runs the FSF-endorsed Trisquel operating system with libreboot firmware.
• Durable hardware is meant to last and is easy to repair.
• Created by a small business that replaces all restrictive components from a stock laptop.

Stay away from: iPad Pro

• Apple uses Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to block competing software.
• Apple's App Store has been threatening user freedom for ten years. From user surveillance to allowing governments to control app access, the Apple App Store has it all.

D16 Workstation with GNU/Linux

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Why it's cool: Sometimes you need heavy-duty computing power that a laptop just can't provide.

Gamers, video editors, and other users may want or need a more powerful machine – a desktop is the answer when you really need that extra push. Also good for users who want a bigger screen.

• Options of coming with the FSF-endorsed Trisquel or Parabola operating systems.
• Free boot firmware.
• Customize and specialize to your needs.

Stay away from: Apple iMac

An iMac puts designers and film makers at risk:

• Adobe Premiere Rush rents Mac (and Windows) users access to video editing software in exchange for control over their files.

Stay away from: Alienware Area-51 Threadripper

• The newest Alienware gaming desktop comes with Ryzen Threadripper processors and loads of freedom-restricting proprietary software.

LulzBot Mini

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Why it's cool: Think ahead—if you give this to your friend or relative, they might use it next year to make YOU a gift.

3D printers are an amazing learning and exploration tool for kids and a fun toy for grownups, and they've come a long way from their origins in the early 2000s. Keep it free and fun by digging into the zillions of free software options for modeling, and communities that share freely licensed designs.

• Performance and seamless interface earned it "Editor's Choice" in Tom's Guide's 2017 3D printer comparison.
• Hardware designs are available to make customization easy. Standardized material format allows 3D printing with plastics, wood-, stone-, bamboo-, rubber-, and metal-like materials.

Stay away from: MakerBot

• MakerWare software is proprietary, restricting freedom and stifling
• MakerBot was founded with a more freedom-respecting philosophy, but has since announced an increasingly proprietary approach and distanced itself from the community that formed around it.

• Great for all-free-software installations on laptops with incompatible Wi-Fi hardware.
• Certified to Respect Your Freedom.
• Options from Technoethical and ThinkPenguin.
• If you use a laptop listed in this guide, an adapter like this won't be necessary.

DRM-free Ebooks

There are a lot of options for where to get your literature fix without any pesky DRM. We're highlighting some publishers and shops who are offering deals for you!

• Delphi Classics has a wide range of classic literature available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Use the code fsfdelphi for 30% off orders over $10 through the end of December.
• Ediciones Babylon can supply you with all of your Spanish language needs for comics, art, novellas, and novels. Use the code FSFDISCOUNTEB for 5% off all the way through March 2018.
• No Starch Press specializes in educational, instructional, and how-to books on everything from arduinos to system administration. Use the code ETHICTECH for 40% off through January 10th, 2018.
• Looking to buy paper books? Check out the GNU Press Shop for your technical manuals and documentation needs.

Stay away from: Amazon

• Amazon is one of the most notorious of DRM offenders. Whether it's their Kindle e-reader or their countless DRM-encumbered ebooks, Amazon is the place to go if you want to let someone else snatch away texts from your personal library.
• Read more about DRM, the risks it poses, and the damage it causes.

DRM-free Music

Many consider music essential to the richness of the human experience. Thanks to the many artists, producers, record labels, and shops highlighted on Defective by Design, the rights-respecting options are nearly endless. Check out music from great labels and artists, including:

• Dischord Records, a classic punk label providing music since 1980.
• Emusic is the Web's second largest music store.
• Folkways, courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute.

Stay away from: Spotify

Spotify isn't the only offender when it comes to putting DRM in music—all major streaming services do this with the support of big record labels.

In addition to streaming music encumbered by DRM, people who want to use Spotify are required to install additional proprietary software. Even Spotify's client for GNU/Linux relies on proprietary software.

DRM-free Video

As winter comes to the Northern Hemisphere, it's the perfect time to curl up under a blanket and watch some DRM-free video. In the Southern Hemisphere? Enjoy relaxing with a great movie actually owned by you.

You can find your DRM-free video fix at places including:

• ComedyDirect can make you laugh while storing your videos locally.
• Moving Image Archive is a section of Archive.org containing thousands of film releases, available to stream or download.
• Sintel has a huge selection of DRM-free films made with free software.
• WolfeOnDemand provides for all of your LGBTQ watching desires.

Stay away from: Netflix

Whether it's using major studios as scapegoats for using DRM or pushing for DRM as an official W3C Recommendation, Netflix has been at the front line of getting DRM into media online and in your home.