Huawei developing alternatives for US-based products
For its smartphones Huawei has been using Google’s Android operating system (OS). It can still use the system but only the open source version that lacks key features and important apps that the proprietary system had. Huawei has developed its own Harmony OS but so far is used only in smart TVs. It is not clear yet if it will be developed for smart phones.
In the case of Huawei laptops Huawei had been using Windows 10 another US product by Microsoft. However, in China it is now replacing Windows 10 by Deepin Linux a Chinese release of Linux. There are numerous Linux versions most of them free.
Huawei laptops using Deepin Linux
Three different laptops are appearing in China with Deepin Linux installed: MateBook 13, MateBook 14, and MateBook X. As there is no Windows licence to pay the models are from $ 42 to $94 dollars cheaper than those with WIndows 10 installed.
A recent article notes: “Huawei’s MateBook products are available outside of China, though Huawei has made no announcement of making Linux versions available in the West. The Matebook series is well-received by reviewers, though—as is practically the case for the entire PC industry, to some extent—the products follow Apple’s design footsteps quite closely. ”
Deepin Linux
Wikipedia describes Deepin as follows: “Deepin (stylized as deepin; formerly known as Linux Deepin and Hiweed Linux[5]) is an open source operating system based on Debian’s stable branch. It features DDE, the Deepin Desktop Environment, built on Qt. As of version 15.10 it also uses dde-kwin, a copy of KDE Plasma’s window manager.[6] The distribution is praised for its aesthetics in various reviews, while in the past also having been criticized for using a statistical tracking service in its App Store, which was removed in July 2018.”
As with most versions of Linux, Deepin Linux is free. The system is not new. It has been around since 2004. It is often used for desktops. The Deepin was based upon Ubuntu until 2015 and is now based on Debian.
Installing Deepin Linux
Deepin Linux has long been available for installation. It can be installed alongside WIndows 10 in a dual boot system as can other Linux distributions. I have one of my computers that has both Windows 10 and a version of the more common Ubuntu Linux system. When I boot up the system a screen appears that allows me to boot into Windows 10 or Ubuntu. In some cases there may be problems with compatibility. I have not had any issues.
A detailed account of how to dual boot Deepin Linux with Windows 10 can be found at this site. The ISO file required can be downloaded at the sites listed here. The Google Drive site is said to be one of the faster downloading sites.
At present, the Huawei laptops that run Deepin Linux are only released in China. Even if they are not released elsewhere people who want to try the Linux system could always create a dual boot system with WIndows 10 or simply try them without installation. Some Dell computers already come with a version of Linux installed. The ten best Linux systems for laptops including Deepin are listed and reviewed at this site.
