[simfree]

Properly isolated accessory non-free hardware is a good thing, and for a user whose threat model requires libre hardware, the security model of the PinePhone or Librem 5 where the LTE modem is isolated with a kill switch to interact via USB (rather than connected via PCIe, which would have direct memory access) is the right choice.

Is a Thinkpad T400 with a Core2Duo and SSD the right choice in 2022? What about a Pinebook Pro? Friends and acquaintances I know are using these computers as their primary devices today.

[marcan_42]

FYI, that ThinkPad T400 that the FSF certified has multiple microcontrollers running proprietary updatable blobs on the LPC bus with full access to DMA to all of system memory. I am literally more insulated from blobs with an Apple M1, which runs a dozen blobs none of which can take over my OS (thanks to pervasive IOMMU use), than with hardware that the FSF claims "respects my freedom".

[cjbprime]

Agree with you, but a quick clarification: PCIe IOMMUs exist now, a PCIe device doesn't get DMA access to main memory.