Kubuntu Focus Ir14 (Gen 1) Review: Linux Productivity Made Easy

You may already know the name Kubuntu as a popular Linux distribution, but Kubuntu is also a company selling computers with the Kubuntu operating system preinstalled. I spent some time with the first generation of the Kubuntu Ir14 Focus laptop and found it worth the price but not without fault.

Targeted at developers, the “Focus” branding speaks to the product line’s emphasis on productivity. Compared to the M2 and XE models, the Ir14 is a more slim all-rounder. Its hardware is easily configured to handle anyone’s everyday tasks, while it also provides the option to connect an external GPU (eGPU) for more intensive work. Plus, the serviceable body means you’re not stuck with the configuration you order.

The Linux experience is exceptionally polished on the Ir14 thanks to some optimizations made to Kubuntu. The alternative operating system still won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s a lot to appreciate about Kubuntu’s effort to help you hit the ground running when you open up this Linux laptop.

Design: A Little Bit of Everything

For how slim the design is, it packs a surprising number of ports. Productivity is front-of-mind here with an eGPU-ready Thunderbolt port and an HDMI port supporting up to three external monitors. I was relieved it still has a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack too. No Ethernet port, though.

The only serious problem I had with the design, though, owes itself to one of the Focus Ir14’s strengths. Unlike many laptops out there, you can easily make upgrades and repairs to the Ir14 thanks to the underside panel being held in place by just six standard screws. I got out my screwdriver, and, indeed, replacing the NVMe drive, RAM, and battery looked like a cinch. On paper, this is a powerful selling point, especially if you want to save money buying the base configuration and upgrading with your own parts later on.

However, as is often the case with easily-serviced hardware, that level of ease itself brings problems for the Ir14. After about a week of normal use, and before I’d tried opening it, I noticed some play in the underside plate, especially when resting my hands next to the touchpad. Tightening the plate screws helped, and I didn’t notice it again the rest of the time I had the Ir14, but it concerned me nonetheless. We reached out to Kubuntu about it and were told it’s likely that not enough adhesive was used to keep the screws in place during shipment.

It’s a problem you won’t run into buying most mainstream laptops these days—nothing to unscrew because there’s nothing you’re really meant to repair or replace. In my view, though, a laptop with some screws that need tightening now and then is better than a laptop with an express ticket to the landfill.

Setup: An Awkward Step in the Right Direction

After going through the Kubuntu installation, there’s a “Welcome Wizard” that will suggest and automatically start several tasks you’ll likely want to do when you first use the Ir14, like connect to the internet and log into your email account in Thunderbird. I was pleasantly surprised by how thorough it was, even offering to install Microsoft fonts (think Times New Roman and Arial), something that’s a bit of a chore to do on your own on Linux.

Despite appreciating the assistance, I found the wizard experience less than intuitive. When you say yes to a prompt, an app or dialog will open for it, but simultaneously another dialog opens, prompting you to move onto the next item in the wizard. You have to ignore that dialog box while you complete the task at hand, or else try to manage the dozen or so tasks at once.

Don’t get me wrong: I like what Kubuntu is trying to do here. A lot of common tasks you’d want to do when you first start using your new computer are not very straightforward on Linux and can intimidate a newbie. Automating as much as that as possible is undeniably good and valuable, but I just wish it had a friendlier user experience. Fortunately, it’s a software problem, meaning an update could have fixed it by the time you read this.

Speaking of software, a lot of stuff comes preinstalled on the Ir14, including Google Chrome, which I thought was a nice touch. The world’s most popular browser is not the easiest one to install on Linux for inexperienced users. Firefox is there, too, along with a bevy of other free software, including many developer tools. Some might call that bloated, but that’s a relative term. I see that “bloat” as showcasing to new users the world of possibilities on Linux. None of it is difficult to remove, either; no Windows shovelware here.

Sound and Video: It Works

What I appreciated in particular, though, was how well the Ir14 handled connecting an external monitor: better than I’ve seen any other Linux laptop. With other systems, I was constantly fiddling with display settings to get my setup correct, and those settings tweaks would often cause issues when I disconnected again. I had none of those problems with Kubuntu on the Ir14. I could plug, work, unplug, and go work somewhere else seamlessly.

The built-in webcam is a 1MP 720p camera that definitely isn’t best in class. It held up well enough in meetings under good lighting but it suffers terribly without.

How-To Geek’s favorite laptop with a similar price range, the Dell XPS 13, has a similar webcam, so it gets a pass in that way. The price tags of the Ir14’s more professional-level configurations, though, make it progressively more disappointing. If you want something better, plan on shopping for an external webcam.

Operating System: The Linux Easy Button

Linux can theoretically be installed on any computer, but a wireless card or audio jack simply doesn’t get along with Linux has been a thorn in many sides. In that case, making the hardware work (if possible at all) often takes research and command line kung-fu, demanding a lot from a user who may not have the tech skills or time necessary for that. The Ir14 and its optimized edition of Kubuntu spared me those problems.

There’s also a selection of software you won’t find ready-to-go on other Linux distros called “Kubuntu Focus Tools.” They include things like a system diagnostic tool for automatically identifying and solving issues, a curated list of apps the Kubuntu team has tested and recommends, and a menu for controlling the CPU levels and fans (though it informed me the Ir14’s fans are controlled in the BIOS). Since managing a Linux system isn’t always a walk in the park, I appreciated having all these tools at my disposal from the get-go.

Notably, the Kubuntu team has a lot of documentation for its Focus line and even a support phone number and email address to contact if you need further assistance. Typically if I have a Linux problem, my best option is to try finding someone online who’s solved it in the past, and that in itself is a learned skill. The fact that I have a direct line of communication with the Ir14’s creators along with plenty of guides anticipating my needs really sets the laptop apart from its competitors and makes the price tag that much more worth it.

Performance: BYOGPU

The Focus Ir14 is customizable when you order it, and with several presets available. The one I received seemed to match the “Dev Plus” preset, which will run you $1,190 and gets you 32 GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. There’s only one processor option regardless of your preset, and if you want a dedicated GPU rather than integrated graphics, you’re going to need an eGPU. (There’s even an automated installer for a machine learning suite.)

For my work, the Dev Plus configuration was more than enough. Bootup took seconds, and waking from sleep happened in a blink. The CPU has a base frequency of 2.0 GHz and can be boosted to 4.4 GHz.

The Ir14 easily handled my casual gaming, like “Cities: Skylines” and “TableTop Simulator.” It’s not a gaming laptop by any means, but it’s not at all impossible to have fun with the Ir14 either—just make sure you get at least 16GB of RAM, and most mid-level games should be covered. Linux gaming has come a long way in recent years, owing much to Valve’s Steam Deck, and the Ir14 will let you enjoy of some of those advances, so long as you stay away from anything too demanding.

The battery suited my needs, since I’m never far from a wall plug. Kubuntu says that with minimal usage, the Ir14 can last up to eight hours. Under my normal workload, which involves having multiple browser tabs open, chatting on Slack, typing in a synced notes app, and streaming on Spotify with brightness turned up, I was typically getting around four hours out of it.

Should You Buy the Kubuntu Focus Ir14 (Gen 1)?

Judging from my experience with it, I’d say the Kubuntu Focus Ir14 (Gen 1) is a worthy contender in the Linux-first computer world, so long as you just want to work comfortably on-the-go and don’t have immense performance demands. The serviceable chassis lets you ensure your laptop keeps up with you for years to come. (Just watch those bottom plate screws). If you need computing power for machine learning and serious gaming, either plan on connecting an eGPU or consider another Linux laptop option.

The amount of dedicated support Kubuntu’s Focus line comes with is rare in Linux, and the setup wizard goes a long way in helping you get started, albeit with an awkward implementation. Even if you’re not a developer, I’d recommend the Focus Ir14 as a remarkably smooth introduction to productivity on Linux.