Hardware development is just extremely difficult. The smallest company that I'm aware of that has their own laptop design is Framework, but their laptops are also about twice as expensive as equivalent models from other brands.

In addition, since basically all modern computer manufacturing has to go through Taiwan due to TSMC's near-monopoly on competitive semiconductors, it makes sense to outsource design to Taiwan too. They already have the industry for it, and there's no reason to have a random American company add their own profit margin to the price for no reason.

I was thinking of getting my next desktop from them. Can you elaborate?

They do develop Linux drivers for the laptops they sell, so they're not adding literally zero value. Though they also tried to prevent upstreaming with an incompatible (illegal) license so there's that...

We should call it Brand Slapping

Hello, yes, I enter all my numbers via a vertical line and visual search to mock those who use a grid they just have to feel.

Keypads exist for a reason. Please do practice Chesterton's fence at least a little. We don't all use laptops the same way.

I just imagine walking up to an apartment building and having to enter a number code using a line of ten numbers 🤣