Comment Re:What? (Score 1) 290
Yes, you can do FDE without a TPM, but it's nowhere near as convenient, or as secure (because inconvenience breeds insecurity). You either have to type in a boot password (as well as a login password), or you need to use a hardware dongle like a USB drive, which you will probably keep with your laptop anyways and it will probably get stolen with the laptop..
The point of the TPM is that it provides secure key storage, so you need only enter your normal login password once to unlock all secured devices. It also provides cryptographically secure randomness for better security.