Best Linux laptop to get
 

I want to buy an outstanding laptop that works pretty well with Linux. I did some research and some people suggested that I get a laptop from System76 and others suggested I get the Dell one that is preinstalled with Linux. And others suggested I get a laptop from the zareason.

I am willing to spend $2000 on the laptop so What do you think is the best option. I want to make an investment and so I want to get a really good laptop.

And is there an option that I didn't mention that works well ?

Initially I thought about getting an alienware but a lot of people said that alienware doesn't work well with Linux.

If you buy a laptop from System76 or ZaReason, you will be assured, (99.999 percent) that it will work with Linux (sometimes tricky hardware,... so I've heard)...

That said,... You can just get a standard, off the shelf Dell, and be 98.9 sure it will work wih Linux. Toshiba?! 90%... Lenovo?! 93%...

My advice? Get the best hardware specs that you can afford on a machine that is 1-2 years old (up to your $$$ limit) [i7, 8-16GB Ram, 1 TB HD,... whatever else you want]. The 1-2 years gives the geek set time to get the hardware working close to 100%. Plus, like buying a car, you're not buying a lemon that nobody's tested...

It depends on what you want to do with linux. Most non-linux compatible bits can be bypassed with usb versions that are linux compatible. The CPU is a CPU, the RAM is RAM, ethernet and keyboards work almost universally. The trackpad / clickpad, and touchscreen stuff is a bit hit and miss these days, but again a USB mouse works just fine.

I kind of deem laptops as disposable computers. Buy the cheapest one that meets your needs and save your money for when skylake or whatever the next great thing is supposed to be that hits the market. If you're hardset on spending your cash, get something with a lot of RAM. The thing that makes things useless with age these days is the amount of RAM. ZFS, Chrome, and other things are just greedy greedy things when it comes to RAM. And that's an ailment that's probably here to stay. Plus some distros like puppy linux can run entirely from RAM which opens up some interesting possibilities with 16GB of RAM or more.

Not the latest and greatest. But you'll save some money for more important things in life, (in my opinion).
But some people have more money than sense. So just pointing out something you may not know about,

So not the Best. That changes every nano second lately.

That outlook kinda reminds me of my dog chasing his tail. Kinda fun till he gets bored doing it.

Dell XPS13

It can be ordered with Ubuntu (don't worry you can `shred` it & replace it with something a bit less spy-ware orientated) so compatibility is assured.

http://www.dell.com/uk/business/p/xp.../pd#overrides=

As I understand it you've still got to be careful with these. There's a post somewhere on here from a member how can't get any other distro, even Mint, to work properly:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...er-4175547045/

I would not recommend the XPS 13. Yes it comes with Ubuntu, but check out the dell forum for specifics. Like many Dells, it uses Broadcom wireless and non-standard hardware across the board. It's taken MONTHs for the Sputnik team to get the XPS 13 working properly with Ubuntu, fixing and patching and hacking everything in the system from the trackpad to wireless to audio to the webcam. The end result works, but it's not standard Ubuntu, it's a Dell specific version of Ubuntu that you can only get by buying the XPS 13 developer edition. You can't wipe it and install another distro or you'll face all of the same problems they did putting together their custom Ubuntu.

Go with a company that uses standard hardware that won't put up a fight, even if it doesn't come with Linux from the manufacturer.

I have a Lenovo X1 Carbon on the way, should be here next week. The first thing I'm going to do is wipe Windows 8 and install OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. I'll let you know how it goes if you're interested, but I'm not expecting any hiccups. Many reviews online show it works perfectly fine, and my T420s and T440 both worked 100% out of the box with Linux.

FWIW, the X1 Carbon I got has:
I5-5300U
1080p display
8 GB RAM
512 GB PCIe x4 SSD (yes, that means it has ~1.2 GB/s RW speeds)
The price was around $1600
It also weighs 2.8 lbs and has a 10 hour battery life

If you want some reviews of the XPS 13 and X1 Carbon Linux support:
XPS 13
X1 Carbon

Linux support aside, the XPS 13 is a nice laptop, my boss just got one. Very nice display, very nice construction, very nice to use. My only complaint is the non-standard hardware and despite them physically wiring up PCIe to the M.2 slot for the SSD, the BIOS only supports SATA drives (WHY!?!?)

I will say my Dell Latitude E7440 has been great. Had both Debian and Mageia on it, Just about everything worked out of the box (Debian did require enabling non-free to install the wifi firmware), and the performance is quite satisfactory. It's got 801.11AC (intel, not broadcom), Bluetooth, 1080p resolution, and very lightweight for a 14". I've been looking at maybe getting another to replace my wifes aging laptop, and can be found on Ebay for $400-$600, although it takes some looking to get the 1080P version instead of the horrendously ugly 1366x768 resolution version. But if you take the time to find it, I've been extremely happy with it.

The Intel 7265 card can be specified as an alternative and is a worthwhile upgrade.

It can be made to work under Arch:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php..._13_%282015%29

1. Order any laptop off the internet, using a credit card.
2. When it arrives try booting off a "live" DVD
3. If Internet, Audio, Video is OK - keep it and install Linux.

If it fails #3 - just send it back, saying you have changed your mind - or whatever.
I think you have about 10 days to do this - legally - (at least in the UK).
You will probably have to pay for secure transport - so check out the suppliers instructions.

Or try it on a friends laptop or even in a shop.

BTW You get much better performance per £ from a desktop than any laptop.

That used to be true and still is if you consider long term maintenance and upgrade paths. But if you start talking cheap things like chromebooks or hp's stream series that's meant to compete with chromebooks. With a laptop you get a keyboard, mouse, monitor, wifi, bluetooth, and battery backup for roughly the same price point or less. It would be almost silly to get the desktop version of those things to save $20.

Or if you look at real machines with actual capabilities other than web browsing.

Sometimes you just need a laptop though. Desktops are great when they stay in one place. In a home office or work office, absolutely get a desktop. You can get incredible performance for a reasonable price and it'll last a decade. Many people still need a travel machine though, and there's really no alternative to a decent laptop with good portability and good battery life when you need it.

99% of my work is done on a desktop in my office at work. I built it 4 years ago for $1k and it's still 2-3x more powerful than even the best laptops you can buy today. I still need a laptop though for when I'm on the road.

Rather difficult to plugin a new keyboard when the letters wear off the cheap laptop device. :)

alkabary,

I have no connection whatsoever with this company, but it may be worth looking at Think Penguin for a tailor-made laptop built to your specific requirements:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/about

All TP's products are freedom-compatible, meaning that they will work with just about any free software operating system.

Laptops:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/catalog...rs-gnu-linux-2

This 15.6 inch model starts at $799:

https://www.thinkpenguin.com/gnu-lin...linux-notebook


This example costs $1412.53.

Processor: Intel Core i7-4700MQ Processor (2.4GHz, 3.40 GHz turbo)
Memory: 16GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 1TB
Wireless N: Wireless N Dual-Band (TPE-NHMPCIED)
Matte Screen Upgrade (non-glossy): Matte Wide Screen
Bluetooth: USB Bluetooth 4.0 Micro Adapter (TPE-USBBLUV4)
Mouse: Select
Mousepads: Select
USB Flash Drive: Select
Notebook Warranty: 1 Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty
AC Adapter: US, Mexico, & Canada - Plug Type NEMA 5-15
USB Hub: Select
Keyboard Layout: United States
Distribution to Install: Please give me your default configuration
Laptop Bags: Padded Notebook Sleeve (TPE-PADSLEV)


You do not have to spend loads of money on hardware when using Linux, but I get the impression that you are going to do so anyway.

You could buy something like this $455 HP 255 G3, wipe W7 and install Linux:

http://www.amazon.com/HP-255-G3-15-6.../dp/B00KIS3G32


I almost forgot the Dell M3800 with the Ubuntu option:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/28779...ompetitor.html

Select specification and order here:

http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/pr...02917131368519

I say this in all these threads but I really like my Latitudes. My current is a 6420 and it works just how it's supposed to and I get ~12 hours on the 9 cell battery. It's not sexy but it's cool, gets great battery life, and is compatible.