New laptop advice
 

I hope this post isn't against any forum rules. I'm looking into buying a new laptop to run Debian on, and it's been years since I've seriously looked at the laptop market. I was hoping to give some of my requirements and questions and see if people can give me some input.

I'd use the laptop mainly for light use on the road when I'm away from my desktop (email, web browsing), so it doesn't need beefy hardware. I've tried a netbook, but the keyboard and screen are too small for comfort, so I'm looking for something portable, but usable (15" display?). Long battery life is nice, but I'll mainly be using it in places where I can plug it in. I'll run Debian on it, so good Linux hardware support (wireless, display, etc.) is important. I'd like a sturdy, durable machine, and last I heard IBM/Lenovo was the clear winner in that category (but correct me if I'm wrong). I also like the IBM TrackPoint navigation way better than a touchpad, so that also makes me lean that way.

Some questions:

• How important is a solid-state drive for a laptop that will be carried around often, might get bumped some, etc.? How durable are regular hard drives?
• What manufacturers best meet what I'm looking for, and which are known for having better Linux support?
• Any specific recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

I have bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T510i last year. I run Ubuntu and Windows 7 on it
and I am very satisfied. You find my experiences with Ubuntu on this notebook here.

My recommendation is to create a bootable USB flash drive with a live version of Debian or a closely-related derived distro, head on down to your local computer stores, and try out your live system on laptops that you find appealing. I carried around a flash drive loaded with Puppy Linux when I went shopping for my netbook a few years ago.

I just purchased an IBM thinkpad x120e and my reasons were similar to yours.....I wanted portability and power with decent battery life in a durable package. Now if you want to spend a tonne then there are better choices out there like the panasonic w8 toughbook or even the thinkpad x220 with a magnesium alloy roll cage and ssd drive, but if your poor like me....the thinkpad x120e is a great buy.

I suspect the SSD is more rugged than the other weakest links. Until they make a rubber laptop you will have to be careful.

I'd be sure to consider virtual machines.

Some stores may let you try a live cd to test. In a general rule, don't get the newest or most high end system. Get the most common system.