Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#1

Post by wowzer » Fri, May 20, 2016, 6:12 PM UTC

I’ve been using Macs at work for years, even though I’d much rather use a Linux box. The main reasons I keep going with the Mac: is that I like to connect two monitors up while I’m at work, and then I’d also like the machine not to look too dated. Most of the more finely tuned Linux options just don’t look done (System76). So I’ve been aggressively trying to find a laptop that will compete with a MacBook Pro 15; ideally comes with two video ports. The standouts: ThinkPad X1 Carbon V4 [1] and Dell’s Precision M5510 [2]. Anyone have experience running either of these boxes connected to two monitors, or can suggest a better option?

[1] http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/x-series/x1-carbon-4

[2] http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/precision-m5510-workstation/pd

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#2

Post by geophile » Fri, May 20, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

Why not a Linux VM on your Mac?

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#3

Post by cjbprime » Fri, May 20, 2016, 6:33 PM UTC

Those look like good choices, you might also consider the Dell XPS 15.

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#4

Post by wowzer » Fri, May 20, 2016, 6:59 PM UTC

geophile wrote: post #2

Why not a Linux VM on your Mac?

I've tried that and it just feels incomplete. The VM competes for resources with the host machine. And then it's a bit awkward where the focus of the mouse is. When you run Linux natively you can get fancy with window/tiling managers (I really want to play with i3). Life is just better when things are simpler.

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#5

Post by wowzer » Fri, May 20, 2016, 8:29 PM UTC

cjbprime wrote: post #3

Those look like good choices, you might also consider the Dell XPS 15.

Looks pretty awesome.

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#6

Post by drakonka » Fri, May 20, 2016, 9:25 PM UTC

I have a ThinkPad X1 Carbon gen4 running Fedora and am very happy with it. I switched from years of using MacBook Airs as my primary laptop. Wrote a first impressions post on the thinkpad subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/491tmf/x1_carbon_...

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#7

Post by wowzer » Mon, May 23, 2016, 6:26 AM UTC

drakonka wrote: post #6

I have a ThinkPad X1 Carbon gen4 running Fedora and am very happy with it. I switched from years of using MacBook Airs as my primary laptop. Wrote a first impressions post on the thinkpad subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/491tmf/x1_carbon_...

Thanks for the info. The Carbon looks really good, so it's good to know someone's already successfully put Linux on it without issues. Two questions: have you tried hooking up two monitors to it and if you connect an external monitor to the laptop and then close the lid do things work as expected?

Re: Ask HN: Best Linux Laptop?

#8

Post by drakonka » Wed, May 25, 2016, 3:18 PM UTC

wowzer wrote: post #7

drakonka wrote: post #6

I have a ThinkPad X1 Carbon gen4 running Fedora and am very happy with it. I switched from years of using MacBook Airs as my primary laptop. Wrote a first impressions post on the thinkpad subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/491tmf/x1_carbon_...

Thanks for the info. The Carbon looks really good, so it's good to know someone's already successfully put Linux on it without issues. Two questions: have you tried hooking up two monitors to it and if you connect an external monitor to the laptop and then close the lid do things work as expected?

Hey,

Afraid I have not tried to hook up any external monitors to it at all so can't answer this unfortunately.