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One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

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Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#61

Post by alexktz »

I recently purchased a 16” MBP despite significant personal concerns over the future of MacOS, being a strong open source advocate and Linux paying my mortgage.

I did this ultimately for a few reasons. MacOS lets me run Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc), Fusion360, has a good terminal (iTerm and zsh unix like shell) and Logic.

Mac hardware is still some of the best in the business, no other vendors seem to be able to catch-up. The XPS line is a great example, the battery that Dell chose to put in that laptop can’t run the internals at full power when not connected to AC. There are plenty of other comments about Thinkpads here (I have a T480s through work) and find the overall experience just fine.

The MacBook on the other hand, I use for 8+ hours every day. It’s the machine I reach for first. It sparks joy. It just works when roaming on WiFi, always. It just works with Bluetooth headphones, always. It just works with external displays, first time, every time. To put it simply, the machine gets out of my way and lets me get real work done. I can SSH to wherever I want and get ‘the Linux experience’.

My personal desktop runs Arch and KDE but for a portable, annoyingly, I still think Macs are the only way to go. But damn do I wish they had a SD card slot.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#62

Post by danielbarla »

Krasnol wrote: post #18
lmilcin wrote: post #3

I am also running Linux on Thinkpad (Debian unstable on T440s). As to the battery life, this typically requires some work but I found it is generally possible to get good battery life. I am able to get my T440s to run for total 24 hours with the highest option 9-cell, the built in 3-cell and another 3-cell that came original with the laptop. This I did to be able to work on a long yacht cruise with no extra power and…

You should try a trackball. I switched over to the logitech MX ergo after using a mouse for many years and the usuall pains started.

I've been a happy user of trackballs for many years, and can also happily recommend the Kensington variety. It is also quite configurable, both in the traditional software sense, and in the sense that you can use it in a variety of different physical ways (thumb, forefingers, at a variety of angles, etc). This variety kind of helps reduce the "repetitive" part of RSI.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#63

Post by squarefoot »

lmilcin wrote: post #3

I am also running Linux on Thinkpad (Debian unstable on T440s). As to the battery life, this typically requires some work but I found it is generally possible to get good battery life. I am able to get my T440s to run for total 24 hours with the highest option 9-cell, the built in 3-cell and another 3-cell that came original with the laptop. This I did to be able to work on a long yacht cruise with no extra power and…

> The entire touchpad is a button and you need to press it and try to move your finger while pressing HARD to drag things, for example.

Same here (X240) but it still has left and right buttons, although not shown. To drag things around, just keep pressed the lower left side of the pad (near the user's belly not the spacebar) then gently move the right finger around the pad. It works the same for selecting text.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#64

Post by z9e »

I'm actually considering either going with the T480p or an Asus for my next work laptop (from a 2018 MBP) with Linux on it. I have a T470p though that has a broken motherboard right after the warranty expired. When picking it up to move it around, it shorts out and restarts, apparently this is a known issue with the 470's. But I really fear Lenovo's reliability these days.

Has anyone else had reliability problems with the T series? How reliable have the T480's been?

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#65

Post by hashedout »

k__ wrote: post #45

Half-OT: I'm using a MBP13"(2013) for years now and really like it, but it's not upgradable and it's getting cumbersome to do some more intesive things with it. Would you recommend buying a new MBP or getting a laptop?

The ones with 10th gen Intel processors with the "new" keyboard are very good

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#67

Post by hashedout »

boogies wrote: post #38
bogwog wrote: post #19

I love Thinkpads and I love Linux. My current "daily driver" laptop is an old X220T from 2011, which is a tablet hybrid (including touchscreen and Wacom pen/digitizer). I don't use it because of nostalgia or a love for retro computers, I use it because it's still an excellent experience all these years later. No modern laptop in the current price range can beat it. I don't know if that's because the build quality was…

> No modern laptop in the current price range can beat it. > I'm also super interested to try out the new ARM-based Macbooks I’m having a hard time choosing between an old Thinkpad and the Pinebook Pro for a GNU/Linux laptop. Thinkpads have a better battle-tested durability + repairability reputation and Libreboot is a significant selling point to me. But x86 seems like it’s just beginning to fade into the past in fa…

Up your budget about 100$ and you get get a 4th gen intel X1 carbon used. Very good laptop.

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#68

Post by Galanwe »

danielbarla wrote: post #62
Krasnol wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should try a trackball. I switched over to the logitech MX ergo after using a mouse for many years and the usuall pains started.

I've been a happy user of trackballs for many years, and can also happily recommend the Kensington variety. It is also quite configurable, both in the traditional software sense, and in the sense that you can use it in a variety of different physical ways (thumb, forefingers, at a variety of angles, etc). This variety kind of helps reduce the "repetitive" part of RSI.

I always fancied switching to track balls but never dared to jump.

Can you be as fast as with a mouse with it? As precise?

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#69

Post by krooj »

alexktz wrote: post #61

I recently purchased a 16” MBP despite significant personal concerns over the future of MacOS, being a strong open source advocate and Linux paying my mortgage. I did this ultimately for a few reasons. MacOS lets me run Adobe (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc), Fusion360, has a good terminal (iTerm and zsh unix like shell) and Logic. Mac hardware is still some of the best in the business, no other vendors seem to be able to…

"It just works with external displays" - ಠ_ಠ

Re: One Year with ThinkPad and Linux (From MacBook Pro)

#70

Post by fsflover »

> Can disable webcam in BIOS when not used

Purism sells laptops [0] with real hardware kill switches for camera and microphone. Welcome to the future.

> Maintenance: T480 is not slim and this is for the better. I can replace/upgrade most components by myself.

Slimness has nothing to do with repairability / upgradeability. Purism laptops are slim and perfectly repairable. (I'm a happy owner).

[0] https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-15/

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