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Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

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Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#111

Post by microtherion »

BeefWellington wrote: post #43

I really think articles like this can help drive Lenovo to go back to their old superior keyboards. However, apart from the missing [2019], should there not also be a [Sponsored] tag? The author's review can't reliably be seen to be unbiased (emphasis mine below). I just spent the better part of this past year year struggling with the Thinkpad P1, Lenovo's latest effort to compete with Dell's XPS 15 and Precision 550…

The article reminds me a bit of Jerry Pournelle's _Chaos Manor_ columns. The author writes glowing reviews of the free hardware thrown at them, while the actual experience they describe seems somewhat dubious for users who can't expect free hardware and personal phone support.

If I understand the article correctly, their recommended "Linux Developer Laptop" is permanently stuck on a fairly old version of Linux, and you better not compile much if you want to get decent battery life. Neither of this strikes me as ideal for Linux developers, but what do I know…

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#112

Post by vladvasiliu »

yjftsjthsd-h wrote: post #95
vladvasiliu wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be the same, rocking a late 2013 MacBook Pro. I then bought a Radeon 5000 series and put it in and old PC I had lying around (Xeon E5-2667 v2, Q3'13 according to ark.intel.com). I was amazed at how well they kept up, and even how they were faster than my 2018-2019 work laptop (an 8th gen i5u-something) when comparing Rust build times. Then I got a new one with a Zen 3 (5650u) in December. Man, it feels sooo…

> Then I got a new one with a Zen 3 (5650u) in December. Man, it feels sooo smooth and snappy when compared to the older computers. > However, this laptop is an absolute steaming PoS on multiple other aspects (chief amongst which a broken BIOS and absurdly bad screen), so I would absolutely not recommend it. I think you meant to argue that new hardware can be good, but that's really not the conclusion I walked away w…

My point was that there have been noticeable improvements in computing power. I wouldn't recommend this particular model, but it's likely that an equivalent ThinkPad would be an all round much better experience and have the same performance, or maybe even better.

This particular new laptop is a "business" series, so it tries to look fancy, but it's just cheap crap sold at a high markup. I have older models at work, and they have all failed in various ways. They're barely moved outside the office, too, so it's not like I beat on them all day every day. It's a line I would never recommend to anyone under any circumstance, be it new or old. But it is fast.

My general opinion, though, is that instead of buying cheap models often, it's usually much better to buy nicer, "higher-end" models less often, at least as far as perception is concerned, especially if you don't have anything (new) to compare it to. This can afford better "peripherals", such as a screen, keyboard, silence, etc., which cheaper models tend to never have.

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#113

Post by GordonS »

Freak_NL wrote: post #83
ok_dad wrote: post #7

Maybe if you're considering the "major laptop manufacturers", but I prefer my System76 laptop any day, since it comes with Linux and they support it from the get-go. Also, they write a lot of nice software that makes the Linux ecosystem better; I love Pop_OS! and how I basically don't have to futz around with getting things to work but have the power of a Debian/Ubuntu variant so I can install other things easily. I…

I like System76, and my two previous work laptops came from them (both served me for over four years each; I only had to replace the last one due to a hard to diagnose RAM issue), but I can't recommend them to anyone outside of the US. By now they really should have gotten into bed with an EU distributor to handle warrantee, customs, and shipping, because it's just too costly and too much of a hassle to deal with Sys…

Wow, thanks for posting this - a System76 is on my shortlist, but it's coming straight off now; I had no idea I'd have to ship it across the Atlantic if there was a problem!!!

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#115

Post by randlet »

prototypeasap wrote: post #91

Need to have a thorough comparative analysis to claim something reigns supreme. My laptop is Lenovo Carbon X1 7th Gen - with custom Debian 10 install. I chose it over Dell offerings due to better keyboard and substantially lower weight. I don't really care about operating system that comes pre-installed; As, i always do a fresh 'bloatware free' install of Debian anyways. The only thing that doesn't work is fingerprin…

I've been using a Lenovo Carbon X1 4th Gen with Ubuntu installed for the last 5+ years and love it. My next laptop will almost certainly be another X1 Carbon.

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#116

Post by vbezhenar »

stagger87 wrote: post #107
vbezhenar wrote: post #10

I recently checked and only 3 models of the entire Dell line-up offer Linux OS (1 model is XPS Developer edition). Basically it seems that Dell abandoned Linux compatibility with new models.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/overview/cp/linuxsystem... This link shows their Linux lineup. Seems they cover all 3 laptop sizes 13/15/17 both in an ultra book form factor and a bulkier port rich model. What more were you hoping for? I personally think it's a good thing they limit the pre-installed Linux models to their professional/business line of laptops. Supporting Linux on every model is probably a waste…

I filtered business laptops by using Linux checkbox and got only 3 results. https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebo...

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#117

Post by pengaru »

haunter wrote: post #33

Personally I'm waiting for the new ARM ThinkPad X13s. I rarely buy things on day one but that will be one for sure. Not sure which distro will run on it but I like tinkering with it.

Why wouldn't you just get an AMD X13? At least you know there's already sorted GPU drivers in mainline, it's no slouch AIUI.

What I read about the ARM ThinkPad is it's basically a smartphone in an X13 chassis... Yay? Seems like a strange Linux hardware support nuisance to be looking forward to.

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#118

Post by sly010 »

hughrr wrote: post #46

No. I have a 5550 which is I assume what the author is referring to. It’s garbage. Overheats constantly, the touchpad is dire, the screen has bad vignette around the edges, it’s noisy, the thing hard freezes when you plug it into a dock, the webcam only works 50% of the time you power it up and if you pick it up by the base it flexes so badly the touchpad clicks. The keyboard is also soggy as hell and the battery las…

> If you pick it up by the base it flexes so badly the touchpad clicks.

The XPS15 does the same. What's your USB vendor id / device id? I am working on a libinput patch that mitigates that [0].

[0] https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libinput/libinput/-/merge_req...

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#119

Post by tmm »

pjerem wrote: post #87
hughrr wrote: post #46

No. I have a 5550 which is I assume what the author is referring to. It’s garbage. Overheats constantly, the touchpad is dire, the screen has bad vignette around the edges, it’s noisy, the thing hard freezes when you plug it into a dock, the webcam only works 50% of the time you power it up and if you pick it up by the base it flexes so badly the touchpad clicks. The keyboard is also soggy as hell and the battery las…

I was going to write exactly this. I don’t know about Linux support since I have to use Windows on it but oh boy it is crap. The fans are always on whatever you do, the left part of the keyboard is frequently burning hot. Touchpad is mostly really good … when it works, because as soon as I wash my hands, it stops detecting anything. The audio part, at least on Windows, is pure random. USB docks randomly works and onc…

I've been running Linux on a 5550 for about six months now, and the hardware is rock solid.

Everything works fine. I've experienced no overheating, network is stable, all the USB bits work, it docks and undocks without issue, the web cam works, audio works, it sleeps, hibernates and wakes up fine. Fans aren't very loud and I've only ever heard them spin up when compiling (I would say the full speed fans on the 5550 are about as loud as full speed fans on a 2016 Macbook Pro). The large touchpad works well enough. The 4k screen is OK, and matte, which I consider a bonus. The keyboard is average, certainly not the worst laptop keyboard I've ever used, but far from the best.

However, I wouldn't buy one for myself. Simply because of how flexible it is. It is nearly unusable when sat on anything but a hard flat surface. It's like the designers never even tested it as a LAPtop. Tiny, imperceptible flexes, or even just more pressure on one side than the other and the touchpad generates clicks.

Also, a USB-A port would have been way more useful than an SD-card slot.

Re: Linux Developer Laptops: Dell's Precision 5500 series reigns supreme (2019)

#120

Post by stagger87 »

vbezhenar wrote: post #116
stagger87 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/overview/cp/linuxsystem... This link shows their Linux lineup. Seems they cover all 3 laptop sizes 13/15/17 both in an ultra book form factor and a bulkier port rich model. What more were you hoping for? I personally think it's a good thing they limit the pre-installed Linux models to their professional/business line of laptops. Supporting Linux on every model is probably a waste…

I filtered business laptops by using Linux checkbox and got only 3 results. https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebo...

Feel free to use my link to see more business laptops with Linux. There's 7 on my link and they are all configurable.
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