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What are good linux laptops for 2018?

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Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#21

Post by yoz-y »

noir_lord wrote: post #19
yoz-y wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

T series Thinkpads only come with U class processors. This is fine for many usages but depending on what you want you might need to go for the P-series.

T470P didn't, I'm typing this on a Core-i7-7700HQ w/32GB RAM and the 2560x1440@14" screen. Cracking little machine for massively less than an Apple machine with a faster processor and until recently twice the max RAM the 'Pro' could have.

It looks like Lenovo did not make the T480P models. Hopefully they will still get to it. I am in a similar situation to the OP. Currently it looks like the only option is the Lenovo P51, however it has a numeric keypad on the keyboard.

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#23

Post by syntaxing »

I have a x62 and it's an all around great Linux laptop for development (but I only code for fun, YMMV but I read good reviews using it in professional environment). I built it myself and it honestly was one of the funnest hands-on project I had in a while. Reminded the fun I had when I first learned how to built my own desktop.

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#25

Post by jseliger »

eat_veggies wrote: post #8

I put linux on my x1 carbon (gen 5) and it works well enough. Some notes, in no particular order: * great keyboard * kind of shit trackpad * trackpoint is pretty nice at least * hidpi is a pain in the ass to set up ..* looks great once you get it working ..* some apps like Zoom refuse to scale up, so the buttons are tiny * light weight * really long battery

kind of shit trackpad

Relevant, recent discussion on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17547817

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#26

Post by noir_lord »

yoz-y wrote: post #21
noir_lord wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

T470P didn't, I'm typing this on a Core-i7-7700HQ w/32GB RAM and the 2560x1440@14" screen. Cracking little machine for massively less than an Apple machine with a faster processor and until recently twice the max RAM the 'Pro' could have.

It looks like Lenovo did not make the T480P models. Hopefully they will still get to it. I am in a similar situation to the OP. Currently it looks like the only option is the Lenovo P51, however it has a numeric keypad on the keyboard.

The i7's available for the T480 are quite different to the ones in the T470 so perhaps they don't need to.

The i7-8550U benches about equal to my i7-7700HQ in real world use at half the TDP (so better battery life) though I'd be curious to see how it holds up under load for my workloads so perhaps they won't bother with a T480P, I've not seen any rumours so far.

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#27

Post by meguest »

mar77i wrote: post #18
meguest wrote: post #2

I have a Dell XPS 15 and to be frank I would advise against it. Good points: - Strong hardware - Looks nice Bad points: - M2 SSD requires changing some BIOS preferences to work on Linux - Nvidia graphics card is a pain on Ubuntu. Do a Google search for nouveau.modeset - The fans are on most of the time, even during idle. The machine isn't hot either - it just likes to run the fans - The 1920x1080 screen isn't that gr…

I find your result a bit surprising. Having the XPS 13 for work and these things are - besides the massive resolution for the comparably small screen - as painless as it gets in my experience.

The XPS 13 appears to be a much better choice than the XPS 15 - standard SSDs, integrated graphics, smaller and light(er).

The 15 I have has two fans: one I presume for the CPU and another for the Nvidia GPU (which I don't use). However, once both have started neither shut off until the machine is suspended. There is a suggestion that this is due to a firmware bug related to suspend/wake and it doesn't happen from cold boot. I haven't tested it out, will give it a go next week.

I've also been used to MacBooks and so the XPS does fall short somewhat in comparison - minor flexing and creaking and much less heat dissipated via the chassis (plastic vs aluminium). I have an Intel i7 in the XPS that appears to consume quite a lot of power. I'd much rather change it for a less powerful, more frugal i5 but alas it is too late.

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#28

Post by earenndil »

TheSmoke wrote: post #24

everybody is asking about linux laptops but i do really would like to switch to freebsd. are there any good laptops that work well with freebsd?

Not directly an answer, but you'll find a lot of stuff on the internet suggesting that intel integrated graphics don't work; as of freebsd 11.2, almost all of them do! Specifically, support was added for broadwell and newer, through drm-next-kmod.

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#29

Post by brianolson »

Pretty happy with my System76 Galago Pro with high-dpi display. It's small and light and has a really crisp screen.

That's my home machine. At work I have a 2015 MacBookPro. Comparing the two the only downside of the System76 is a trackpad about 70% as good and heat management design isn't so great so the fan spins up more and louder. (and the fat bezel around the screen, but whatever, the pixels that are there are good)

Re: What are good linux laptops for 2018?

#30

Post by bo1024 »

Phrodo_00 wrote: post #13

I haven't tried them personally, but there are linux-specific vendors puri.sm and system 76.

A vote for Purism's Librem line. Not for all use cases, but great if the specs fit what you're looking for and your support of freedom and control makes it worth a bit of flexibility.
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