
Best Linux Laptop in 2020? - abinaya_codes
I need to choose a new laptop for my personal use. Currently using Macbook pro, I&#x27;d like to switch back to Linux.<p>What do you folks suggest?
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trepanne
My choice is Panasonic Toughbooks - the "business rugged" models, not full-on
military/law-enforcement tanks.

They're as thick as a Tolkien book and weigh several pounds. They don't have
4K screens. If those tradeoffs are acceptable to you, they excel on pretty
much every other metric. They use high-quality standard parts; Linux drivers
available for all devices. The design has a high degree of
modularity/repairabiity; they're even more field-repairable than Thinkpads.
And of course they really are fairly rugged; I can vouch for their being
toddler-proof.

It's easy to get these configured for craft personnel; the one I'm using now
has RS-232 and MM fiber interfaces... not to mention VGA and SmartCard. No
dongles here!

Not to mention all kinds of standard security features... hardware kill switch
for the radio; Fn hotkey to immediately blank the screen; quick-release HD
cage so you can take your disk with you when you go to the restroom.

They're great machines.

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justaguyhere
Are they repairable easily? Can I add RAM, hard disk etc by myself, or are
they closed like Apple computers?

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odonnellryan
"The design has a high degree of modularity/repairabiity; they're even more
field-repairable than Thinkpads."

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wernerb
My Dell XPS 13 has Linux support. Dell even sells the laptops with Ubuntu on
it. The new 2020 edition called Dell xps 13 9300has a larger screen, better
hinge and a webcam that doesn't look up into your nostrils. The only thing not
working is the fingerprint sensor.

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unlinked_dll
Battery life kind of sucks however

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avl999
System 76 laptops are worth a look... full Linux support and reasonable
pricing [https://system76.com/laptops](https://system76.com/laptops). I have
only used their desktop and it has been awesome.

In the past I have used Dell Inspiron and HP Pavilions and they were excellent
Linux laptops and _almost_ everything worked out of the box. Dells, Thinkpads
and most HPs in general have pretty good linux compatibility. You can also
install Linux on your Macbook pro if you are okay with the hardware.

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samstave
I've had a number of S76 laptops... and at the time I had them, they were the
best bang for your buck on guts, however the cases for their older models were
a bit chintzy. Out of (4) of the exact same laptops from S76, (3) of them had
screws internally fall out and rattle around the case. Also, they changed the
interface between the mobo and the screen between purchases, so one machine
that had a bad mobo, and one machine that had a cracked screen couldnt be
harvested for parts between them :-(

Their support ___was_ __superb, but I havent tried that out in a long while...

However - I would still use them in the future...

But, My next purchase for a linux/windows dual boot machine is going to be the
Lenovo Y545 -- It has all the guts I would need on both platforms and the
price is fantastic. I checked out the case at Costco the other day and it
feels solid. ($999 at costco)

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yulaow
You must be more specific with your needs.

How much battery life do you need as minimum?

Do you need a discrete gpu? Nvidia or amd?

Screen's inches? Fullhd is enough or do you need 4k?

Is it important for you that hw parts are easily replaceable?

Budget?

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abinaya_codes
\- I don't have any budget limits

\- The screen can be full hd or 4k is fine.

\- With regards to the GPU intel integrated is totally fine.

\- Min 5 hours battery life

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phrasz
It's your software needs that are really important.

What distro?

Do you need virtualization?

Are you looking to just have access to bash and unix-like tools?

Windows and Chromebooks fill most of my software needs for Linux... I push
whatever else to a cloud, or switch to a more dedicated tower/rig for
horsepower.

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seanwilson
Anyone tried a high end Chromebook for this? As far as I understand, they let
you run Linux inside a container alongside the regular Chrome OS UI. Any major
downsides?

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phrasz
I jumped off a cliff for a cheap Black Friday HP-based Chromebook (i3 with
16GB of RAM)

For my day-to-day Linux needs it has been great. I get all my apps/streaming
through the play store, and all major SW for Linux works for my coding (VS
Code, GIMP, Android Studio).

The current downside: I can run vms on the box (but I likely could run
Docker...maybe?), But there's SSH for that.

Mainly it's a drag that the mouse-lock feature hasn't been implemented. So I
can't play Minecraft. XD

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KitDuncan
If you can wait a couple of months, I'd wait to see what releases with the new
Ryzen APUs. If not, I'd probably go with the XPS 13.

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eb0la
I guess _it depends_ on where you're located and your budget.

I've had a very good experience with Thinkpads. T480 with Ubuntu was a
pleasure to use and you can get it almost anywhere in the world.

 _Always_ get a pro-grade laptop, not a consumer one. Consumer laptops have
hughe price competition, are difficult/cannot be upgrader.

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Antoninus
Currently using a x1 carbon 6th gen.

It took a lot of thermal modifications to get it working as a professional
machine.

If I could choose again, I'd trade the x1's battery life for x1 extreme size
and performance.

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stockkid
That's a great laptop. Just curious, what sort of thermal modifications did
you perform, and why were they necessary?

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hilti
I‘m really happy with my Thinkpad X260. Bought it for $350 used on eBay. It‘s
fast, nice FHD screen, integrated WWAN LTE and a great keyboard.

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psv1
To add to the question, is there an easy way to get a laptop without a Windows
installation that you have to remove/ignore?

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abinaya_codes
This is really an interesting question. Why do we need to pay for Windows when
you are going to format it and install Linux?

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ta999999171
Because antitrust legislation in US is a rusting tool on the shelf.

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psv1
I'm in the EU, who can I blame for this?

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ta999999171
US hegemony, Microsoft's anticompetitive/subsidized practices, and our peers
for not demanding better - if you're really looking!

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yamrzou
I’m currently using Thinkpad X1C6 with Fedora for development. Works like a
charm, no issues so far.

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romanovcode
XPS 13 2020 just released

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listic
You can always install Linux on a Macbook pro.

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BossingAround
I mean, you can, but it won't work well unless you're speaking of the 2012
MBP.

