Seen the recent issues with Apple hard- and software I’m not 100% sure I want to replace my 2015 MacBook Pro with a 2017 MacBook pro. What are your suggestions for a decent replacement?
I’m looking for something the size of a MacBook that can run Ubuntu or something similar. Good boos quality and a good screen.
My personal belief is that, for a working dev, MacOS is still the best deal running. The fact of the matter is that it will always work and any new software you want to install will have a well documented how to. Even if you don't want to run MacOS, I'd still probably recommend buying an MBP and dual booting linux on it. Thinkpads are great, the x220 keyboard is probably the best keyboard ever put on a laptop, but the screens are horrible, you will notice the RAM and CPU shortage, and battery life was an issue. Further, the form factor is not as small as an MBP.
If you are going down the Thinkpad route, the X62 is an interesting option custom made by an enthusiast group in Shenzhen. [1] Otherwise, Hackaday wrote a fairly modern Thinkpad buyer's guide [2]. One thing I would note is that upgrading the x230 keyboard to the x220 keyboard is trivial and only requires a jeweler's screwdriver and a few new parts (about $70). You can also upgrade the x230 screen to an HD screen but that is a significantly more complicated upgrade.
[1] https://geoff.greer.fm/2017/07/16/thinkpad-x62/ [2] https://hackaday.com/2016/10/28/apple-sucks-now-heres-a-thin...