These supposedly run Linux very well, as another option.
This has been true for quite a while now.
Most office environments where developers run Linux are full of Thinkpad T4xx, X2xx, and X1s.
Hence the question.
Furthermore, Lenovo has been in the news late 2016 for not allowing Linux to run on some of their (Microsoft certified) laptops. And when the t460's and x260's came out early 2016, the Linux distros available at the time had all kinds of issues. Black screens, no Wifi, iirc.
So, again: is there any article that actually point to this laptop running Linux well? Or is it merely based on historical data and personal opinion?
I ended up going with the Dell Developer Edition Ubuntu laptop line after talking to a few people who swore that their XPS 13 was the greatest thing they'd ever owned. Personally, I went with a beastly 17" Precision because I wanted a desktop replacement. Should be delivered any day now, but I'm excited. Btw, I'm switching from a Mac.
Which Dell model is that? Precision 5510?
http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/22/campaigns/outlet
It's the third time I've bought a machine from the outlet and I've always been satisfied. I had spec'd out a base m7510 with Ubuntu, 70% gamut touchscreen, larger battery, and lighted keyboard. This one came up with the IGZ0, Windows 10, 4GB Quadro 2000, i7-6820HQ instead and was a bit less money. The base unit was still a good machine.
The 5510's are more Macbook like...slimmer, limited expansion, less powerful CPU's and graphics cards at the top end of the line (slim light cases limit thermal capacity).
The 7000 series are heavier and support ECC RAM and have four DIMM slots and can accomodate a conventional SATA drive plus an M42 x 80. For me heavy is relative. My first three laptops were 7 pounds, 6.5 pounds, and 8.5 pounds. The first one was light, the second was about a pound over light, and the third was svelte for a 17".
I'm currently typing this while USB-tethered through a stock Android phone, which 'just worked' when I first tried it - the only settings screen I've ever seen when USB tethering is the one that toggles it on.
It is normal for linux to perhaps have a driver issue with a very new laptop, but it's usually sorted out in a month or two, especially with thinkpads as they have a large linux-using population.
The certifications on this page are done by the vendors (typically RedHat or Ubuntu), against specific OS releases.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:X1_Carbon_(3rd_Gen)
Ubuntu in particular:
https://certification.ubuntu.com/certification/make/Lenovo/?...
When I was shopping for a laptop recently, I was told that to order one with Ubuntu pre-installed I needed to call sales during business hours. Ultimately, I went with a Dell Precision T7510, left Windows 10 in place, added an NVME ssd, and installed Ubuntu on that (Dell Precisions also offer Ubuntu pre-installed and at a discount).