Best MacBook alternatives to avoid Apple's laptop disaster

I sure hope Apple has some awareness of the complaints long-time users are having about the new generation Macbooks with Touchbar. I have used Macbooks since the first Titanium Macbook (with Mach Kernel) and I just switched to Thinkpad (omg the keyboard) running Pop_Os. I am a developer, so I might have more flexibility, but I have bought into the Mac echo system long ago. And the burden to move away versus the burden to stay has hit a tipping point for me. Apple, for whatever reason, is no good at internet stuff (mobile me, etc) and that is where they are going full force towards.

I dream that some new company will come around with killer unix-based OS, amazing hardware, and a more open ecosystem, but that is likely just a fantasy. Purism could be that company, but I am not sure they are capitalized for it. System76 seems great too, but I don't think they manufacture their own hardware. Razer makes a great looking laptop, but windows only and reliability issues. Lenovo still feel like a Chinese/Enterprised based company with little attention to the full user experience (try ordering a laptop from Germany in English or the pricing shenanigans they play).

Anyhow, based on my 1 year plus search for an alternative, I think the best linux distro is Pop_OS, and laptops are Thinkpad and Dell XPS. System76 Darter Pro also looks good, but I haven't used before. I am waiting for new generation of Purism laptops with Core i9, will have a go then.

I will be keeping my iPad Pro for what I have left in the Apple Ecosystem.