Best Linux Laptop in 2020? | Hacker News Reader

Best Linux Laptop in 2020?

16 pointsabinaya_codes31 comments

I need to choose a new laptop for my personal use. Currently using Macbook pro, I'd like to switch back to Linux.

What do you folks suggest?

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.

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

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

At least on my CF-C2, the hard-drive can almost be changed with just my bare hands. It's in a caddy that you just pull out after pushing a switch on the bottom. To remove the disk from the caddy I need something hard like keys or a usb cable connector to push some locks and free it.

The RAM can be accessed by just removing 1 screw.

I concur. I love my Panasonic CF-C2. Among the features you haven't mentioned, it has a 3-end plastic strap on the back that lets you securely and comfortably grab it and hold it in one hand. It also has a small 5-minute internal battery to keep the computer on while hot-swapping the removable battery. I think Panasonic calls it a "bridge" battery. Battery sizes can also be very big. Mine came with a 70 Wh, but there are 100 Wh batteries available online. There's also quite a few removable panels that can be changed for hardware modules. I noticed a used computer online of the same model that came with a fingerprint reader on one of the panels.

Regarding its ruggedness, at least for this model, it makes the computer more comfortable than the average laptop, IMO. I don't have to worry about putting too much pressure on the screen, for example. This is semi-rugged though. There are some really rugged toughbooks that are uncomfortable.

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.

Battery life kind of sucks however

System 76 laptops are worth a look... full Linux support and reasonable pricing 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.

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)

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?

- 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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

The difference in costs for OEM manufacturers, at least when I priced out similar business laptops on Dell's website, was about $40.

Rather not have to pay it, but not anything crazy relative to the price of hardware.

System76: https://system76.com/laptops

I believe there are also Dells that you can buy that don't come with Windows preinstalled.

I have a Dell that came with Ubuntu 16.04 preinstalled. Somehow, it still doesn't play well with 18.04. Tried to upgrade, ended up with reinstalling the 16.04 back from scratch.

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

XPS 13 2020 just released

You can always install Linux on a Macbook pro.

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

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